have this "perfect law of liberty" in your own hands. You read it in the Holy Scriptures; you hear of it from the pulpit; you see its influence and effects in the general state of society around you, and in the personal character and happiness of those who cordially obey it. You are persuaded, exhorted, entreated to "be reconciled unto God." Life and death are set before you, and the command of God is, "Choose life.' Your responsibility is solemn indeed. "As workers together with God, we beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain," 2 Cor. vi. 1. Obedience is your bounden duty. Mere knowledge cannot profit. Outward privileges cannot save. Obedience is required. "Be ye But doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed," Jas. i. 22—25. God requires you to "submit yourself," penitentially, cordially, thankfully acquiescing in the arrangement which he has made to glorify his holy name in your salvation. What then is your duty? There is yet another view of the grounds and principles of your responsibility, which demands your attention; the process by which a sinner is brought to exercise "faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ." "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," Rom. x. 17. It is not necessary to restrict the sentiment of this statement to the ordinances of preaching and hearing. These are selected because they are the most public and the most general means of salvation. But the idea is this: the suitablethat is, the attentive and serious, the humble and simple-consideration of the truth, is the process by which a man is brought to believe, unto the saving of the soul. This sentiment is implied in that passage of James cited before: "Of his own will hath he begotten us, by the word of truth." To the same point also the exhortations of the Saviour necessarily tend. "Take heed, therefore, what you hear," Mark iv. 24; that it be the truth of God, and not the mere dogmas or speculations of men. And "take heed also how you hear," Luke viii. 18; "lest at any time your heart should be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." There is then an important sense in which you must be active in becoming religious, and in reference to which you are responsible. Intelligent application to the truth is required. Watchfulness over yourself is necessary. A temper and spirit in accordance with the character and design of the Gospel are implied. For this state of mind, and this exercise of your intellectual and moral nature, you are held responsible. Do you not feel that this is right? Will you not seriously consider what you ought to do? What line of conduct will lead to your happiness? What will best accord with the infinite and unmerited loving kindness of God? The extent of your responsibility deserves your best attention. It is proportioned to your privileges. Advantages and obligations exactly cor respond. How great your advantages are, has already been told you. Every means of salvation is enjoyed by you. Every moment of time, and every passing event, is increasing your responsibility. The love of God is greater towards you every day, as his forbearance continues, and his patience waits. Every new mercy sheds new light upon the value of the Redeemer's sacrifice, the medium of every good. Every new impression made upon your minds in favour of religion, yields you a fresh proof of "the love of the Spirit," who thus strives with you. What an accumulated load of guilt will rest upon you if you neglect the great salvation!" 66 Compare your advantages with your deserts. Why are you not left in ignorance, and given over to despair? Why is not your condition that of "the angels that sinned?" Why is not the gospel you have despised taken from you? Why has not your unbelief met the " sorer punishment,' "of which it "must be thought worthy," since you "have trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and have done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Heb. x. 29. The Compare your condition with that of your forefathers. Look back but a short period upon the religious history of your country, and how few were the facilities of knowledge and impression compared with those which you possess. free circulation of the word of God, the multiplied opportunities of public instruction, the augmented influences of religious society and example, and the unfettered liberty with which you can worship God, and seek your spiritual improvement, greatly augment your privileges above theirs. Why this difference in your favour? Is it not an additional proof of the tender mercy of our God, which you should be concerned rightly to improve? But what is the condition of multitudes of men, your contemporaries? Why were you not born in some distant heathen clime; under the polluting and withering influence of some cruel superstition; taught to bow down to an image of wood or of stone, and to offer "the fruit of your body for the sin of your soul?" "Who hath made thee to differ?" "What hast thou which thou hast not received" from the unmerited kindness of God? Is it not reasonable that he should require it ? Under these circumstances, the scriptural statements concerning your responsibility, should gain your most cordial and unhesitating reception. If your present obligation be shown to lie in obedience to the gospel of God, is it not your reasonable service? Permit me to place this obligation before you in the words of Him whose you are: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool," Isa. i. 16-18. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have 66 mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon," Isa. lv. 6, 7. Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call," Acts ii. 38, 39. "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God," John iii. 18, 19. Let these sayings sink down into your hearts. Consider them. Try to understand them. Apply them to yourself. Read them, and dwell upon them as the words of God. "He that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God." His anxiety that you should realize the fact of your responsibility, and improve your advantages, is vastly greater than that which any creature can feel for you. "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" Deut. xxxii. 29. "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea," Isa. xlviii. 18. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Ezek. xxxiii. 11. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how E 66 |