CONVERSION.

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 2321, 25 August 1898, Page 62

CONVERSION.

A sermon delivered on Sabbath morning, October 7, 1855. by the liev. C. H. Spurgeon,

ai, Now Park street Chapel, Soufchwailc

" Brethren, if .any of you do err from ihe truth, and one convert him, let him know that ho which convcrteth a sinner from the errr>' of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hidd a multitude of sins."— James v. 13, 20.

The true belie\er is always pleaded to hear of anything which concerns the salvation of his own soul. He rejoices to hear of the covenant pJan drawn up for him fiom yll eternity, of the great fulfilment on tho cro3b at Calvary, of all the stipulations 'of the Saviou' 1 , of the application of them by tri; Holy Spirit, of the security which the believer has in the person of Christ, and of those gifts and graces which accompany salvation to an thoso who are heiis theieof. But I feel certain that, deeply pleased as we arc when we hear of things touching our own salvation pel deliverance from hell, we, as preachcis of God, and as new creatures m Christ, being made like unto him, have true beuevolence of spirit-, and therefore arc always delighted when we hear, speak, or think concerning the salvation of others. Next to our own salvation, 1 am &iu-c, as Christians we shall always prize the sabatiou of other people; wo .shall always desiro that what has been so sweet to o\u own taste may also bo tasted by others; and what has been of so inestimably precious a \alue to our own souls may also become the property of all those whom God may pleaseto call unto everlasting hie. I am sure, beloved, now that I am about to preach concern ing tho conversion of the ungodly, you will take as deep an interest in it as if it wore something that immediately concerned your own souls, for, after all, such weie some cf you once. You were imconvcrted and ungodly, and had not God taken thought for you and set his people to strive for your souls, where had yo-i been? Seek, then, to excercise that charity arel benevolence towards others which God and God's people fir&t cxcoiciscd towards you. Our text has in it, first of all, a principle involved— that of instrumentality: "Brethren, it any of you do eir fiom the truth, and ojip convcil him, let him know that he who convevteth a smner fiom the error of his way &hail save a soul from death." Secondly, here ia a general fact stated: Ho who convcrtcth a pinner fiom the ciror of his way shall cave a soul fiom death, and shall hide a multitude of sn.s." And thirdly, there is a particular applcation of this fact made- "Brethren, if any of you do err fiom the truth and one coi:veit him,"— -that is tho same principle as when a sinner is convcited " fiom the erior of his voy." L Fir&t, then, there is a great pimciple involved — a vciy lirpoitanl one: that of instrumentality. God has been pleased m his msciulable wisdom and intelligence to work the conversion oi others by lnslrumcjitalily. Irae, ho does not in all cases fo do, but it is his general w,iy. Jn&ljuincnlality is the plan >-i iho univciso. In the new cication it is almost always God's invariable nile to convert by means of instruments. Now we will makcono or two brief rcmaiks upon this first principle. First, thon, we say that insliiunentahty is i.ot necessary with God. God can if he pleases convert souls without any instruments whatsoever. The mighty Maker who chooses to übe tho bwoid sometimes can if he pleases lay without it. Ho who uses the workman, tne trowel, and the hummer, can, if he so Bees fit, build the house in a moment, and from the

foundation stone even to the topitone thereof can complete it by the words of his own movtli. \Ve nevjr hear of any instiinucnt used in the ccnvi-rsion of Abiaham. He lived m a fai oft land in the midst of idolalois, but he was called Ur of the Chaldecs, and thence God called linn and brought him to Canaan by an immediate voice, doubtlcv from above, by God's own agency, without tho employment of any prc/phct; for we road of rone vko could, ps far as we can ace, have preached to Abi ihair and taught him the tiuth. Then in moderi times v's have a mighty instance of the po-.vei: of God i'l coinciding without human mr ; i> + . Saul, in lm jomr.ey'tovnrds Damascus upon his hoi&o, fic'tj and full of fuiy affair. st the clnidien of God, is hastening to liail men and women and cast them into piison ; to biLic; tLom bound unto Jausalcm; but. on a su~Mv>a v voice i<s heard from heaven, " Saul, Saul, why persecuted thou mo-" And Saul wa& a new man No mirk'tcr was his .spinturd paleut, 710 book could claim him as its oonvcit; no human voice; but the immediate ulterancs of Jesus C'irist him&ulf at onco, theie and then, and ipon the spot, b; ought Stuil to know the truth. Moieover, there me some men vho pcem never to need conversion at all; for v,o have one instance in Scupture of John tlie Bprljst, of whom it is> sa.c!, "He was filkJ with the Holy Spirit, cveii fiom his moihei's womb." And I do not luiow but what there are tome who very early in life have- a rharnp of heart. It is quite ceitam that all infants (who, doubtle&s, being each of them elect, do a&ccnd to heaven) ni:deigo a change of heart without iiujliumeritohty . and so Uioie jiiay be some concerning whom It may bo written, that though they were born in rin nd fihapen in iniquity, yet thpy were so ci -ly taught to know the Lord, co soon brought to h:s name, that it must have been almost without instrument at all. God ciui if he plea&eH cj=t the inshument aFido. Tho mighty Mik<.i of the world, who used no angols to beat out great mass of natnic and fashion it into a louud globe, he v/ho without hammer or snvil fashioned thi-3 glorious ■world, can if ho plcascJ speak, and it is done; command and it shall stand fast. He needs not instruments, though he uses them.

Secondly, we make another remark, which is that instrumentality is vciy honourable >o Cod, &nd not dishonourable. One would think, porhaus, at first sight that it would ]cflect more glory to God if he effected all coiivereions himself, without the use of men ; bat that is a great mistake. Jt is as honourable to God to convert by moans of Christians and othcis as it would be if he should effect it alone. Suppose av> orkman has power and skill with his hands aloiic to fashion a ceitam article, Init yon put into his hands tho wov&t of tools you can find; you know he can do it well with his hands, but these tools are to badly made that they will bo the greatest impediments you could lay in his way. Vv 7 cl!, now, 1 say, if a man with these bad inhtmments or these poor tools — things without edges— that are broken, that are weak and frail, is ablo to make some beauteous fabric, he has snore credit from the Uoe of those tools thna ho wou.id have had if he had done it simply with his hand?, because ths tools, so far fiom being an advantage to him, so far fiom being a help, are on my supposition even a delri-lnc-ut to him m his work. So with xegaid to human mstrcuneatality. So far fiom being ai>y assistance lo God, we arc all hindicmcos co him. What is a minister? Ho is made by God a m edits of p alvati on ; but it is a won'l'rful thing that any ono po faulty, fo imperfect, so little skilled should yet be'WcPsed o£ God to bringing foitli childten tor the Lord Jesus. T' 1 fcponi'i as marvellous a? if a man should fashion rain tiom fire or if he should fabricate some precious alabaster vane out of the ltfuso of the dunrbill. God in his mercy doc 3 n.oio than make Christians without means; he takes bad moain to make good men with; airl so he <\on ic-iiccts cicdit on himself. b'^iMfc his instmments aie all of them such poor tilings. They aie all such oanhen vowels thai they do but yet off the trloiy ol the c,old v.ldcu they hold, Hko the foifthat Fttlcth forth the jewel, or like tho dak spot in the pauui/i" that inak--"--' the hglit mote biilliaut: tircl yet the> dark r <pot and the foil are not hi themselves costly or valuable. So God u&es in&tiuments to set forth his own glory and to exalt himself.

This bungs tis (o the other remark, that ii-vmlly God doo^ employ instruments. Perhaps m one cs°c out of a thousand men siro converted by the immediate agency of God — and so, indeed, arc all in one &ei>3c — but usually, in ninety-nine cases out of a bundled, God is pleaded to use tho insluimentplity of his ministering servants, of his Word, of Chuv tian men, or pome other means to bring us to the Saviour. I have heard of some — I leincmber them now — who were called, like Saiil, -t ence ironi heaven We can lemember the history of the bi other who in the d&ikuefss of the night was called to know the Saviour by what he" beheved to be a vision from heaven, 01 some effect on the. imagination. On one f.ide he saw a black tablet of his guilt, and his scail wae delighted to 3eo Christ cast a white tablet over it; and he thought ho heard a voice that said, " I am he that bloltcth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy 0i1. a." There was a man converted almost without instrumentality; but you do i:ot meet with such a case cften. Most per&ous have been coi'vim-ed by the pious conversation of sisters, by the holy example of mothers, by the minister, by the Sabbath school, or by tho reading of tracts or by the perusing of Scripture. Let us not the) efore believe that- V<xl will oft^n work without instruments; let us not sit down silently ana say, "God will do his own woik." It \3 quite true he will ; but then he does Ins work by uaing his children as msltuments. He does not &ay to the Chxistian man when he is cor vert id, " Sit down; I have nought for thee to do, but I will do all myself and have all the glory." No ; he says," Thou art a poor, weak instrument; thou canst On nothing; but, lo! I will strengthen thee, and 1 will make thee thrash the mountains and beat them hiuall, and maku the hills as ehnfT; a>,d so shall I get more honour through thy having done it than I should had mine own strong aim smitten the mountains and broken them in pieces."

Now another thought, and that is— lf God sees fit to make use of any of us for the conversion of otheis, we must not therefore be too sure that we t/e cnuveited ourselves. It is a most solemn thought that God nwkes u.se of ungodly men as instruments for the conversion of "sinners. And it is strange that so/nc most terrible acts of wickedness have been the means of the conversion of men. "When Charles II ordeic-d the Book of Sports to be read in the churches, and after the service tho clergyman was required to read to all the people k> spend tiie afternoon in what are called haimless diversions and games that I will not mention ] lero — even that was made the moans of conversion; for one man said within himself, "I have always disported myself thus on the Sabbath day ; but now to hear this read in church! how wicked we must have become! how the whole land must be coirupted." It led him to think of his own conuption, and bi ought him to tho Saviour. Theie have been words uioceedmg, I had almost said fiom devils, which have been tho means of conversion. Grace is noL spoiled by the rotten wooden spoilt 4 runs tlncxi^li. ' God did once speak by an f-ss to Balaam, but that did not spoil his woula. So he specks, not simply by an ass, which lie cften do'-s, but by something worse than thsH. Mo ran fill the mouths of lavcns with food for an Elijah, and yet the raven is a lavcn still. We mv.it not suppose because God hsw< made us useful that we arc theicfore converted ourselves.

Bu 1 , then another thing. If God in ais mercy does not make us useful to the conversion of sinncis, wo are not therefore to say wo aro sure wo are not tho children of God. I believe there »re some mimsters who havo

had tho painful labour of telling from year to year without seeing a single soul regenerated. Yet those nic-n have been faithful to then clnv ? > anc^ bave well di=ehoigcd t !i 0K ministry, I do not say this such cases oitc?i occiu-, but I believe they have occurred sometimes. Vet, mark jou, tho end of their ministry has been susv.-citcl ifter oil. For what is the ond of the gospel ministry? Some wjH ■say it is to convett smneis. 'Xhit is a collateral oik". Oihei-s will fay it L to convert tho ;-pint3. That is tine. But the pioper rn.-sv,-cr to l'ivc is — it i» to <,!oiify <Scd, and God is trlor'ficd even in the damnation of Funnels. Ir I te^n'y to them the truth of God and they j eject his" s-ospel; it I faithfully pieneh Llrs tiuth and lh<"y ferom it, my ministry i.> net th^ref'Tte void. It has not ic turned to God -void, irr e.-ea ia fie punishment of tho.^c ic-1-ols ho wiU ba glojiti.vl, even xn their destruction lie v ill get lmiifolt honour; and if lie cpiiiiot gel piaise fiosn their songH, he v.nU at l;<'-t yet "'itioili- f i cm their coiidemjiaiio-i and o". eithiow, when he shall cast them ir'o the fiio for ever. The tme ir.otive for which v/« fthculd ahvpyri labour is the gloiy of Oo'l in the coi.erf-ion of rouk j nnd the lriildu.y up of (ioo's people; but let us ne\er loio pjght of tL" f-,icau cad. Let God bo flotiiicci, and he will be if wo preach Ins tiuth iaithlully and hoaeftiy. f-'o, thciefoio, v/lulc we should &cdlj for fcf.uis, if God denies them Uiito us, let us not f-ay, "I vill not have other meicios thnfc ho lnj RiVv.ii," but let v; coinioit oiutolves with the thought thrtt tliough they be not savr-d, tliou^li Israel bo lot gathered in, God will g.l m i f y .T".d honour us ::t Li&t.

Oi-'e thought more upon this subject — God by u?i']g us as instiuments confers upon u-i tho highest honour which me-i can receive O beloved! L da-re Jiot dilate upon this. It r-hould -uiako our hcaits bum at the thought of it. It makes us 'feel thrice honouied that God rhould use us to conveit souls: and it is only the grace of God which teaches us on the other hand that it i 3 grace and grace ,'ilouo which makes us useful : which can keep us humble under the thought that we aie bi inging f-ou'a to the Saviour. It is a v.oik which he who has once entered on, if God has blessed him cannot rer ounce. Tie will be impatient; ho will long to win more souls to Jcnis, he will account that toil is but rest, lie will think thit labour is but eAse, so that by any means he may save some, and biinq nic/i to Jesurs. Olory and hojiouv, praise and power be unto God that he thus honours his people. But when he exalts us moot, we will still conclude with, " Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be oil the glory for ever and

11. Secondly, wo, come to the general fact, " lie who converteth the sinner .from the eiror of his way shall save a r-oul from death, Mid shall hide a multitude cf fcin.s." Th<- choice at happiness which rao/tal hi east can know n the happiness of bsue%olonce — of doing good to our fellow creaturecs. To bave a body iiom death is that which gives us almost heaven on earth. Some men can boast that they have sent po many rouls to perdition ; that thoy hav.j hurled many of their fellows out cf the world. We meet, now and then, a poldier who can glory that in battlo he down so many foemen; that his swift and cruel swoid i cached the hcait of so many of hi.*' oaemies; but I TO , ra t Bo t that glory. If I J Jvouglit I hon been the me ana of the death of a single individual, methmks I should scarce rest at night, tcr h?. uneasy ghost of that murdered wictch would staic mo in mine eyes. I should remember I had slain him, and perhaps .sent his eoul^ nnshiiven and nuwashed iuto the presence of his Maker. It seems to me wondeilnl that men can bo found to be soldiers: 1 fry not if it be right or wioii^j, still I wonder where they can find the men. I know not how after a battle they can wash their hands of blood, wipe their awotds find put them by, and then lie down to slumber and Iheiv eh cams be undistmbed. Mcthniks tho tcais would fall hot and scalding on my dice!- ;'t night and the shrieks of the dying" and tho gioans of those appio.iching eternity would toituie mine eai. I know not ho\v othws can endure it. To me it would bo tho voiy poital of holl, if I could think I had been a destioyer of my lellow-ciealuics. But what bliss is it to bo 'the int-tnvmeni. of saving bodies fiom death! Those monks o.i Mount St. Bernard, surely, must feel happiness when they rescue men fiom death. The dog comes to the door, and they know what it nievnis; he has discovered some poor weary tiavellci- who has lain him down to sleep in the pnow, ;.nd is dying from cold and exhaustion. Up lise the moi-ks fiom their cheerful fire, intent to act the good Samaritan to the lost one At last they see him ; they speak to him, but he answers not. They try to discover if there is breath in his body, and they think ho is di-ad. They take him up, give him remedies, and hastening to their hostel, they lay him by the file, and warm and chafe him, looking into his face with kindly anxiety, as much *s to say, " Poor creature! art thou dead?" When at la-st they perceive some heavings of the luugp, what joy J3 in tho breasts ot those brethj ron, as they oay, "His life is not extinct!" Methinks if there could be happiness on earth it would be the piivilege to help to chafe one. hand of that poor, almost dying man, and no the menus of bringing him to life again. Or, suppose another case. A house is in flames, and in. it is a woman and her children, who cannot by any means escape. In vain she attempts to come down stairs; the flames prevent lor. She has lost all presence of mind, and kuowo not how to act. The strong man comes, pnd says, "Make way! make way! I !OT 4 «aye that woman!" And cooled by the genial streams of benevolence, he maichcs throimh the iiie. Though scorched and almost stiliccf, he gropes his way. He ascends one staircase then another; and though the stairs totter, ho places the woman beneath his aim, takes a child on his shoulder, and down^ he comes, twice a giant, having moie might thr.n he ever possessed before. He has jeopardised his life, and porhpps an aim may bo disabled or a limb taken away or a sense lost o.- an uijury irretrievcably done to his body; yet he claps his hands and says, "' I have saved lives from death!" The crowd in the street hail him as a man who has been the deliverer of his fellow-creatures, honouring him more than the monarch who had stoimed a city, sacked a town, and murdered myriads. But, ah! brethren, the body which was "aved from death to-day may die to-morrow. Not so the soul that is saved from death: it is saved everlastingly. It is saved beyonel the fear of destruction. And if there be ]oy in the breast of a benevolent man when he saves a body from death, how much moie ble.-sed must ho be when he is made the means in the hand of God of saving " a soul fiom death, and hiding a multitude of sins'" Suppose that by soms conversation of yours, you aie made the mean* of delivering a soul from death. My friends, you are apt to mugine that all conversion is under (Joel done by the minister. You make a great mistake. There Pie many conversions effected by a veiy simple observation, from tho met humble individual. A single woid spoken may bo more the iucmus of touvor«ion than a V/holo scimon. Thcic you sit before me. I thrust at you, but you aie too far off. Sony biothoi, however, addresses an obsei ration *<?> you — A is a vei'y stab -with a shoit poignaid in your he.ufc. (lod oiten blesses v short, pithy oxpiession fiom a flieud moie than a long diKcoiuso fiom a minister. There was once in a village, where there had been a levival in ieligion, a man who was a confiimcd mfid^l. Notwithstanding all the efforts of the minister and many Christian people, lie had resisied all attempts, and prepared to be more and moio confirmed -in his sin. At length the people hold a prayer mooting specially to intercede for his soul. Afterwards God put it into tho

heart of die of the elders of tho chuich to spend a night in pi aye r in behalf of tho poor infidel. In the morning the elder ioso froja his knees, saddled his horse, and lode down to the Jinn's smithy, lie mesnt to say a great dc-al to him, but he simply went up to him, took hi. 'a by the h-ind, and all he could say was, " O. air! 1 am deeply concerned for j-our salvation. I have been wiestling with my God all this nighfc for your salvation." He could say ro moie, his heail was too full. He then mounted on his horse and iodo away again. Down ■went the blacksmith's hammer, pnd he wont immediately to sco ln-i wife. She said, " What is the mutter with you?" "Matter enough," said the man; I l.aic been attackod with a new argument this time. Thero is elder JJ • Ins been here this niomuig, and ho said, 'I pm concerned about joiu- salvation.' Why, now, if he is conce nod about my salvation, it is a sLiange thing that I am not concerned about it." The mini's heait -was clean captured by that kind v.ord fiora tho elder; ho took his ov, n horse and rode to the eider's house. When he an-ived tLeio tho elder was in his pnilouv, still in pitiycr, fid they knelt down together. God &-VC him a coatntc spirit and a broken heart, and bioiifjhi thai poor sinner to the feet of tliO Saviour. There was " a soul saved from death, and a multitude of sins covered."

Again, you may be tho means of conversion by a letter you may witc. ilany of \ou have iiot the power to speak oi say much ; but when jou sit dov'ii alone in your chamber you are nblc, v/ith God's help, to write a- letter to a dear mend of youis. Oh! I think that is ave^y sweet w.iy lo endea-. our to be useful. I think I never felt so much earnestness after the ."ouls of my fellow creatiuos as when I lirst loved the Saviour's name, and though [ could not preach, and never thought I should bo able to testify to the multitude, I used to write texts on liftle scraps of paper and drop them anywhere, that some poor creatures might pick them up, and leccr/o them as messages of mercy to their souls. There is your brother. Ho i.s careless and haidoned. Sister, sit down mid write a letter to him ; whea he receives it, he will pel haps smile, but ho will saj - , ''Ah, well! it is Betsy's letter after all!" And that will have some power. I knew a gentleman whose dear sister used often i-o write to him concerning his eoul. " I used," said be, 'to stand with my back up ugaiust a lamp posf, with a cigar iv my mouth, peihtips at 2 o'clock in the morning, to read her letter. 1 always icad them; and I have," said he, " wept floods of tears after reading my sister's letters. Though 1 still kept on tho error of my ways, thoy always checked mo; they always Beemecl a hand pulling mo away from sin ; a voice crying out, 'Come back! come back!'" Ay.d at last a letter fiom her, m conjunction with a. soli'iMi piovideiice, was the rde&iiß of breaking liijj hovul, and he sought salvat-'on through a S.iviour.

Again. Many have been converted by the example of true Christians. Many of you feel that j ou cannot write or preach, and you think you can do nothing. Well, there is one thing you can do for your Mastei — you can live ChHfclhniiy. I think there aie more people who look cvt the new life m Christ written out dn you than they will m the old life that is v. ritten in the Sciiptmcs. Ap infidel will use atgiu.iciits to disprove the Bible if you set it beloio iuu; but if you do to others as you would that thoy should do to you, if you give of jour bicad to the poor and disperse to tho needy, living like Je3us, speakiug woidn of kindness anel love, and living honestly and uprightly in the world, lie will say, " Well, I thought the Bible v,as all hypociiay; but I cannot think so now, because there is Mr So-oiid-so, ceo how ho lives. ] could believe my infidelity if it were not for him. The Bible certainly has an effect upon his life, and therefoio I must believe it.

And then how many souls iiiny be converted by v hat some men are piivilcgcd to wiite and print. There is "Dr Doddndge's ilibe tin I Pro^iufs of l'eligion. Though I decidedly ob jeet to sonic things in it, I could wish that cvoiybody had read that book, so many havo boon the conversions it has produced. 3 think it moio honour to have written " AV?tts's Psalms and Hymns than " Milton's Paradise Lost," and more glory to have written that book of old Wilcocka, " A Drop of Honey," or the tract that God has used so much — " The Siauer's Friend " — th.vi all the books of Homer I value books for the good they may do to men's souls. Much as I respect the gcnni3 of Pope or Diydcn or Burns, give hiq tho simple linos of Cowper, that God has owned in bringing souls to him. Oh! to think that wo may write and print books which shall res oh poor sinne-is" heaits. The other day my coul was gladdened exceedingly by an invitation from a pious wouuu to go and nee her. She told me phe had been 10 years on her bed, and hfi.d not been able to stir from it. " Xine years, ' she stud, " I was dark and blind and unthinking; but my husband brought me one of your sermons. I i ■ .<■& it, and God blessed it to tho opening of my eyes. He converted my soul with it. And now, all glory to him! I lovo his name! Each Sabbath morning," she s?id, " I wait for your seimon. I live on it _ all the week, as marrow and fatness to my spirit." Ah! thought I, there is something to cheer the piinters and nil of us who labour in tlu.i g-ood work. One good brother wrote to rce this week: "Brother Spurgcon, keep your courage up. You are known iv multitudes ot households of ' England, and you are loved too; though v,-e cannot hear you or sec your lining form7yct throughout our villages j r our sermons aio bctiHrrrd. And I 3a3ow oi cases of conversion from them, more than I cm tell you." Anoiber frjrnd mentioned to me an instance of a clergyman of tho Church of England, a* canon of a cathedral, who frequently pieaehos the sermons on the Sabbath — whether in the cathedral or not 1 cannot say, but I hope he doc 3. Oh! who can tell, when these things are plintcd, what hearts they may reach, what good they may effect? Words that I spoke thieo weeks ago eyes are now peiusiug, while tears are gushing from them as they read' " Glory be to God most high!"

But, after all, preaching is the oidainecl means for tlu salvation of sinners, and by this ten times as many are brought to the Saviour as by any other Ah ! my friends, to have been the means of saving fouls from death by preaching — vhat an honour! Tlicie is a young man. who lis.3 not long commenced his ministerial career. When ho cntcis tho pulpit everybody notices what a deep solemnity there is upon him, beyond his years. His face is while and blanched by an unearthly solemnity; liia body is fhrivclled up by his labour; constant study and midnight lamp have worn him away ; but when he speaks ho utters wondrouß words that lift tho soul up to heaven. And the agcel saint says, '"Well, ne'er did I go so near to heaven as whon I li&tenod to his voice !" Thero comes in some gay young man, who listens and criticises his aspect. He thinks it is by no means such as to be desired ; but ho listens. One thought strikes him, then another. See you that man? He has been moral all his life long; but ho has never been renewed. Now teai a begin to flow down his cheeks. Just put your car against his breast, and you will hear"hnu groan out, " God be merciful to me a sinner." Ah! good reward for a withered fiame oi a mined constitution! Or, take another cuse. A man is preaching the Woid of God. He is standig up to deliver his Master's message ; and in steals some poor harlot. Such, p, c?se I knew not long ago. A poor harlot dateimined she would go and take her life on Blackfriara Bridge. Passing by these doors one Sunday night), she thought she would step in, and for the last time hear something Ihafe might prepare her to stand before her Maker. She forced herself into the aisle, and she could not escape until I ioso from the pulpit, The

text was, " Scest thou thi3 woman?" I dwelt upon Mary Magdalene and her sins ; her Trashing the Saviour's feet with her teara, and wiping them with tho hair of her head. There stood the woman, melted away with the thought that she should thus hear hor&elf described and her own lifo painted. Oh! to think of saving a poor harlot from death, to deliver such an one from goiug down to the grave, and then, as God pleased, to save her soul from going down to hell! Is it not worth ten thousand lives, if wo could sacrifice them all on the altar of God? When I thought of this text yesterday, I could only weep to think that God should have so favoured me. Oh, men and women ! how can ye better spend your time and wealth than in the cause of the. Redeemer? What holier enterprise can ye engage in than this sacred on 6 of saving souls from death, and hiding a multitude of sins? This is a wealth that ye can take with you — the wealth that has been acquired under God, by having saved souls from, death, and covered a multitude of sins.

I know there are some before the throne now ■who first wept the penitci tial tenr in this house of piayer, and who thanked God ihat they had listened to this vcice; and mefcliinks they have a tender and affectionate love still for him whom God honoured thus. Minister of the gospel, if you on earth are privileged to win souls, I think when you die those epiritj v ill rejoice to bo your guardian angels They will say, " Father, that man is dying whom wo love; may we go and watch him?" "Yoa," saith. God, "ye may go, and cany heaven with you." Down come the spirits, minist»i-ing angels, and oh! how lovingly they look on U3. They would if they could strike oxit the furrow from the forehead, and take tho cold, clammy sweat with their own blessed hands away. They must not do it; but, oh! how tenderly they watch that suffering man who was made the means of doing good to their souls; and when ho opens his eyes to immortality he shall reo them like guards around hia bed, and hear them say, " Come with us; thrice welcome, honourad servant of God, come wit'i ■us." And when he speeds his way upwards towards heaven on strong wings of faith, these spirits who stand by him will clap their wings behind him, and he will enter heaven with Many orowns upon his head, each of which lie will delight to cast at the feet of Jesus. Oh, ■brethren, if ye turn, a sinner from the error of his way, remember ye L&ve saved a soul from death, and hidden a multitudo of sins.

111. The application I can only just mention. It is this: that he who is the means of the con\ei*sion of a sinner does, under God, " cave a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins " ; but paiticular attention ought to l.c paid to backsliders; for in bringing backsliders into the church there is as much honour to God as m bringing in sinners. " Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him." Abs! the poor backslider Is often the moat forgotten. A member of the church has disgraced his profession; the church excommur-icated him, and ho was accounted "a heathen m&n and a publican." 1 Inirw of men of good f landing in the gospel jainistiy wha ten yeara ago fell into sin; and that is thrown in our teeth to this very day. Do you speak of them? you are at once informed, " Why ten years ago they did so-and-so." Brethren, Christian men ought to be ashainid of themselves for taking notice of such thing-, so long afttrwards. True, we may use more caution m our dealings; but to yepioach a fallen brother for what he did so long 1 ago is contrary to the spirit of John, who went after Peter, three clays after he had denied liis Master with otths end curses. Nowadays it is the fashion, if a man falls, to have nothing to do with him. Men say, "He is a bad fellow; we will not go after him." Beloved, EupDo36 he is the woist; 19 not that the reason wsiy you should go most after him? Suppose lie never wag a child of God — suppose he never Irnew the truth, is not that the greater reason why you should go after him ? Ido not understand yoiir mawkifh modesty, your excessive pride, that won't let you go after the chief of sinners. The worso the case, the more is the reason why we should go. But suppose tho man is a child of God, and you have cast him oil— remember, he h your brother; he is one with Christ as much as you are; he is justified, he has the same righteousness that you ha<rej and if, when he has sinned, you despise him, in that you despise him yon despise his Master. Take heed! Thou thyself inayest be tempted, and inayest one day fall. Like David, thou mayest walk 011 the top o: thine house rather too high, and thou inayest ceo something which will bring theo to bin. Then what wilt thou say, if then the brethren pass thee by with a sneer, and take 10 notice of theo? Oh! if wo have one backslide.- connected with our church, let its toke pvseei?! cai-e of him. Don't deal hardly with him. Recollect you would have been a baclsr fe'ider 100 if it were not for the gra-ce of God. i £tiv:so yo"a, whenever you see piofessors living m sin to be very shy of them; but if after a, time jou see any sign of renentance, or if you do not. go and seek out the lost sheep of the house 01 Icrael; for remember, thai if one of ycu do err fiom tho truth, a.id one convert him, let him remember that "he who conveiteth the sinner fiom the error of his ,vay shall savo a soul fiom death, and sha.ll hide a multitude of sins."

" Backsliders, vho your misery feel, 1 ' I will come after you one moment. Poor backslider, thou wast once a Christian. Dost thou hope thou wast? "No," sayest thou, '"I believe I deceived myself and others; I was no child of God." Well, if thou didst, let me tell thee that if thou wilt acknowledge that, God will forgive thee Suppose you did deceive the church, thou art not the first 1-hat did it. There are some member-} of this church, T fear, v-ho liave done so, and we have not found them out. I tell you your cn^e is not hopeless. That is not the unpardonable sin. Some who have tried to deceive the very elect have yet been delivered; and my Master says he is able to Rave to the uttermost (and ye have not gone beyond the uttermost) all who come unto him Came thou, Ihe:i, to his feet; cast thyself on his morcy; and though thou didst once enter 1m camp as a spy, he will not nan™ thee up for -t. but will bo glad to get thee nnyhow as a trophy oi morcy. But if thou wast a child of God, and canst say honestly, " I know I did love linn, and ho loved me," I tell thee life loves i,hc3 still. If thou hast gone over so far astray, thou art as much his child as ever. Though thou ha3t run away from thy Father, come back, come back, he is thy Father still. Think iipt he has unsheathed the sword to slay thee. Say noi, '" Ho has cast me out of the family." jlv has not. His bowels yearn cror theo nov. My Father loves thee; come then to his feet, and ho will not even remind thee of what thou hait done. The prodigal was going to tell his Father a-11 his sins, and to ask him to mako him one of his hired servants, but the Father stopped his mouth. Me let him spy that ha was not worthy to bo called his son, but ho Tfould not let him say, " Make me as an hired servant." Come back, and thy Father will receive thee gladly; he will put his aims mound thee, and kiss thee with the kisses of his love, ajid he will aay, " I hare found thia any son thnfc wi>s lost; L have recovered this f heop ohftt had gone .istray." My Father loved theo without works, he justified thee lrrerfpec•five of them: thou hast r.o !e»» merit now Ihon thou had*t then. Coma and tuiat and believe in h,"m.

Lastly, you vrlio believe you arc not backsliders, if you aie saved, remember thai a soul is saved from death, and ;> multitude oC sins hidden. Oh, ray friends, il T might out bo a hund red-handed innn to catch you rill, I would lore to bo &c. If aught I could say could win your souls— if by preaching hoio

from now till midnight I might by any possibility capturo some of you to the love of the Saviour, I -would do it. Some of you are speeding your way to hell blindfolded. My hcareis, I do not deceive you, you Are going lo perdition as fast as time can carry you. Some of you aro deceiving yourselves with the thought that you are righteous, and yea are not so. Many of you have had solemn warnings, and have never been moved by them. You have admired the way in which the warning has been given, but the thing itself has ncvei entered your heart. Hundreds of you are without God and without Christ; strangers to the commonwealth of Israel ; and may I not plead with you? Is a gloomy religious system to hold me captive and never let me speak? Why, poor hearts, do you know your sad condition? Do you know that " God is angry with the wicked every day"? that "the way of transgressors is haid " ? that " he that believeth not is condemned already " ? Has it never been told you that " he that believeth not shall be damned"? and can you stand damnation? My hearers, could you make your bed in hell? Could you lie down in the pit? Do you think it would bo an easy portion for your souls to bo rocked on waves of flame for ever, and to be tossed about with demons in the place where hope cannot come? You may smile now, but will not smile &oon. God sends me as an ambassador now; but if ye listen not Lo me, he will not send an ambassador next time, but an ixecationer. There will be no wooing words of mercy soon : the only exhortation thou wilt hear will be the dull, cold voice of death, that shalt say, " Come with mo." Then thou wilt not bo in the place whore we sing God's praises, and where righteous prayers are daily offered. The only music thou wilt hear will be the sighs of the damned, the shrieks of fiends, and the yelling? of tha tormontod. O may God in his mercy snatch you as brands j from the fire, to be trophies of his gince I throughout eternHy. The way to be saved is 10 j " renounce thy works and ways with grief," ■ and fly to Jesus. And if now thou art a conscience striken sinner, that is all I want. If thou wilt confess that thou art a sinner, that ia all God requires of thee, and even that he gives theo. Jesus Christ says, " Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest." Do you hear his wooingwords? Will yo turn from his sweet looks at mercy? Has his cross no influence? have his wounds no power to bring you to his feet? Ah, then, what can I say? The arm of the Spirit, which is mightier than man, alone can mako hard hearts melt and bow stubborn wills to the ground. Sinners, if you confess your sins this morning, there is a Christ for you. You need not say, " Oh, that T kno.v where to find him." Tho Word is nigh thee, on thy lips, and in thy heart. If thou wiit with thino heart believe, and with thy mouth confess, the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt be saved; for

He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; and he that believelh not shall be damned."