imitate our Lord and his apostles. We must direct sinners to “behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world;" and to look upon him whom they have pierced," that they may mourn for those sins which were the causes of his sufferings, and vow to crucify those lusts, which crucified the Son of God. In the meantime, like him, his prophets and apostles, we must reason with them concerning the nature, excellency, and necessity of true religion, and demonstrate how little they will be "profited, if they should gain even the whole world, and lose their own souls ;" and show what a poor recompense any temporal acquisitions, however valued and coveted, will be for the loss of heavenly riches; and what a small consolation the recollection of past temporal pleasures will be to them, while suffering the tortures of eternal pains.

4. If after all they linger, they must, 4thly, be driven with the threatenings of the word of God as with a drawn sword. The fiery law of the Most High must be disclosed, flashing conviction into the guilty breast, and thundering forth its curses from Sinai, amidst blackness, and darkness, and tempest, upon the unholy and profane. Its precepts must be unfolded in all their spirituality, extent, and obligation; and its threatenings denounced in all their miseries and woes, against every violator of it. "Cursed," must we testify, "is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the moral law to do them.” And lest they should suppose, that the gospel is less holy than the law, makes more allowance for sin, and shows more mercy to impenitent sinners, going on in their trespasses, its more dreadful threatenings must also be declared, in all their awful and tremendous terrors. "He that believeth not," we must bear witness, "shall be damned;""shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." "For this," we must testify, "is the condemnation," the reason of the just condemnation of those that perish, "that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." We must exhort them, therefore," to give the more earnest heed to the things which they have heard, lest at any time they should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels," (viz. the law delivered on Sinai, by their ministry) was steadfast, and every transgression and act of disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall they escape," we must demand," who neglect so great salvation," as is offered in the gospel? a salvation" which begun to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him! God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders,

and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost!" "He that despised the law of Moses," we must remind them, "died without mercy, under two or three witnesses ;" and we must leave them to judge, "of how much sorer punishment," it is certain, "they shall be thought worthy, who trample under foot the Son of God, count the blood of the covenant a common thing, and do despite unto the Spirit of grace." "See then," we must urge, "that ye refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not that turned away from him that spake on earth, much less shall we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven; whose voice," we must proceed, "then shook the earth; but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake, not the earth only, but heaven also." This time of terrible shaking, when Jehovah will arise in all his wrath, to "shake terribly the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land, to shake all nations ;" and when he who ought to be "the desire of nations shall come, the second time without sin; shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ :"-this awful day of final judgment, "when the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth, and all its works, shall be burnt up," must be displayed in all its terrors; and "Who among you," we must ask, "can bear this devouring fire? Who among you can dwell with these everlasting burnings?"

5. These awful discoveries are intended to drive men to Christ, "the hope set before them," that they may take sanctuary in him, as the man-slayer did in the city of refuge, when pursued by the avenger of blood. "But, if we find that instead of having this effect, they rather drive them from him, and that, viewing him as a Lawgiver and Judge, rather than as a Redeemer and Saviour, they are terrified under a sense of their sinfulness and guilt, and are afraid to approach him; we must endeavour to encourage them to "draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith." We must set before them discoveries of his boundless mercy and love, and of his infinite compassion for their manifold infirmities, and must give them assurances of a welcome reception, and of “grace to help in time of need." And we must exhort them, in dependence on this grace, to "strive to enter in at the strait gate: to work out their salvation with fear and trembling; and to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure."

6. That they may find no possible way of escaping, we must endeavour to close them in on all sides. The preachers of the gospel,

we must remember, are "fishers of men,' " and the gospel they preach, is like "a net cast into the sea." This net, formed of the various doctrines, precepts, promises, threatenings, and exhortations of the word of God, we must make strong, by arguments drawn from all quarters, from nature, providence, and grace; from things visible and invisible; temporal and eternal; and must unfold and spread it over the souls of men. And then, by applying the word which we have explained, must, as it were, "close the net upon them," that they may indeed be caught, so as not to escape; and may be drawn out of the sea of this world, before it becomes a lake of fire burning with brimstone, to the land of life and immortality."

7. To use one metaphor more, which also seems manifestly to be alluded to in the text: Souls must be won as a city, tower, or strong-hold, possessed and garrisoned, is won, when it is taken. from the enemy. Satan has many strong-holds, in many particular families, or individuals, whom, as having peculiar influence, through their learning, wealth, or authority, he labours hard to fortify with unbelief and sin, and to possess and garrison by a diabolical agency, that, through them, he may more easily subdue and retain others in his power. Now even these forts, and towers, and citadels of the prince of darkness, may be taken. "Compel them to come in," says Jesus: But How? By fire and fagot? By persecution? No: but by reason and Scripture, by the word and Spirit of God, by faith and prayer, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down the strong-holds of Satan, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

8. Upon the whole, those that would win souls, must first be deeply concerned to win them, from a sense of their immense value; and this concern must appear in the whole of their deportment, in all their tempers, words, and works. This will induce them, on the one hand, to use their utmost efforts to accomplish an end they have so much at heart; and on the other, carefully to shun and guard against whatever would obstruct the accomplishment of it. Secondly, They must show that they are won themselves, and must give full proof of their conversion to God, regeneration through his grace, by their deadness to sin, their heavenly dispositions of mind, and their watchfulness and circumspect walking. They must be examples to mankind, in all holiness and righteousness, from day to day. They must, thirdly, use the means which God hath appointed, in order to this end,

and

and in particular, reproof, exhortation, and doctrine. And as "Servants of the Lord, they must not strive," must not contend, but must be gentle towards all men, patient, and apt to teach, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; that they may be saved." I shall only add here, that another and most important mean to be used is that of prayer, fervent, constant, persevering, and faithful prayer. For as to winning souls, of ourselves we can do nothing. "Nor by wisdom, nor by might," is this great work accomplished, "but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." "The help that is done upon earth he doeth it himself;" and he, accordingly, must be sought unto in earnest prayer, that he may do it.

III. We come now to the third general head of discourse: The wisdom of winning souls.

1st. They who win souls are wise, because they act according to the will of the infinitely wise God, and co-operate with him in the salvation of mankind. "It is not the will of your heavenly Father," said Jesus, the true and faithful Interpreter of his Father's will," that one of these little ones should perish." "He is not willing," said Peter, that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." "He willeth all men to be saved," testifies St. Paul," and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Hence it was, that "he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" yea, " he sent his Son into the world; not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." The salvation of souls, therefore, is a matter which God has infinitely at heart, and to accomplish which, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, "work hitherto." And he that is employed in winning souls, is, in this particular, a "worker together with God;" which to be, as it is an high honour, so is it also a great privilege; and he that makes choice of it, manifests great wisdom, even a wisdom resembling the wisdom of God, of which, indeed, it is the blessed fruit and effect.

Again, 2dly, He that winneth souls is wise, because he, in a pecular manner, glorifies God. To glorify God, is to know and acknowledge the divine glories, or perfections, and to be suitably influenced by them, as to our tempers, words, and works. Now as none will attempt to win souls who do not thus glorify God themselves, so they bring the souls they win to glorify him too.

In

other words, being themselves "wise unto salvation," they are instrumental in making others so. Fulfilling themselves the divine will, and complying with their indispensable duty, they prevail on others to do the same. Embracing themselves the inestimable privileges and blessings of the gospel, they persuade others to embrace them likewise. All which discovers great wisdom; nor can any one doubt whether it be wise to win souls, unless he, at the same time, doubt whether it be wise to glorify God, and bring others to glorify him; which, in effect, would be to doubt whether angels were wiser than devils. The fear of the Lord," says the inspired penman, "that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding;" and of consequence, to bring others to fear him, and to depart from evil, is a still higher degree of wisdom and understanding.

3. That they who win souls are wise, appears further in this : They recover to the great Creator his lost creatures, and to the heavenly Father his lost children. Before souls are won, they are lost, in many respects ;-lost to God, whom they do not serve and glorify;to their fellow-creatures, whom they do not edify; and to themselves, not being either holy or happy. But when they are won they are found;-found of God, whom they now glorify, answering the end of their creation and preservation ;-found of their fellow-creatures, to whom they are now truly useful, and that in matters temporal as well as spiritual;—and found of them selves, being in Christ new creatures, and truly happy in commu→ nion with God. Now, if it be a good, and therefore a wise action, to bring back straying sheep or cattle, lost upon the wild mountains, to their rightful owner, and an action yet better and wiser to recover to a kind and indulgent father, his prodigal and lost children; who can describe the wisdom of him that brings back to the great Creator and Parent of the universe, his rational and immortal offspring, that had at once dishonoured him, and rendered themselves most wretched by wandering from him?

4. A further proof of the great wisdom of winning souls is found in this; when souls are won, the Preserver and Benefactor of men, in whom they live, move, and have their being, and who spares them, and supplies their wants from day to day, that they may turn and live to him, sees the end of his patience and long-suffering towards them at length answered, and receives due praise for his many and undeserved benefits. Now if it be an act of kindness to a neighbour, and therefore of wisdom, to bring his disobedient servant, whom he had long fed and clothed, and whose wants he