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executed speedily, properly fill up our days, and, by fleeing to Jesus, avert the threatened danger. For, if the sentence is yet unfulfilled, I remark

3. This lays a foundation for hope.

The messenger, Death, has not yet visited you; you may perhaps have yet no peculiar cause to imagine that you are going the way whence you shall not return; then, whilst the lamp of life burns, the trumpet of the gospel sounds; whilst the sentence is unexecuted, the blood of Christ has all-powerful efficacy. This thought, sinner, that as yet you are out of hell, should constrain you to look all around for help; should operate on your mind to lead you to the door of mercy, where, even now, if you knock, it shall be opened unto you. But, oh, I am obliged, from the sentiment and spirit of my text, to observe,

IV. That this circumstance, through the depravity of man, often produces the worst effects. On account of it, my text assures us, that "the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Here is mercy abused, longsuffering despised, compassion slighted. What ought to be the effect of the patience of God with sinners? It should lead them to repentance. If he comes so often, and so long, seeking fruit, ought he not to find it? But God says, "Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity, therefore his taste remaineth in him, and his scent is not changed." Your hearts are hardened, sinners, by the forbearance of God; you become more and more resolved on iniquity, and determined in sin; your hearts are fully set in you to do

evil. Here observe that, because sentence against sin is

not yet executed,

1. Mankind imagine that it will not be so dreadful as scripture represents it. Men act as if they thought that every day they spent in sin, diminished, instead of added, to their future sufferings; and "though favor is shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; even in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. He is wearied in the greatness of his way; yet, says he not, There is no hope:" he is not sufficiently grieved He determines to do evil, because, as the sentence is not yet executed, he foolishly wishes and persuades himself, that what is so long delayed, may probably be tolerable to bear. But further, because the former part of my text is true,

2. Sinners presume that judgment never will come. Since it is delayed, they look not forward to the period when it will be awfully felt; they suppose the Almighty to be altogether such a one as themselves, and therefore "their hearts are set in them to do evil." Thus, when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart and hearkened not, as the Lord had said; neither would he let the people go. Because the sentence against sinners is not speedily executed, they say, in their hearts, "We shall not be moved, for we shall never be in adversity:" they tantalize those who are looking forward to the day of God's wrath, and say, "Where is the promise of his coming, for, since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning?" They do not see, "that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day;" but they determine to do evil, because they would persuade themselves that justice sleeps, and

vengeance will never fall on them. There is one step more in this stage of impiety, and that is, that many of them are, from this circumstance, resolved to do evil, because,

3. They boldly and impiously challenge the divine wrath. "They draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope;" they say, "Let him make speed and hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh, and come, that we may know it :" and because the Lord delayeth his coming, this "evil servant begins to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken:" their hearts are set in them to do evil; they encourage this propensity; they indulge this evil bias; by drinking deeper and deeper of the fountain of pleasure, they endeavor to fortify their minds against the fear of ruin: with hell in all its terrors before their eyes, they go on to sin.

But, oh, how awful is the state of obstinate sinners! God often lets them take their course, nor stops them in the road to hell. But, sinner, stay, "We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds." Rom. ii. 2-6. The promises of God are no less true than his threatenings. He has pardoned believers ;

he will not revoke it: but will encourage to holiness: how consolatory, &c.* Let uspray for sinners

Swift may thy mercy, Lord, arise,
Ere justice stops their breath;
And lighten those deluded eyes,

That sleep the sleep of death.

* No doubt, Mr. Spencer enlarged here in the delivery of this Discourse, as was his custom in the improvement of his subjects.

SERMON XVI.

GOD'S ABILITY TO BESTOW INCONCEIVABLE BLESSINGS.

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us; unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."-EPHESIANS iii. 20, 21.

THERE certainly cannot be a more astonishing subject for human or angelic contemplation, than the love of Christ. It is, indeed, immense and unsearchable,-vast in extent, -without any commencement,-enduring to eternity-unfathomable in its depths, and superlative in its heights: it challenges the most enlarged powers fully to comprehend it. All the ideas that may be entertained of it by men or angels are infinitely surpassed, since no stretch of thought can embrace its nature, or the grand manifestations that have been given of it. And yet, mysterious as this subject is, God has thought fit to enlighten the minds of a favored few, in every age of the world, so that they are enabled to understand, at least somewhat of that divine theme, the full excellence of which cannot be told.

Hence the great apostle of the Gentiles is emboldened to ask for the believing Ephesians no small boon; but to beg the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to make them able to comprehend, as far as a human mind can, the love

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