now must individually bring this sacrifice of Christ in faith as the atonement for his own sin. He must not rest in such generalities as that we are all sinners,' and Christ died for all.' Ah! no. He must feel and apply all this to himself. He must say, as it were, · O Lord God, I am indeed a sinner, a great and grievous sinner against thee; but here is my sin-offering; here is the sacrifice of thine own blessed Son; here is the atonement of thine appointment; this I bring to thee with my soul's approval, and my heart's desire that it may be accepted for me, and put away all my sin.' It is in this manner, brethren, that our own sin must be felt and confessed, and our own faith must be exercised upon this great atoning sacrifice of Christ.

4. Let me then further entreat you to consider how desperate must be the condition of those who gain not a personal interest in the atonement of Christ. You see what was the case under the law: there was no pardon, even for a sin of ignorance, except through an atonement: without the shedding of blood there was no remission. So it is

under the gospel. And thus the divine and mighty Saviour himself determines it," If ye believe not that I am he, ye will die in your sins." With these words he sent forth his Apostles," Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel unto every creature, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." These Apostles with one voice declare "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby they can be saved." How plain, explicit, and decisive are these statements! and I might confirm them, as you well know, by numbers more of similar purport. How desperate then, as I have said, must be the state of those who neglect so great salvation! Here is now no more sacrifice that can be actually offered; all the atonement that can be made, has been made. All that we can now do is to avail ourselves of the sacrifice offered. It is the only remedy: and if we do not apply and appropriate this, there is no other deviseable way of obtaining pardon and peace; no other atonement can possibly be

found. I I urge this point. It is on this that I would be more earnest than on any other. It is the very turning point of your salvation. It is moreover the very substance, and essence of our commission. We are to preach "Christ crucified." The doctrine of the Son of God dying upon the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of men is that alone which is to save men's souls, not through the mere declaration of it by us who preach, but through the faithful reception of it by you who hear. This is the doctrine which is so strikingly pointed at by all these ceremonies of the law. It has been prophesied of by all those servants of God who of old were enabled by him to look into and foretel things to come. It has been sung in ancient days in strains which shew its divine influence upon the heart. And it has been stated in terms as simple and clear as so high a mystery admits of, in the blessed gospel. Brethren, let me earnestly, yet affectionately, remind you that it would be next to impossible that the sin of unbelief should be in you a sin of ignorance. Nay it must be a sin of careless disregard, or of

inveterate prejudice, or of daring and impious rejection of the truth. Let me conclude these reflections with a short address to each of these different classes.

First, to those who negligently and carelessly give no serious regard to these all-important truths of God's holy word; and these, I fear, constitute a large portion of my hearers. You think not of nor do you feel your sins as you ought to do. You allow yourselves to disregard divine subjects of all kinds far more than is consistent with your soul's safety. You hear the truth, you do not object against it, nay perhaps you assent to it, but you do not receive it. The sacrifice of Christ is not thought of, nor valued, nor desired, nor applied for, as it should be, as it must be to be saved by it. Let me earnestly beseech you to give due and serious attention to these infinitely interesting truths. Let me intreat you to endeavour to gain an interest and part in this great salvation. I beseech you hear not of the sacrifice of Christ in vain. Let him not have died in vain so far as you are concerned. Oh! if you would think

of his death in a suitable manner, and apply it for the salvation of your own soul with serious earnestness, how happy would it be for you, and how sure would you then be of obtaining that salvation, which you are now in such danger of losing; nay which you certainly will lose, through your negligence, if you continue in this careless disregard of it!

Secondly, to those who receive not the truth through inveterate prejudice against it. Whence originates this prejudice? Clearly there is nothing in the sacrifice of Christ itself, by which it ought to be excited. The origin is to be sought in some wrong feeling, in some bad state of your own heart. The doctrine of the cross, it is true, is humiliating. Natural pride excites a strong dislike to it. It treats us all as sinners, and this is revolting to your undue estimation of yourselves. You would establish your own righteousness: you will not think so lowly of yourselves as youought to do, while the doctrine of the gospel lays you as low as the very dust. Being unwilling therefore to submit to this humbling way of salvation you set yourselves against