that the great salvation is still within your reach. What must be the reflection of that sinner who has lost his soul? "Once I enjoyed a day of salvation--once I heard the offer of pardon; but wretch that I am, I rejected it."

He suffers on millions of ages, and then reflects again. "Once I enjoyed a day of salvation. Once, millions of ages back, I remember well the time-it was near the commencement of my being-I was for a moment on trial for eternity. I heard of heaven, and I heard of hell. I was warned to flee from the wrath to come, but I neglected the great salvation.

Again, he suffers on millions and millions of ages, and then reflects again. "O, what a precious season I once enjoyed. But alas! it is gone forever. O, that I could once more hear the voice of the Saviour, and the sound of the gospel. But

"In that lone land of deep despair,

No Sabbath's heavenly light shall rise,

No God regard your bitter prayer,

Nor Saviour call you to the skies.

No wonders to the dead are shown,

The wonders of redeeming love:

No voice his glorious truth makes known,
Nor sings the bliss of climes above."

I look forward to blackness of darkness foreverEternity-It is an ocean without a shore. O eternity, eternity!—But stop, my hearers,-Here you are, out of hell. This is the time which thousands will lament for their neglect of salvation, through a long eternity. Awake, sinner. "Behold now is the accepted time,

behold now is the day of salvation. Now heaven, with all its glories, is brought within your reach.

"Salvation, O the joyful sound."

Yet a little while, my hearers, and time with you will be no more.

SERMON XII.

Self-examination.

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.-2 CORINTHIANS Xiii: 5.

THE Corinthians to whom Paul wrote, were disposed to inquire whence he derived his authority as an apostle; and to seek a proof of Christ speaking in him. But he exhorted them to turn their attention to themselves, and examine into their own spiritual state. As there was great danger of self-deception in relation to this momentous concern, this was the most proper employment for them. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

The duty enjoined in the text is no less important to us than it was to the Corinthians, and is as binding on professors of religion now, as in the days of the Apos tles.

There are two thoughts suggested by the text.

I. A person may be a christian, without certainly knowing it.

II. He who is a true christian may know it. The first of these propositions is sometimes denied. It is said that the change in regeneration is such, that

ren."

made with hands, eternal in the heavens." And thus also, the apostle John could say, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.' Here, the apostle's assurance is twice asserted. "Now are we the sons of God." And "we know that we shall be like him." Again-"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the breth"And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." From these and other passages of scripture, it appears that christians may arrive at the full assurance of hope; and that some actually have attained to this assurance in the present life. It is a privilege to which all are exhorted to attain. "We desire," says the Apostle, "that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end." Again— "Wherefore, the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure." And again in the text: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith." Although the full assurance of hope may not be common among christians, yet we see that it is attainable. We are also taught how it is to be obtained. It is by self-examination, and by giving diligence. It is owing to the neglect of these, that christians often walk in darkness. It is also owing to the neglect of self-examination, that many are filled with a vain confidence. They are disposed to think well of themselves, and to take things for granted without investigation. Hence they take up with a false and delusive hope-go through life deceived, and at last awake in awful disappointment.

How important it is, that the christian "be ready always to give to every man that asketh him, a reason of the hope that is in him with meekness and fear.” And how important that those who are resting on a false hope, should be brought to discover their awful mistake, and to inquire in earnest, what must we do to be saved?

The difficulty of settling the important question whether we be in the faith, does not arise from any defect in the rules laid down in the word of God. The evidences of regeneration there stated, are plain and numerous; too numerous to be considered in a single discourse. Some of them, however, it may be proper here to mention.

Love to the moral character of God.

Faith in Jesus Christ.

Repentance for sin.

Love to the duties of religion.

Love to the brethren.

Many others might be mentioned; but let these suffice for the present. Respecting the evidences here enumerated, it may be observed, that they are all sure. Each one has the promise of salvation. The person, therefore, who possesses one of these christian graces, is interested in the divine promises. And he who possesses one, possesses the whole; though some may be more clear than others. So also, if a person is destitute of any one of these evidences, he is destitute of all; and it is certain that he is not a christian.

If a person has true love to God, it cannot be said that he has no faith, no repentance, no love to the duties of religion, or no love to the brethren. Now, in the business of self-examination, there may be several