rejection of mercy and grace, will surely increase his righteous displeasure, will aggravate your future punishment, and will add new fuel to the flame of your everlasting torment.

But can I suppose, that any now hearinga of the riches of divine love and mercy, can obstinately persist in rejecting them? The supposition is too mournful to be indulged. Rather let me urge the consideration of this love, as an argument for your now turning to this merciful God. Draw near to him in faith and prayer. Plead the infinite amiableness of his nature; plead the riches of his redeeming love, manifested through his dear Son; plead the loving-kindness which has led him to spare, and protect, and nourish you until now; and plead what he has, in his love and pity, done for others, as desti-tute and helpless as you ;. how he has redeemed many persecuting Sauls, many carnal Manassehs, many a covetous Zaccheus, and many impure Corinthians ; how he has called such to the fellowship of Christ Jesus, at the very time when, pleased with their natural state, they were flying from awakening convictions; were desirous that

Jesus

Jesus should not come near, lest he should torment them before the time; and were willing to live and die, lovers of every plea

, sure more than lovers of the Saviour.

With these powerful arguments, order your cause before the Lord, pleading for mercy to pardon, and grace to sanctify. That sovereign love which has reached to others in such circumstances, can, with equal ease, reach to you ; can pluck you as brands from the burning; and can cause you to know, that as in providence, so in redemption, God is love, and has been so to you.

Secondly, Let me now address an exhortation to saints, to those humble hearers, who, drawn by the attractions of divine love and redeeming grace, are saying in sincerity, Whatever others do, we will serve the Lord.

(1.) Submit, without murmuring, to the various dispensations of his providence. These all partake of his nature ; they are in love to his people, because they come from him who is a God of love to them.

Review and recollect his past dealings, and you will perceive that divine love has

regulated

regulated the whole.

How often has he multiplied his blessings, when you deserved and dreaded his wrath! How often have unexpected comforts gladdened your hearts, when you were foreboding days of darkness ! How often has he turned your fears into joys, your wants into plenty, and your trials into victory!

Praise him for the past, and trust him for the future. If God is love, and if you have taken him for your God, and have submitted to his grace and government, you may safely confide in him, whatever

may

be He knows when to withhold, and when to bestow; and he who gives his people grace and glory, will not withhold

any

real or necessary good. He may visit with afflictions, both uncommon and unexpected; but what can you fear from the hand of infinite love? That gentle hand will not press too sore upon you; it will not afflict you too severely. It may administer medicine for your health ; it may even correct for

your undutifulness

; but still it is the hand of a loving Father and while it chastens for your profit, it at the same time wards off those fiery darts of

Satan,

your affliction.

Satan, which would prove too agonizing for your frail spirits, and also heals the painful wounds which sin has made.

Though, therefore, in the despondency of your spirits, you sometimes say that your trials are severe, yet if this God, this faithful, unchanging God, is your God, and

you his real obedient people, you will, sooner or later, perceive so much love in these trials, that you would not, for a world, have wanted one ingredient in the bitterest of them. Why art thou then cast down, O my soul ? and why art thou disquieted in ine? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him for the help of his counte

nance

(2.) Love this God with supreme regard and gratitude. He is unspeakably amiable in himself, and has shewn distinguished regard to you; because the infinite perfection of his nature is united with tenderest compassion and ineffable goodness.

What is it which God has not done for you, O believer in Jesus ? He formed you from nothing; he honoured you with ra

tional and immortal souls ; he gave the Son of his love to redeem you, when lost ; he revealed his great salvation by his inspired word; he applied that salvation by his Spirit ; he became your God in covenant, and

your portion in the land of the living; and he opened to your view the prospect of everlasting glory. All this he has done for you, when you had nothing to attract his regard ; when you deserved nothing, and had reason to expect nothing, but condemnation and misery.

Shall you not then love him, who first loved you,

and who has graciously promised to his people, that neither height, nor depth, nor life, nor death, shall separate them from his love? “ O love the Lord, all ye his saints !"

, Let the flame burn brighter and brighter, until it has consumed your dross, and purified all your affections. His love to you lays you under the most endearing, and powerful, and constant obligations to love him more than all ; to glorify him in soul, body, and spirit ; to say daily to him, in warmest gratitude, Whom have we in heaven or earth like unto thee? Thou art