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with the Father-that spirit of adoption and intercession which you now despise, and are bartering for every vanity and lust-these will one day, (and if not before, it will be the day of judgment,) appear of infinite value and necessity. O how carefully will you seek them then! What is there that you would not then give to recover them? But alas! the repentance which was fruitless here, because it was hypocritical, will be unavailing then, because it will be too late!

2. This leads me to urge one closing word of exhortation-that, having now been plainly, if not fully, warned and instructed in this all-important subject—having been shewn by examples drawn from the word of God, the difference between genuine and spurious repentance-you will at once seek for that godly sorrow which is unto salvation.

O that by the terrors of the Lord I might persuade you to this! Then would I say that either God must repent, or you. But in him you will find no place for repentance, though you sought it ever so carefully, and with the bitterest tears! I would say again, brethren, you must all repent either here or in hell! In hell it will be too late! All the outward circumstances of repentance are going on there, without any of its saving fruits. They weep unceasing tears-conscience is awakened never more to slumber-there are everlasting regrets-but all is fruitless! Brethren, can you endure the thought? If not, repent here; and that your repentance may

be timely, let it be instant-that it may be sincere, seek it from that Saviour who is exalted to be a Prince, that he may bestow it. Learn it at the foot of his cross. Learn it by looking on him whom your sins have pierced, till you mourn and are in bitterness for having pierced him. Learn it from the offered privileges and services of the season. O that I could see this most interesting and solemn of all the weeks of the year sanctified to a more intense meditation on Christ and him crucified! O that you would indeed seek to be crucified with him, and practically to know the fellowship of his sufferings and spirit-to be conformed to his death! O that you would come daily, at each offered opportunity, and seek the blessing of your heavenly Father carefully and with tears of true contrition!

By the goodness of God and by his tender mercies in Christ Jesus, I beseech you thus to come: and especially on that, the Christian's day of atonement, which none but the truly profane would despise. Come, and hear how the work of atonement was achieved. Come, and seek all the blessings it has purchased for you. Come, and you shall find that your God is not straitened. Come, and fear not that you will be rejected.-He has more than one blessing in store for you. You shall inherit your covenant birthright. He will bless you; yea, and ye shall be blest.

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THE subject of temptation is one in which we all must feel a personal and painful interest; and its consideration appears to be no less appropriate to the season than that which forms the theme of our morning meditations. There is indeed in the experience of every child of God a sort of affinity between the two; not indeed of nature or of character, but of event and consequence. All are tempted-all have sinned-and all who are indeed chosen and saved by grace, are brought back in repentance to their Father's house. But though these are obvious remarks, and universally known, they are very imperfectly considered. Men strangely forget their liability to temptation, at every moment-in every place-under all circumstances. They do not realize the fact that, in a state of nature, they are so completely entangled

in the snares of the devil, as to be taken captive by him at his will: and even the people of God are too unmindful, that their soul's adversary prowls around the fold of Christ, seeking to devour them the instant that they stray. It cannot but be important therefore, to attempt such an investigation of the whole subject as may, by God's blessing, quicken us to be more sober and vigilant, and lead us to watch and pray that we "enter not into temptation."

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Though the Lord God made man in his own image and after his own likeness, he did not create him in his own essence. The thing was impossible; and hence though endowed with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, he was not immutable. It is the prerogative of God alone to say, I am the Lord; I change not." With him alone" there is no variableness neither shadow of turning." The highest archangels themselves are naturally liable to change; and it is in fact to the circumstance that some of them kept not their first estate, that the mournful history in connexion with our text, is to be traced. It was one of their fallen host, the Prince of the power of the air, who, under the form of a serpent, beguiled Eve by his subtlety; and as this is the first recorded temptation, and has in it the elements of every other with which man has been plied in every age, it presents a suitable introduction to our general subject. The words of the text will lead us

I. TO NOTICE THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THEY WERE SPOKEN.

II. TO EXAMINE THE NATURE OF THE TEMPTATION WHICH THEY SUGGEST.

I. On the former of these particulars it will not be necessary to enlarge at any length. It was the serpent who said to the woman, "Ye shall not surely die." Up to this date, the history of the new creation had been one of glory and loveliness and bliss. God had rested from his work with a rest of complacency and benevolence; and man reposed in the sunshine of his Maker's smiles, and the enjoyment of the most intimate communion with him. It was, so to speak, one of the festivals of eternity. "The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

grace,

It is profitable, my brethren, to dwell on those brief records of early bliss, that we may be impressed with the connexion between holiness and happiness, may learn the evil of sin, and above all appreciate the riches of that which has provided for those who believe in Jesus, sinners as they are by nature, and very far gone from original righteousness a righteousness such as Adam never possessed, even a divine righteousnessglory such as angels themselves cannot boast, even his own eternal glory—and joy such as "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; neither hath entered into the heart of man to conceive," even the joy of the Lord. Were it not for this bright and

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