years co-operates with mental repugnance. He comes not unto Chrift for life. a?

II. Let us next enquire in what manner, and with what difpofitions, we are to come unto Jefus Chrift that we may have life..

On this fubject our Lord himself hath fupplied us with copious inftruction. What is his own invitation? Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden; all ye who are dejected and oppreffed with the burden of your fin; and I will give you reft. How does he defcribe the perfons who would liften to his call? I came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance: not the righteous; not thofe who imagine themfelves to be already righteous, and therefore difregard my offers of mercy; but finners; those who are deeply confcious of their fallen ftate, and of the guilt which they have accumulated by wilful tranfgreffion, and will therefore joyfully fly to the atonement and grace of a Redeemer. Read in thefe declarations the frame of foul with which you muft come unto Chrift. Look into your own breafts. Contemplate the unceafing tendencies to evil which per vade them; tendencies to pride, to fenfuality, to felfifhnefs, to anger, to

hatred,

to discontent, to hard thoughts of God, to various other wicked difpofitions of the

heart. Confider how frequently you have yielded in practice, how frequently you still yield, to fome if not to all of thefe fins. Confider that against every inftance of any one of thefe fins the wrath of God is denounced. Confider how unequal you have found your own ftrength to withstand temptation; how often your goodness has been as a morning cloud, as the early dew that paffeth away; how often your firmeft resolutions, fortified by the remembrance of defeat, have been overthrown; how often, with open eyes, with a clear knowledge of your duty, you have broken the command:: ments of your Lord and Judge in thought, in word, and in deed. Confider thefe facts; and you will perceive the corruption of that nature which has defcended into you from fallen Adam. You will behold in its true colours the guilt of your manifold offences. You will become fenfible that your best ability is weakness; that on your own power no dependence is to be placed. You will be convinced that you have fubjected yourself to the avenging justice of God; to the fentence of eternal condemnation which has been pronounced against all

who

who rebel against his laws. You will feel, not only that you have contracted a debt which you are utterly unable to discharge; but that by additional fins, you are conftantly fwelling its amount. With St. Paul you will bear witness against yourself that the law of God is holy, and his commandment holy and juft and good. With the fame Apostle you will confefs, that you are *carnal, fold under fin: and that fin taking advantage by the commandment, hath, deceived you and flain you. You will then be prepared to cry out with him ; wretched man that Lam! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? You will then, like him, be prepared, to render thanks unto God for the deliverance which he has provided through Jefus Chrift our Lord. You will then be prepared to come unto Chrift. You will come unto him as the Son of God, whom his Almighty Father hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, that he may give repentance unto all men, and make fatisfaction for the fins of the whole world. You will come unto him difclaiming all righteoufnefs of your own; and relying only on his merits for falvation. You will come unto him as the good fhepherd who laid down his life for

the sheep; as the true and living way; as the fountain opened for uncleannefs and fin. You will present yourself before him with a fubdued and teachable spirit; meek and lowly in heart, that you may find rest unto your foul. You will implore him to receive you under his guidance; to wash away your guilt with his blood; to lead you into the path of life everlasting; to prevent you with his grace in all your doings, and further you with his continual help; to difpofe and enable you to renounce every finful indulgence, and in the ftrength which He fupplies to work out your falvation with fear and trembling.

III. It remains to make a brief and practical application of the subject.

If you are fincerely anxious that, when the prefent life fhall terminate, your fouls may be admitted into the kingdom of Chrift; you will earnestly and deeply examine yourselves, whether as yet you have come unto Chrift that you might have life. If you have lived chiefly occupied in the pursuits of a transitory world, with litthe concern for your salvation; or if you have habitually proved yourselves under power of fin; or if you have regarded

the

yourfelves

yourselves as fufficiently righteous, and partly entitled through your own merits to the kingdom of Heaven; you have not yet learned the nature of the religion which you profess; you have not yet come unto Chrift. If with an humble and contrite` heart you have bowed yourself before the Lord your Redeemer, trufting wholly and exclusively to Him for pardon, for ftrength, for fanctification, for acceptance with God; folicitous and refolved through the influence of his grace to evince the fincerity of your repentance, ofyour faith, of your gratitude, of your love, fteadily devoting yourself to his fervice, and bringing forth the fruits of holiness then may you cherifh a lively hope that you have been led to approach your Saviour infimplicity and truth.

To which of thefe defcriptions each of you at present belongs is a fact concerning which every one of you may form, by meek and upright enquiry, a reasonable judgement for himself: and it is a fact unequivocally known to God who feeth the heart. Experience however inftructs a preacher to conclude that in the congregation which he addreffes, perfons of each defcription are to be found. Allow me, therefore,

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