- -SERMON XXXIX. 549 ituainted with Jesus that bought and bestows. forgiveness ; before ye had known the virtue of his reconciling blood, or seen the 'face of a God reconciled? While your hearts and life were all unclean and unholy, your death must have been dreadful, and your soul for ever unhappy. What infinite honours are due to the patience and long-suffering of your God, and to the mercy and mediation of Jesus your Saviour? Glory be to divine patience, and divine grace, for life prolonged, anda sinner saved! II. Life is yours ; it is your opportunity of doing much service for Christ, and manifesting your gratitude for his re- deeming love ; 2 Cor. v: 15. They who live, should not henceforth live to themselves, but to hint that died for them, and rose ezgain. Here on earth, you may speak of the wonders of his grace that has saved you, and publish his love that is unspeakable: You may tell sinners 'of the infinite dimensions of this love, to invite them to partake of the same salvation. Here your lips, and your tongues may be delightfully employed, in declaring what you have tasted of theblessings ofthe gospel, and the grace of Christ; and call others to taste and see that the Lord is good, and how blessed the man is that trusteth in hint! Ps xxxrv. 8. Here you make it known, for the support of poor convinced wretches that are ready to despair, what heights and what 'lengths, what breadths and what depths there are in the love of Christ ; for it reached your soul even at the borders of hell, it spreadwide to cover all your great and heinous iniquities; it rises high, for it 'has lifted your hopes to heaven, and it stretches its sweet and sovereign influence beyond the length of time, and provides for your life and happiness that shall measure out eternity. Here you may proclaim the praises of your Redeemer to an ignorant -world, you may promote his in- terest ahundred ways on earth, and thus glorify your Saviour which is inheaven, This is not to be done in the same manner, nor forthe same When purposes amongst the saints above. the body lies senseless and mouldering in the grave, the tongue cannot praise the Lord; The living, the living, theypraise thee as we do this day, as Hezekiah didwhen he was recovered fromsickness, and had a sense of pardoned sin. Is. xxxviii. 17, 18. in love to my soul, thou hast delivered it from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. The grave cannot praise thee; the dead cannot celebrate thee; they that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth. This is the proper work of the living saint, to make known to sinners the grace of salvation.
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