rowful. Oh! if you could see all that they see hanging over you here, and reserved for you hereafter, you would not wonder; or you would only wonder they are so cold, so unfrequent in pleading with you for the life of your precious souls. Suppose that by some means, safe yourself, you were standing on the edge of a volcano, looking down, with shuddering awe, into its gloomy depths, watching the flood of fire that was boiling below—and that suddenly you heard the sound of laughter near, and on turning round beheld a number of persons blindfolded, rushing forward to the volcano's edge, dancing along in wild mirthfulness, their faces beaming with smiles, and loud laughter pealing from their lips, how would your soul sicken within you; with what agonized earnestness would you cry out to them to stop-not to advance another step towards the yawning gulph before them; and if you saw them, heedless of your warning voice, still rushing onwards-laughing, even while their steps were tottering on the very verge of the volcano, and then saw them, the next moment, plunging down into the dreadful abyss, oh! what would be your feelings, on hearing the shriek of their agony as they dashed into the burning flood, and felt the fire circling round and scorching them to death! It is but a faint emblem of a Christian minister's feelings, when he sees those for whose souls he watches, weeps and pleads with God, rushing on laughingly,

blindfolded by Satan, into the lake of unquenchable fire! Sometimes too you seem to think that your Christian ministers or friends are your enemies, because they tell you the truth, and you complain that they hurt you, by speaking harshly, and appearing to feel pleasure in giving you pain. Indeed you deeply wrong the servants of Christ by such a suspicion. Tell me, if in the case I have supposed, while standing on that volcano's edge, you could rescue even one of the thoughtless multitude from impending destruction, would you hesitate to do so, would it be kindness that you should hesitate, because you might give that individual momentary pain by the violence of your grasp, in your eagerness to seize and save him? or would he, when thus rescued, blame you for having, even by hurting him,' snatched him from a dreadful death? Oh! may a gracious God make me His honoured instrument this day, to rescue even one of you from everlasting destruction; and then, even though I may have given you pain, while tearing off the bandage by which Satan has blinded your eyes, and dragging you back from the edge of the abyss on whose brink you stand, I will not repent of having caused you momentary pain, which to you will issue in everlasting joy! And may I not hope to pluck even one brand out of the burning, when I am commissioned with a message of mercy, endearing enough, one would think, to force gushing tears of penitential

sorrow from the rockiest heart before me, and to bend the most stubborn knees in grateful adoration at the foot of a Saviour's cross! Yes, I am privileged to say to that sinner, in this congregation, over whom, as having most perfidiously and insultingly broken his sacramental vow, the most enormous mass of accumulated guilt, and treasured wrath is impending-even to that sinner, I can say, Turn this day to that Saviour whom you have so long dishonoured and despised-turn with a true penitent heart, with a lively and steadfast faith in God's mercy through Him—and with a cordial desire and resolution, in reliance on His strength, to lead henceforth a new life, walking in God's holy will and commandments; thus turn to Him, "in whom there is plenteous redemption, through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins;" and though yours have indeed been as red as scarlet, washed in that blood, they shall be white as snow. There are those now, walking in white robes with the Lamb, whose robes were once as deeply stained with guilt as yours! but they washed them, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! therefore are they before the throne. That blood is still as precious, as powerful to wash out the very deepest dye, the very foulest stains of sin. Come, then, to this fountain, wash, and be clean! God says-come! Jesus cries-come! the Spirit criescome! and gladly do I echo the invitation, and

the refreshment

conjure you to come! And if permitted again to approach the sacramental table, come there thankfully, to receive the seal of your pardon of your soul-and gratefully to vow a vow of everlasting allegiance to Him, to serve, honour, and glorify whom, is the highest glory, and the highest happiness, of all His ransomed people in

earth or heaven.

SERMON XIII.

A BELIEVER'S SACRAMENTAL VOWS.

PSALM lvi. 12.

"Thy vows are upon me, O God! I will render praises unto thee.”

If I were asked to describe, in the fewest words, the most decisive distinguishing characteristic of a believer, I would say, in the words of this blessed book, that, with him-" Christ is all, and in all." Christ is all-all his hope and joy all his rest and refuge all his strength and salvation-all his "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption ;" and Christ is in all-in all his thoughts and affections--in all his plans and pursuits-in all the employment of his time and talents-in a word, in all the innermost recesses of his heart, and in all the outward movements of his life! Nor do I know how a true believer might be more unequivocally