strong hold is provided, to which they may fly and be safe. But this does not take away the guilt, nor abate the danger of those who refuse to repair to it for protection. Though there be balm in Gilead, and a Physician there; yet the sinner's disease and danger are not removed without a personal application. These general remarks will lead me to state the following particulars.

1. The sinner deserves eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord. This is the proper wages of sin. Every moral agent is bound to love God supremely, and continually; and when he withholds this love and obedience, he becomes infinitely guilty before God.

2. Such a punishment is actually threatened in the law of God against every transgressor. "The soul that sinneth shall die." What is meant by the death of the soul?-Not its extinction, but its separation from God, whose favour is life, whose loving kindness is better than life. The law pronounces a curse on every one "who continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." The impenitent sinner has no interest in Christ; he is therefore under the law, a perfectly holy law, which he has broken every hour of his life. "For as many as are of the

works of the law are under its curse."

3. There is nothing in the nature of Christ's redemption, or in the constitution of the covenant of grace, which takes away the sinner's criminality, or secures him from the punishment threatened against sin. This clearly appears from this consideration, that the sinner, notwithstanding the atonement of Christ, actually re

mains under the curse of the law, until he believes in Christ. "He that believeth not on the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." And if the wrath of God abideth on such as believe not, and if such are actually in a state of condemnation, then it is plain, this guilt is not taken away by the atonement of Christ. "Christ is not the minister of sin." There is nothing more repugnant to the whole tenor of the gospel, than the idea, that the work of redemption by Christ affords any protection to the impenitent sinner; any otherwise than as God, out of respect to this, grants the sinner a reprieve, and makes him the offer of pardon upon his repentance. The design of Christ in redemption was not to take away the ill desert of the sinner, nor to abrogate the law by which he stands condemned, nor was it to afford him encouragement and protection in sin; but to open a door for the free pardon of the penitent; to save from sin, and in this way only from its punishment. The sinner therefore, while without faith-without repentance is as truly without hope from Christ, and under the curse of the law, as really, as if Christ had not come into the world. Thus the sinner, notwithstanding the way of salvation by Christ, stands on slippery places; for he is "an alien from the commonwealth of Israel; a stranger to the covenant of promise, without God and without hope in the world." And his danger will further appear when we consider

4. That he is naturally opposed to the method of salvation by Christ. The almost universal neglect

which the gospel has met with in every age, can be accounted for upon no other principle. A way of salvation is opened, and this salvation freely offered "without money and without price;" all things are ready, and nothing is wanted but the sinner's consent. This being true, were the sinner willing to be saved in the way which the gospel prescribes, there would be no rejecters of Christ found among men. They do not need arguments to pursuade them to accept of those things which they love, when freely offered to them. But the universal rejection of salvation, when offered in the gospel by the impenitent, shows that their hearts are opposed to it. So our Saviour represents this matter; "they all with one consent began to make excuse." A salvation from sin, is unpleasant, it has no charms to a sinful heart. The humble, holy, self denying path of the righteous is of all things the most disagreeable to sinners. They therefore decline walking in this way. They are in heart opposed to the humbling doctrines of the gospel, and that way of salvation which requires them to deny themselves, and take up their daily cross and follow Christ. If this be not true, how can the sinner's present neglect of the gospel be accounted for? There can be no other account given. Accordingly the scriptures account for their disregard of Christ on this principle. They asscribe it to disaffection of heart to God, and the way of holiness. "The carnal mind is enmity against God." "Ye will not come to me," said Christ, "that ye might have life." When therefore the gospel is preached, and they are invited to come to the gospel

feast, "they begin to make excuse." They are unwilling to attend to calls of this nature. Sinners are then evidently in great danger from their opposition to the way of salvation. "Go thy way for this time" is the language of all sinners to the messengers of Christ. This danger will still appear, when we consider

5. That sinners have no assurance of life under these offers of grace. This all men know. They who die rejecting Christ sink immediately into hell, where there is "no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation." The sinner is therefore in as immediate and great danger of falling into hell, as he is of dying. The uncertainty of life increases his danger, because the present time is the only accepted time, and day of salvation. Their is nothing between the sinner and the burning pit, but the brittle thread of life; when this is separated, he sinks in a moment; and this is supported by the abused mercy of God alone.

6. Another consideration, which shows the great danger of the sinner, is, that God is not under the least obligation to bring him to a compliance with his calls. God has already done infinitely more for him than he deserves, in providing a Saviour, and opening a way for his return to God, and in making him the offer of salvation, and calling upon him time after time to accept it. To all which the sinner has no claim. And God hath laid himself under no obligations to the sinner by promise or in any other way. There is not in all the Bible any promise of God to the sinner who rejects Christ, that he will spare his life another day-grant

him another offer, much less that he will make him an heir of eternal life, and bestow upon him the joys of the heavenly state. The bible contains many great and precious promises, but they are all out of the reach of the impenitent sinner. These promises belong to Christ and his followers. The ungodly have no por tion in them. The threatenings are theirs; but God's covenant mercy is the portion of the righteous. This must be the case; for to suppose that the sinner is entitled to the promises of God, would be to suppose, either that he is a saint, or that he is the subject both of the curses and blessings of God's word, which would be absurd. Now since the sinner deserves God's wrath and curse, and they now lie upon him ; and since it is also true, that he is opposed to the salvation which is provided and offered to him, and is voluntarily walking in the way which leads down directly to ruin, in opposition to all the friendly admonitions of God; and as it is also true, that God is under no obligation to stop him in his way-to continue his life, and use means with him-nor given him any promise that he will-and since the sinner by refusing the calls of God, to repentance, and by rejecting Christ as a Saviour, is daily increasing in guilt-Since all this is true, let any person judge-judge yourself, O sinner, whether your state is not dangerous and dreadful! These are solemn, and ought to be awakening considerations to all impenitent sinners; for you have nothing to rest upon in your present situation. The long abused and uncovenanted mercy of God, which you have all your days trampled upon, alone supports you.