do right; your friends may even think you in danger of being righteous over-much-but you will find none of these things give you peace. It is in seeing your sin blotted out by the blood of Jesus; it is in knowing that God is reconciled to you, and that He is not imputing your trespasses unto you; it is in this you will find peace. And remember, there is no reason why you should not believe that God hath laid upon Jesus the iniquity of you all; why you should not believe that God is reconciled to the world, and that therefore He is reconciled unto you; accept, then, the free forgiveness of your sins, as effected by the blood of Christ. Think not you must wait so long a time, and do so much good, before you can hope for pardon. This is not the way in which the word of God would guide you. That word proclaims peace by Jesus Christ; and that which preaches peace, must also publish pardon. For the sinner cannot possibly have peace until he sees his sin is put away. Peace is the fruit of a good conscience; and a good conscience is obtained by faith in the blood of sprinkling, and can only be kept by obedience to the will of God.

And suppose not, that sin will be pardoned at the day of judgment. In the day of judgment, sinners will be punished; sin will not find forgiveness then. Now is the time of pardon, for now is the

day of grace, and if we understand aright the word of God, we shall see that He has accepted the sacrifice of His Son, as the propitiation for our sins. If, therefore, you have not peace, it is for want of faith: for whosoever believes, will find in believing, both peace and joy. Being justified by faith, the Apostle says, we have peace with God. And there is no other way of obtaining peace, except the way which is opened to us by faith in Christ: and if you are not seeking peace in this way, you will never find it. To whatever else you are trusting, you are trusting to what will surely disappoint you. Before, like Simeon, you can depart in peace, you must, like him, have seen the salvation of God.

Oh! think then, seriously, on these things; know that peace is proclaimed to all the world by Jesus Christ and remember always that the kingdom of God standeth not in the distinction of meats and drinks, in superstitious formality, or a heartless regard to the superficial decencies of religion; but that it standeth in this-in pardoned sin and communicated strength; in a life of peace and holiness on earth, and an eternity of unspeakable glory in heaven.

SERMON X.

COMFORT TO THE FAITHFUL.

ISAIAH xl. 1.

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God."

In a world in which man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upwards, we feel the want of comfort. If there were no occasion for heaviness of heart: no fears without, nor fightings within: no trouble in our homes, and no complaining in our streets, then we should not stand in need of consolation and encouragement. But who is there that has attained to the age of man, without having discovered his need of comfort? Who is there so exempt from the many ills which all are subject to, as never to have felt anxiety: never to have known what sorrow and disappointment mean? It is true, men usually run after other gods, instead of seeking to the Lord Jehovah to do them good. They look for comfort from the world or from their homes, to the exclusion of all dependance upon God. And yet in their last moments, they commonly seem to seek for the consolations of religion.

And the friends of dying men, in sending for the minister of God to attend them in their weakness, appear to expect, that they will come as messengers of comfort to speak peace to the departing soul. Indeed, even those, who all their life long have scorned the blessings of religion, not unfrequently at last begin to cry out for its consolations. And hence it is said, after the death perhaps of some poor careless sinner, that the servant of God attended him to administer the consolations of religion.

But it is not to the careless, but the contrite, that the minister of God has to speak of comfort. He cannot come to the bedside of a dying man, whose whole life has been a life of forgetfulness of God and devotedness to the world, and assure him of peace. He can indeed tell him of the love of God: he can speak to him of Christ's atoning blood, and the gracious promises of pardon to the really penitent; but every faithful minister will feel that he may not slightly heal the wound, which a whole life of sin has made. He may not let it be supposed, that a prayer or two for mercy, and a late and almost compulsory repentance, will prove that all is well, or ensure the sinner's safety. No, at such an hour, though mercy may still be extended, and the door of hope still open, and the sinner's salvation not pronounced impossible, yet

his future state must remain in awful obscurity; and it is only the bare possibility of salvation, and not the full assurance of hope, which can be spoken of as the groundwork of comfort.

But while, to the careless and worldly-minded, the religion of Christ holds out this feeble glimmering of light—to the true of heart it has abounding consolation to communicate. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." This shews that the people of God stand in need of comfort, and that God has provided for them the comfort that they need. And these are the two points to which I shall now direct your attention: praying God to grant His blessing to the words you are about to hear.

First, then, we are to consider, what need the true Christian has of comfort. Now I have already remarked, that it is only in a troubled state, that comfort is required. It pre-supposes a state of anxiety and distress; and therefore in enquiring what need the Christian has of comfort, we are led to consider what the troubles are to which he is exposed. We remember then those words which our Blessed Lord has spoken. "In the world ye shall have tribulation:""1 and those which we find in the Acts of the Apostles, wherein it is stated,