longing for the enjoyment of his presence, God has scarcely been in all my thoughts ?

The reading of the holy scriptures may be safely recommended, as a means the most suitable to produce repentance. Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord? and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Jer. xxiii. 22. There is no metal which this fire is not able to melt and separate from dross; there is no adamant which this hammer has not force enough to break! Cyprian was converted by reading the Book of Jonah; and Junius, by the first chapter of John.

Sometimes a single stroke of this hammer, a remarkable passage, directed by some particular providence, and applied by the Spirit of God, has penetrated the sinner's heart, and humbled him at the feet of Jesus.

"In Oliver Cromwell's army every soldier had a Bible. Among the rest, there was one wild, wicked young man, who ran away from his apprenticeship in London, for the sake of plunder and dissipation. Being one day ordered out upon a skirmishing party, or to attack some fortress, he returned to his quarters in the evening without hurt. When he was going to bed, pulling the Bible out of his pocket, he observed a hole in it. He traced the depth of the hole, and found the bullet had gone as far as the eleventh chapter

of Ecclesiastes, and the ninth verse: Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that, for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment! The words were set home upon his heart by the Holy Spirit, so that he became a very serious believer in the Lord Jesus Christ; and used pleasantly to observe, that the Bible was the means of saving his soul and his body too."

There are many valuable books on religious subjects, which have been blessed of God as instruments for awakening thoughtless, proud, and profligate sinners. Vergerious was a violent papist, and he set about reading the protestant books on purpose to confute them: but the light broke in upon his mind, and he became a firm Protestant and a sincere Christian. Colonel Gardiner had a book slipped into his box by his aunt, or good mother. As the title of it was, "Heaven taken by storm," his curiosity was stirred; and he took it up, just to pass away an idle hour, and it was the means of his conversion That promising and pious young man, the late Henry Kirke White, who had spent some years in infidelity, was brought to Christ by reading "Scott's Force of Truth. I could, without much difficulty,

mention other instances. How many will have reason forever to bless God for such books as "Owen on Indwelling Sin ;"" Allein's Alarm," and "Baxter's Call to the Unconverted ?" The last mentioned book was once the instrument of converting six brothers!

2. The preaching of the gospel is another means of producing repentance.

When the apostles went forth to preach the glad tidings of pardon and peace to guilty men, what multitudes became obedient to the faith! It might well be said, in the words of the prophet, Who are these that fly as a cloud-as doves to their windows? In every age, the ministry of the word has been made the means of turning men from the errors and evils of the world, to the service of the true God. Though the lightminded and self-conceited have treated it with contempt, the Lord of heaven and earth has crowned it with a blessing. It has pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Cor. i. 21.

God has devised a way to bring banished sinners back to himself. He has settled a covenant of peace, through the atoning blood of Christ; according to which he can be just and the justifier of every one that believeth in Jesus. This he has written in his word, sealed by his Spirit, and

sent by his ministers. It is not the business of a preacher to entertain men with novelties, or sooth them with flatteries; but to shew them the way of salvation. Ministers are compared to watchmen. Ezra iii. 17. It is the duty of a watchman to sound an alarm in time of danger. In this office, diligence and faithfulness are necessary. Suppose a fire should break out in a city, and the watchmen were to say, "Let us hope it will soon go out again, or not spread far-it is a pity to disturb the people!" and thus suffer the flames to consume both the houses and inhabitants; would they not be guilty of the blood of such as perished by their negligence? Every faithful minister is bound to lift up his voice as a trumpet, and tell the people of their sins and transgressions; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. He is bound to give them warning, and cry in their ears, that the fire of wrath is kindled and gathering around them. Knowing the terrors of the Lord, he labours to persuade men to escape for their life, lest they be consumed.

Ministers are ambassadors; and their work is to declare the whole counsel of God, to display the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to explain the great and precious promises. With a thousand powerful arguments, and affectionate entreaties, they address themselves to the understand.

ing and heart. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us ; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. v. 20, 21.

The most diligent and zealous ministers may sometimes be discouraged, and cry out, Who hath believed our report, and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Yet, notwithstanding this, preaching has been in every age the great instrument in the hand of God for the conversion of precious souls. If the servants of Christ, for a long while, seem to labour in vain, as Peter and his companions in fishing toiled all night and caught nothing; when, at his command, they put down the net on the right side of the ship, they are filled with amazement and joy at the draught. The apostles at first preached repentance with very little success, but when the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, Peter's sermon was so effectual, that three thousand were at once pricked in their hearts, and cried, Men and brethren, what shall we do? At the Reformation, when Luther in Germany, Latimer in England, and Knox in Scotland, began plainly and powerfully to preach the gospel, what numbers were turned from darkness to light, and