alienated from God than you are now. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, " To-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart." Now is your convenient season, and God's accepted time.

Remember, your sins are either remitted, or they are retained. You are either reconciled to God, and his anger is turned away; or else his wrath abideth upon you. You are either at this moment freely justified by grace through faith; or all your sins are on your head, ready "at any time" to sink you into hell, if the Lord let fall the axe which is laid already to your root. There is no such thing as a reserved or half pardon with God. When he pardons sin at all, he pardons it completely; blots it out of his book; puts it away as far as the east is from the west; casts it, as it were, into the depth of the sea, so that if it be sought for, it shall not be found.

Brethren, the conscience of each one of you whispers that you have sins, though you may little know their number or extent. Where are your sins this day? Have they been laid upon the Lamb of God? or are they upon yourself? Woe to him who is taken away in his iniquity, who has not pacified the wrath of the great King. Blessed and happy is he whose God is the Lord, and who has made a covenant with him by sacri

fice. Terms of agreement by a full remission have been offered you. In fact, it is the Judge himself who has proposed to become Surety for your debt, while you are on the way to judgment. Have you heartily and in earnest closed with his offer, and laid your sins upon his cross? Have you peace with God? Or are you content to let his wrath abide on you till to-morrow or next year?-till you have arranged the business you have now in hand, or enjoyed a little more of the pleasures of sin, or walked a little longer in the imagination of your own heart? Then you are the man who are likely to call upon God when he will not answer,-to seek him when he will not be found. You are the man to whom your Lord will probably come in a day when you look not for him, and in an hour that you are not aware of. He is urging you to "agree with your adversary quickly," for "now is the day of salvation." But you are hardening your heart against his voice, and who has done this, and prospered? You are setting at nought his counsel; but the turning away of the simple shall slay them. You are refusing him who speaks to you from heaven; but he that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. The Lord is at hand. The Judge

stands before the door: he is ready to rise up to judgment; yet he is now waiting to be gracious. Open your heart, and the King of glory will come in, bringing with him pardon, peace, and everlasting blessing.

Remember, you are not standing still you are "in the way" to appear before the Judge. Every moment that passes shortens the way between you and Him. Every breath you draw, you are irresistibly approaching nearer and nearer to the judgment-seat, where the final and unalterable sentence shall be pronounced. You may be very near it. You are utterly in the dark as to how much of the road remains to you. Some, indeed, must feel that it is short: none can know that it is long. But "while you are in the way," is your opportunity for coming to terms of reconciliation with your God. The earnest counsel of Him who has rendered agreement possible, is,—“ Do it quickly See that you lose no time about it: for if you let pass the opportunity, you are lost without redemption." Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

For there are here words which warn us, that if there be goodness, there is also severity with

God; that if there be a season for reconciliation, that season has its limit; that if there be a time to heal, there is also a time to kill; if there be a time of peace, there is also a time of war. The season of grace once lost, you are delivered to the Judge, and by him to the executioners of divine justice, and cast into the prison-house of hell. And then is added the solemn asseveration,

-"Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion. God is not mocked. If we will not be vessels of mercy, we must be vessels of wrath. If we will not seek the favour of Him who taketh away the sin of the world, we must feel the wrath of the Lamb. His judgment is according unto truth. Fearfulness shall surprise the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

He is a consuming Will he esteem thy

fire, even a jealous God. riches? no; not gold, nor all the forces of strength. He will pour out his wrath on them that have not known him, and fiery indignation shall devour those who will be adversaries.

This is the truth, and it is well to look it in the face. It must be spoken, and it ought to be heard. It is of that revealed counsel of God from which nothing can be diminished. It is, as all other Scripture, profitable. He who now comes proclaiming peace on earth, and who must be heard in all things, whatsoever he has spoken to us, warns us there is no peace in hell. He has confirmed the word of his prophet, that the worm shall not die, neither shall the fire be quenched, of those who have transgressed against the Lord, and neglected his great salvation. The Scripture cannot be broken. Not one tittle of the law can fail the Son of God has answered its demands for us; but if we will not take hold of his strength, and make peace with God, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a prison from whence he who enters shall by no means come out, till he has paid the uttermost farthing.

And what a hopeless case is this! How can a lost soul pay to God that which he owes—or, in other words, make amends for past transgression? It cannot be done even in a state of grace on earth. It required the Son of God to pay our debt. Much less can it be done in hell, where enmity against God rises to its height. Yet the

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