formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that riseth in judgment against thee, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord; and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”

Fly, ye profane, who turn this grace of God into lasciviousness. Be awakened ye presumptuous, who fondly dream your sins are pardoned, because ye have forgotten them, or because ye have felt some pangs of conviction, or because judgment is not speedily executed against your evil works. How can ye be pardoned, who have such slight thoughts of the God who bestows, the saviour who procures it, the gospel which reveals it? Ye that are ready to perish under the pressure of your iniquities, and ye that are of heavy heart, on account of your innumerable transgressions, here is a strong cor, dial, a refreshful draught from the wells of salvation. O drink, and remember your misery no more. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses. unto them."

Nor is it vain presumption in you to believe, that he in Christ is, at this present hour, pacified towards you for all that you have done. Though you have been wicked and unrighteous, though your sins have been of a crimson dye, scarletcoloured abominations, the blood of Christ can wash out the deadly tincture; and make you

white as the finest wool, or virgin snow. Wa's it any difficulty for the Red sea to cover with its waves the numerous host of Egypt, when Pharaoh, with his captains and common soldiers, chariots and horses, did sink to the bottom as á stone? No more for the ocean of unbounded love to subdue all your iniquities; not the common soldiers only of ordinary provocations, but the most grizly and gigantic sins. In the presence of his exalted majesty, your persons are but like the small dust of the balance; which is not considerable enough to sway the scale, and which the gentlest breath can blow away. Just as insignificant are our sins, in presence of his pradon ing mercy.

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Nor is it with a grudge and reluctance the liberal God bestows this perfect gift. Once he delighted in wrath, when it pleased him to bruise his beloved son. That was his act, his strange act; his work, his strange work. He has no pleasure in the death even of the guilty sinner as himself declares; why then in the death, the cruel death, of the innocent Immanuel ? The reason, the amazing reason is, because he delighted in mérey; in mercy to the human race. Therefore it pleased the father to bruise him.

Glorify God for this mercy, ye pardoned ones. -A distinguished blessing it is, which will not accent the songs of angels, but of the redeemed

from among the human race. Rejoice not that your wealth is increased, that your circumstances are prosperous, but that your iniquity is pardon

ed.

Fear the Lord and his goodness, and walk humbly with thy God.

Reject not the council of God against your own souls, you who have not yet fled for refuge unto this hope set before you, as you would not rob God of his glory, nor yourselves of peace. Will you neglect this great salvation? Will you say unto the Almighty, depart from us; thy gifts be to thy self? Cursed shall ye be of the Lord, whose glory it is to pass over a transgression. The Lord Jesus Christ shall subscribe thy condemnation; and all the holy angels shout their applause. Amen, says the church militant : Amen, the church triumphant. 66 In returning and rest should you been saved; in quietness and confidence should have been your rest: but you would not hear." Lo! there the men who made not the Lord their confidence; who robbed the Lord of his glory : and would not be beholden to him for the pardon of their iniquities. hold the time of their visitation is come; and where shall they fly for help? If in this manner a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? They would not take hold of his strength; they would not make peace; they would not consider any of his ways. See now

Be

the red right arm of vengeance takes hold of the glittering sword of justice. A sword; a sword is furbished with the oil of mercy, that was des pised and affronted. See how he cleaves their reins asunder, and breaketh them with breach upon breach. Merciful Lord! it is a fearful thing to fall into thy hands; when thou art angry, the nations shall not be able to abide thy indignation. Make us wise unto salvation, to know the things that belong to our peace; and to fly to our strong hold while we are the prisoners of hope.

REFLECTIONS

ON THE

THIRD HEAVEN.

1. I considered in my two last letters, that awful and tremendous subject, the ubiquity or omnipresence of the Divine Being. I have shewn that he is equally present in all places thronghout the whole extent of infinite space.

This

doctrine is so agreeable to reason, that we meet with it in the writings of the enlightened heathens, as I might shew at large, were it not already done by other hands. But though the Deity be thus essentially present through all the immensity of space, there is one part of it in which he discovers himself in a most transcendent and visible glory.

2. This is that place which is marked out în scripture under the different appellations of Paradise, the third heaven, the throne of God, and the habitation of his glory. It is here where the glorified body of our saviour resides, and where all the celestial hierarchies, and the innumerable hosts of angels, arc represented as perpetually surrounding the seat of God with hallelujahs and