'might also know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to those who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead.' He tells them, that it was by this power, that they had been 'quickened when dead in trespasses and sins;' and which had 'raised them up, and made them sit together in heavenly places in Christ:' and that they remained as 'God's workmanship,' and stood as monuments that, 'in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward them, through Christ Jesus.'

Here is MYSTERY too:-The answer, which our Lord gave to Nicodemus, is sufficient for us to give, when men put questions like his : The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.'

Here, also, is MANIFOLD WISDOM: adapting various means to effect one grand design.

Sinking nature is ready enough to make vows in trouble, and sluggish nature is apt to forget them after deliverance. Thus Jacob had set up a pillar to the God who appeared for him at Bethel, and had vowed, that, when his present hopes were accomplished, he would remember his helper, on that very spot. The God of Bethel was faithful to his promise, and did far more for Jacob than he had asked; but Jacob forgot his vow, till he was roused long after with, ‘Arise: go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.'

Moses, eminent as he was, was yet found among the lingerers, who need stimulating to duty. He was ordered to go forth and speak in God's name: but Moses said, Oh, my Lord I am not eloquent: Divine Condescension at first reasoned with him :-' Who hath made man's mouth? Now therefore go, and I 10

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will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say: but Moses continuing still to object, Divine Wisdom then assumed a frown, and drove the lingerer on his way. Soon after this, even Moses loiters again: he neglects the divine appointment of circumcising his son: he had, doubtless, some plausible family reason for the delay; but 'the Lord met him by the way in which he went,' as with a drawn sword, and forced the parent to a performance of his duty.

Thus, to this very hour, is a Manifold Wisdom employed, in contriving means to drive or draw us on our way. Sometimes an alarming providence rouses the sleeper from his lethargy, as it did Jonah: sometimes a still small voice, after the storm, invites us to come out and meet the Lord, as it did Elijah: sometimes a friendly hint of encouragement carries us forward, as it did Jacob, trembling to enter Egypt, till heard it said, 'Fear not to go down, for I will with thee and sometimes the deadly snare into which one loitering, like David, is apt to fall, is made at once his scourge, his warning, and his cure.

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Thus wisdom crieth aloud, in a variety of ways: and sendeth by a variety of messengers; each as an angel charged to exhort us, "Up: get ye out of this place: this is not your rest." Sickness, losses, fears, disappoitments, deaths,-what are these, but angels' hands taking hold of the lingerer ('the Lord being merciful' while he seems severe) bringing him forth, and crying,-'Escape for thy life: look not behind thee: neither stay thou in all the plain: escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed."

Humbly as your Ministers ought to think of their attainments, they are bound to magnify their office : an office similar to that of the angels in the text. 'knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." In order to be faithful, they must try by all means to rouse the lingerer. Their patience, indeed, will bear

with his peevishness: their love will accommodate, so far as it dares, to his prejudices : they will pity his worldly attachments, wait for his deliverance, and pray for his success.

But in the mean time, they dare not cease to cry in the ears of the lingerer, ‘Up, get ye out of this place.' Sometimes the message does little more than disturb men: they try to free their hand from the hand of him who would lead them from ruin; they promise to hear at a more convenient season : they demand time for moving: “A little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to sleep.'

Hence we may account for many objections that are made to our labours. The sermon is too long, or too loud, or too harsh, or too personal: the language is coarse, and the application legal. In some cases, the charge may be just; but, more often, the truth is too plain and too pointed for such as would be at rest in their sins. Faithful addresses seldom please loiterers.

But, if the messenger be really in earnest to save himself and them that hear him, he will not cease to cry, 'Arise! take thy wife and thy children, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of this city. He will not forget, at the same time, that his sole dependance for success in rescuing a single hearer, must be in the presence of a divine power. Without such aid, there is not one among those, who now

“ Walk High in Salvation, and the climes of bliss"but would have lingered unto destruction in the city, or stood a pillar of salt on the plain.

Still it remains a melancholy matter of fact, that one class of our hearers continue to treat these truths as a fable.

Another class are alarmed, and set out: but afterwards look back, and perish. A third class are fully resolved to proceed; yet sadly linger on the way. I shall, therefore, conclude this Discourse with a word to each of these classes of hearers.

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1. Let me ask THOSE WHO TREAT THESE TRUTHS AS A FABLE, Do we appear mockers, because we attempt to rouse you from your fatal security, and charge you, on the authority of God's word, to escape for your lives?-Why is it?-ask your own hearts--why is it that these words seem to you now, as they once did to the sons of Lot, 'Like the words of one that mocketh?" Is it, because, instead of sending two or three witnesses, as he did to them, God hath sent a 'cloud of witnesses' to you?--Is it, because he hath set his seal to their testimony, while he writes folly and confusion upon all other attempts to enlighten and reform the world?-Is it, that he hath fulfilled a long chain of prophecy; and added thereto his wonders, signs, and mighty deeds?-Is it, that, in these last days, he hath spoken to us by his Son,' and striven with our consciences by his Spirit?

No! these are not your reasons-these are not the marks of 'a cunningly devised fable.' Men tremble when they seriously attend to the evidences of our iaith. Some of us can speak from experience, who once sat with you 'in the chair of the scorner.' We can well remember, that, while company was present and vanity afloat, we could sport with the warning, and treat the messenger as a mocker; and, as well do we recollect with what difficulty the remonstrances of conscience were suppressed. Truth would force its way into our retirements, and bring a thundering charge into the conscience of the trembling liar, of 'Know thou, that, for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment.'

You are young, perhaps; and some profligate writer or companion has injured your minds. Every age has been infested with such men; but it is the reproach of the present age that it swarms with them. Like the frogs of Pharaoh, they 'cover the land and smite all the borders of it:' they corrupt the streams of literature and conversation; and cause the land to stink, after they are dead.

The very character of these persons will help you to detect their design. Do men gather grapes of thorns?' Their spirit and conversation, their obstinacy and malignity, mark the class to which they belong.

Ask yourself, how you would expect that such men should treat that holy and humbling record, the Bible —that light in the night, which disturbs these robbers -that witness, which convicts them-that law, which condemns them, and calls for their execution-How would you expect such men as these to treat the Scriptures?

Suppose, for a moment, that you yourself became a truly religious man, what would the men of whom I have been speaking say of you? How would they treat your wise and pious resolutions? What construction would they put upon your hopes, your evidences, or your motives? You know, you must know, that what they dislike in the Bible they would dislike in you. They would begin to misrepresent, revile, and sneer: they would treat you as a fool, or a hypocrite. But would this form any solid objection to your real character? Could it be called argument?-Could it be common sense? What then is the opposition which they make to the Scriptures ?

To close this digression-if the unbeliever has genius, he will add brilliancy to his scorning: if he be a scholar, he will conjure up by metaphysics or criticism a lying spirit to deceive such as, like Ahab, wish to be deceived. And, if neither genius nor learning assist, he can at least new shape old objections, though these very objections have repeatedly received a satisfactory reply.

Well would it be, indeed, for those who are caught by such works, if they would reflect, that God also is executing his work; that the deceiver and the deceived are his;' and that the most awful judgment which he can inflict here, on such as 'receive not the 10*

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