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proposals of the gospel strike irresistibly upon the foul: It's rewards are nobler than can be conceived, to incline us to our duty; it's terrors beyond the stretch of the most affrightened imagination, to deter us from fin. Both too are grounded in the immutable attributes of God, and confirmed to us by his divine word and authority. A fure refuge this for dif treffed virtue, as well as a check upon profperous wickednefs; fince the infolence of the one fhall not finally go unpunished, and the labour of the other fhall not be in vain in the Lord.

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The laft argument I fhall offer in proof of the efficacy of our Lord's doctrine to give rest to the fouls of men, is, that it pronounces terms of reconciliation to finners.-There is no peace, faith God, unto the wicked. Confcience, that bufy but faithful monitor within us, will tell a man when he has done amifs, that

he deferves to be punished for so doing, and that God who takes cognizance of his actions is just and powerful. And from this felf-conviction neceffarily arise fears, doubts, and apprehenfions. It is true indeed that a reasoning mind, obferving the usual methods of Divine Providence in governing the world, it's forbearance to execute fpeedy judgment on the workers of iniquity; might be led to conclude that the Lord of all the Earth is merciful to those who repent and amend. Yet because pardoning is an act of grace, and not of debt, which God may or may not difpenfe, as He thinks fit; it could not have been certainly concluded that he would pardon, till he had positively declared his will to that purpose. And how unhappy must have been a state of fo much uncertainty in a point of such infinite concernment! Here then is the Christian Revelation an anchor to the foul, both fure and sted

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faft; affuring us of this great truth, that upon our fincere repentance, through the merits of Chrift, God will be merciful to us, and remember our fins and iniquities no more. How fweet and comfortable are those words of the Evangelical Prophet! "Let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." And how worthy of all acceptation that faithful saying! "That Christ Jefus came into the world to fave finners.”

To conclude-Such being the moral character, and such the spiritual doctrines of Jefus, wherein He approved himself to be the Son of God; little furely need be added for inviting any under a Chriftian establishment to learn of Him, who fo humbly offers himself to all; or to

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fet a due value upon the great truths which He revealed, fo full of comfort to every foul. For what fpirit must that man be of, who prefers darkness before light, and disdains to be directed in his way to everlasting salvation by a messenger fent from God himself? And yet fadly evident it is, there are who undervalue, there are who reject, the gospel of Chrift; who think their own reason fufficient to inftrust, and their own merits to fave them. As arguments how perfuafive foever are found ineffectual, and ever will be fo, with men of fuch perverfe difpofitions, who have ears and hear not, who have eyes and see not, the event alone must convince them; which is fuch a reflection as cannot but shock every one of us, who are fatisfied with the grounds of our religion, and confequently of the extreme danger of those who wilfully neglect fo great falvation." It remains only, that they

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are as yet happily untainted with the poifon of infidelity, bring with them lowly and teachable difpofitions to Christ's preaching; under a juft fenfe of their own natural impotency; and with a thankful reliance on the goodness of God; for whom it is impoffible to deceive his creatures, or fuffer them to be deceived in matters of eternal confequence. It was prejudice grounded upon pride that rendered the fimplicity of the gospel, and the mean appearance of it's Author, to the Greek foolishness, and to the Jew a rock of offence. And it is obfervable that our Bleffed Lord himself fet humility in the front of his beatitudes, as well knowing the spiritual phyfician could have no good effect upon those who are infenfible of their malady.

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Let me only add, that from the confideration of that abundant light, which it hath pleafed God to fhed upon mankind

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