tion; and our more common task is to labour to "convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." The character of men in general, is to be void of fear and anxiety about their salvation; they too readily assure themselves of their safety; their consciences are too easily set at rest; they "speak peace " to them, where "there is no peace;" they invest the Almighty, through the error of their own vague imaginations, with an attribute of undistinguishing compassion, which excludes the ideas of holiness and justice, and more nearly resembles the softness of a weak human mind, than the glorious perfection of Divine mercy; and hence they deduce unfounded, unscriptural hopes of pardon and eternal life; they hope to be saved, (if that may be called hope, which is rather a mere occasional thought, admitted indolently and without enquiry, than a strong and permanent feeling, warranted by Christian views,) they hope to be saved, upon grounds, which, if they were just, would reduce our religion to an idle fiction, a mere nursery tale, invented to disturb our childish minds with causeless fears; for in their system, there seems not to be the very slightest impediment in the road from Earth to Heaven; with these, the frailty of man is a ready apology for every sin, and the mercy of God a

security against all punishment. They have no fears therefore to be calmed, no troubled consciences to be pacified; all is tranquil and composed within their bosoms. And why? Are their hearts and lives such as the Gospel requires? Nay, that were too much to expect of human infirmity. Has God uttered no denunciation against those, who do not sincerely devote themselves to his service? "Yes, but his mercy, say they, will overlook all our defects." Has the Gospel then been revealed in vain ? In vain indeed, if these are in the way of salvation, for their easy and accommodating religion wears none of the features of Christianity.

While therefore men with so little consideration, lay claim to those hopes, to which their character gives them no title, and which, in fact, belong exclusively to the sincere Christian, you will think, with me, that it is imperative upon the preacher often to lay aside for awhile his office of messenger of good news, and the "Publisher of Salvation," and rather to assume the severe and threatening style, which the Scriptures in such cases warrant. And I do most solemnly call upon you, who may be now indulging a hope, which will one day "make ashamed,” and who are building, on a foundation of sand, houses which must soon fall to ruin, to reflect

that the mercy of God, revealed in his own word, is a very different Attribute from that which you have imagined to yourselves. It is not to be appropriated to himself by every careless and presumptuous man; it is not, what you would wish it to be, an infirmity of the Divine nature, which will influence the Almighty to bestow his favours upon all who need them, however much they may neglect, and provoke, and trifle with Him; it does not furnish an assurance of universal impunity for all sin, as well that which is loved and persisted in, as that which is repented of and forsaken; it is one of the mysterious qualities of God's infinite perfection, of which we can have no other knowledge, than such as it has pleased him to communicate, and of which, therefore, we must not allow ourselves to draw any other character, than such as the Scriptures warrant. Search those Scriptures, and you will find that the mercy of God does not mean indiscriminate forgiveness and favour, but that He, who has said, "I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy," has also said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay."

Need I mention to you instances of his vengeance? Need I tell you of the angels who kept not their first estate, but are reserved in chains under darkness until the judgment of the

great day? Of the condemnation of all mankind for the offences of one? Of the drowning of the old world? Of the destruction of the cities of the plain by fire and brimstone? Of the earth opening her mouth, and swallowing up thousands of rebellious men? Of the extermination by fire and the sword, and disease, and famine, not only of idolatrous Gentiles, but even of multitudes of God's own chosen people? But these examples of wrath were exhibited before the gospel-times, you will say, and we are under the covenant of grace and mercy. Nay, my brethren, but "with God is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," and "the Lamb" whose blood alone has ever availed to check the hand of divine justice, was in purpose "slain before the foundation of the world; " so that God's mercy is the very same quality now, that it was before the sacrifice of the Cross. Are the promises less mingled with threats in the Gospel, than they were in the law and the prophets? Do you not read, even in the pages of the covenant of grace itself, continual denunciations of punishment? Do you not read of "the worm that dieth not, and of the fire that is not quenched?" Of "weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth?" Of the "resurrection of damnation?" Of "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that

doeth evil?" Of "the death, which is the wages of sin?" Of "the Lord Jesus being revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power?" Yes, the dreadful day will come when unhappy persons of this description will wish they could "hide themselves in the rocks, and in the dens of the mountains, from the "awakened wrath" of that very "Lamb" who was slain "to take away the sins of the world." The day will come when mercy herself, having been too long slighted, will plead for an aggravation of punishment; when Redemption will be the cause of heavier condemnation, when the Saviour himself will be a Judge, and when He, who now says to all, "ask and ye shall have, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you," will reply to multitudes, (who in an agony will knock and cry, “Lord, Lord, open unto us,") the door is shut, I know you not, depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."

Now what do all these alarming passages of Scripture, which I have quoted, mean, if the mercy of God be of that weak character which careless and presumptuous men delude their