ye shall see my face no more; wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."

Happy apostle that had such a witness in his own breast, and in the breast of his hearers, to his faithfulness, efforts, and zeal to win souls. And happy those ministers who tread in the steps of the great exemplars-the first teachers of christianity.

But if they were so deeply penetrated with a sense of their weakness and infirmity as to ask "Who is sufficient for these things?" much more may we, who have neither their gifts, nor their inspiration. Yet however sensible we may be of our own inferiority and imperfection, there are occasions when we may modestly appeal to our hearers, that we have not through fear or through favor, kept back any truth tending either to conviction or edification,

It is seven years this day, since I engaged in the service of this church. The original idea was to preserve it as an open door for the Gospel; when, under adverse circumstances, it was in danger of being shut for ever. It was then hoped that in the space of one year

there

serve.

there would be a supply of ministers, who would relieve me from the charge, and permit me to retire. But seven years have elapsed, during which period there has been no intermission of my labors, and Providence still sees fit to continue them. I shall not carry your views back to the opposition which was made to this work at the beginning, nor to the sacrifices which it occasioned; suffice it to say, that we have passed through evil report, and we have passed through good report; and now all men seem clearly to understand that we have no worldly ends or interests to The Gospel has been preached freely, that is, without income, reward, or any other earthly consideration whatever; and in this respect we glory that it hath been preached as the Apostle preached it to the Ephesians, for surely we have coveted no man's silver, gold, or apparel, nor have we been deterred by any troubles or temptations from speaking boldly the word of truth, testifying fully to all within our hearing, the necessity of repentance toward God, and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The dying beds of some who have departed hence in the Lord, have been unspeakable consolation and encouragement to me, and hid repentance from mine eyes; for

in death there is no deceit, and that ONE IMMORTAL SOUL should be made wise unto salvation is worth a life of labor and pains, or all that we can lose of a temporal nature. So fully am I persuaded of this that I hope never to grow weary of the work which I have undertaken; death only can deprive you of my exertions till I see you supplied with ministers, to the least of whom I shall cheerfully give place, trusting in God, who hath hitherto helped us, and who will not forsake, but will prosper the work of his own hands among us. But chiefly, as the words of the text indicate, I wish to draw your attention to the truths which have been uniformly delivered in this place. "I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” The Apostle explained what he meant by this expression, all the counsel of God; he comprehended all under the two great branches of "repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ:" and in these the third great branch of religion, which is holiness, is likewise included. Repentance: how often has this topic been discussed, and its nature explained to you, how many appeals have been made to your consciences, how many false subterfuges have been removed, and clear and direct

obligations

obligations pointed out; what more can be said on this subject which has not been said? Have we not laid open the depth of our fall and misery, and have shewn how human nature was once elevated and happy in innocence, but, that by the entrance of sin it lost the glorious image of its Maker; and that so far from bearing any resemblance to him since that period, it has on the one hand, in its pride, envy, hatred, malice, and such evils, too nearly resembled fallen angels; and on the other, in its sensual propensities, has even descended lower than the beasts that perish. This truth, though so humiliating, we havę insisted on as undeniable. We have appealed to the page of history, wherein are instances of monsters in human shape; but we are to recollect it is the history of our nature; and that the seeds of every vice have been, since the fall, inherent in every breast. breast. Wę need only to be left to ourselves, and the power of outward temptation, to prove that ambition and voluptuousness would transform us into as bestial and diabolical characters as any we hear or read of: what reason have we then to make it our daily petition that we may not fall into temptation! Now it is in setting forth this part of the counsel of God, that

ministers

ministers find one of their greatest difficulties, and on account of it meet much of their opposition from the world. "Human nature, it is said, is not so bad; you exaggerate, you misrepresent it; these are hard sayings, disagreeable to hear, and who can bear them! Only some particular people are capable of depravity; the rest are upon the whole virtuous, though imperfect characters.'

But here it is we are bound to keep nothing back, we must tell the whole truth, we must not shun to declare all the counsel of God. We have therefore shewn that the Principle of depravity is alike in all; and that the testimony of God is not respecting such particular transgressors only as have offended grievously, but, upon all without exception; for, to use the very words of scripture, "God hath concluded all under sin, that mouth may every be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." "All have sinned, there is not one righteous, no not one." And one of the most exact, moral and upright men then living, even our Apostle himself, when from a selfrighteous pharisee he became a christian, confessed that he was a miserable sinner; and exclaimed, from a clear discovery of the desperate depravity of human nature,

"O

wretched