2dly, But I wou'd hope, as the gofpel has been plainly preached among you, that there are not many in this great, this deftructive darkness. You fee the glorious truths of the gospel. The Scrip. tures are no longer to you a fealed book. You clearly understand, and readily admit, all that has been faid. It is well. But, let me afk you, are not fome of you refting fatisfied with this mere light and knowledge? Light is defigned to fhew you your guilt, your danger, your remedy; the way in which you fhould walk, and the glorious end which you fhould always keep in view. Do you then, thus profit by the light received? Do you continually feek fresh fupplies of light, from the Father of lights, and from the light of the world; the light that lighteth every man that cometh into it. "Old light (obferves a pious author) is dead light.,' The light of to-day, when the fun no longer fhines, will not ferve to guide our feet in fafety. So with respect to the light of "the Sun "of Righteoufnefs. Examine yourselves closely in this matter, as you value your fouls? Are you fenfible not only that your fins are more in number than the hairs of your head, that you "have ❝left undone numerous things which you ought "to have done, and have done numerous things "which you ought not to have done:" but also that your heart, from which proceed "the iffues "of life," is "deceitful above all things, and "defperately wicked; an evil heart of unbelief;" fo that there is abfolutely no fpiritual health in you? Do you not only fee, but feel this? Be careful, as you value your foul, to make this diftinction. Do you not only acknowledge, but bewail your manifold fins and wickednefs? Is the remembrance of them grievous unto you? Is the burthen of them intolerable?. If not, though the Holy Spirit of God may have enlightened your mind, he has not yet convinced your heart and foul of fin. But, HE muft do so, before you can truly believe in Chrift, with your heart. your whole heart; and remember, it is " with the "heart man believeth unto righteousness and fal"vation t." Do not then delude yourselves with the idea, that you have true faving faith in Chrift, if you have never thus felt the burthen of fin. It cannot be. There is no principle in your breaft, by which you can have approached the Saviour in fpirit and in truth, with the whole heart and foul. And, let me befeech you, forget not, only he that believeth fhall be faved, only he that believeth fhall not perifh. He that believeth not, (O "dreadful fentence !) fhall be damned; fhall not "fee life; is condemned already; hath the wrath "of God abiding on him." Thefe are not my words, remember, but the words of God himself, a God of infinite truth," from whofe law not "one jot or one title fhall pafs away till all be "fulfilled." Yea though heaven and earth "fhall pass away, HIS word fhall not pass away.' Remember • See Acts viii. 37. C 2 Remember again, I do not wifh you to measure the extent of your conviction of fin, by your fuffering under it; but by the humbling fenfe which it produces of your own natural vileness and helpleffness, and of your absolute and entire need of the Almighty Saviour. I would with you to measure it by your qualifications, to ufe the language of our Church, of thofe Articles which contain a fummary of her doctrines, of thofe Confeffions which fhe puts into the mouth of all her members; well knowing that, if you cannot ufe thefe, and from your heart too, you cannot be truly members of the Church of Chrift; you cannot even feel your need of him, as an entire Sa viour. 3dly, I would willingly hope alfo, that there are fome persons among you, (many more than I am acquainted with) who are truly convinced of fin; fome whofe convictions of fin have produced their defired effect, in leading them truly to believe in Chrift, and fome whofe convic tions hitherto have not. But ftill, take comfort, my beloved friends, you are in the way of life, though not fo far advanced in it as you and your minifters could with. Be only faithful to the convictions which you have received, and careful not to bury them amidst either the cares or pleafures of this finful world. "Bleffed are ye who thus mourn, "for ye fhall be comforted." You have our dear Redeemer's word for it; HE who was exalted to be a prince and a Saviour, to give that very repentance under which you mourn, and who is both the 66 the author and finifher of that faith*, of which you ftill ftand in need. God grant that He may bestow it on your prayers, even before I more fully enter on this fubject! "Come unto HIM, "weary and heavy laden as ye are, and HE will "give you reft." Here are alfo glorious promises for your comfort. "Who is among you, that fear"eth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no "light? Let him trust in the Lord, and stay upon "his God t. They that fow in tears fhall reap in joy. He that goeth forth, and weepeth, bearing "precious feed, fhall doubtlefs come again with joy, bringing fheaves with him (." But to all others, who will have none of God's counfel, or of his Holy Spirit's reproof, I muft, alfo, of neceffity, deliver the facred meflage of my God. "hold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compafs yourselves about with fparks; walk in the "light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye "have kindled. This fhall ye have of mine "hand; ye shall lie down in forrow." 66 "Be *See Acts v. 31. Heb. xii. 2. +.Ifa, 1. 10. Bible. This is evidently the fenfe of the Pfalmift; and far more evangelical than either of our common translations. Pfa. cxxvi. 5, 6. || Ifa. l. 11. PRAYER [W. Appleton, Printer, Stockton.] PRAYER BEFORE OR AFTER THE SERMON. Collect for Whitfun-Week, for the Sunday after Afcenfion, and St. Thomas. GOD, who, as at this time, didft teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by the fending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: Grant us, by the fame Spirit, to have a right judgment in all things, and ever more to rejoice in his holy comfort. Grant us, fo perfectly and without all "doubt, to believe in thy Son Jefus Chrift, that our faith "in thy fight may never be reproved." Send to us thine Holy Ghoft, to comfort us, and exalt us into the fame place whither our Saviour Chrift is gone before us, through the merits of Jefus Chrift, our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the fame Spirit, one God, world without end! Amen. SERMON II. ON JOHN xvi, 7.- —12. It is expedient for you, that I go away: for, if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will fend him unto you. And when he is come, he will convince the world of fin, and of righte oufnefs, and of judgment: Of fin, because they believe not on me; of righteoufnefs, becaufe I go to my Father, and ye fee me no more; of judgment, becaufe the Prinse of this world is judged. H AVING fhewn, in my former difcourfe, the expediency of our dear Lord's departure, and in what fenfe the Holy Ghoft, the [W. Appleton, Printer, Stockton.] Comforter |