X.

SERM. Heir of heavenly promise; he heavily laments his long abuse of intellectual talents and a religious education, and the consequent loss of the divine favour and acceptance: and while his soul is perishing for want of the necessaries of the spiritual life, he regards with envy. the poorest and most illiterate of the Christian household, who pass their days in the service of God, and are abundantly supplied with the bread of heaven.

While these reflexions pass within his breast, he passionately sighs for a return to the family and household of God. But when he contrasts his own unworthiness with those demands of holiness which God has unalterably made, when he reads those passages of holy scripture which affirm, that God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord, that the sinner shall not stand in the judgement, and that the way of the ungodly shall perish; he becomes overwhelmed with doubts, that he has transgressed beyond

the reach of mercy, and that he can SERM. find no place for repentance, though he X. seek it carefully with tears.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart God will not despise. While he is thus heavily mourning under the pangs of a wounded conscience, a ray of consolation, sent from the cheering Source of light and truth, illuminates his soul. From the judgements of God denounced on the unrepenting sinner, his reflexion is guided to those endearing characters of mercy which the gospel offers to the penitent; especially in those passages where God is described as an affectionate Father, who corrects that he may amend, who smites that he may heal, who is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance". Thus raised from despondence by the favour of heaven, he resolves to present himself in penitence before the throne of heavenly grace, to confess and deplore his errors, to acknowledge his unworthiness, and to supplicate leave to serve in the humblest

f Heb. xii. 17.

2 Pet. iii. 9.

8 Psalm li. 17.

X

capacity,

X.

SERM. capacity, that so he may be admitted to partake of the bread of life even among the least in the Kingdom of God.

When he is thus resolved upon returning into the way of righteousness, his heavenly Father looks with complacence on this happy change, he comes forth to meet him with his holy Spirit, he co-operates with his grace to forward his salvation, he has compassion on his sorrows, he accepts his tears, he greets his return to virtue with forgiveness and affection: in the language of parable he divests him of the sordid rags of sin, he puts upon him the robe of righteousness, he girds him with truth, and he puts upon his feet the preparation of the gospel of peace. He calls upon the heavenly host to celebrate his return with songs of joy and praise. And highly does this call agree with the benevolence of their happy natures. "Thus the word of God represents them as always taking a very tender and active interest in the spiritual welfare of their fellow servants upon earth. For hath he not given them a

i Eph. vi. 14, &c.

charge

charge over those who trust in him, to SERM. keep them in all their ways? And are X. they not ministering Spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation? And as they are disposed to lament over the lapse of a Sinner, and employ every aid consistent with a state of discipline to turn his heart unto the Lord, so they rejoice in the presence of God on his conversion to the way of peace, and are prepared both in heart and voice to congratulate his arrival, whenever God shall call him to the same habitations of eternal joy.

In this affecting parable we see both the miserable effects of sin and the blessed fruits of repentance. To the Sinner that goeth on still in his wickedness, whatever be the pleasures that he may find or may imagine in this evil way, there is there is nothing in the end in store, but anguish and remorse, the impending wrath of God in this life, his certain vengeance in the life to come. When such a gloomy prospect is before him, how highly does it behove him, while there is time and place for repentance, to abandon all his evil

* Psalm xci. 11.

X 2

1 Heb. i. 14.

courses,

SERM. Courses, and in confession and penitence to turn unto the Lord!

X.

To engage him in this necessary change the Gospel yields every gracious encouragement. Though to the man who perseveres in sin God may appear in the light of a Master, who strictly and rigidly exacts of all their several tasks, and denounces and determines wrath on those who fail in their appointed service; yet to the truly contrite and repenting Sinner he presents himself in the tender and endearing character of a Father, willing and ready to accept his tears, to receive him again. into his household, and to restore him to the name and privilege of a Son.

When so much grace is accorded to a Sinner on condition of repentance, it highly behoves him not to abuse this grace, either by putting off this necessary work from time to time, or by contenting himself with a partial or a slight repentance. In order that his repentance may be available to salvation, it must be sincere and fervent; he must review all his former life, he must exaamine his heart, he must confess, deplore, abandon all his sins, and devote himself altogether to God and goodness.