up a sacred correspondence, in the duties of an humble and upright devotion, with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

But besides this releasement from a legal death, through the atonement of Jesus Christ, the sinner who complies with the offer and appointment of God, obtains such a change of his nature as produceth a new principle of action, new desires, new hopes and fears, new pursuits, and new pleasures. The atonement opens a way for the correspondence of the soul with Heaven. God can, consistently with his honor, visit man with that peculiar grace which gives new light to the understanding, sets the divine character, works, providence, and word, in a view that strikes and charms the heart into love and praise; removes its prejudices against the divine law, corrects its depraved and vicious affections, and turns them into a new and heavenly channel; reduces the stubborn and rebellious will into an humble submission to the divine sovereignty, and gives a new and devout turn to the conversation and life. Christ says of himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." He came into the world that men might have life, and more abundantly than could be had by any other way. His precepts and example teach the way of life; his atonement is the procuring cause, and his spirit the efficient cause of life. Finally-he comprehends the most perfect life in

himself is the author of life to the whole creation, and confers a spiritual, holy, and immortal life on all that accept and rely on him for this life. “He that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son hath not life," 1 John v. 12. "Labor not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you." John iv. 27. "As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

If then all men that are without Christ are in such a state of death as hath been represented; and so important, so comfortable, and so durable a life is to be found in Christ; is it possible that there can be any thing in the heart of man that is reluctant against the free and generous offers which Christ makes of it, or any evidence in his conduct of a backwardness to accept it?-Yes-our Lord himself reproaches his hearers with so unreasonable and fatal a state of mind-" ye will not," &c. But in what instances is this to be discovered? This is the next particular to be considered. II. The unwillingness of men to come to Christ for life, is evidenced,

1. By the fault they are disposed to find with, and the opposition they make against the Gospel. We find this to be the case, in all places, and at all times. It was remarkably so with the majority

of the Jews and Gentiles in the time of our Lord himself. They cavilled at, and ridiculed his doctrines, blasphemed his character, and abused his person, till at length they put him to death, as an innovator in league with the devil, a deceiver, disturber of the public tranquillity, and a blasphemer, For the same reasons, they treated his Apostles, with the same contempt, malice, and cruelty. And the professors and supporters of Christianity have, through every succeeding age, been opposed, contemned, persecuted; and thousands of them put to the most ignominious and painful deaths, as publishers of, and retainers to a system of doctrines inconsistent with reason, and productive of confusion in society.

Men of wit and power have employed all their ability to defame, discountenance, and banish from mankind, the only means of saving the world from a general destruction. The learned and unlearned, noble and ignoble, rich and poor, rulers and subjects, have in numberless instances tryed every expedient, either to take off the lustre of some of the most important doctrines of revelation, or to bring them into neglect. While at the same time, the most absurd, cruel, and tyrannical systems of religion-systems at which reason blusheth and is abashed, have been founded, propagated, and supported by eloquence, learning, fire,

and sword, oftentimes to the utter ruin and desolation of whole kingdoms and nations.

2. Men evidence their unwillingness to come to Christ for life, by their neglect of the ordinances of the Gospel, even in those places where they are generally acknowledged to be of divine authority, and necessary to salvation. Multitudes of those who go under the denomination of Christians, and profess to hold the doctrines of Christ as contained in the Holy Scriptures, do notwithstanding give themselves little or no trouble to be acquainted with those doctrines; seldom making use of their bibles, where they acknowledge these doctrines to be contained; or, if they take them up now and then, they peruse them in so careless and indifferent a manner, as sufficiently argues that they either entertain a secret disgust agaist them, or look

upon it as a matter of little or no consequence to be well acquainted with them. Were they anxious or willing to come to Christ for that life he is able and willing to give them, they would read and study with eagerness and delight, those sacred treasures of divine wisdom, in which are contained the words of eternal life; and which for this reason Christ directed his hearers to search"Search the Scriptures," &c. And, as to the public preaching of the Gospel, if it happens to be customary and reputable to go to church, to keep up a fair outside, and a good name, they will

K

give them attendance, as they judge it necessary for these purposes, and find it can be done, without much trouble: but, at the same time, it is far from their intention or desire to be improved in the knowledge of Christ, or prevailed on to relinquish their sins, and live a devout and holy life. They are pleased to see and be seen, and converse with their acquaintance about their farms or their merchandize, the times and the seasons, and any thing that has no connection with the proper business of assembling themselves together on the Christian Sabbath. The trifling air, wandering eyes, and indevout aspects of our congregations, are unquestionable evidence that Christ is not in their thoughts; or, if they are obliged to think of him, by the discourse of the preacher, though the words may be to them, while they are hearing, as the sounds of a pleasant instrument; they pass off the mind, as a bird through the air, leaving no trace behind them. Of those who have constant opportunities of hearing the gospel preached in the clearest and most fervent manner, numbers who would be willing to be saved, are not even prevailed upon to relinquish gross immoralities, but habitually indulge themselves in practices that dishonor human nature, waste their estates, impair or destroy their constitutions, and lead directly on to final and irrecoverable perdition. And of those who lead regular and reputable lives, and per-,