appoint a method, a means, by which I should remain no longer a child of wrath, but should become a child of grace: that is, that I should become restored to His favour, which had been lost to me and to all mankind, through our first parents' sin.

According to the command of our only Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the Blessed Son of God, I was admitted, by one of the duly appointed ministers of His church, to the sacrament of baptism. I was sprinkled with pure water as Jesus had directed, signifying how my sins should be washed away by His most precious blood; and I, who had been born in sin, was thus born again unto righteousness and the love of God, and His Holy Spirit took me under His protection.

From that time to this, God's mercies have ever been over me, His kindness has never left me. I was early instructed in my duty; I was early taught, (may He reward my teachers!) to follow the path which leads to everlasting life, and to fly from that which goeth to everlasting death. Would that I could say that I had repaid

the mercies of my God as I was bound to do, and had made the righteous use which I ought to have made, of the numberless blessings which He has bestowed upon me! But no; my conscience tells me how often I have sinned against Him, in thought, word and deed; how often I have left undone those things which I ought to have done, and have done those things which I ought not to have done. So that I am obliged to acknowledge from my very soul, that I am a miserable, unworthy sinner, deserving none of the blessings which I daily enjoy, but richly deserving, for my manifold sins, whatever punishments God in His justice might think fit to lay upon

me.

But come hither and hearken, I will tell you what more He has done for my soul. O the depth of the riches of the goodness of God! so great was His love for me, so dear was I in His sight, so heartily did He desire that I might escape from misery and enter into His kingdom of joy, that He scrupled not to send His only, His well-beloved Son, into this world of wickedness, to take

upon Him my form and flesh, to suffer the pains of a cruel death upon the cross, that for His sake I might again be reconciled to God, my sins be blotted out, and the remembrance of them entirely done away. To encourage me in all goodness, and preserve me from all wickedness, He assures me that "there is joy in Heaven over every sinner that repenteth," and that His Holy Spirit watches over my soul, putting good thoughts and desires into my heart, ready to strengthen me in the time of temptation, and to restore me again, upon my repentance, to peace and hope, even when I have gone wrong. He assures me, that though the just wages of my sins is death, the free gift of God to me shall be eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Thus, my brethren, I have told you what God, the mighty and the merciful Lord of heaven and of earth, has done for my sinful soul and not for mine only, but for yours: for the soul of every one, yea of the poorest, the lowest, the most despised amongst you.

You too were born, like me, under the curse which fell upon all mankind, through

the sin of our first father and mother. You came into the world the children of God's wrath; but you also according to the Commandment of our Saviour have been restored, by baptism, to His favour, and have become the children of His grace and of His love. Upon you His mercies have been plentifully bestowed both in body and in soul. You have been taught your duty to God and man. You have been instructed, though perhaps not all equally, in the way of salvation and eternal life. You have had the means, (remember, it is your own fault if you have neglected them) of hearing the glad tidings of the gospel preached to you. For you the Son of God patiently bore the torments of the cross, despising the shame of such a death, that the sacred blood which flowed from His wounds might wash away your sins. To you, for His sake, the promise is held out of mercy and of pardon, if you will repent of your wickedness and forsake it, and put your whole faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone: of which faith, a hearty repentance and amendment of life will always be the

strongest, the loveliest, and most welcome proof. To you the assurance is made of the help of God's Holy Spirit in all your endeavours to serve Him, and to you the blessed hope is given of everlasting happiness and glory in the kingdom of heaven, if you live in righteousness whilst here on earth.

O tell me how you have received, how you have repaid these great, great mercies and blessings. Tell me what reward you have given to the Lord, for all the benefits that He hath done unto you. Must you not acknowledge with myself that you are unprofitable servants, unworthy sinners? must you not own that you have fallen far, very far short of that holiness, and righteousness, and goodness, which God so expressly desires, and so justly deserves? Can you deny that you have never loved Him as He has loved you, who has restored you to His favour, sparing not His only Son, but giving Him to die for your sins, and promising even now a free forgiveness for all that you have ever done amiss, if you will repent and return to Him?