as working "repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of."

Whilst, however, I thus industriously put out all hope of any share in the blessings promised to repentance, except in the case of the thoroughly sincere, the true penitent; whilst I carefully exclude the mere withdrawal from the ways of sin for worldly causes, and all merely natural sorrow, from the character, and therefore from the privileges of a godly repentance; I do, as a Minister of the Gospel of Reconciliation, bid the humbled, the convinced, the stricken sinner--the man who has sinned-yea, it may be grievously, but now loathes his sin; whose eyes are now open to the defilement of sin, and his heart to the ingratitude of it ;-all such I bid rejoice at the promise here held out to them: I bid them look up and fear not, for He whose words are Yea and Amen, HIMSELF here bids them rejoice, in making known to them the feelings of happiness, with which their state of heart is regarded in heaven itself.

Those indeed, who have learnt to judge of the evil of sin, as Christians are taught to judge of it; to feel the need of pardon; to want God's favour, and to seek after it; will readily acknowledge, that there is no greater blessing within the reach of man on earth, than to be an accepted penitent; nor any spectacle so meet to fill the heart even to overflowing with joy and gladness, as that of one, that had been lost in sin, coming to himself, as Scripture speaks, arising and going back to his Father, with his cry of confession and self-condemnation, to be forgiven and accepted by HIM.

Constituted as we now are, it is not, alas! to that first and most certain source of happiness, freedom

SERIES II.

2 D

VOL. II.

from sin, that we can look for happiness. It is not for us, to rest upon the consciousness of never having offended GOD, or upon any such source of security, against offending HIM for the future. It is in penitence, in unfeigned sorrow and self-abasement for our sins, that we can alone hope to find it. It is in the answer given from above to the contrite confession of our unworthiness-"The LORD hath put away thy sin." It is this declaration of mercy, received into the heart of faith, and working there by love, that carries with it the greatest happiness fallen man is capable of, even that peace which passeth understanding. "Blessed is the man," says the inspired David, (blessed, that is, beyond the ordinary lot of the children of men) "blessed is the man, whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered.”

But these great, these precious, these inestimable mercies of ALMIGHTY GOD, thus abundantly poured forth upon the sinner in the hour of his repentance ; this wonderful loving-kindness, thus attending the sinner through life, and waiting by him, as it were, for the moment of access into his heart, to crown him with joy unspeakable-to what, to Whom, beloved, do we owe it? Where are the thanks due of those that are admitted to such great goodness? They are the purchased gift to us of our LORD and MASTER JESUS CHRIST; purchased for us by His Blood, and extended from the Cross to every penitent child of Adam who believeth and is baptized in His Name. And so it is written, "Repent ye and believe the Gospel, and your sins shall be blotted out": and so it is written again, "HIM hath GOD exalted to be a PRINCE and a SAVIOUR, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." And as this forgiveness upon repentance is

GOD's gift through CHRIST to every child of Adam, who believes and is baptized; so does it continue to be his great covenant privilege, after his engrafting into the Church of CHRIST, which is His Body, as long as he abideth there by faith: yea, beloved, forgiveness upon repentance is the special, I may say, is the daily blessing of the Covenant of Grace: may we never cease to feel the value of it, for to forget it in time is to forfeit it for eternity!

Nor can I, it seems to me, better bring this subject to a conclusion, than by calling your attention to the effectual and touching manner, in which this most comfortable doctrine of the remission of sins to the penitent member of CHRIST, is delivered to us in our own church. This is the declaration of the Church, speaking as the depositary of the oracles of GOD to every penitent within her fold. "ALMIGHTY GOD, the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live: and hath given power and commandment to His ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins; - HE pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe His Holy Gospel." Observe, beloved, how the compassionate nature of GOD is first set forth to the comfort of the sinner. He is spoken of to him, as "the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST": and he is bid to remember, that "HE desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live": that GOD's wish is not to punish, but to pardon. He is then told what God requires in him, if he desires pardon: viz., penitence for his sins. He is told also, that God has

solemnly charged His Ministers—has made it specially a part of their office, as sent by HIM to His people, to make known in the most solemn manner to declare and pronounce this His gracious dispensation towards the penitent sinner: and then, upon this comfort and encouragement to the sinner, follows the solemn and authoritative sentence, for the benefit of every penitent member of the Church, then kneeling under the wordsthat God puts away his sin. Oh! may we none of us hear without understanding-without laying to heart the wonderful Love of GOD towards us, in all these His gracious provisions for our return to HIM. May we neither delay to return to HIM, if we are yet afar off; nor think we have returned, whilst we are yet in heart unsound to HIM, but under a due sense of our need of repentance, and the great blessedness of those who truly repent, may we beseech HIM "to grant us true repentance and His HOLY SPIRIT, that those things may please HIM which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last, we may come to His eternal joy, through JESUS CHRIST Our LORD."

C. I. H.

SERMON LXVI.

THE EXPECTATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity.'

DANIEL XII. 13.

BUT GO THOU THY WAY TILL THE END BE: FOR THOU SHALT REST, AND STAND IN THY LOT AT THE END OF THE DAYS.

In the Epistle for the day, we have read of the "earnest expectation of the creature," waiting for "the manifestation of the sons of GOD." As this topic engaged our attention last year,' I will this morning draw your thoughts to one of a kindred nature,—the expectation of the righteous. This also is referred to in the Epistle for the day, when St. Paul says, "We ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the SPIRIT, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

In the text, which forms the conclusion of Daniel's prophecy, we see that faithful servant of GOD dismissed

1 See Sermon XVIII., First Series,-"The Cross and the Glory of the Sons of GOD," by the Rev. F. FULFORD, M.A.; and Sermon XXI., First Series,-"The Expectation of the Creature, an Incitement to Holy Zeal," by the Rev. R. PARKINSON, B.D.