me, who now so readily confess their guilt, and view their confession as a kind of an atonement for it, and who, by these means, are multiplying testimony against themselves, that shall vindicate the righeousness of God, in their final condemnation, will go to the judgement, the impenitent enemies of that Almighty Being, who holds in his hands, their high eternal destinies. Let sinners feel, that both their understandings, and their consciences will testify against them, in the great day of solemn adjudication; and that they will not find within themselves, any means, of mitigating the agony which shall heave their bosoms, at the recollection, that they have slighted the mercy of heaven, and have perverted and abused, those powers of their nature, that were given them for their salvation, and not for their destruction.

3. The understandings of sinners are not darkened, for the want of opportunities of acquiring the knowledge of God, and of their duty. God has given them great opportunities to improve their powers and faculties, in the attainment of that knowledge, with which their happiness, for both worlds, is intimately connected.

Having given them the capacity of discerning between right, and wrong, between truth, and errour, in the circumstances, in which he has placed them, and under the various relations which he has created; he furnishes them with abundant opportunity to manifest their views and feelings. No man can say, that he has no opportunity to do good, in such a world of sin, and suffering, as this is. Does he desire to give expression to his feelings of reverence for God? Added to

the means he has, of doing this, by his own personal obedience, is the opportunity, almost daily, furnished him, when he sees the name, and institutions of God profaned, of bearing his testimony against it, and of thus vindicating the honour of his Maker.

In his intercourse with his fellow men, he can always manifest his regard to justice; and on every occasion, express his approbation of right, and his abhorrence of wrong. After the example of his Saviour, surrounded as he is, with guilt, and want, and wretchedness, he can go about, from day, to day, doing good. Poverty supplicates relief, with pale, emaciated countenance; guilt with haggard, downcast look, invites his pity and his prayers; and the honour of his Lord and Saviour, whose name is every day blasphemed by the wicked, looks to him for advocacy, and defence.

God has so constituted things in the natural world, that he has furnished man with an opportunity, not only, of providing a competency, to supply his individual wants, but also, of laying up in store, for those who may come after him. The necessities of nature, never press so hard upon men, as to make it impossible for them, to render to God the service which he requires. A comparatively small amount of labour, with suitable care, will secure all that is necessary to man, during his short journey through time; and if bis heart were rightly affected, towards divine and eternal things, he would find, both time and opportunity to make great improvement in the knowledge and love of God. Men seem to find opportunity enough, to do every thing else, except their duty

towards their Maker. It costs them, comparatively, but little trouble, to find the means of gratifying, almost every desire of their hearts. On subjects that stand connected with the accomplishment of favourite earthly projects, they are wise in expedient, and prompt, and efficient in execution. They, not only, see the connexion between means, and ends, but, are diligent and persevering, also, in the use and improvement of means, to ends. They take enlarged, and

correct views of those subjects, that seem to them, to stand connected with their earthly happiness; and if they thought God, and Christ, and heaven, and eternity, and their souls, were as important objects of pursuit, as the various worldly projects that command their attention, it will not be presumed, that they would complain, for the want of time, or opportunity, to indulge the feelings of their hearts towards these objects. Men find time, and opportunity to do many things, that are both useless, and wicked. Why can they not find time to pray, to read the Scriptures, and to serve God, in the ways of his appointment, as well?

It will afford little consolation to a sinner, on a dying bed, to reflect, that he has suffered the world to press him so hard, as to have led him to neglect, both God, and his own soul, What master of a family is there, who, if he has veneration enough for his Maker, to think it of sufficient importance, cannot so regulate his affairs, as to make it a part of every day's business, to pray in his family? And how will the excuse appear before God, if he should ever dare to say to him in the judgement, "O Lord, I was so pressed by the

world, my cares of earth were so distracting, that I could not find time to pray to thee?" Who is there, that is not prepared to say, that the concerns of his soul, are of infinitely greater importance and value, than ten thousand worlds like this? And yet, what else will the sinner have to say, in the last day, than, that for the love of what the world offered, he was pressed, and hurried, from one thing, to another, to the neglect of Christ, and his own salvation? Will any, have the presumption to say, and especially, they, who have been favoured, with such advantages, as you, my friends, enjoy, that it was for the want of time and opportunity, to give their minds up to the subject, that they remained in ignorance of God, strangers to the pleasures of holiness, and that they must, consequently, now, become eternal outcasts from heaven, and glory?

Paul represents all men, as without excuse, for their ignorance of God. "For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood, by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse; because, that when they knew God, they glorified him not, as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

These things were spoken of the heathen world: What excuse, then, will those have, for their ignorance of God, and their indifference to his authority, to whom he has given his written will? Those who live in a land of Bibles, and under a preached Gospel, above all people, will be inexcusable, for

the darkness of their understandings, in relation to God, and duty, as it will be impossible for them, to offer any reason for their darkness, that will not enhance their guilt, a thousand fold. In the Bible, God clearly exhibits himself, and declares his will. Here, he sets forth, the Lord Jesus Christ, amiable in condescension, benevolent in his purposes, and majestick in the sufferings, necessary to their accomplishment. In him, we are called to admire, the brightness of the Father's glory, and to contemplate, the express image of his person. In the Bible, God shows man to himself, acquaints him with his obligations, points out to him his destiny, and sheds the light of eternity, upon his pathway in time, that he may learn how to order his footsteps aright, and to make for the city of God.

It will be far more tolerable, to have lived, and died, under the night of paganism, than to have enjoyed the full blaze of gospel day, and to have remained, unenlightened, and unblest, by that knowledge of God, and our Saviour, which has connected with it, the blessedness of eternal life.-We observe—

4. That there is no want of motives, to induce sinners, to apply their minds, to the subject of their duty, and their destiny. These are very numerous, and of the most impressive and tender, as well as of the most awful and alarming character. They arise from contemplating the nature of God; the moral rectitude of his government; the wisdom, and benevolence of his designs; the condescension, and glory of Christ; the adaptedness of his mediation, and intercession, to a world of moral agents, in the condition, and possessing.