Glorify his justice ; and acknowledge, that if he cut you off, and consign you to the lowest hell, you have no more than your just desert g.
Glorify his mercy ; and plead it with him as the only, the all-sufficient ground of your hope and confidence11.
Glorify his wisdom and goodness, that have opened a way for your return to him through the incarnation and death of his only dear Son. Declare that you have no trust whatever but in the blood and righteousness of that almighty Saviour1.
To persist in impenitence is the certain way to bring clown the heaviest judgments upon your souls. The darkness that hangs over the nation k, cannot be dispelled in any other way ; much less can that with which God menaces your souls. O
b 2 Cor. v. 20. 1 Thess. ii. 13. c Job xxxiii. 14.
d Jam. i. 21. e Josh. vii. 19. Rev. xvi. 9.
f Jer. xvii. 9. Job xl. 4. and xlii. 2, 6.
g Matt. xxii. 12, 13. Rom. iii. 4. Ps. cxliii. 2.
h Ps. Ii. 1. i Phil. iii. 8, 9.
k Joel ii. 2, 3. perhaps a true picture of our present state.
consider " the darkness, the gross darkness,'' in which they are involved, who are shut up under judicial blindness and final obduracy ' ; or who, under the terrors of a guilty conscience, " stumble on the dark mountains " of unbelief, and, like the Jews (who thought they had clean escaped from their pur- suers) are overtaken by the sword of vengeance m, so that "while they look for light, it is turned into the shadoio of death," and they are plunged into " the blackness of darkness for ever- more11."
But repentance may yet avert the storm, both from the na- tion, and from our own souls. Numberless are the declarations of God to this effect0; and numberless the instances wherein it has been verified p. But let us remember what kind of repentance it is which will thus prevail : it is not a mere formal confession of sin with a partial reformation of the life, but such a repentance as glorifies all the perfections of the Deity ; such a repentance as has an especial respect to Christ, who alone can procure our pardon, and in whom alone we can ever find acceptance with God.
Would to God that we might prevail with you, and that you were all, in good earnest, turning unto God ! Could we once behold this, O how should we rejoice : and how would " the very angels in heaven rejoice " on your account ! But, " if ye will not repent" (as it is to be feared too many of you will not,) " my soul," and the souls of all who are aware of your condition, " shall weep in secret places for your pride ; yea, our eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears" on account of your present and approaching bondage. The godly in all ages have wept over those who felt no concern for their own souls q: and we trust that there are many, who will lay to heart the evils which ye are too proud to acknowledge, too obdurate to deplore. But we entreat you to consider, Is there one amongst us all, that is not a sinner before Godr ? and does not the broken law denounce a curse against us 3 ? and if God be true, will not that curse be inflicted on the impenitent ? Why then will ye not humble yourselves before an offended God, a merciful Redeemer ? Alas ! for your " pride," and stoutness of heart ! How lamentable is it, that you, who have been baptized into the name of Christ, and are therefore pro- perly " the Lord's flock," should be so " carried captive " by
1 Isai. vi. 9, 10. m This is the literal meaning of the text.
n 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12. Jude, ver. 13.