when he requires it? Sooner let our hands forget their cunning, than ceafe to contribute for the advancement of his caufe; fooner let our tongue. cleave to the roof of our mouth, than be filent from speaking forth his praife, or recommending his great falvation. The moment that our love languishes let us go to Gethsemane, or Calvary as a mean of enflaming it: There the fmoking flax, muft inftantly revive, and brighten into a flame. It is impoffible for him to be cold who basks under the rays of this fun: It is impoffible for him to feel indifferent to the perfon, or people, or intereft, or glory of Jefus who diligently contemplates the ardor and immensity of his love to us. How powerful, how elevating was the effect of these reflections on the foul of the great apoftle of the Gentiles? The love of Chrift conftrains, tranfports, me; while he contemplated the grace of the eternal fon he loft fight of himself, of the world, of every earthly comfort and crofs; he fcarcely knew whether he was in the body or out of the body, because, he adds, we thus judge that if one died for all, then were all dead; and he died for all that they who live fhould not henceforth live to themfelves, but to him who died for them and rofe again. LASTLY-Let all learn from this doctrine the immenfe value of the human foul, and the danger of rejecting the offered redemption. When we contemplate the enterprife of the human mind, the vaft fchemes which it is capable of contriving, and accomplishing, we feel impreffed with a fenfe of its excellence and worth; when we turn our eyes back to its creation, and fee it fashioned after the image of God, we entertain ftill higher impreffions of its dignity and value; but it is through the humiliation and death of the ever bleffed Jefus that we are furnished with incomparably the greateft proof of its excellence, and dignity. For our fakes he became poor. Surely that foul must be precious which requir ed å facrifice so coftly; furely that foul muft be precious for which the Lord of glory was emptied of his glory, and made of no reputation; for which he who was altogether lovely appeared without comeliness, without form, without any beauty that we fhould defire him; for which the font muft ftoop to the condition of a fervant; for which the heir of all things must be deprived of a place to lay his head; for which he who was bleffed for ever becomes a man of forrows, and is made a curfe; for which the prince of life becomes obedient unto death; for which he who was the admiration of angels is expofed a fpectacle of fcorn and of mockery to men, and to devils; for which he who was in the form of God, who was from eternity brought up with him, who enjoyed the cloudlefs emanations of his love was abandoned to darkness, and grief; is denied a fingle ray of his countenance, or a drop of heaven's confolation. Was the foul thus precious in the estimation of the Son of God, and can any appear regardless of their own fouls? Surely their guilt must be highly coloured, and their condition inexcufable in the extreme who neglect fo great falvation. Had the Lord God of fered the remiffion of fin without any fatisfaction to his juftice, the refufal of fuch remiffion muft have added to our mifery; had he appointed the various orders of unfinning angels to fuffer in the room of man, the rejection of this facrifice. must have greatly heightened our torment, and left us altogether without excufe, but he has done infinitely more than this: He fent his own fon to be the faviour of the world; and furely he who fpared not his own fon, appearing for the falvation of man, will not, cannot confiftently fpare the man who neglects, or rejects this falvation, a falvation which coft fo much forrow, fo much poverty, fo much reproach, so many tears, tears of blood, yea, the very life of the Lord of life. If he who defpifed Mofes' law died without mercy before two or three wineffes, of how much forer punishment, fuppofe ye, jhall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was fan&ified an unholy thing, and hath done defpice to the spirit of grace? And every finner prefent who wifi no, this day accept of precious Chrill is guilty of trampling under foot his body [ and blood; he pours a practical conterupt on all that the compaffionate faviour endured from his cradle to his cross, on every tear which he fhed, on every groan which he uttered, on every pang which he felt for the benefit of our world.— Hear this, ye that forget God, the redeemer, left he tear you in pieces when there is none to deliver: Kifs the Son left he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little: Bleffed are all they that put their trust in him. And let all remember that none will perifh with fuch guilt in their consciences, or fuch wrath upon their heads as those who perish amidst the offers of mercy. The Bleffings which refult to us from his Media tion. 2 COR. viii. 9. THAT YE THROUGH HIS POVERTY MIGHT BE RICH. GODLINESS with contentment is incomparably the greateft poffible gain; its pleafures are more pure, its riches more permanent, its honors more fubftantial, and its profpects more elevating than the world can promise her most favorite votaries. The merchandize of it is better than the merchandife of filver, and the gain. thereof, than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things that may be defired are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches, and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her. Believer in Jefus Christ, however poor, or despised, or wretched be thine external condition thou art rich in faith and an heir of the kingdom: thou art entitled to an inheritance large as God can beftow, and fatisfying as thy foul can defire: An inheritance which neither the moth fhall corrupt, the flames W |