orders and confufions, in which kingdoms, families, and individuals, have been involved.

Vain and fpecious reafonings will always be overborne by facts. Look at the innocent and immaculate babe, as fome would call it, in the arms of its mother. Where is the meekness, gentleness, and heavenly ferenity of unfallen nature? Is not its visage marked with the fire of indignation, pride, envy, jealousy, covetoufnefs, and all those other furious and unlovely paffions, which manifest themselves upon every little provocation through life? Whence can this proceed? Not from the force of example for it cannot yet difcern betwixt good and evil, fo as to make its choice. It fprings, therefore, from that root of evil, which it brings with it into the world. As the little stranger becomes acquainted with the world, he finds objects enough to gratify every

corrupt

corrupt paffion. These paffions too often " grow with his growth, and "ftrengthen with his ftrength." Pleafure prepares her bait for the early season of his life; Ambition follows to entice

his riper years; and Avarice fpreads her fnares to captivate the weakness of his old age. Yea, it fometimes happens, that the human foul is enflaved, at one and the fame period, by the united influence of these earthly paffions.

Is not all this matter of fact, and daily experience? a corrupt nature, meeting with a corrupt world, yielding` readily to its follicitations, and greedily fwallowing its envenomed baits! The disease, how powerful!-the contagion, how univerfal! O for a remedy as powerful, as univerfal, to counteract its baleful influence, and restore life and health to the difordered fyftem!-Surely, there is "Balm enough in GiVOL. II, Y "lead"

"lead" to accomplith the cure! Surely, there is efficacy enough in the Blood of JESUS to wash out the crimson ftain! Surely, there is power enough in his Resurrection, to raise the dying finner to Newnefs of Life." And if there be power and ability to extricate miferable man from the bondage of an evil nature; furely, there cannot be want of will in HIM, whose Name is Love, whofe Effence is Love, who dwelleth in Love, and whofe Grace, far more univerfal than the light of the fun, penetrates the center of the most hardened heart; fo that nought can hinder its healing influences from having their effect, but the human will obftinately turned against and rejecting them. This is a truth, which, as a minister of the Gospel of Peace, I am bound to publifh, whilft the Word of Truth affures me, that "GOD is not willing that any "fhould perish, but that all should come to repentance."

I folemnly

I folemnly appeal to the confcience of every person in this affembly, whether he has not, more than once, yea frequently and continually, felt the ftrivings of Divine Grace in his foul. Haft thou not, O finner, frequently experienced within thy foul a fecret oppofition to favourite finful inclinations and pursuits? Hath not something whispered to thine heart, in a retired moment, fome fuch truths as thefe-Why doft thou fpend, in vain and unprofitable pleasures and engagements, a life, that should be employed in fecuring the future welfare of thine immortal part? Knoweft thou not, that this body, which thou art fo anxious to pamper and indulge, must ere long be laid breathlefs in the grave? Why then fo proud, fo fond of being honoured and admired by beings frail and perifhing as thyfelf? Why art thou fo envious of another's beauty, fame, or poffeffions? Why is thine anger kindled at every trifling accident? Why rankles in thy breaft that malicious

Y 2

cious dislike of thy neighbour, because he hath, or thou thinkeft that he hath, offended thee? Why art thou fo greedy of gain? Why doft thou grind the face of the withhold the wages poor, of the hireling, and extort more than is juft from thofe with whom thou haft dealings? Why art thou fo anxious to become great, or rich; to leave an immense estate behind thee, purchased by iniquity, at the expence of thy foul, and the fufferings of many helpless brethren, whom thy bounty might have relieved? Why burns thy breast with an unlawful flame, which nought, perhaps, but the apprehenfion of worldly fhame and cenfure, restrains thee from indulging? In a word, why do "the "lufts of the flesh, the lufts of the

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eye, and the pride of life," engross thy whole time and attention?

None of you can deny, can deny, but that you have frequently felt fuch remonftrances