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surprise and delight, and darted away immediately toward home. He was struck, and though the would follow her; and just as he had arrived at the door of the abode of misery, they were all in tears of ecstacy; and soon they were all kneeling at the feet of their benefactor, as if he had been a god to them. He was much struck with the sight, and said, "Can life, by one single act, produce such pleasure, and shall I throw away the blessing? Lord, forgive my guilty intentions; and may I in future enjoy the happiness of others, if I am to have none of my own." May those tears become yours. Enjoy them for a moment, while I proceed,

Fourthly, to remind you, that benevolence will not lose its reward. If a Christian serves God disinterestedly, yet he cannot serve God for nought. I know there are some foolish people, who condemn in a Christian any reference to his own advantages. They are much wiser than God who made them: wiser than their Teacher. How often, in his Word, does God press this as a motive upon us and is it wrong for us thus to regard it? We should, indeed, consider, that there are motives of a higher and a purer kind, as you will in a moment see: but still these may be proper to a certain distance. He deals with us as with children; and there are motives which will influence them in their infancy, which may be spared as they grow up. You should consider Christians as sanctified only in part, and therefore as liable to temptation. When they are called upon, as they are to be this morning, to give, they will be ready to say, "I cannot afford it; I shall be a loser by it." When this is the case, how appropriate to bring forward such declarations as these: "Cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shalt find it after many days." "He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he who soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." "The liberal soul deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things he shall stand:" and so on. These are the declarations, the assurances of God, who is faithful, and able to perform what he has promised; for all events are under his control, and all creatures are at his disposal.

I will, therefore, only, fifthly, refer you to the example of Christ. And I have reserved this motive for the last, because it is the best. I have preached sermons enough of this kind, not to know, that it is far preferable to address a Christian's hope than his fear; and to address his love, even rather than his hope; and because the Scripture tells us, that “Whatsoever we do, in word or deed, we are to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." Our arguments, therefore, and your practice, must be Christian and evangelical; because the Apostle even mentions this motive here; for as soon as ever he had said, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others," what does he say by way of enforcement? "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." And, therefore, says the Apostle to the Philippians, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." We had no claims upon him; we were unworthy of the least of all his mercies, illdeserving, hell-deserving creatures, and must have perished for ever.

"With pitying eyes the Prince of Grace,

Beheld our helpless grief:

He saw, and O, amazing love!

He ran to our relief."

And what did his interposition cost him? He made peace; but it was by the blood of his cross. He redeemed us from the curse of the law; but it was by being made a curse for us. He obtained eternal redemption for us; but he gave his life a ransom. Therefore if you be selfish, beloved, remember, "If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

I must, therefore, hasten towards a conclusion: and I may ask, brethren, upon the ground which I have endeavoured to clear, Is there not cause for reproof? It is remarkable that the Apostle, in speaking of the last days, says, "Perilous times shall come." And in characterizing them he begins by observing, that "Men shall be lovers of their own selves." Where, however, this principle is not avowed, it is found men act upon it: there are enough of these. "Yes," says the Apostle, "All seek their own, and not the things that are Jesus Christ's." How few men are there to be found who are concerned to obtain the approving sentence which the Saviour pronounced on Mary, "She hath done what she could."

And is there not here a call also for prayer? Prayer for what? Prayer for pardon as to the past; and "there is forgiveness with God that he may be feared." Prayer for grace as to the future; that we may be enabled more to exemplify our principles, and to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; and that his grace may be sufficient for us.

Surely here is also need, lastly, for exhortation. dear hearers, that in future you will

Let me beseech you, my

look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Begin with their spiritual concerns. O what a thing it is to turn a sinner from the error of his ways; to save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins; to create an ecstacy in heaven! for "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Who would not deem himself infinitely honoured, feel himself infinitely delighted, to be thus employed? But overlook not their temporal concerns. Look upon the things which concern their welfare, as well as the things which concern your welfare: be as tender of their reputation as you are of your own. Instead of encouraging scandal, therefore, always crush it; which is very much in your power. Never throw down, and never, as David says, "take up a reproach against your neighbour." There are persons who will not throw down a reproach, but who still are always ready enough to take up a reproach, against their neighbour. Never hear any thing related against an absent fellow-creature, or fellow-professor, without saying to the relater, “But will you allow me to mention you as the authority?" This would stop one-half at least of the evil speaking that abounds; for a tale-hearer, is nearly as bad as a tale-bearer.

And so again with their outward necessities: remember "whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in that man?" Jesus went about doing good; but he did good to the bodies, as well as to the souls of

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men. He gave eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, loosed the tongue of the dumb, and fed the hungry. We know that you cannot perform miracles, but you possess means and resources by which you, even you, can feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and provide for the fatherless and the widow. And as water is to be found in every place, if men will but dig long enough and deep enough to find it; so if you wish to be useful, whether living or dying, whatever be your condition in life, you shall be gratified. And the proper method in our day has been adopted too, that is, not to depend entirely, or principally, upon individual exertions, but upon combined and well-arranged efforts.

Here, therefore, let me introduce the case for which I stand here pledged to plead, (0 that I may be a successfu' pleader!) namely, the Alms-houses appertaining to this chapel. They were founded in 1811, under the benevolent exertions of your late worthy and venerable pastor, aided by the liberality of individuals of this congregation, some of whom are now present, but some have fallen asleep. It regards widows; a class of beneficiaries often mentioned, you know, in Scripture with peculiar tenderness. There are now twenty-three safely and comfortably housed in this asylum, in their old age. During the twenty-four years which these Alms-houses have been erected, sixty-one, it seems, of these poor women, of these poor pious creatures, have been removed, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God, and blessing God for having put it into the hearts of his servants thus to provide for them. It is to be hoped that, in time, enough of property will be funded for their support; but this is not the case at present. The annual income of the institution is now insufficient to meet its yearly expenses by, at least, one hundred and fifty pounds; a considerable balance is due to the treasurer, and the committee are called upon to make some extensive repairs. They must, therefore, ask your Christian donations and subscriptions. I could enforce this by an appeal to your Christian feelings, as men, as citizens, and as Christians: but your time is gone, and I feel it perfectly needless. I therefore forbear, and I hope you will consider the forbearance your honour, and that we shall find, by the extent of your collection, that I have not been mistaken in my dear old Surrey friends.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF ULTIMATELY REJECTING CHRIST.

HON. AND REV. B. W. NOEL, A.M.

ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL, BEDFORD ROW, APRIL 5, 1835.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."-JOHN, iii.3 6.

MEN being by nature and by practice obnoxious to the anger of their Maker, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish. Without him they would certainly have perished; but if they are led to believe in him, their doom is reversed.

To receive Christ Jesus, then, is the indispensable condition of the salvation of the sinner. He came that he might, by his sacrifice, bring us into the favour of God; and by his renewing of the Holy Spirit, might prepare us for heavenly glory. These are the two great parts of our Redeemer's work: but as most of you are familiar with the passages of Scripture by which these great truths are sustained, they need not now any further demonstration. To receive Christ, then, is heartily to consent to this his work; to depend on his merit exclusively for our acceptance with God; and to ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sends forth to bless his people. To refuse this, and, on the contrary, to depend on our own righteousness, on our own moral strength, is to reject the work of Christ, and, by consequence, to reject Christ himself: and the passage before us declares, that whoso does reject him, whoso does "not believe on the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." He must lie under the wrath of God, because originally deserving it. He has rejected the Saviour by whom it may be removed: unable to atone for his own ungodly life, he must, therefore, be exposed to that unchangeable doom. On the other hand, he must lie under the wrath of God, because his nature remains ungodly. It was through Christ alone that the renewal of the Holy Ghost was promised, or became possible: and Christ being rejected, the nature remains unrenewed by the Holy Spirit and the course of the sinner, still fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, must, therefore, as long as his human life is preserved, be only heaping up fresh guilt before God. Finally, he must lie under the wrath of God, because he has, in rejecting Christ, poured contempt on the unparalleled love of his Maker, rejected God's highest gift: and if "he who despised Moses's law died without mercy under two or three witnesses, of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified a common thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

This, then, is the fearful condition of every one who rejects the Saviour. My brethren, are there such among you? Some, there may be, who have "a name to live while they are dead:" who are believing themselves on the road to glory, while, alas! they have no good reason to cherish that hope. Some there may be, to whom, if our Redeemer was again to appear as he did to St. John in the Apocalypse, he would address the language which he then employed respecting the church of Laodicea: "Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Of all persons, such, especially, need to be undeceived: because so long as that delusion is cherished, every effort to arouse the conscience, and to quicken the slumbering disposition to seek after salvation, is constantly repelled; and every means that might be employed to make such persons feel their responsibility to God is repelled, and blunted, and destroyed by the delusive hope that they are already saved.

There may be others who are conscious that as yet they have never received Christ. They have too much acquaintance with the Word of God to question what is the nature of that reception; they know it well: and they are equally conscious, from a very cursory review of their whole course, that they have never received him but they go on from day to day, hoping that the time will come when some unexpected means employed by divine Providence will bring their languid wishes to a decision, and make them resolve to be the servants of God. It is to this class that I would especially address myself this evening, when entering on one of the most awful subjects which the Word of God could present to our notice: a subject from which, I confess, I shrink, not only because it offend many may of you, but because I feel it most painful to my own mind, when I realize the fact, that, perhaps, in a few years, many of you, my dear hearers, for whom I do sincerely wish well, may enter on all that which I shall now most inadequately describe; may begin, in fact, the endurance of a punishment, the very imagination of which is beyond our power. Yet because it is painful, ought we therefore to disregard it? Why does the Word of God abound in such awful declarations, if they were meant to be passed over in silence? And how can I discharge my duty to you, or how can I hope, unless I would use every instrument which the good providence of God puts into my power, to bring you by every argument, whether of solicitation or remonstrance, to seek that you may be saved in the great day of Christ's appearance? Would it be kind in me to neglect to enforce, or would it be wise in you to omit, the consideration of those truths by which we might be quickened to the necessary efforts after salvation?

My brethren, in every difficulty of life, it is wise to look it in the face; it is always best to examine it in all its bearings; otherwise we never can devise the means by which it may be successfully repelled. If there is any exception it is that in which it is hopeless: then it may be wise to attempt to divert the mind from that which is painful and useless in the consideration. But I thank God this is no hopeless case. Awful it is, but there is a possibility that every one of you may escape that sorrow and this sermon may be the very means which the God of mercy employs to bring about that blessed result; and notwithstanding hours of pain, and weeks of sorrow, and months of conflict of the mind, (or longer if it please God,) if he should "set your feet on a

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