speakable consolation derived from the Bible in seasons of distress; they have exclaimed with David, "unless thy law had been my delight, I should have perished in mine afflictions ;" and I believe I may truly add, that no sincere Christian ever applied earnestly to the throne of grace in vain.

If

We have, then, every reason to conclude, that a religion so wonderfully propagated, so prevalent, and still prevailing, so admirably suited to the wants and frailty of man, and so peculiarly adapted to promote both his temporal and eternal interests, must have emanated from the God of Truth, the Great and Benevolent Author of the Universe. any one should still retain an evil heart of unbelief, O let him fear that sin has hardened his heart, has blinded his eyes, so that he cannot see the things which belong to his everlasting peace. Our Saviour says, "this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light;" why? "because their deeds. are evil." O! let us, then, earnestly pray to God, that none of us may ever fall into

this fearful condemnation. Let us beseech Him to break that fatal enchantment which binds down our affections to earthly things, and which our reason teaches us comparatively to despise. Let us intreat Him so to purify our hearts by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit, that his word may ever be dear to our souls, that it may produce in us the fruit of good living, and that, finally, through the mediation of our blessed Lord and Saviour, it may bring us to an everlasting and heavenly inheritance.

SERMON III.

I. TIM. I. 15.

THIS IS A FAITHFUL SAYING, AND WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION, THAT CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS.

Having, in the preceding sermon, given such reasons as I trust would convince any person of common sense, and whose eyes were not blinded by sin, of the truth of the Christian religion, I shall now proceed to consider some of its doctrines and precepts; and no text in the whole Bible is of greater importance than the one I have selected for our present consideration.

What more joyful tidings could have been imparted to every son of fallen Adam, than that "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." The apostle speaks with no hesitation on the matter; he declares that it is

a faithful saying, one which is most undoubtedly true, one which is entitled to full credit. This doctrine is, indeed, so frequently laid down in the New Testament that we cannot possibly disbelieve it, without disbelieving the Bible itself. But, for our better understanding the importance of the subject, I shall consider, in the first place, our lost state as sinners; and secondly, the nature and character of Jesus Christ.

We are told, in the scriptures, that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," and that "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us;" and what man, after seriously communing with his own heart, will venture to say that he has never sinned against God's commandments in thought, word, or deed? "Who can say I have made my heart clean, I am pure from sin." Many persons, indeed, are unwilling to confess their sins, or even their common faults. Thousands of excuses are framed to free themselves from blame. How often do men flatter themselves, that they are in a safe state, because they see

numbers of others as bad or worse than themselves? Should any of their neighbours be more vicious than they are, they exclaim, "Thank God, I am not as these men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers ;" and thus, in the pride of their hearts, they are perfectly satisfied with themselves, crying, Peace, when there is no peace.'

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Nothing can be more absurd or unchristianlike than to exult, and fancy ourselves righteous, because we may not have been guilty of some particular vice into which our neighbour has fallen. Ought we not to consider, that this is the true pharasaical spirit which our Saviour so decidedly condemned; and though we may not have exactly committed this very sin, yet may our hearts be just as far from God, and our salvation quite as remote, as that of the person we are so ready to condemn ?

But these are sad and dreadful delusions; I call them dreadful, because they inevitably lead to dreadful consequences. As long as a man is aware of danger, he may possibly avert it; but if he proceeds in fancied secu