stamped the most gloomy character on her eternal destiny. We hold her up as a beacon, on which we behold inserted the following useful observations.

I. Repentance is necessary to prevent the sinner's ruin.

II. Repentance requires time, a course of time, and time convenient.

III. When God gives space for repentance, he expects fruits meet for repentance.

IV. Where the space of repentance is lost, the sinner perishes with a double destruction.

O that God may this day anoint your speaker with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven!

I. And first-Repentance is necessary to prevent the sinner's ruin. Permit me to state, in this place, that I intend to act and speak under the influence of St. Peter's advice: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God."

Let it here be observed, that God, from a very early period, gave intimations of his intention to judge the world, at some future period, in righteousness. From this it appears, that man, as an intelligent being, is placed in a probationary state; of course, he must have had a law to regulate his conduct. To think otherwise will involve an absurdity, and will at once destroy the idea of his dependency and accountableness. The first covenant God entered

into with Adam, included a precept, which was given as a test of obedience. This being violated by Adam, he could no longer stand on a footing of works, or absolute righteousness: thus falling, he involved us, seminally, in his ruin.

After this, in thundering artillery and dread array, on smoking Sinai, the great Jehovah somewhat enlarged and republished his law. But it is evident that no man is justified in the sight of God by the requisitions of this law, for this plain reason, that no man has complied, or can, in an unrenewed state, comply with them: and indeed, it is only by this law that we obtain a knowledge of sin. So that considering the decalogue as a rule of life, there is no unconverted man that dares to say, that he is ready to be judged by it.

But what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God has done, by sending his Son into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. This observation brings into view the merciful economy of grace under which we live; of which dispensation it may be observed, that it does not require bare theory, but practice and experiment also. For of the new covenant saints, it is said, "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace:" from which it is easy to perceive, that the new testament requires complete renovation. According to the Gospel plan of salvation, which is a display of the divine perfections, it is necessary, through the light it affords, that we should see and repent of our sins. For till the conscience be awakened to a true

sense of the evil of sin, a man cannot enter into a state of justification: it would totally subvert the design of the Gospel, if an unawakened soul could be justified. Yea, experience as well as Scripture declares, that none ever was truly convinced of righteousness that was not first truly convinced of sin. As he, then, who is not convinced of sin, cannot be justified; and as he who is not justified, is condemned, the wrath of God abiding on him; it is evident, that repentance is necessary to prevent the sinner's ruin. This will be rendered still more impressive if we listen to the Lord Jesus Christ preaching his own truth; "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." And in that inimitable sermon on the Mount, repentance seems to have been his text; where he first shows in what it consists, and then points out its reward. St. Paul, who received his mission from Christ, comprised what he had said in Asia under two general heads-repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor did Peter omit to bear testimony to the indispensable necessity of this doctrine, where he says, "Repent, and be converted," &c. But it would be too tedious to quote all the passages in which the indispensable necessity of repentance is evident. Again, I repeat it, (and may God impress it on your hearts!) that in the book of his decrees it is written, that repentance is necessary to prevent the sinner's ruin.

I proceed, as was proposed,

II. To show that repentance requires time, a course of time, and time convenient.

However men are ready to admit, that the attainment of riches or honour generally requires time and and a series of exertion; yet they seem to think that the concerns of the soul may be settled in a few hours. They seem to think that one feeble, dying effort, will be sufficient to open for them the gates of heaven, and introduce them to all that exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Hence, when the man of God would urge the necessity of repentance, they say, "Go thy way for this time; at a more convenient season I will send for thee:" the matters you speak of, say they, are important; but not so much so as the concerns of this life: these require unremitting exertion; those I can procure on a dying bed. My brethren, will not the folly of this conduct appear, if first, we view the nature of Gospel repentance, which is a godly sorrow wrought in the heart of a sinful person by the word and Spirit of God, whereby, from a sense of his sin, as being offensive to God, murderous to Christ, and defiling to his own soul; and from an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, he, with hatred of all known sins, turns from them to God, as his only Saviour and Lord. Is this the work of an hour, and that on a sick bed?

The necessity of space for repentance will further appear, if we consider the ordinary manner in which God works on men's hearts in this our day. However God, for the display of his power and mercy, might instantaneously convict, and almost as suddenly convert Paul; yet this is not his ordinary way of working of late. Paul was possessed of all the prejudice and enmity of a Jew; but we are trained up

in the Christian persuasion: and I will venture to say, that most commonly, justification follows a course of reflection, study, repentance, and

prayer.

From what has been said, you have collected our views of a death-bed repentance:-it is a poor dependance. But, says one, why was the history of the crucified thief recorded, who obtained justification on the cross? Let me tell you, brethren, his case was not analogous to ours. He, perhaps, had not been blessed with a godly education; accomplices in vice might have corrupted him the more; he was young, and might have died for his first offence; he might never have heard of a Saviour before; and from all these considerations, Christ, who saw the depth of his repentance, might see fit to record his case as a prodigy of his grace. I trust you will no longer, through an impression that the hardy tree of repentance is the sickly growth of an hour, procrastinate that work till death; but that you will avail yourselves of offered grace, and according to your advantages, bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Which leads to the third thing to be considered, namely,

III. When God gives space for repentance, he expects fruits meet for repentance: "I gave her space to repent, and she repented not." Here you will permit me to state, that when God offers his grace to the human family, he is in earnest; and being possessed of infinite wisdom, he always proportions the weight of motives to repentance and holiness, to our agency. Hence we perceive our accountability. This we are taught, moreover, by