himself on the Divine clemency, through the mediation of Christ; to seek the double blessing of forgiveness and sanctification, and to resolve, through grace, to return unto the Lord in a course of new and holy obedience. After God has smitten the rebellious Israelites, he is represented as saying, "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face; in their affliction they will seek me early." "Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you." It will be the language of every true penitent, "Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I see not, teach Thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do so no more." His resolution is not formed in haste, or expressed without deliberation, like that of the Israelites, who said to Joshua, 'We will serve the Lord," and yet, alas! disobeyed him. Nor does it respect his future, so much as his present conduct. "I will arise," said the prodigal son, "and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father."

In this state of mind, RECONCILIATION TO GOD will appear to be the object which should engage our principal pursuit, and form our highest concern. That man is a sinner, and Jehovah angry with

him, is abundantly evident, from the numberless evils which he is called to suffer, and the painful discipline with which he is exercised. Disease, disappointment, sorrow, death, are not the rewards of virtuous, but of sinful beings; they are parts of the paternal government, the wise and equitable administration of God, our Father and rightful Sovereign. No scene on earth is more calculated to remind us of our guilt than the departure of a beloved friend. It is an affecting expression of the Divine displeasure against sin; it proves to us that some great moral catastrophe has happened to our race, which has rendered such an awful retribution of justice necessary, or the human frame, the noblest specimen of Divine skill and contrivance, would never have been subjected to agonizing dissolution, and loathsome decay. The Divine anger, expressed in the breach which has been made on our social happiness, in changing the countenance of our friend, and sending him away, is but a spark of that fire which shall wax hot against us at the last day, if we remain in a state of impenitence and wilful rejection of an all-sufficient Saviour. Sin will not only dissolve the mysterious link which binds the soul and body, but even now it separates the soul from God, cutting off all communication with him as the source of spiritual life and happiness, and concealing from our view the manifestation of his favour; and will, if unrepented of, expose us to all the terrors of the second death.

The

way of return, and the means of reconciliation, are so clearly pointed out in the Scriptures, that no one, anxious about his salvation, need to want information and encouragement. The gospel dispensation is called "the ministry of reconciliation;" and it is the substance of evangelical testimony, "that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." Ministers, in the character of ambassadors for Christ, "pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Nothing which we can do,-confession of sin, tears of regret, resolutions of amendment, actual reformation,- can possibly meet the claims of the Divine government, or repair the breach that has been made between sinful man and the offended Deity. The law requires from us a sincere, spiritual, perfect, and universal obedience; nothing short of this can answer its holy and equitable demands; and the least deviation renders us liable to all its

fearful penalties. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Nor can the law bring down its high standard to meet the infirmities of human nature, lower the tone of its threatenings, or mitigate the severity of its punishments. This would be to impeach both the wisdom and equity of the Legislator; to leave undefined the nature of all true virtue, and to destroy the foundation of all moral obligation;

to open the flood-gates of vice and impiety, which should spread disorder and ruin through the length and breadth of God's universe; and to subvert, at once, all the just and benevolent purposes of his moral government. That impartial obedience which we owed to the Divine law, and which, alas! we have failed to render, has been performed, in its fullest extent, by Christ Jesus, in our stead; while the exquisite sufferings he endured have presented to Divine justice an ample compensation for the guilt of human transgressions. For the work of substitution the Saviour was eminently qualified, by the supreme dignity of his person; by the relation in which he stood to human nature; by his own freedom from all personal obligation to suffer; by being entirely at his own disposal, so that he could voluntarily enter into the arrangement of our redemption; and by the appointment of Him who had a right to determine whether sin should be pardoned at all, and, if to be pardoned, on what ground. And now, while the atonement of Christ has illustrated, in the view of all worlds, the character of God, vindicated his moral government, and demonstrated the evil of sin, it has secured to all who believe a perfect and eternal salvation; it has opened a medium through which Divine mercy can be exercised; and it encourages sinners, of every grade and condition, to seek and obtain an interest in its ample and gracious provision. "It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into

the world to save sinners, even the chief."

This is

To

the great, the absorbing theme of the gospel. receive it, not only as true, but as important and interesting in the highest degree, is our individual and immediate concern. "He that believeth shall be saved." It is on the exercise of a living, spiritual faith, that we become personally interested in the righteousness of Christ. When deeply sensible of our perishing and helpless condition, and renouncing every other source of dependence, we venture the soul into the hands of the Saviour for pardon and eternal life, his obedience and sufferings are reckoned to our account, and accepted on our behalf. The effects of this faith will be seen in the formation of a new and holy character, and in the fruits of established peace and joy. "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength, and my song; he also is become my salvation."

If we can obtain the delighful sense of reconciliation to God, and catch the sweet beamings of his face through the dark cloud which has hovered over our dwelling, we shall be enabled to say, "The bitterness of death is past." The loss of our dearest earthly joys will have been a blessing in disguise, if it has effectually led us to value and secure "his favour, which is life; and his loving-kindness,