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Once polluted sinners, they are now the excellent of the earth. Shall we not then adore and wonder at the grace, which has reached and converted them? Have we not reason to behold them with admiration, with pleasure, and with love? But WHO ARE THESE: They are the ransomed of the Lord, now returning and coming to Zion with oaths, and vows, and songs, and with everlasting joy upon their heads they are coming to obtain joy and gladness, that guilty sorrow and mourning may forever flee away. "Oh, scene surpassing fable and yet true!" How amiable, how excellent, how lovely do sincere penitents-real converts appear in the view of heaven and of all on earth that sympathize with heaven. If such high sympathies are ours, we shall joyfully and gratefully hail their return, and welcome them to our fellowship and our hearts, as fellow heirs of the same everduring inheritance. If there be any consolation in Christ, and we all are truly there, our comforts must abound as we receive these new converts to our household of faith to be mutual helpers of each other on our way to meet the brightening dawn of millennial day-to meet the opening glories of everlasting day!

There is an obvious application of this subject to those present who expect at this hour, publicly to take upon themselves the vows of God, and to bind themselves to his service forever. You come not in the swelling multitude, which we expect will ere long crowd the gate of God's earthly Zion. But we trust you come, with something of the spirit and determination which are to mark future converts. You come with one accord-with one aim. You come as a cloud of witnesses to the truth, the reality, the blessedness of our religion. You come taking the high way to Zion above. You come openly, undisguised, and with unaffected simplicity and sincerity to give away yourselves to be the Lord's. You come with humble, constant and affectionate attachment to Christ, to his truth, and to his people. You come, we hope, with desires to glorify your Redeemer, by exhibiting in your temper and conduct a fair sample of the christian character and conversation, that are to usher in and adorn the period of the Saviour's millennial reign on earth. But though such are our hopes, we must add a word of counsel and caution. Forget not, then, that the transactions of this hour can never be recalled. The covenant you are about to take upon you, is never to be forgotten-never to be broken. You will take a step never to be retraced-unless indeed, you go back to perdition. You are to be the Lord's wholly-eternally. Take an immediate stand on the ground you intend to occupy. Determine to be wholly the Lord's on all occasions, in all pursuits. From this hour, when you will be known among men as professing christians, let it be distinctly understood among your associates that your vows are a reality-your purpose immoveable. Let the bible, and not professing christians around you, be your standard of feeling and action. Ascertain what duties your peculiar talents, station, or opportunities require of you, and then lay out your strength. Wait not for more talents, but cultivate those you have. Never be moved from your holy determination by opposition, ridicule, or reproach. Be acquainted with your bible and your God. If ye do these things ye shall never be moved, but an open and abundant entrance shall be ministered unto you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

SERMON XIII.

The Gospel a Message of Peace.

ISAIAH LVII. 19.

I CREATE THE FRUIT OF THE LIPS-PEACE, PEACE TO HIM THAT IS FAR OFF, AND TO HIM THAT IS NEAR, SAITH THE LORDAND I WILL HEAL HIM.

ONE great design of prophecy, is to describe the nature, and to prepare the way for the reception of the gospel. The entire canon of scripture, may be viewed as embodying a series of successive disclosures of the divine purposes of mercy and salvation through Jesus Christ. These disclosures are interspersed throughout the historical parts of the inspired volume; but occur more frequently in detached portions in the books usually denominated prophetical. The abrupt manner in which they are often introduced, creates no little obscurity, and indeed, occasions the principal difficulty in the interpretation of prophecy. Much of this obscurity may, however, be removed, and the difficulty avoided, by attentively watching the frequent and rapid transition of the prophet's mind from one theme to another. If it be kept constantly in view, that to reveal the way of life and salvation to fallen guilty man, is the leading and all-pervading end and aim of those holy men of old who spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, there will be little danger of misapprehending their meaning,

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or misapplying their predictions, in consequence of being given in this detached, and desultory manner. consideration of this great fact, taken along with the study of the prophecies, must not only greatly assist in distinguishing from others, those that relate to Christ and his kingdom; but must likewise contribute much to the real benefit, and satisfaction of such an employment. For while it will tend to guide the mind safely in its inquiries, it will keep before it one of the most deeply interesting subjects with which it can be occupied. It will prepare the mind to expect, and perceive on every page of the bible, the annunciation of the momentous truth, that there is salvation for sinners. It will relieve it too, from any thing painful or embarrassing in meeting with the sudden digressions with which scripture, and especially prophecy abounds.It will enable us, I doubt not, very clearly to see, what from the context we should be unprepared to expect, and consequently slow to discover, that the passage I have selected to make the theme of special consideration at this time, contains an explicit intimation of God's designs of mercy towards his sinful offspring or in other words, is a compendious, though striking description of the gospel, its author, and its efficacy. To these topics, then, allow me to call your serious attention.

man.

I. The gospel is a proclamation of peace to guilty PEACE-PEACE, TO HIM THAT IS FAR OFF, AND TO HIM THAT IS NEAR. Perhaps no definition of the gospel gives a more correct, and impressive idea of it, than this. While it indicates the nature of the overture, it shows the character of those to whom it is made. Ever since the first decisive act of human transgression, which made man guilty, fallen, and ruined, any communication from heaven must find him in a hostile posture; not only opposed to the alone source from which good can come, but at war with himself, and his associates in guilt and ruin. In this state of ruinous hostility to good and to happiness, any message from heaven to him, not strictly vindictive in its character-not sent forth to aggravate the wretchedness of his own chosen doom-not commissioned to execute threatened vengeance, must announce terms of reconciliation, must propose conditions of peace, and contain a full disclosure of means, adequate to effect entire harmony between himself and his God, and his fellow men, and his own conscience. Other message than this was sent to one order of immortal minds, and the consequence was, that they are reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. To our race, however, though no less rebellious, guilty, and lost than they, in the sovereign allotment of Jehovah, a different destiny is opened. Peace and good will emphatically characterize the dispensations of the Most High to man. They constitute the lofty theme of that seraphic song, which announced the advent of him who became our Peace, and through whom God is reconciling the world unto himself. It is thus, the gospel is something more than a bare declaration of the divine good will towards the human family. It is not simply an offer of peace, to beings who have assumed the attitude and put forth the acts of rebellion. It brings out to view the method of the proposal, and exhibits its perfect consistency with the actual character of sinful men, and the acknowledged perfections of God. It fully answers the inquiry which has arisen in millions of agonized minds, how the sinner shall so acquaint himself with God as to be at peace with him. In the gospel is delineated, with clearness and infallible accuracy, the only way in which he can be reconciled and return to God. There is spread out the chart of his wanderings from the Father of lights, in all their wildering mazes. There is depicted in appropriate characters the blackness of his ingratitude and rebellion. There is to be seen all that is needful and all that is possible to be seen by mortals in time, of that matchless condescension and love, which accomplished the work of human redemption. In a word,

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