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so that he cannot look upon himself but with confusion and an universal blush." So speaks the excellent Mr. Charnock.

Persons who have not been used to hear the Gospel are frequently surprised, when they sit under a powerful ministry, to hear their own case and character so exactly described. It is not uncommon for them to charge their friends with having been to the ministers beforehand, to tell them their case. But this is no new thing. The remembrance of one sin leads to the remembrance of another. Sins that have been forgotten many years, have a kind of resurrection in the mind, so that they seem to surround and terrify the soul of an awakened sinner.Thus it was with the woman of Samaria, who was converted by our Lord at the well; having detected her in the lewd course of life which she led ; and being convinced that he was a prophet, she ran to call her neighbours, saying, "Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ?" This is the proper and powerful effect of the word of God, which carries with it a mighty and convincing argument of its truth, as being the word of him "who searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins of the children of men." The person who thus hears the word to purpose, "knows the plague of his own heart." He boasts no more of a good heart. He sees it is full of sin; which he no longer delights in, nor excuses. He sees its horrid evil, described in Scripture as dirt, dung, plague, ulcers, and putrefying sores; and seeing this in his own heart, he loaths himself, and cries with Job, "Lord I am vile! I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes!"— And this leads us to another observation.

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V. When a man is converted to God, he always begins to pray. The person in our text already convinced of sin, "falls down on his face, and worships God." A blind Pagan till now. If he worshipped before, it was Bacchus or Venus perhaps or a more heathenish Christian; one who never worships at all. For how many are there among us, who so entirely live without God in the world, that they never pray. But see the effect of God's word when carried to the heart. Regardless of the eye of man, he prostrates himself in the dust of abasement before his offended

Maker and Judge. This was the symptom of Paul's own conversion: "Behold he prayeth," said Christ concerning him, as a proof that he was another man ; a new man. It is sad to think that so many people never pray. A short form of words, always the same, and always unfelt, is hypocritically offered by some in their beds, or when nearly asleep. By many others their paltry, ceremony is quite omitted. Some are ashamed to pray, lest they should be laughed at for it. Others are afraid, lest the devil should appear to them. Others pretend they cannot get a private place to pray in. But let me ask such, Can you not get a private place to sin in? and if you loved prayer as you now love sin, you would not make this excuse. Behold, here, a man so overpowered with a sense of the majesty and justice of God, so deeply affected with his danger as a sinner, and so eagerly desirous of his pardoning mercy, that he forgets he is surrounded by mortals, and he falls down before his God with the publican's petition"God be merciful to me a sinner!" So have I seen a condemned criminal at a human bar, when the fearful sentence of death has been pronounced, fall down on his knees, and, regardless of the gazing throng, implore the favour of the judge. So have I seen dying persons, expecting soon to appear before God, cry aloud for mercy, without considering who surrounded their beds. The place, or the posture of prayer, is of little consequence. It might disturb the public worship for persons to fall down and pray aloud in our assemblies; yet, when a person is greatly affected, it will be difficult to conceal his emotions. He will lift up his heart, if not his voice, to God. And when he goes home, it will not be with the usual compliment, that he had heard a fine sermon, or a charming preacher; but, retiring to some secret place, he will confess and lament his sins, and seek the pardon of them through the blood of Christ; while, conscious also of their loathsome defilement, he will earnestly crave the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit. One more observation remains.

VI. Converted persons drop all their prejudices against the people of God, and speak honourably of them." He will report that God is in you of a truth." It is not unlikely that he said before," the devil is in you:" Profane

people indulge themselves in abusing religious persons. They are fond of calling them nick names; they treat them with contempt and scorn; and sometimes abuse their persons, injure their property, hurt their character, or hinder their employment. Though religion be protected by the laws of the land, there are a thousand ways in which serious people are now persecuted, especially where the Gospel is newly introduced into a place; and the poor, especially, are threatened by their superiors, that they shall be deprived of parish support, or other assistance, if they dare to judge for themselves, and attend the worship of God, where they think themselves profited. But these persecutors, (for that is their true character, if they restrain men in their religion,) ought to remember, that “the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him," Jude 15; for the Lord considers what is done to his people as done to himself; and he says, "it were better for a man to have a mill-stone hung about his neck, and be cast into the sea with it, than for him to offend or hurt one of the least of his disciples, who believe in him." Mark ix. 42.

But no sooner does a man come to himself, and see things as they are, than he forms a very different opinion of godly persons. They are no longer the objects of contempt and scorn. He sees that they are the excellent of the earth, the children of God, and heirs of eternal glory. He now says, "God is in you of a truth." Blessed truth; Jesus is "Immanuel, God with us." He is really and truly with his people, when they meet to pray and praise, and hear his word. "Lo! I am with you always," saith he, even to the end of the world.' And again, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," Matt. xviii. 20. Blessed be Jesus for this precious promise, and blessed be his name for the fulfilment of it. We know he is with us, to observe, guide, assist, encourage, quicken, approve, and succeed us: yea, he comes first to bid us welcome."There am I."

Now, every converted person knows and feels this. He therefore says, with Jacob-" How awful is this place; it is the house of God and the gate of Heaven." Observe, it is said, "He will report that God is with you." He will not be ashamed to tell the world so: and he will tell it to others, that they may come too. Just as some of our Lord's first disciples did. When Andrew was called by Christ, he went and called his brother Peter; and when Philip was called, he invited Nathanael; and when Nathanael made some objections, and said, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said, Come and see." In like manner, let all those who have felt the power of God under the word invite their friends and neighbours to hear and judge for themselves.

APPLICATION. And thus, my friends, we have seen a picture of primitive religion, such as prevailed in the first and best days of Christianity. And now let us enquire, Is our religion like this? Is it thus in our assemblies? Not in all. In some places what irreverence? laughing, ogling, sleeping? The preacher himself is perhaps in fault. Perhaps it is not the Gospel that he preaches; or, he is unaffected by it. He performs his duty as the school-boy his task. The people come expecting nothing; they go away having obtained nothing; and a pious spectator is constrained to reverse the text, and say, "God is not here, of a truth."

But where the Gospel of Jesus is faithfully preached, the powerful effects, mentioned in the text, will by the blessing of God, more or less follow. If the doctrine tend "to humble the sinner, to exalt the Saviour, and to promote holiness," Jesus, by his Spirit, is there, and will set his seal to the heavenly truth. Both the law and the Gospel, rightly dispensed, will tend to convince men of their lost and ruined state, to disclose the secret thoughts of the heart; and when this is done, to lead the sinner in earnest prayer to seek salvation by Jesus Christ. Has the word of God had this effect upon us? To know and feel ourselves miserable sinners is the first main point in religion. Without this, we are blind to every thing else in Scripture. Without this, we cannot pray sincerely, or do any thing in religion aright. Sin cannot be taken away till it be disco

vered; nor can we ever become what we ought to be till we know what we are. And when this is rightly known, you see what follows. You see the convinced sinner prostrate on the ground. Has a sense of sin, an apprehension of its danger, and a hatred of its evil, brought us to our knees? If so, bless God for it. It is a good beginning. This is the finger of God. Wait upon God; and he who hath begun the good work will finish it.

What an evidence does this subject afford us of the truth and reality of the religion of Christ. Can any power but that which is divine thus enlighten the mind, convince the conscience, terrify the soul, disclose the secrets of the heart, humble the proud rebel, and at once turn his affections into another channel? No, no. This is the work of God; and the Scriptures, by which he effects it, are the word of God, and he who believeth hath hereby “ a witness in himself" that they are so. May these blessed truths, so useful and necessary to the conversion and salvation of souls, be every where proclaimed; and may these, their blessed effects be every where produced; so shall multitudes be saved, and glory, glory, glory, be given to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

SERMON XXVIII.

THE LAMB OF GOD BEHELD BY FAITH.

John i. 29. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

HERE is a vast curiosity in the mind of man, and

The world abounds with objects to gratify it. The

heavens, the earth, the sea, are full of wonders; and had not man sinned, he might always have read the book of nature with new delight, and have seen the glory of God in every line. But now, unhappy, fallen man, turns his back upon God, while he surveys his works; and thinks every trifle better worth his notice than his Maker. In infancy, in youth, in middle life, in old age, a constant succession of vanities courts his attention, and he never thinks of beholding Christ till he dies, and appears before his tribunal.

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