EXHORTATION TO BELIEVE. 237 melt, of ministers, to act in his name. And excuse us if we are a little earnest with you in this matter. Alas! our utmost to which, by zeal for his glory or compassion to your souls, we can raise our thoughts, comes infinite- ly short of his own pressing earnestness. See Isa. 55 1-4. Oh infinite condescension ! Oh blessed grace ! Who is this that thus addresses you ? It is He against whom you have sinned, of whom you are justly afraid ; he whose laws you have broken, and whose name you have dishonored; he who needs not you, nor your love, nor your friendship, nor your salvation. It is he who proposes to you these terms of reconciliation and peace. Consider the exhortation of the apostle, " See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh from heaven." Heb. 12 : 25. Wo be unto your soul, and that for ever, if you should refuse him ! 3. By whom were these terms procured for your? and by what means ? Do not think that this matter was brought about by chance, or by anordinary undertaking. Remember that the proposal made to you this day cost no less than the price of the blood of the Son of God. It is the fruit of the travail of his soul. For thishe prayed, he wept, he suffered, he died. And shall it now be neg- lected or despised by you l Will you yet account the covenant to be a common thing l Will you exclude your- selves from all benefits of the purpose of those terms, and only leave your souls to answer for the contempt of the price whereby they were purchased l 4. Consider that you are sinners, great sinners, curs- ed sinners ; some of you, it may be, worse than innu- merable of your fellow - sinners were, who are now in hell. God might long since have cast you off everlast- ingly from all expectation of mercy, and have caused all your hopes to perish ; or he might have left you alive, and yet have refused any longer to offer you terms of mercy. He couldhave caused your sun to go down at
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