"Ye shall receive the greater damnation.”. Matt. xxiii. 14. "There were present at that season, some that told Jesus of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke xiii. 1-23. 66 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men." 2 Cor. 5-11. "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee, for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity."Acts viii. 22, 23. Is it possible that any person who professes the religion of the Bible, can suppose that the faithful ministers of the gospel, who feel the constraining love of Jesus, and the inestimable value of immortal souls can do otherwise than "Cry aloud and spare not?" It must be the determination of every faithful minister to know nothing among his hear ers "but Jesus Christ and him crucified," and this will necessarily lead to a willingness to spend and be spent in the glorious work of the ministry. "They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever." Our third inquiry will be, whether the scriptures of truth authorize and justify the alarming and importunate calls of ministers to their hearers to repent and turn to God? The preaching of the word is the ordinance of God. "It pleased God, saith the apostle, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." 1 Cor. i. 21. The time for calling sinners home to God, is the present time. "Behold now H is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation-to-day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts." The apostle saith, "neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Shall the minister then, who' stands, as it were, between the living and the dead -shall he not speak as a dying man to dying men? Shall he feel no bowels of compassion yearning over those who are covered with the leprosy of sin, and yet, see not, hear not, and understand not the gospel remedy; but are saying, I shall have peace though I walk after the imagination of my own heart? Shall the messenger of the glad tidings of good-will to man-of pardon through the blood of Jesus, to the chief of sinners -shall he not be affected at the rejection of this gracious overture? May not the pious, zealous, and compassionate minister be excused, if he addresses himself to his drowsy or sleeping hearers in the language of the affrighted and panic struck mariners to Jonah, "What meanest thou O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God!" Does he need an apology for attempting to pluck a brand out of the burning, and to save a soul from death? Nay, rather let all who have tasted that the Lord is gracious— that Christ Jesus is a willing Saviour and able to save even to the uttermost, all that come unto God through him, and all who believe that the gospel now invites "whosoever will, to come and take of the water of life freely." Let all such hold up the hands of the faithful heralds of the cross until the Lord make their words as the fire, and as the hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces. And let the zealous minister of Christ adopt the language of the pious Doddridge : " My God, I feel the mournful themeMy bowels yearn o'er dying men; And, fain my pity would reclaim, And snatch the fire-brands from the flame, WEEK'S MEDITATIONS: BEING AN ATTEMPT TO PREPARE THE HEART FOR, AND ANIMATE IT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF DUTY. A WEEK'S MEDITATIONS, &c THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, BEING THE SABBATH, OR LORD'S DAY. MORNING MEDITATION. THIS, my soul, is the "Sabbath of the Lord;" the day of sacred rest!-how welcome should it be to my weary, thirsty, fainting spirit! but alas! how little do I appreciate the unspeakable privileges of this day! how little do I realize the blessings with which it has often been accompanied! O, to be in the spirit on the Lord's day! to feel his sacred influence on my dull and stupid heart!-to experience those hungerings and thirstings after righteousness—those longings of the mind which have been familiar to thy favoured people in all ages of the church!-Awake, O north wind! and come thou south. Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon this dry and barrren heart, that it may live! Gracious Redeemer, "Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely!" O thou whom my soul loveth, or at least desireth to love, let me sit this day under thy shadow with great delight, and let thy fruit be sweet to my taste. Let my hard and rocky heart be melted, let it be opened to attend to thy word, whether spoken or read, and let it do me good as it doth the upright in heart.-O to be enabled to adopt the language of thy servant of old, and to say, "My heart is fixed, |