darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. xxv. 26, 30. You may flatter yourselves with a false peace, and sit down in sloth and indifference: " but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

3d. I address myself to the self-righteous and hypocritical.

Is it asked, who are meant ? I reply, you, who are puffed up with the pride of self-sufficiency, and contented with a dull round of ceremonies. If regularly going to a place of worship on the Sabbath be religion, you have been very religious from your childhood. You say your prayers every night, as constantly as a man winds up his watch, and much in the same formal and listless manner.

There are no persons on whom the gospel has so little effect as the self-righteous. They strike out a great variety of ways, by which to compass their end. Truth does not furnish one argument, for which their pride cannot find an objection.

"Being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, they do not submit themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Rom. x. 4, 5. Persons of this stamp will quibble away the plainest testimonies of scripture, rather than yield to become indebted to the free grace of the gospel for justification and life. They not only err, but also fortify themselves in error. If one scheme fails, they try another. "They say, in the pride and stoutness of their heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." Isa. ix. 9, 10.

When Noah had entered the ark, it is emphatically said, "The Lord shut him in." But when the self-righteous have built their own refuge, they shut themselves in, and there rest secure, till they are either driven out by the sword of the Spirit, or burnt out by the fire of divine wrath. Those cloaked hypocrites and proud boasters, the Pharisees, were full of self-sufficiency, and looked upon all others with disdain. They scarcely thought the publicans worthy to take a place within the same walls, or walk in the path which they had made holy by their steps. Instead of trusting in the merits of the Redeemer, they hoped for acceptance with God from their fasts, and prayers, and alms.

And are you resting your dependence on the wretched foundation of your own goodness? I must tell you, while you despise God's way, you will never be able to climb to heaven in your own way. All your virtues will not atone for one of your vices. Your scheme of religion makes void the righteousness, the sacrifice, and the grace of Jesus Christ, and therefore must assuredly fall; and if you cling to it, you must fall with it. Then, how dreadful will it be, to behold a frown on the face of the Judge, when you are expecting a welcome into the habitations of glory.

Deceitful views of future bliss, farewell!
You'll read your sentence at the flames of hell.

You are mistaken in supposing your good works will buy you a place in Paradise. Christ does not save men by halves. God will not barter away eternal blessedness for any thing that is offered by your hands. " I tell you, nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Your minds must be changed, and your hearts renewed, or you are utterly undone. Surely, with one grain of common sense, and one ray of light from above, you may know a truth so plain as the necessity of deep repentance. What idiot is there, as one well observes, who cannot perceive the difference between a shadow and a substance? And do you mistake the form of godliness for the power of it? Can you really believe that a fine varnish will recommend a filthy vessel ? Are you so stupid as to expect you shall enjoy the kernel, when you sit down contented with the empty shell? It was in vain for that false prophet, Balaam, to cry, "Let me die the death of the righteous!" Heaven was never yet gained by an idle wish. And as Balaam, at that very time, was following the wages of unrighteousness, though he uttered such fair words, he was quite as unfit for the perfect bliss of saints and angels as the dumb ass which reproved him for his folly and madness. Think then of the holiness and majesty of God. Try yourselves by the standard of the divine law. Beware of that close lurking traitor in your own bosom, sin. Pray for the Spirit of God to shew you the depths of your depravity. Every true penitent, like the true prodigal, must first come to himself, or he will never think of coming to the Father of mercies. He must see his nakedness, and feel his wants, or he will not be clothed with the richly wrought robe of the Saviour's righteousness, and welcomed to the feast of gospel blessings. He must confess and forsake his sins, or he cannot enjoy pardon and reconeiliation.

3. Repentance is immediately necessary.

There is a natural disposition in all men to put far away those great concerns, which ought ever to be near their hearts. What they cannot den to be necessary, they contrive to delay. Wher God sent his messages to Israel by the prophet Ezekiel, they said, "The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of times that are afar off." Ezek. xii. 27. And when you hear of repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, you are probably ready to own that they are necessary, but when? Not yet; it will be soon enough in old age, or on a death-bed. But what makes you think so? I can venture to declare by what steps you have been led to this conclusion. You presume on a long life, on the mercy of God, and on the ground of a few examples of late repentance.

1st. You delay repentance, by presuming, that you shall yet live many years.

There was an idiot in the city of Athens, who counted all the ships that entered the port, and called them his own. Poor creature! from his want of understanding, he was to be pitied rather than blamed. But if you confidently count those years your own, which are yet in the hand of God, you are chargeable with the grossest folly, and are without excuse. What assurance have you of a long life? Has God sealed you a lease, or sent you a promise, of thirty, twenty, or seven years to come? It may be you are young, healthy, and vigorous, but are you sure of a single day? Do you not see innumerable diseases vanquishing all the power of medicine? And what are these but the forerunners and messengers of death? Do you not see your fellow-creatures, of every age and rank, suddenly swept into eternity? And who knows but some fatal disease may in a few days seize your frame, or some direful accident cut you off in a moment? "We must," said Bishop Taylor, "take our water as out of a torrent and sudden shower, which will quickly ceae dropping from above, and running in our channels below." O how brittle is the tie that holds you in life! And when that slender bond is broken, you will be instantly in eternity! "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. iii. 7. Will you dare to contradict the Majesty of heaven ? When God says 'To-day' will you say 'To-morrow?" Will you hearken to the voice of any flatterer, rather than to the voice of your Creator, Redeemer, and Judge? If you still turn away the faithful warnings and kind invitations of God, how justly may he swear in his wrath, that you shall not enter into his rest. You are probably very earnest and active in the things of this world, while you are so careless and dilatory concerning the world to come. Think what will be your views of such conduct in a dying hour.

That great and far-famed scholar, Grotius, on his death-bed spoke thus, "Ah! I have consumed my life in a laborious doing of nothing! I would give all my learning and honour for the plain integrity of John Urick!" This John Urick was a religious poor man, who spent eight hours of the day in reading and prayer, eight in labour, and only eight in sleep and meals. Salmasius, another learned man, when about to die, cried out bitterly against himself, saying, "Oh! I have lost a world of time! time, the most precious thing in the world! If I had but one year more, it should be