dren which thou hast given me." Reader, will you be one of them? Shall we be there? Shall we share in the glorious triumphs of that day? Yes, if we realise the efficacy of his blood now, if we are redeemed from among men, rescued from sin and Satan, received into the arms of his mercy, restrained from making shipwreck of faith, and restored from all our waywardness and wanderings.

Hark! how the blood-bought host above
Conspire to praise redeeming love,

In sweet harmonious strains;
And while they strike their golden lyrcs,
This glorious theme each bosom fires,
That grace triumphant reigns.

Join thou, my soul, for thou can'st tell,
How grace divine broke up thy cell,
And loos'd thy native chains;
And still from that auspicious day,
How oft art thou constrain'd to say,
That grace triumphant reigns.

Grace, till the tribes redeem'd by blood
Are brought to know themselves and God,
Her empire shall maintain:
To call, when he appoints the day,
And from the mighty take the prey
Shall grace triumphant reign.

When call'd to meet the King of dread,
Should love compose my dying bed,
And grace my soul sustain,

Then, ere I quit this mortal clay,
I'll raise my fainting voice and say,
Let
grace triumphant reign.

WHY NOT?

ARE YOUR SINS PARDONED? Have you received the knowledge of salvation by the remission of your sins? If not, why not? Pardon is promised to every believer. God is true to his word. The testimony of Scripture is, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Can words be plainer? Can testimony be clearer? God is faithful to his word, and just to the sacrifice of his beloved Son, and therefore he pardons every sinner who confesses his sin, exercising faith in Jesus. Have you never confessed your sins to God? If not, why not? You have sinned, have you not? Sin deserves punishment, does it not? Are you not desirous of escaping the punishment of sin? Can you escape punishment, but by being pardoned? Can you be pardoned except in God's way? Is it not God's way for you to confess your sins, and believe in Jesus? If you are not pardoned, is it not because you have not sought it in God's way? If you have not sought the pardon of your sins in God's way, are you not to blame? Will it not be one of your bitterest reflections in hell, if you perish as an obstinate 113

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sinner, that you are there just because you would not accept of a pardon in God's way, and on Gods terms ?

ARE YOU HOLY? That is, is your heart set against all sin? Are you mourning over sin in your heart and life? Are you sorry to see and hear God dishonoured by those around you? Are you desiring and seeking to be delivered from all sinful principles, and to be kept from all sinful practices? If not, why not? Is it not because you do not see sin in its true light, as God sees it? Is it not because you love sin, and prefer it to holiness? Is it not because you so love sin, that you would rather live in it, though you are sure to be damned for it, than seek to have it pardoned and subdued by the grace of God God says, "Be ye holy;" but you say, "I will not." God says, I will pun ish the unholy;" you say, "I will risk that." God says, "The punishment of sin will be eternal;" you say, "I will brave that, if I may but indulge in sin in time." Think, dear friend, think of the awful state you are in, if you are unpardoned and unsanctified. You cannot be happy now, you must be miserable for ever.

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There is pardon provided, and provided at the expense of the death of God's dear Son; it is offered to you in the Gospel, but you refuse it. You will not have it. Just try, now, for a moment or two, and think what will be the feelings of a lost soul (of your

soul, if lost), that perished because it refused a pardon, and preferred to be punished for sin, rather than stoop to confess sin, and take the proffered pardon. Surely such case must be fearful. Well may our Lord say, that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for such. What case can be worse? Whose doom will be so dreadful? "I would have

pardoned you,' says God, "but ye would not." "I was willing to forgive, but you rejected my offer with scorn.' Surely, surely, no madness is comparable to this, and yet we are surrounded by thousands, who are guilty of this madness.

There is the sanctifying Spirit provided and promised to every one that asks for it. The Spirit that renews the heart, purifies the affections, cleanses the conscience, changes the bent of the mind, and turns the whole current of the life. The Spirit that makes us fit for heaven, and brings down the foretastes of heaven into the soul. But you refuse to seek that Spirit, you prefer being left to yourselves, to seek death in the error of your ways. Oh, strange infatuation, you may be pardoned, and so entitled to heaven; you may be sanctified, and so made meet for heaven; but you will not! Who can pity you? Who can help blaming you? Let me conclude by just putting the questions to your conscience once more, and may the Holy Spirit apply them with power to your

soul. ARE YOU PARDONED? If not, WHY NOT? ARE YOU HOLY? If not, WHY NOT? Some one is to blame, who is it? There is something wrong somewhere, where is it? Oh, sinner, sinner, thy destruction, if thou art destroyed, will be of thyself, and of thyself alone! The blame will rest on thy own head, and rest there for ever!

Come, weary souls, with sin distrest,
Come, and accept the promised rest;
The Saviour's gracious call obey,
And cast your gloomy fears away.

Oppress'd with guilt, a painful load;
O come and spread your woes abroad;
Divine compassion, mighty love,
Will all the painful load remove.

Here mercy's boundless ocean flows
To cleanse your guilt and heal your woes:
Pardon, and life, and endless peace;
How rich the gift, how free the grace!

Lord, we accept with thankful heart,
The hope thy gracious words impart;
We come with trembling, yet rejoice,
And bless the kind inviting voice.

Dear, Saviour! let thy powerful love
Confirm our faith, our fears remove;
And sweetly influence every breast,
And guide us to eternal rest.