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330

NONE

EXCLUDED FROM HOPE.

[SEEM.

XIX..

'cepted

of

God,

for

the

sake

of

his

death and

obedience

?

And

art

thou not heartily

desirous to

give

him all the ho-

nour

of

thy

salvation

?

Thou hast not

much

power

against

sin,

but

dost thou

not hate it

with

immortal ha-

tred, and

esteem it thy

constant

enemy

?

Does

it not

often

cause thee to

mourn

before the

Lord,

because

of

thy captive state, and

the

working of

in-

dwelling

iniqui-

ties

?

Perhaps

thou dost

not

yet

feel

thyself

to

be

mani-

festly saved

from sin,

but

art

thou

not

saved from

the

love

of

sin

?

It

dwells

in

thy

flesh,

it

may

be,

and

raises

tumults there,

but

not

in thy desire and thy delight.

Canst

thou

not

say with

the apostle, Rom.

vii. 23,

24.

There

is

a

law in

my

members

warring

against

the

law

of

nay

mind?

But

it

is

a

daily

torment

to

me, O

wretched

man

that

I

am

!

who

shall

deliver

me?

Thou dost not

love God,

it

may be,

according

to

thy

wish

and

desire;

but

is

there

any thing

which

thou vainest more than

God

and

his love

?

Art

thou

not

truly

willing to

love him above

all

things,

to be renewed and sanctified

in all

the

powers

of

thy

nature,

to be

fitted for the business

of

heaven,

and

suited

to

the

blessedness?

If

thy

heart

can echo

to

this

sort

of

language,

and the

grace

of God

has

prevailed thus far

in thee,

then

thy

sal-

vation

is

begun;

the

gospel has

strewn its

divine power

upon

thee,

and thou

art

indeed

to be

numbered among

the

believers.

Answer

III.

But I

would

conclude

my

discourse

with

a

word

that

may have

equal respect

to saints or sinners.

If

you

are concerned sincerely

about

your eternal

welfare,

but

can

see

no

comfortable

evidences in yourselves

of

the

work

of

faith,

or the beginnings

of

salvation,

if

all with-

in you

appear

to

be

guilt and

sin,

and there

is

much

of

hell

and darkness

in the soul,

yet

do

not cast

away all

hope

:

Arise

and

come to

Jesus

the

Saviour, behold he

calleth

you.

This

is

the season

of

the grace

of

the

gos-

pel, This

is

the

accepted

time,

this

is

the

day

of

salvation.

Make

haste now

to

the

city

of

refuge,

tly

now to

the hope

that

is

set before you.

The

promises

are

held open

to

thee,

O soul

!

whoso-

ever thou art,

even the promises

of

light and

life,

of

grace and

eternal

glory.

Christ Jesus

invites thee

by

the

messengers

of

his

gospel:

If

there

be

some

darkness

upon

thy

Spirit,

do

not

spend

all thy time in

laborious and

r