the joyful doctrines which it contains; it is the best news that ever was published to the world; it is "Glad Tidings of great joy" to every individual who hears and rightly receives it; it is the proclamation of peace to those who were at enmity with God, of pardon to the condemned, of comfort to the broken hearted, of happiness to the miserable; in a word, it assures every selfconvicted sinner, every one, who, like the humble publican, is so weighed down with the consciousness of his guilt, that he scarcely dares to lift so much as his eyes towards heaven ; it assures every such person, that "he has an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and that He is the propitiation for his sins."

My discourse then has had this double aim; to make those fear and tremble, who do not repent; and to inspire those with confidence, and a good courage, who do. The Gospel reveals to the impenitent sinner, that he is on the brink of a dreadful precipice, and ready to fall into destruction; to the penitent, that there is a hand stretched out to pull him back, and rescue him from his danger, if he will but lay hold of it. It shows God to the one as an Enemy and Avenger; to the other, as a Friend and merciful Father ; it exhibits Him as all anger against those who

disobey Him; and as all love towards those who put themselves under his guidance, and seek for his favour.

But let me warn you once more, not to imagine that the mere confession of sins is true repentance. Many know and confess themselves to be sinners, who are yet far from sincerely repenting. Repentance is, first, genuine sorrow for sin, and then the fruit of that sorrow, amendment of life. The man who does not forsake his sins, utterly deceives himself, if he supposes that the very first seed of repentance is sown in his heart. When we begin to struggle with our sinful inclinations, when we heartily pray to God to help us in overcoming them, and when, on our own part, we anxiously try to avoid the occasions of, and temptations to sin, then, and then only, is our sorrow "of that godly sort, which leadeth to repentance." To confess our sinfulness, and to remain as great sinners as ever, is only to acknowledge that we shall be deservedly punished; it is not advancing one step towards a pardon, or towards a reasonable hope of Heaven.

Let our repentance then be, not in word, but in deed; let it be made known to God, not merely by the confession of our lips, but by the humble acknowledgement and contrition of our

hearts; and let it be made known to the world, by the purity and holiness of our lives. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."

SERMON XIII.

JUDGE NOT.

ROMANS xiv. 10.

But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ.

In this and in the following chapter, the Apostle reproves the uncharitable and unchristian habit which appears to have prevailed amongst those to whom he wrote, of judging and condemning one another for differences of opinion, on certain questions of religion. He explains to them in what way each party ought to behave towards the other, and he admonishes them that all angry feelings, excited by such discussions, ought to be allayed by a consideration of every man's responsibility to God alone, for the opinions

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