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to the endearing declaration of his own lips: • Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Encouraging language this. Surely it must rouse dejection from her torpor, and lay a foundation for hope in the most abandoned profligate on earth. Nothing can be more applicable to his wretched condition, nor better adapted to administer relief.

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The Saviour's right of dispensing such incomparable blessings originates in himself. No worthiness, foreseen in the creature, induced him to leave the mansions of glory to become the surety of sinners. His bearing that delightful character, and performing the work pertaining to it, proceeded from his own sovereign grace. He voluntarily undertook the office of mediator; and in his condescending to this work, made himself of no reputation; took upon him the form of a servant, and humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross.' By this expiatory death, he finished transgression, and made an end of sin; satisfied all the claims of law and of justice on his people; blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that stood against them; and brought in an everlasting righteousness for their complete salvation. But this is not all that the divine Jesus hath done: he hath not merely cancelled our obligation to punishment, as sinners-he has made ample provision for delivering his followers from the power of guilt and the dominion of sin.

These are privileges, the conscious enjoyment of which would beggar all description. Your present fears may perhaps urge you to conclude, that you shall never participate of these inesti

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mable favours. But why not? Is the Lord's hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? hath he no power to deliver? At his rebuke, he drieth up the sea, and maketh the rivers a wilderness.' The Lord will not despise the day of small things. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench-He will bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captive, and open the prison to them that are bound-He will bring the blind by a way that they knew not-he will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will he do, and not forsake them.' He that hath graciously begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. He is a rock, and his work is perfect. Grace in the heart, is an earnest of glory.

Seeing, therefore, that we have such an almighty Saviour, let me beseech you to turn to him the strong hold in the day of trouble: for he knoweth them that trust in him. His promises are firmer than adamant-they are like himself, immutable. He is a friend to the friendless-a source of supplies to the needy-a deliverer to the captive, and a covert from the storm of divine wrath. To the trembling sinner, these considerations must afford unspeakable encouragement; nor will it appear strange, when it is considered that he is not only delivered from the terrors of guilt, the bondage of corruption, the curses of a violated law, and that eternal punishment which is the just desert of sin; but is adopted into the family of God, and constituted an heir of glory. This is to be free indeed!-These are immunities suited to the abject state of man: they not only exonerate from condemnation and death, but raise to dignity and splendour-to consummate purity and everlasting blessedness.

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Flee, then, to this Jesus-this city of refuge. Say, what makes you hesitate? Why let suspense engross one moment of time? Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Yes: and such is the benignity of his heart that, when on earth, he went about doing good: healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. The errand on which he came was an errand of benevolence: he announced publicly, in the synagogue at Nazareth, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord' and is his arm shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Know you not that he ever liveth to make intercession-that he is able to save to the uttermost-that he is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins? Ho! every one that thirsteth,' is the language of divine munificence, come, and take the water of life freely-If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.'

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Should you say, in excuse for not complying with the benevolent invitation, I have nothing to bring that can entitle me to share the inestimable favour; suffer me to remind you, that the invitation extends not to those that are rich, but to him that hath no money: nothing with which to purchase the divine clemency, or to satisfy the claims of justice. The question in this case is not What am I worthy to receive, but, what has God graciously promised to bestow?' If, therefore, you are among the thirsty

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and the indigent; Come, buy, and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.' Poverty of spirit, remember, is no bar to forgiveness. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.' If there be one posture of the soul more lovely and desirable than another, it is when at his footstool, in whose sight the heavens are not clean: when it can say, with Jacob, I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant: or, with Job, Behold I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth-I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

The language of your heart, my amiable friend, speaks poverty of soul: to whom then should you go but to Christ, with whom there are durable riches and righteousness. 'Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, is the language of Jesus, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live-Return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.'

Would you experience peace of conscience and communion with the Father of mercies? these inestimable blessings, remember, are only to be enjoyed through the medium of a Saviour's blood. Without shedding of blood is no remission-God was in Christ, reconciling the world

unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.' Go to him therefore just as you are-as 'wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' He will clothe you with the garments of salvation. I counsel thee to buy of me saith the faithful witness, gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, thou thou mayest see. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.'

In opposition to the freeness of grace, urge neither the number nor the magnitude of your crimes as a bar to forgiveness. This would be to act like the 'timorous passenger who, in a storm at sea, makes it his only business to tell the waves, and to shriek at the beating of every billow against the ship; instead of imitating the industrious pilot, who hath his hand at the helm and his eye to heaven, and minds more his duty than his danger.' Neither your thinking that pardon cannot be extended to a wretch so vile, nor the depths of your despondency, can be admitted as evidence of your having no interest in divine mercy. Others have known what it is to groan, being burdened; and have cried in anguish of soul, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God.' No saint, perhaps, ever experienced more painful anxiety on this account, or exulted more in confidence of future glory, than the Psalmist. 'Will the Lord,' he asks,' cast off for ever? and I will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious?

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