Corruption." His Holinefs will be to you a confuming fire, his juftice will execute ftrict judgment upon you, and you fhall infallibly "perith from the way, if his wrath is kindled, yea but a little," how much more when it burns with unabating fury, "confumes the earth with its increase, and melts down the foundation of the mountains," when "it burns and fhall not be quenched ?" Oh ye unholy and profane," how can ye efcape the damnation of

hell ?"

3. There is but one way in which you can efcape this, and that I fear, is a way in which you do not choose to walk. It is the way of unfeigned repentance, lively faith, and new obedience. Thus, and only thus, can you find mercy with the Lord, . and stand approved before the Son of Man. Oh hear the voice, the fweet and melting voice of mercy! "As I live (faith the Lord) I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth; therefore, turn and live ye. Ceafe to do evil, learn to do well; wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Come now and let us reafon together (faith the Lord) though your fins be as fcarlet they fhall be white as fnow, tho' they be red as crimson they shall be as wool; for all manner of fins and blafphemies fhall be forgiven," unto penitent finners through the Redeemer, whofe "blood cleanseth from all fin." "Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of fins, and by him all, that" with penitent hearts, "believe, are justified, from all things from which they could not be juftified by" their own obedience.

4. And does not this chearing voice of mercy gladden thy very heart, thou ungodly, guilty and felf-condemned finner? Doft thou not fee cause, great caufe to praife him that the door of faivation

L 5

is

is not yet fhut against thee, thee (I fay) who haft fo long refused to enter in at it? That he has not yet cut thee down who haft fo long only cumbered the ground? Oh praise him, if thou haft any fense of gratitude left, that he ftill waits to be gracious, still extends the arms of his mercy and love to embrace thy guilty foul!ut at the fame time confider, thou knoweft not how foon the door may be fhut against thee if thou ftill deferreft to enter: Thou knoweft not how foon he may fhut up his loving-kindness in difpleasure, if thou ftill delayeft to take refuge there! Remember the goodness of God ought to lead thee to repentance, but if it have not that happy effect, thou wilt foon find it changed into a fea of wrathful indignation to overwhelm thy hopeless foul!

5. I teftify to thee, this day, in the name of the once crucified but now highly exalted Saviour, whom thou haft hitherto defpised and rejected; if that amazing love which brought him from the palaces of heaven, where he was attended and worThipped by myriads of angels and archangels, cherubim and feraphim, into this howling wildernefs, this world of we, where he was forfaken of alt, even of the twelve poor fishermen his only attendants; which induced him to affume this vile body, fubject to infirmity, pain and death, that thou mighteft rife thro' his fall and be exalted thro' his humiliation; mightest be invested with the divine nature, with holinefs, immortality and blifs, and dwell in manfions of glory for ever ;the wonderful love which exposed him to hunger and thirst, cold and nakednefs, fhame and contempt, that thy famished and starving foul might be fed with the bread of life, refreshed with the wine of divine love, clothed with the garments of falvation, and honoured before an affembled world; the myfterious love which fubjected him

to

to the fevere ftroke of his Father's juftice, the most malevolent fpite of his own creatures, and the most implacable malice of infernal fiends, that thou mightest be delivered from the power of Satan, enjoy the good-will of faints and angels, and be happy in the fmile and favour of thy God; the unfearchable love which filled his foul with unknown agony in the garden; crowned his head with fharp thorns in the Judgment-hall, tore his back with knotty whips before Pilate, nailed his body to the execrable crofs between the vileft mifcreants, and opened a fountain in his fide where thou mighteft quench thy thirst for happiness, and wash away thy filth of fin;-if this great, amazing and unfathomable love (I fay) do not win thy heart, and melt thee in its holy flame into a veffel of honour, I teftify to thee, it will fuddenly be converted into fiery indignation which will kindle upon and confume thy body and foul in its unquenchable flames !

6. Foolish man, what art thou doing? Defpifest thou the riches of his glory, the paradife of his delights, the dignity of his crown, which he tenderly and earnestly invites thee to share? Slightest thou his love? His bleeding, agonizing, expiring love! Has he not fuffered enough? Art thou refolved to crucify him afresh and put him to open fhame? Sinner forbear! Ceafe to revile and buffet that lovely perfon! Cease to spit in that divine face which angels gaze upon with rapture! How canft thou brui' that facred head! Ah! do not drive those rude nails ftill further! Why wilt thou give that guiltless heart another and a deeper wound? Sinner, what evil hath he done? Wherein hath he injured thee? Injured thee! alas! he hath loved thee even unto death, and quenched by his precious blood the flames of hell kindling about thy unholy foul! And doft thou thus requite his L 6 undeferved

undeferved favour and boundless love? Wretched man, abftain! Join no more the murderers of thy Saviour! Bid adieu to their company! Let his Love overcome thee! Throw down the weapons of thy rebellion; fall at his dear feet, pierced by thy crimes, and diftilling a facred balm to heal thy wounded foul! And kifs the Son left he be angry! Remember he has authority to execute judgment, to fave or to deftroy." He has the keys of death and of hell; he opens and no man fhuts, shuts and no man opens. If he once "fwear in his wrath thou shalt not enter into his reft," thy die will be caft and thy wretched fate determined for ever! Now is the accepted time! now is the day of falvation! Now knock at the door of mercy and fay, Lord, Lord, open to me! And he will

open to thee; he will pardon, accept and blefs thee, and even thou shalt enfure the things which belong to thy peace before they are for ever hid from thine eyes!

SERMON

SERMON XI.

PREACHED

On the Occafion of the Death of Mrs. Fofter,

AT THE

CHAPEL in CHERRY STREET, BIRMINGHAM, ON SUNDAY EVENING, AUG. 29, 1790.

1 THESS. IV. 13, 14.

"I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are afleep, that ye forrow not, even as others, who have no hope. For if we believe that JESUS died and rofe again, even fo, them also that sleep in JESUS will GOD bring with him. "

I.

N eminent French Writer, Monf. Saurin, has given it as his opinion, that this is one of the most difficult Texts in the New Teftament. Accordingly he prefents us with a long and learned expofition of it, in which he proceeds upon a very fingular hypothefis. He fuppofes that the defire "which prevailed in the primitive Chriftians to fee "Chrift when he fhould appear to Judgment, made " them lament those of their brethren who died, "as cut off from that hope; and that it was in "reference to this, that the Apoftle affured them, in this paffage, that fuch would be entirely on a level with thofe of their brethren who should then be found alive." This fuppofition feems

to