SECTION V; 325 youfrom his avenging power? Or what mercycan ye expect from his hands, when youpractised this iniquity in opposition to such light and evidence, as were diffused round about you in Great Britain ? Perhaps you may laugh at the solemnity of this representa- tion, and despise these scenes of terror as a painted fire; but methinks, if therebe but a possibility that these things shouldbe true, it would he a point of wisdom to provide against the dangers of such a dreadful hour One would think it should awaken you, at least to be exceeding serious, sincere and diligent insurveying all the evidences of the gospel, before you dare reject such a Saviour, and expose yourselves to his indignation without hope. And where there are so many fair appearances ofjust and solid reasoning, as there are on the side of christianity, methinks you should not dare to give your lips a loose in profane ridicule,and scorn : Nor should you suffer some little darknesses anddifficul- ties in thebooks of the New Tesikment, to prevail against all the brighter discoveries of truth and argument, which support the religion of Christ. If you have any love to your souls, let me intreat you to consider, that however you may be disgusted at some things containedin the records of our'Tioly religion, yet you can never prove that the religion itself is false in the main princi- ples of it, as represented in those records: And remember this, that when your spirits are gone into the invisible world, if there you should find thatJesus whom ye once derided, to be Lord and Judge of all, there is no more sacrifice for sin, no rectification of you obstinate errors, no repentance, no pardon there ; but you must perish under hisjust indignation, and your souls are lost for ever. But I turn my discourse to the disciples of the blessed Jesus, who believe in his name, and obey hisgospel. Happy persons are you indeed, and special favourites of heaven, if you have not only learned the great truths of chris- tianity, and furnished your heads with them, but have felt your hearts powerfully impressed with them betimes, and have this glorious salvation begun within you. You have been awakened out of your mortal slumbers, and being convinced of your sinful state, and rout danger of eternal death : you have seen the ne- cessity of the pardoning grace of God, and an universal change in your own natures, in order to prepareyou for eternal felicity; you have learned your own utter insufficiency tomake satisfaction to divine justice for your own sins, and your inability to sanctify your own hearts, and, to change then into holiness : therefore you havefledfir refuge, to the hope that is set before you, and have found righteousness 'andgrace in. Christ Jesus. You have found the blood of atonement, and perfect righteousness in him to answer for your guilt, and to justify you in the sight of God, and thepower of divine grace to work repentance in your hearts, x 3
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