cannot be POPULARITY: for, even to Simon Magus all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God!—neither can he ground his satisfaction on the exercise of strong and enlarged TALENTS; for even Balaam was a man of extraordinary endowments- -nor can it be on his SUCCESS: For many, saith our Lord, shall come to me and say, Have we not done many wonderful works in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you! As though he had said, " I deny not the works, but ye are evil men !"

But a Minister's satisfaction must be grounded on the faithful discharge of his office in the DELIVERY OF HIS MESSAGE. A Prince sends a special messenger to his rebellious subjects, with offers of pardon in examining his conduct, he will not enquire whether they received and approved him or not: the question will be "Did you deliver my message? Did you deliver it as one that believed it yourself? -as one in EARNEST?" If a man should come and tell you, with a cheerful countenance and careless air, that your house was on fire, and that you and your children would be burnt in the flames if you did not make haste to escape, you would not believe him. You would say, "He does not believe it himself, or he would not be so unfeeling as to speak of it in such a manner."

If a minister delivers his message, then no scorn, no reproach that may be cast upon him, can take away his rest-he has done his duty. When the King sent out his servants to invite men to His feast, they excused themselves on various pretences:— but the servant might say, "No matter!-I have declared the message-I may rest in having done

my part, though no success seems to attend my pressing invitations."

I would lodge, therefore, my appeal in your consciences-I take you to record-I appeal to conscience for there is a conscience in man; and in serious moments it will speak out. It wrung from Joseph's brethren that confession, We are verily guilty concerning our brother! It forced Balaam himself to cry out, Let me die the death of the righteous! and let my last end be like his! It tormented the traitor Judas into that self-accusation, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood!

When a young person has been talked to by his parents when they have represented to him the misery and ruin of a wicked course, and bad habits -he might affect to brave it out at the time; but he has gone afterward weeping through the streets because CONSCIENCE WOULD SPEAK!

But when the spirit of God softens a man's heart -when he is made to FEEL what an evil and bitter thing it is to sin against God-then a faithful Minister's appeal to that man is like that of St. Paul to the Thessalonians: Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. As you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you (as a father doth his children) that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

For

this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe: 1 Thess. ii. 10--13.

It is most affecting to see to what miserable shifts men will have recourse, in order to evade the truth.

"It is IRRATIONAL," says one," to insist so much on certain peculiarities of doctrine !"-But whose reason shall be the judge?-For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness: but, it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

"It is UNNECESSARY," says another-But has God commanded-and do we pronounce his commands unnecessary ?

"It is DISREPUTABLE"-Did Christ regard reputation ?-Nay, he made himself of no reputation.

"It is a NARROW way"-Ah! there, indeed, you pronounce truly! The way to heaven is a narrow way! But what says the Judge ?-Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Oh how distressing is it, to observe many, to whom we cannot but fear, the Gospel which they hear preached from Sunday to Sunday, is but the savour of death! If God has made a difference in any of us, let us not forget to whom we are indebted.

Brethren! You are my witnesses. I take you to record, that you have had the whole counsel of God declared unto you—that all curious and metaphysical inquiries, all critical and conjectural points, have been carefully avoided for your sake. I have attempted to clear my ministry of all disputable subjects, in order to set before you the plain fact of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of Salvation through him.

But, consider! You also must give an account! I must give an account, whether I plainly and simply declared the truth, as one who felt its importance, and was in earnest. You must give an account, whether you have gone away from this place, as if you had heard nothing to the and impurpose, mediately dissipated your thoughts with some trifling subject-some mere secular concern :-orwhether what you heard brought you to your knees before God, beseeching him to seal and impress his truth upon your hearts.

Oh consider the satisfaction you will find, in really embracing all the counsel of God. Consider how soon the time will come, in which it must be your ONLY SATISFACTION, that you have embraced it! Let it be your prayer, as you go hence-"0 God! give me grace to repent, with that repentance which is unto life! Make me serious! Teach me what I must do to be saved! Help me to believe the record which thou hast given of thy Son. Give me faith to receive the atonement-to set to my seal, that there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ."

For ye

Come to your Saviour with HUMILITY as a sinner: come with GRATITUDE and LOVE. are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words: when, so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. But ye are come unto Mount Sion; and unto the city of the Living God-the heavenly Jerusalem; and to an innumerable company of angels; and to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven; and

to God, the Judge of all; and to the spirits of just men made perfect; and to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant; and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See, then, that ye refuse not him that speaketh!but-receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us hold fast grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.*

*Heb. xii. 18-28.

THE END.