have life; to lay hold of his per-mayest be rich, and white raifect righteousnes as the only co-ment, that thou mayest be clothed. vert from the storm; to appro- All Scripture, all the writings of priate his meritorious obedience, the Old and New Testament, are and his atoning blood, to them- of divine original, and they are selves for justification from all all of great use and advantage, their sins, inherent, imputed, and some in one way and some in actual. It administers awful another. They are of use either threats, soul-piercing denuncia- for revealing important doctrines tions, the stingings of an awaken- respecting God and ourselves; ed conscience in case of disobe- for reproving and for convincing dience. John iii. 18. He that of sin and of error; for rectifybelieveth not is condemned al- ing and reforming what is amiss; ready, and the wrath of God and for direction, in a way of abideth in him.

faith and obedience, unto the ob2. The Scriptures inform us taining of a righteousness, both that the Holy Ghost is sent from for justification and sanctification, the Father and the Son, to con- that we might be righteous in vince the world of sin, to implant Christ, and from him derive all righteousness in the souls of sin- renewing and purifying grace ners; to change the heart; to for the performance of every repair the damages of the fall; to duty, and making us holy in heart lead them in the ways of holiness, and in life. It is true, indeed, whose end should be life ever- that this light is come into the lasting. The Scriptures exhort world, and that we have chosen sinners to watch the motions of darkness in its stead. The Scripthe Spirit, and not to resist its tures are, however, the real impulses; to acquiesce in its sug-means and medium of saving opegestions, and yield the soul to its rations; and the Spirit of God, guidance through life and death; which efficaciously performs the to practise righteousness, to pur-business, does it ordinarily sue after its beauty, and to be through their instrumentality. constantly attentive to the dis- John xv. 3. Now are ye clean charge of every personal and so- through the Word which I have cial duty. The Scriptures threat-spoken. John vi. 63.

en us with rods and with stripes,

if we break the covenant of God;

Two short inferences shall

with the desertion of the Comfort-now close this treatise.

er from us, if we refuse to obey

his voice; with terror and an- 1. The first inference we shall guish of conscience, if we yield draw is this: it is from a real our members as instruments of perversion of mind that infidelity unrighteousness; and with eter- proceeds.

nal torments, if we persist in ne- The proofs of divine revelaglecting the righteousness of tion are so many and convincing, Christ to cover us, and that of his, they have been discussed by so Spirit to sanctify and cherish our many eminent pens, that no caninward man. Rev. iii. 18. I did mind can harbour any doubt counsel thee to buy of me gold upon the subject, unless the aftried in the fire, that thou fections be perverted and preju

diced against the purity of life want of proper attention to the which Christianity requires. In- evidences of our holy religion. fidels are generally men of cor- We have, at least, two chances to rupt inclinations: the precepts their one. The whole host of and threats of the divine law unbelievers may be challenged to torment their guilty conscience. comment upon our sacred oracles,

They begin to wish there was and show a single injury that no God, no heaven, no hell. In would accrue to any individual,' this state of mind they snatch at or to any community, from an exevery straw; they greedily catch plicit obedience to them. If our at every thing calculated to flat-scheme then is right and true, it ter their wishes. The witty sar-must needs follow that they are casms of Voltaire, the open criti- mischievous members of an earthcisms of Bolingbroke, and the ly society, and that they will be low, abusive scurrility of Paine, tormented with everlasting punafford them some glimmerings of ishments in the fire of hell. If hope. they are in the right, and we in Carnal conversation corrobo-an error, we at any rate enjoy as rates their wishes, and the coun- much of the comforts of life as tenance of some more seared they do, and our errors in reality wretches than themselves, soon afford us more consolation and enables them to renounce the joy than their truths can do. And faith of the Gospel. Those infi- we are certainly equally safe with dels who do not fall within this them hereafter. description, who are men of ta- O ye, who, from the pride of lents, of erudition, and of general a false philosophy, from the demorality, have argued against re- praved habits of a corrupt and ligion from its abuses: they have wicked life, despise or reject the neglected the investigation of its pure precepts of Christianity, own intrinsic excellence. How could you but one hour feel its blindly did the revolutionists in comforts, were you once admitEurope palm upon the Gospel ted into the banqueting-house of that tyrannical oppression which the Lord Jesus, did the spirit of the corruptions of Popery and the bride actuate you when she prelacy have appended to so lovingly sung. Isa. Ixi. 10. it; but which its doctrines and Song v. 10. Nay, even did you precepts constantly condemn. drink of these waters of Marab, Never was there a piece of com- when the soul is fainting under position that reproves tyrants desertion, and longing for the rewith more power and authority turn of its God, you would at this than the sacred volume. Never moment be constrained to acknowwas there a piece of composition ledge, that these sorrows you that enforces a spirit of equality would not exchange for your more than it does. These infi- former joys; much less would dels are ignorant of the history you be content, on any earthly of Christianity, if they are yet to account, to lose the anchor of be told that a zealous Christian your Christian hope. and an enemy to Cesar are synonymous terms. Infidels ought to consider their great danger from!

2. Unsanctified believers are utterly inexcusable.

While the thunders of mount

Sinai are denounced against those tion and instruction which they
who openly reject the Gospel administer and nevertheless to
and its precious offers the in- refuse obedience, to lie at ease
dignation of the Lamb, who now in Zion, to put on a total indiffer-
discovers himself to be the dread-ence to the quarrel of his cove-
ful and fierce Lion of the tribe of nant, to turn away our hearts
Judah, will overtake in their hy- from Christ, our necks from his
pocrisy those who have made an yoke, our backs from his cross, to
insincere profession of faith in his live contented with a form of god-
name. Sincerity of attachment liness, while destitute of its pow-
to Christ, on his own account, is a er, to be unconcerned in public,
state of mind peculiar to those undutiful in the family, prayer-
who are hidden from the storm. less in the closet, graceless and
Those who have given a rational | christless in ALL, is to be enhan-
assent to the evidence of divine cing and approving of our own
revelation, who acknowledge that condemnation, is to be adding
it is profitable for many purposes, fresh fuel to the fire of hell. "Ŏ
and have nevertheless neglected Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
to study its contents, are incon-killest the prophets, and stonest
sistent, self-condemned wretches, them that are sent to thee, how
and open contemners of the divine often would I have gathered you
authority. To believe the Bi- together, even as a hen gathereth
ble, and to consult its counsels, her chickens under her wings,
to confess that God speaks, and but ye would not; behold your
not listen to his voice, is a vice house is left unto you desolate! Wo
more daring than infidelity itself. unto thee, Bethsaida, and Chora-
To believe the Bible, to consult zin, for it will be more tolerable
its doctrines, and after all to re- for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the
ject them, because they do not day of judgment, than for you."
suit our corrupted taste, our The nearer we approach to the
slothful minds, our false philoso-summit of glory, the more dread-
phy, or upon any pretence what-ful will be our fall into the abyss
ever, is still worse. To reject of misery, unless we completely
doctrines which, by fair criticism, arrive at the goal
are taught in the Word of God, We turn away our eyes from be-
merely because we cannot accu- holding this mournful spectacle,
rately account for them, being to see those who sing for joy in
above the comprehension of rea- the realms of bless. These are
so, is a gross violation of respect they who have overcome by the
to Jehovah, and a step higher yet blood of the Lamb and the word
in the tower of presumption and of their testimony: who have
known and experienced, to their
unceasing comfort, that "all
Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doc-
trine, for reproof, for correc-
tion, and for instruction in righte-
ousness."

arrogance."

The condition of how many thousands, alas, is this!

To embrace the Scriptures of truth, to acknowledge their utility, to give a historical assent to the doctrines delivered, to confess the justice of their reproofs, the salutary tendency of the correc-!

t

JOY IN HEAVEN OVER ONE REPENT- not like bloated Pharisees, but

ING SINNER.

humble publicans; not as learned scribes, but merely as ruined sinIT is a singular fact, that when ners. The work of the Lord our Lord Jesus was upon the Jesus is only with and for sinners, earth, and "went about doing as such; and however vile and good," persons of the most noto- unworthy, however unrighteous rious profligacy and wickedness and unholy, all who believe on his followed his footsteps, while those name are "washed, and sanctiwho boasted of their righteous- fied, and justified" through the ness and purity disdained his ad- obedience of their faith. The monitions, despised his doctrines, Gospel is all grace-free, sovepersecuted his person, or, if they reign, abundant, exhaustless

attended his discourses, did it to grace. This is its value, its beauentrap and ensnare him. Very ty, its life, its glory. There is few, eminent for their rank, their no sin so attrocious which it cantalents, or their learning, waited not pardon; no sinfulness so great upon the ministry of Him who which it cannot remove; no sin"came from heaven to seek and ner so abandoned which it cannot save them that were lost." We receive and renovate. There is shall not endeavour to enumerate no conscience so enanguished but the many reasons that might be it can sooth its pain; no heart offered to explain this apparent so hard which it cannot soften; mystery. We may, however, none so vile which it cannot pureadily solve the phenomenon, in rify. It lays the axe at the root the power of that impenetrable, of human pride, and levels in the stubborn, relentless, ungoverna- dust the vanity of human glory; ble pride, the pride of sect. This and hence arose the great virukept the Pharisee, the Sadducee, lence and opposition of the selfand the Scribe, from the Lord righteous, the wise, the mighty, Jesus, while publicans, and har- and the noble, against the Son of lots, and sinners, drew near God. The scribes and Pharisees, to him who "spake as never more especially, were continually man spake," to listen to the murmuring at his manners, and words of eternal life, and to com- and carping at his doctrine. "This pose the retinue of the Son of man," say they, "receiveth sinGod. While the one class were ners, and eateth with them." offended at his doctrine, his per- Our Lord was neither deaf nor son, and his cross, the other insensible to their multiplied thirsted for his redemption, and cavils and calumnies; and, after were enrolled among the heirs of listening to their objections, spake his glory. "I came not," said several parables unto them, from Christ, "to call the righteous, which he would lead them to infer, but sinners, to repentance; and that his work and delight were all that the Father giveth to me alone with lost and ruined sinners; shall come to me, and him that and that the more vile and abancometh to me I will in nowise doned they were, the greater cast out." Whoever they are, would be the glory of his grace, that hope for his pardoning mercy, and the joy of heaven at their and renewing virtue, must come, conversion.

The objeet of this article is to is the Lamb that was slain to reshow that the repentance of sin-ceive all blessing, and honour, ners upon earth is a source of and glory, and power," is the happiness and joy above, in the song of triumph that strikes the presence of the angels of God; strings of every golden harp, and that as often, and as soon, as an calls forth the sweetest notes of heir of perdition is rescued from praise from the bright myriads of the error of his ways, and the admiring seraphs and adoring bondage of his corruptions, the saints. glad tidings are heard in heaven, and the King of glory says to his angels, and the spirits of the just made perfect," Rejoice with me, for another sinner was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

And is there any thing that can add to this their happiness and their joy? any thing that can swell the alleluias of the spirits of the just made perfect, and call forth loftier strains from the angels with whom they dwell? any Indeed, in that world of life, of thing that can pour new brilliancy light, and of glory, there is no- around the throne of the Eternal, thing, and can be nothing, but raise yet higher the jubilee joy joy which is unspeakable of praise, to the Lamb that was and everlasting; joy which "eye slain? Yes, there is. "There is hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor joy in heaven, in the presence of hath entered into the heart of the angels of God, over one sinman to conceive." None but the ner that repenteth." It is the happy, the blest, and glorified ci- repentance, the regeneration of tizens of the Jerusalem above, a sinner upon the earth. It is can tell how happy, and blest, and the recovery of another lost sheep glorified, the citizens are. There, to the fold whence he has wanthere is neither sin nor sorrow, dered. It is the return of anoneither pain nor death. There ther ruined prodigal to the love the wicked cease from troubling of his heavenly Father. and the weary are at rest. There This is the source of new blessevery tear is wiped from the eye, edness and praise in the courts and weeping and sadness are for above; and, as soon as another ever done away. There, in the captive of the pit is numbered presence and communion of their among the followers of Jesus in God and Saviour, all the armies the church below, the church of the redeemed, who endured triumphant, triumph with increasgreat tribulation on the earth, ap-ed joy. The angels who are conpear arrayed in white robes, with tinually ascending and descending palms of victory in their hands, from heaven to earth and from with crowns of glory upon their earth to heaven; who wait around heads, and songs of praise upon the throne of God ready to retheir lips. They reign with Je-ceive the intimations of his will, sus, and with him are blest. He and swift as the lightning to exeleads them to rivers of living wa-cute them; who are all ministerters, and pours into their hearts ing spirits, sent forth to minister the plenitude of his love, and un- to the heirs of salvation-have no veils to their enraptured view the greater blessedness than to celefulness of his glory. "Worthy brate their triumphs, and pro