sual delights, and offering admission even to the most unholy. But to those whose minds are illuminated by the influence of Divine Grace, every consideration of "the things which God hath prepared for them that love him," is of a more excelTent character, and hath a direct tendency to induce an earnest desire after that state of holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. For how unsuitable to the taste of a carnal world would be the society of saints and angels. How intolerable the presence of the holy LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. How could those who are at enmity with God, bear to be employed through eternity in what will for ever occupy the blessed-contemplating, admiring, and praising JEHOVAH. The happiness itself consists not of sensual joys, for which alone the unconverted possess any capacity: but it is altogether spiritual. It is to see God as he is, to be for ever with him, swallowed up in the enjoyment of his love; and to drink of those pleasures which are at his right hand for evermore.

Let our hearts then be suitably affected by these mercies. The gifts of God are to bring us to repentance. O then, sinner, repent of thy sins, seek refuge in the blood of atonement, and cleanse thyself from the stains of unrighteousness. There is no other way. Why does God keep thee upon earth, and load thee with blessings? Is it that thou mayst blaspheme his holy name, and join in the drunkard's songs? Is it that thou mayst eat

and drink, and take thy fill of the pleasures of the world? Thou wouldst long since have been in hell, if there had been no other end in this. It is the design of God to draw thee to himself, and make thee happy for ever.

Do not we all desire happiness? Every man wishes to be happy. Life is not happiness, and fame is not happiness, and wealth is not happiness: in God only is happiness, and if thou dost not seek it in him, thou wilt, ere long, awake to the realities of that state" where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Come then, O sinner! come with me to the blood of Christ; the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. Was it not a mercy in God to open this fountain? Suppose he had commanded thee to cleanse thyself, couldst thou have effected it? No, no: but he has provided a fountain, and is waiting to assist thee to wash thyself from sin's polluted stain. Wilt thou refuse this mercy-wilt thou still remain filthy? God is waiting, and angels are waiting, and saints are waiting, and devils are looking on, to see whether thou wilt wash or not-whether thou wilt be merciful to thyself or not.

O Unitarians, what use do you make of the mercies of God? while you are giving the lie to the Saviour, and trampling on the blood of atonement, can you expect mercy. You deny the Scriptures, and alter the word of God, how can you expect mercy. Wretched sinner where are you? What

are you waiting for, that you abuse the mercies of God? Who will speak for you, when these mercies rise up against you? Who will defend you, when God shall pour out his fury upon you? Haste then, O haste, before it is too late. Fly for refuge to the hope set before you, Acknowledge the Redeemer, as the God of heaven and earth, and be thankful for his Wash and make you

you,

mercy. clean, and God will be merciful unto you.

Let us ask ourselves the question,-Have we felt the mercy of God revivifying our hearts, and changing us from evil to good? If we be thus changed, how happy are we! God is our friend ; and in consequence all creation is our friend. Our mercies are new every morning. We feel our interest in the blood of Christ, and taste the pleasures of redeeming love! We shall have mercy in life, and mercy in death, and mercy for ever. O what rivers of mercy! O what abundance of blessings! Do not our hearts burn within us when we think of them?

Let us ever pray for mercy.

us as rebels against God.

66

This is important to

Praying always with

all prayer." Let us bow down and kneel before the Lord our maker, and he will heal our backslidings, and will love us freely.

TWENTY-ONE EPISTLES.

THE VAGUE

IDEAS ENTERTAINED OF FUTURITY, WOULD PUZZLE PHILOSOPHERS OF MODERN TIMES.

FIRST EPISTLE.

AIMING AT HEAVEN.-Jonah prayed unto the LORD GOD out of the fish's belly, and said, "I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

"For thou hadst cast me into the deep in the inidst of the seas, and the floods compassed me about all thy billows and thy waves went over my head.

"Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight, yet will I look again towards thy holy temple.'

When Jonah the second time heard the word of the Lord, he prepared to go to Nineveh; and when he began to enter into the city a day's journey, he cried and said, " yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown."

SECOND EPISTLE.

NINEVITES. AIMING AT HEAVEN, yet tasting of the carnal world, and mingling with the society of sensual men. Jonah was commanded of the Lord to enter into the city of Nineveh, and to cry against the wickedness of its inhabitants: but instead of complying therewith, the prophet rose up to flee unto Tarshish, from the presence of the Lord, and going down to Joppa, found a ship bound to Tarshish: so he paid the fare. But the Lord brought Jonah to repentance, and made him willing to do all that was required of him. So, writing this epistle, and returning as a penitent to the land of my fathers, I found that an enemy had sown tares in the land of promise, so that the ways were not passable to the kingdom of rest. On examining the seed sown over the face of the earth, I found it was filled with rottenness, and was pernicious to life. So a GOUrd was prepared in a solitary place, where the first epistle was written to the Socinian Jews. Then I was excluded from the world, as one cast into the depths of the seas. Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness, and for thy truth. For thou hast magnified thy word, and shewed light unto them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.