yond, what would otherwise have been possible: That, the ruins of the fall notwithstanding, it lies with yourselves to determine, whether this exceeding weight of glory shall be yours; or, whether you will barter it away, for the pleasures that die upon the senses. That, even giving all the force to your argument against God, that you would desire, that is nevertheless done, in the plan of redemption, which throws into your own hands, your immortal destiny; and furnishes you with an opportunity, of rising to unutterable heights of felicity and glory, in the presence of your Maker.

When you make your objection, founded on the unhappy constitution of your nature-What will you answer, when you are told of the gospel method of pardon and salvation? And suppose you carry your principle one step further, and plead, that this method, in its apparently kind overtures, does but mock your miseries, in that it proffers you blessings that lie beyond your reach, and so justify your neglect of God, on the ground of inability? Do you feel as if you dare to risk, upon the validity of this objection, your eternal all, in the face of your deep seated consciousness of obligation? In the face of all the tender expostulations, the kind entreaties, the solemn warnings, and the most plain, and unequivocal declarations of God?

But it was not so much my design to reason with you today, as to exhibit the condescensions of our Maker towards our sinful race, by the side of those numerous, and affecting exhibitions which are daily made, of contempt for the name, and authority of God: That in the light of contrast, seeing

the odious nature of sin, and the depths of human depravity, you might be filled with shame and self-abhorrence; and by passing sentence of condemnation on yourselves, might be brought to justify the God that made you.

Shall I ask then-What has God done against you, that should lead you to disregard his authority, and refuse submission to his Son? Shall I not rather ask-What has he left undone, that he could do for you?

Let all the excellencies of the human character that have ever been exhibited since the world began, be combined, to give force and extent to intellect, and dignity and loveliness to moral feeling; all is shade, and darkness, when we contemplate the world's Sovereign, in mysterious combination with the world's VICTIM for sin. The man of Calvary, suspended on the Cross, a spectacle to angels and men, exhibits the adorable Divinity, in an attitude of justice and mercy, of wrath and love, for a moment the terrour, and astonishment of angels, and to eternity the admiration, and joy of a holy universe.

And how, my friends, have our hearts been affected? He, who was ministered to by angels; and at whose birth, a multitude of the heavenly host sung a song of glory to God, has doubtless, from but a small proportion of those who hear me, received the tribute of a grateful heart. His hand of mercy pursued us, when we had plunged ourselves into darkness; and effected deliverance for us, when we were pressing our way onwards to eternal death. And how many sacrifices have we made for him, who died to save us? What is the

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state of our heart to-day, after so long a time, that he has waited, patiently, with us? O, should he appear in the midst of us, all wounded and bloody, and say, "What have I done into you? Wherein have I wearied you?" Who among us would rise, and say, with hearts influenced by the mingled emotions of ingenuous grief, and grateful transport?" My Lord, and my God!"

SERUON XVII.

"For sin is the transgression of the law.”
I. JOHN, iii. 4, last clause..

THE apostle, having declared, in the preceding context, that every one who entertained the hope, that he should be like Christ in the day of his appearing, would labour to purify himself, even as Christ is pure, proceeds to observe, in the verse containing our text, that the commission of sin is a trasgression of the law; and that Christ came to take away sin, and put an end to transgression. He would thence, lead us to infer, that no one can safely indulge the hope of pardon, whose heart is not fully set in him to seek an entire conformity to the requisitions of that law, which it was the great end of Christ's death to magnify and render honourable..

We might, in accordance with the connexion of the text, call your attention to the obligations Christians are under, to observe the law as a rule of life and manners; and press the necessity of such observance, as furnishing evidence of a gracious estate, and as indispensable to the indulgence of a well founded hope: But we would rather consider it in the light