the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Observe-I

am not placing a limit upon what Christ can, even at the eleventh hour, do for you; but upon what you may hope to do for yourselves. You do not yet even know your ownselves; much less do you understand how to escape the Law's curse-how to secure Christ's mercy. And can that most important of all knowledge be acquired in a moment? Oh, awake from your deadly slumber! Submit your neck to Christ's "yoke," which "is easy," and to his "burden," which " is light." Enter at once upon the warfare with sin, and upon the life of "faith in the Son of God." For, believe me,

it is of the present hour alone that you can truly say, "Behold, it is the accepted time; behold, it is the day of salvation."

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SERMON XIX.

JOB XXXIII. 14—17.

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction: that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

Ir was a strange course which was taken by the three friends, who came to comfort Job in his distress, when they more than insinuated, that his peculiar sufferings were the consequence of some peculiar sinfulness. Well might he retort upon them, "Miserable comforters are ye all!" God, however, was in the mean while using their error for other purposes: as a means of humbling his servant; and of making him feel, more distinctly than he had ever yet felt, that "not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy, He saveth us." Their intemperate reproaches frequently led him to justify

himself in language which appeared to cast, even upon God, the imputation of severity and injustice. When, therefore, "these three men. ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes," the question was taken up by a fourth friend, named Elihu; who, with more tenderness and reason, endeavoured to bring him to a just sense of the Lord's dealings with him. Job, either exhausted by the previous disputation, or, more probably, feeling the force of what was advanced by this new reprover, ceased to justify himself: and at length, (the Almighty closing the argument in his own person,) a confession was made, which put the sinner in his right place. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes!"

One of Job's complaints had been, that the part which God acted towards him, was almost as unfeeling and unreasonable, as that adopted by his three friends. (Verse 10.) "Behold, he findeth occasions against me; he counteth me for his enemy. He putteth my feet in the stocks; he marketh all my paths." If God would but have admitted him to a fair and open expostulation, he could have shewn, he thought, that he was unjustly treated; but this was refused. (Ch. xxiii. 3.) "Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with

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arguments."-Thus prone is Man, in all his sinfulness, and however enlightened, to indulge in hard thoughts of his righteous Judge. But the answer of Elihu is well calculated to repress such presumptuous murmurings. You speak, and are not heard?' saith he. Alas, God himself has far more reason to make this complaint of us. often "fills his mouth with arguments," and takes many ways of gaining the sinner's attention--but in vain. God speaketh once, yea twice, and man perceiveth it not; often fruitlessly labouring to withdraw man from his purpose, and to hide pride from man.'

Such is the connection of the words, which I have read to you as my text. May the Spirit of God now bless our meditations upon them, for Jesus Christ's sake! Amen.

Here are three things to be considered: 1. The unperceived Voice; 2. A particular Instance of it; 3. Its gracious Design.

I. THE UNPERCEIVED VOICE. "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not."

To imagine that God has created a race of intelligent beings, with whom he will hold no communication, would be, to say the least of it, a most improbable supposition. Nor is the improbability removed, by the fact, that we have fallen from God, and forfeited all claim to his regard. For by the side of that fact stands another: namely,

that he does not even yet "deal with us after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquity;" but that he evidently has some scheme of mercy in hand, which suspends the thunderbolt of his judgment. What is the whole history of man, but an exhibition of Divine forbearance? And is that forbearance without an object? And is it not reasonable to expect that both the object itself, and the means of securing its attainment, should be revealed to the guilty parties so deeply concerned in it?

Here, then, we have an argument for the probable truth of a revelation which proclaims, that " God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." And, having proved the actual truth of the Gospel from other sources, we then conclude that your own reason will have nothing to object against the summons, which we bring you "in Christ's stead, Be ye reconciled unto God."

This invitation, however, cannot be, and is not, heard by all. Even those who hear it, hear it but occasionally; and to come within the sound of it, requires an effort on their own part, which, of themselves, men have but little disposition to make. The consequence might soon be, that all intercourse between God and man would be suspended. But the goodness of God is not content to leave the success of his merciful design to the mere chance of our hearing, or reading, what his