SERMON XIX. 273 thrust down to hell, if ye continue in unbelief. It shall be more tolerable in the day of Judgmentfor Sodom and Gomorrah, than foryou; Mat. xi. 21. 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 thyselfno 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 thegospel may not be to thy soul the savourof eternal death. 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 timorous apprehensions, concern- ing 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 joy of pardon indeed, but hast thou not some glimmering hopes ? Surely thou dost not abandon thyself to utter despair? Thou hast not assurance that Christ has accepted of thee ; but art thou not sincerely willing to surrender thyself to him, to receive his complete salvation in the holiness as well as the happiness of it ? Dost thounot long to be pardoned and accepted of God, for the sake of his death, and obedience ? . And art thou not heartily desirous to give him all the honour of thy salvation ? Thou hast not much power against sin, but dost thou not hate it with immortal hatred, 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 iniquities ? Perhaps thou dost not yet feel thyselfto be manifestly 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 ofmy 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 maybe, according to thy wish and desire ; but is there any thingwhich thou valuest 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 theblessedness ? T 2
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