Lord God Omnipotent at defiance; ftill to trample on the blood of his Son; still to refift the Holy Ghost? For you then what remaineth, as furely as the Word of God is true, but wrath unchangeable, tribulation and anguish, when the Lord Jefus shall be revealed in flaming fire to take vengeance on those who know not God, and obey not the Gofpel? Repent ye: even yet repent and be faved. But perhaps you are appalled by the apprehension that, after so long a period of flavery to the works of the devil, it is too late for you to repent. If these be your only alarms, hear for your encouragement the words of the Prophet; Let the wicked man for fake his way, and the unrighteous man his paths: and let him turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Hear the recorded declaration of God himfelf. As I live, faith the Lord, I have no pleafure in the death of the wicked. Turn ye; turn ye. Why will ye die? Hear the folemn affurance of Chrift: Him that cometh unto me I will in no wife caft out. To whom is this language addreffed from above? To you. You avow your belief of the ScripWhile you credit the Scriptures, is it poffible for you to doubt of the willingnefs

tures.

have life

Put not

The

nefs of the Lord your Redeemer to receive, to forgive, and to bless you, if you will come unto Him that you may eternal? Delay then no longer. his forbearance to any farther trial. time of your continuance on earth may be drawing to a conclufion. The hour of grace may be nearly paft. The laft fands of the glass may be running out. Seize the opportunity which is yet afforded to you. Use the time which is yet in your power. Come unto the Lord Jefus, and you fhall find that he is gracious. Perfevere from this time forward with godly fincerity in faith and love, and holy obedience: and all your former tranfgreffions fhall be blotted from his remembrance; and you fhall receive through his merits a crown of glory, an inheritance of blifs that endureth for

ever.

SERMON V.

On the Calling of St. Matthew,

MATTH. ix. 9.

And as Jefus passed forth from thence, he faw a man named Matthew fitting at the receipt of Custom: and he faith unto him, Follow Me. And be arofe and followed Him.

ye

BEHOLD, exclaimed the voice of Prophecy, ere it became filent for four hundred years; Behold the Lord whom feek fhall fuddenly come to his Temple, even the Meffenger of the Covenant, in whom ye delight. Behold He fhall come, faith the Lord of Hofts (a). The Lord comes to his Temple. The Spirit of the Lord, he cries, is upon Me; because He hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek: He hath Sent Me to bind up the broken hearted, to pro

(a) Malachi, iii. 1.

claim liberty to the captives, to comfort all that mourn. Come unto Me, and I will give you reft. I am he which giveth life unto the world (b). Does not the world flock to welcome the invitation? Hear the words of the Son of God: Ye will not come unto Me that ye might have life. Many are called; but few are chofen (c). Such was the general result. But among the few who obeyed the call, and were chofen, were thofe, who became the inftruments of calling unborn multitudes to salvation. Their voice is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world (d). Such was St. Matthew.

In pursuing the hiftory of the Redeemer of the world, the Evangelift is conducted by the course of his narrative to the most important event of his own life. By profeffion he was a publican; a collector of the public revenue, a receiver of the taxes which the Jews paid to the Roman government. On feveral accounts the Publicans were extremely odious to their countrymen; partly, because it was their business to gather the tribute exacted by

the enemy, to whom the land of Irael was now in fubjection: partly, because the intercourfe in which their occupation engaged them with foreigners and idolaters, rendered them, in the eyes of their own nation, unclean and profane; and partly, because, in executing their office they were proverbially guilty of extortion, with a view to encrease their own emolument, or to recommend themselves to their rapacious mafters. Of the contempt and hatred with which they were beheld you difcern repeated proofs in the Gofpels. When our Lord inftructs his difciples, that for a man to love only his brethren and those who love him is a very low degree of Chriftian virtue; he impreffes this truth by the queftion, Do not even the publicans the Jame? On another occafion, in order to illuftrate the extreme difgrace, the complete exclufion from fellowship and brotherhood, to be inflicted on every man who should difobey the apoftolical authority of the Church; he delivers this direction: Let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a Publican. The condefcenfion of Christ in admitting Publicans into fociety with Him difgufted and fcandalifed the Pharifees. Why eateth your Mafter