conscience, whether there be not sufficient excelleney involved in the nature of accepting such a salvation, to make it the sinner's immediate duty? What is there for which he may rationally delay the salvation of his soul a single moment? Riches and honors are mere dust and shadows. The world is all deceit. One disappointment will take away all its pleasure; but Christ is most precious and pleasant now, and the more he is loved the more excellent will he prove.

2. Another excellency of the salvation which is freely offered in the gospel, which renders it the duty of sinners to accept of it immediately, consists in its being a deliverance from the reigning power of sin. There is nothing with which mankind are naturally so deeply in love, as sin. They love sin so much, that they have no love to God, or one another. Sin reigns supreme in the heart of every natural man. To this we have the testimony of the apostle, in these words, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolish-ness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." And again, "The carnal mind is enmity against God, it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." But though sinners are in love with sin, and roll it as a sweet morsel under their tongue, yet let them be assured, that it is the most hateful thing in the universe, it is inconsistency itself. It opposes the general good, and will issue in the awful destruction of all who continue the impenitent subjects of it. The salvation therefore which is proclaimed and offered in the gospel, is most worthy our immediate acceptance, in order to be delivered from its reigning power. Strictly speaking, sin is the only evil in the universe. There is indeed much natural evil, yet this is the effect of sin. It was sin by which the angels fell, and for which they are bound under chains of endless despair. It was sin which destroyed the innocence

of the first parents of the human race, and has poisoned the heart of their whole posterity, and exi posed them to everlasting destruction. But the evlconsequences of sin are innumerable and inconceivable. For when we reflect upon what it did in heaven-what it did in the garden of the Lord-what it did in the waters of the old world-in Sodom and Gomorrah-in Egypt-in the wilderness of Canaan. -and what at the coming of Christ, and in his most bitter death-and what it has done through all the blood and flames of persecution, and when we read in prophecy what it will yet do, before and after the happy period of the millenium-and how universal nature will, at last, be set on fire by divine vengeance, to give the finishing stroke to the intolerable state of the wicked when we have attended to all this, we have but the most imperfect view of the evil nature and consequences of sin. Sure there is no excellence in sin, though so sweet to the depraved hearts of mankind. It is most hateful-it has dishonored an infinitely holy God, and he will punish it according to its desert. What that punishment will be, I hope experience will never teach us. But this is certain that nothing will deliver from it, but a cordial acceptance of the salvation which is offered in the gospel..

Let sinners now remember how dishonorable sin is to the blessed God, and how much he is opposed to it-how destructive it is to the universe-and how injurious to their own souls. Let them reflect upon the multitude of their sins, and remember that they cannot enumerate one of a thousand; and yet for every sin they are exposed to endless banishment from the divine presence. Let them reflect also, that there is but one salvation from sin, and that salvation is now offered in the gospel. In view of these

things, I would put the question seriously to conscience, "Is it not your immediate duty, to accept. salvation to hear Christ's voice to day, and turn to

him by true repentance, that you may be delivered from sin?" Be assured, my hearers, that if you would be prepared for death, and to meet your Judge in peace-if you would enjoy the excellence of that salvation which has been described, escape the evil of sin, and fly from the grand enemy of your souls; you must fly to him, who is the only, strong holdthe Lord Jesus Christ. Let your feet, then, be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and take the shield of faith, that you may be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked.

I proceed now in the

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III. Place, to suggest another consideration, which is this, that "delays are dangerous." Every moment which sinners delay and neglect to comply with the gracious proposals of Christ, they run an infinite hazard. And what is more, the longer they delay, the longer are they likely to delay. One delay is commonly preparatory to another, and that to a third; and so on, till it be for ever too late. This is the course of things in common life. The wise man thus describes it: "I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw and considered it well, I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travaileth, and thy want as an armed man." Such is the consequence of a slothful, delaying spirit, in the things of this life; and it is introduced by inspiration to show the danger and the consequence of a delaying spirit, in the things of religion. Delays, however, in things of religion, are infinitely more foolish and fatal than in any thing else. They are full of the most dangerous consequences to the soul. However inattentive delaying

sinners may be, to their impending danger, yet there is nothing more alarming. Their feet stand on slippery places. There is nothing but the mere mercy of God which prevents their plunging into endless despair; and he has said, their feet shall slide in due time. How unlikely is it, that sinners, who have habituated themselves to put off from day to day, will ever be ready to attend in earnest to religion! The gay and sprightly youth, if he thinks of religion at all, vainly concludes that he shall have a better opportunity to accept of Christ, when he gets through his present pursuits, and is settled in life. Therefore, he says to his complaining conscience, "Go thy way for this time, and at a more convenient season I will call for thee." But no sooner has he formed connections for life, and entered the middle stage, than he finds new cares, perplexities, and temptations press upon him, beyond what he had ever expected. And notwithstanding the need he has of religion to guide and support him, yet he says to his accusing conscience, "Depart for this time also, and at a more convenient season I will send for thee.". But as he began, so he continues. And when crowded on all sides by the perplexities of the world, and the difficulties of old age begin to look him in the face, he then says, even to the loudest claim of remaining conscience, "Go thy way for this time, and at a more convenient season I will certainly call for thee." Thus the delaying sinner often passes from childhood, through the bloom of youth, the middle state, and even to old age, where he should have nothing to do but to die in peace, violating the calls of conscience, till his hopeless eyes are closed in death, and it is for ever too late to accept of salvation.

It is not improbable that there are some present, at this time, who have begun, and perhaps for a long time been habituating themselves to such a course of procrastination, and even now are not ready to hearken to the voice of the divine Saviour. If there

are any such, I would put to them one serious question. Is it not probable that you will still conduct just as you have done? Is it not as likely that you will continue to neglect religion, as it was when you neglected it, one, ten or twenty years ago? If you have misimproved every opportunity you have enjoyed, and will not improve the present, what opportunity will you improve? If you say, to morrow, your past and present disinclination forbid the probability. "Therefore, seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near; for now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salva tion." Besides, life is uncertain... To morrow is not yours. It may arrive, and it may not. You are promising yourselves a future period; but are you certain that the spirit of God, which does not always strive with sinners, is not now saying, "this night shall thy soul be required of thee," then whose shall be your intended to morrow?

But on the supposition your lives are to be continued, and the privileges of the gospel greatly multiplied, yet if you continue to neglect present duty,. after so many invitations, is there not reason to fear that God will seal you up in hardness of heart. This has sometimes been the conduct of a righteous providence towards obstinate sinners. We have an instance of this nature, in that dreadful commission of the prophet Isaiah: "Go thou, and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not; see ye indeed, but perceive not: Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert and be healed." And why have not delaying sinners, under the gospel, reason to fear that God will deal in the same manner with them? Surely they have yet what more shocking except despair itself? How infinitely dangerous then is every moment's delay? For such reasons as these, God now commands men to accept salvation. It is an object infinitely