SEEM. xix.] NONE EXCLUDED FROM HOPE.. .15) to 'refused to receive them. Thou hast sat, as it were, -on the banks of the river of life, and never desired to taste the livingwater, Thou hast dwelt near the shadow of the tree of life, but art an utter stranger to the fruit. O ! with what a stupid and a careless ear hast thou heard the things of thy everlasting peace ; Think of it there- fore, and be horribly afraid : If the gospel be not pow- -erful for the salvation of thy soul, it will become through thy own impenitence, a powerful means to increase tiv damnation, to make thyhell hotter, and thyeternal sor- rows more intolerable, Wo to thee, Capernaum ! IYo to thee l3ethsaida ! o unto you, O sinners of Great Bri- tain, ye have been exalted to heaven in divine favours, and ye shall be thrust down to hell, if ye continue iu unbelief. It shall be more tolerable in the day of judg- ment for Sodom andGomorrah, than foryou, Mat. xi. M1. But art thou indeed, yet an unbeliever? Yet sleeping the sleep of death? It may be this is thy awakening time: It may be this is the hour when thou shalt 'begin to hear the voice of God in order to life. O cherish such important thoughts as these. Let them arise with thee in the morning, let them lie down at night with thee, and give thyself no rest, nor give rest to. the God of heaven, nor to Jesus Christ the Saviour, till he has received thy soul into the arms of his love, forgiven thy sins, and made thee a new creature, that the gospel may not be to thy soul the savour of eternal death. Answer II. But perhaps the person who makes this complaint, may be some humble, melancholy christian, some sincere believer in Christ, and yet under dark and timoróus apprehensions, concerning his own state. It may be, poor trembling soul, that thou hast found' the preaching of the gospel to be the power of God to thy salvation, though thou art not able rightly to evidence it to thy own conscience. Thou hast not the joyof pardon indeed, but hast thou- not some glimmeringhopes? Surely thou dost not aban- don thyself to utter despair? Thou hast not assurance that Christ has accepted of thee; but art thou not sin- cerely willing to surrender thyself to him, to receive his complete salvation 'in the holiness as well as the happi- ness ofit? Dost thoti not long to be pardoned and ac-
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