the spirit of it. Not that a becoming reverence for this season lias altogether ceased. On the contrary, a discourse which was not pertinent to the occasion would very generally be deemed unseasonable and indecorous : so that I have at least your prejudices and your expectations in my favour, whilst I propose to your consideration the solemn subject before us.
In the Apostle's exhortation we see,
I. An encouragement to repentance —
A person under conviction of sin is ready to fear that God will not receive him to mercy —
[Nor is this without reason, when we consider how awfully we have all departed from our God. Though " in him we live and move and have our being," and ai-e bound by all possible ties to obey and honour him, we have altogether " contemnedb" his authority, and " lived without him in the world0." We have in our hearts said to him, " Depart from me ; for I desire not the knowledge of thy ways d." We have altogether " forgotten hime," and wished that there were " no Godf," or, at least, that, as to his claims upon us, he might be " made to cease from before usg." Would it be wonderful, therefore, if God, in his righteous indignation, should execute on all, what he certainly will execute on every impenitent offendei', a sentence of utter and everlasting exclusion from
his presence11? This is merited by all; and therefore
might well be apprehended by all, if God, of his unbounded mercy, had not assured us of his willingness to receive return- ing penitents.]
But God has declared, that, " if we draw nigh to him, he will draw nigh to us" —
[He will not despise the prayer of the poor destitute'," or " cast out any who come unto him" in his Son's namek. However great or long-continued their sins may have been, he will not withhold his mercy from them1. No, in truth : " he will incline his ear unto them, and hear them :" he will " look down upon them from the habitation of his holiness and his glory m." veaj a jle wju rent} t}ie heavens, and comedown";"
and " at their cry he will answer, Here I am0." Even " before
° Ps. x. 13. c Eph. ii. 12. d Job xxi. 14.
e Jer. ii. 32. f Ps. xiv. 1. e Isai. xxx. 11.
b Prov. i. 24—31. i Ps. cii. 17. k John vi. 37.
1 Isai. i. 18. m Isai. lxiii. 15. n Isai. lxiv. 1.
0 Isai. lviii. 9.