Matt. x. 28.-He is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.

Exod. xxxiv. 6.- The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness. Rom. ii. 4.-The goodness of God leadeth to repentance.

Acts iii. 19.--Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted

out.

John iii. 15.-God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Acts xvi. 31.-Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

Ephes. ii. 8.-By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Gal. v. 6.-In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.

Ps. cvii. 43.

Whoso is wise will pon

der these things.

"Ponder these things," I pray you; in this your" day of adversity consider:' "consider your ways," and what the Scriptures will tell you respecting yourself, and God, and the way of salvation. The Scriptures are

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given by the inspiration of God," and therefore deserve your serious attention: they are "profitable for doctrine," to teach you what to believe; "for reproof," to convince you of error; "for correction," to set you right; "for instruction," to guide you in the ways of righteousness. By the light of Scripture, then,

" examine

yourself," whether you have that true scriptural faith in Christ which "worketh by love" to God and man: look inward, and look deep; look back on the past, and call to mind your thoughts and tempers, your principles and motives, your conversation and conduct, and try them by the spiritual rules of God's holy will and commandments. He knoweth all your offences, and "will bring every secret thing into judgment:" he "searcheth your

heart, and understandeth all the imaginations of your thoughts." Search, then, and prove yourself;" "try your ways, and turn unto the Lord" with humble and penitent confession; pray for his Spirit to enlighten your understanding, and work in your heart true godly sorrow and humiliation for sin. Consider your state as a sinner, and the wages due to your sins; the Scriptures of truth conclude you under sin, and declare that "the wages of sin is death," even that everlasting torment in hell which is called "the second death." Apply these considerations to yourself; ponder it in your heart, that these are the wages which you deserve from the just and holy God. His word tells you that he is "glorious in holiness," "of purer eyes than to look" but with abhorrence "on any iniquity;" that even "the heavens are not pure in his sight," and even the angels are charged by him with folly. How much more, then, must he charge you with folly, uncleanness, and sin! How then can

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he look upon you with favour? How will you stand before him in judgment? He is just to render in every case what the case deserves; justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne," and "his power and wrath are against them that forsake him.' He is a mighty God, and a terrible," " able to destroy both body and soul in hell." Such is the God with whom we have to do, knowing every secret of the heart, holy to hate sin, and just and mighty to punish it. Yet he is also merciful to pardon sin through and for the sake of Jesus Christ, who, in the stead of sinful men, hath endured the guilt and punishment of their sins, and wrought out a perfect righteousness to deserve their acceptance. In his word he proclaims himself "the Lord God merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness." His word assures us that he "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, "to be a propitiation," or atonement, for sin, that whoso

ever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But this goodness of God will be effectual only to those, who, through the Spirit, are led by it to repentance; this salvation in Christ, thus provided and offered to sinful man, will be effectual only to those, who, through the Spirit, being convinced of their sinfulness and misery, come unto Christ for it, with a humble and submissive faith, a faith which submits the heart and soul entirely to him as a Saviour, a Teacher, a Guide, and Governor, and "worketh by love," producing in the heart that principle of grateful love to God which stimulates to cheerful obedience, and that principle of brotherly love to man which leads to active kindness. Be persuaded, then, as you value your soul, to search and see whether you have this true faith which alone can avail to your salvation: it may be known by its fruits; for it is a faith that worketh. Consider, I beseech you, what the Scriptures thus teach for your everlasting good. Search

you