pentance. What it demands is perfection; and where this is wanting, its sentence is absolute. Pardon comes in a way of grace, and repentance is a condition of grace, not of law. If we would enter into the kingdom of heaven, we must come in a way of faith. He who depends not on his own works, but through Christ believes in God as justifying the ungodly, his faith is imputed for righteousness, and accepted to justification. If pardon comes to us through the sacrifice of Christ, through this sacrifice we must seek it. Our reliance must be, not on the excellence of former works, or the value of present repentance, but on the atonement and righteousness of the Redeemer, who was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. David, penitentially imploring the pardon of his sins, acknowledged, God might justly condemn him. He pleaded no worthiness of his own, for he was deeply conscious of his guilt, but he humbly applied to God's abounding mercy. "Have mercy on me according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." "He described and ardently sought the blessedness of the man, tò whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered, and to whom the Lord imputeth not sin." The way into heaven is purity of heart and life. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." "The grace of God, which brings salvation, teaches us to live soberly, righteously and godly, and thus to look for the blessed hope of salvation through Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Purity of heart is implied in that repentance and faith, by which we first become interested in the promise of pardon; and the effects of these graces, when opportunity is given, are the works of holy obedience. We shew our faith by its good works, and our repentance by its correspondent fruits. We The character of those who shall enter into Christ's kingdom,is illustrated in this parable of the virgins, by the oil which the wise carried with them, and by their care to trim their lamps. must have grace in our hearts, and keep this grace in exercise by a faithful attendance on the duties of religion. It is not merely lighting our lamps by an external profession, that will entitle us to a place in Christ's house. The foolish virgins did this; but they were shut out from the marriage feast. It is not calling Christ our Lord, and eating and drinking in his presence, which will secure our acceptance. Many, at the last day, will plead as much as this; but will be rejected as workers of iniquity. No distinguished gifts will ensure a claim to heaven. Of some who can say, "In thy name we have cast out devils and done wonderful works," Christ will declare, "He never knew them." It is not an abstinence from the gross forms of vice, which qualifies men for the future reward. The sentence of final condemnation is grounded, not merely on acts of palpable injustice and profaneness, but on the want of benevolence and on the neglect of the duties of piety and charity. It is not an unexecuted resolution of repentance and obedience, which will open to us the door of heaven. While the foolish virgins were gone, in the hour of extremity, to buy the oil, which they ought to have procured before, and to have carried with them, the door was shut, no more to be opened. They only who had oil in their lamps, went in to the marriage. This suggests to us another important observation; that the time is coming, when the door of Christ's kingdom will be shut. Against whom will it be shut ?-Against all such fruits characters, as are the reverse of those before described-against the unbelieving, impenitent and ungod ly. It will be shut against infidels, who have heard and despised the gospel of salvation. They who know not God, and obey not the gospel of his son, will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord; they will be cast into utter darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It will be shut against hypocrites, who in words have confessed. Christ, but in works have denied him, and who for worldly ends have assumed the form, but denied the power of godliness. It will be shut against the workers of iniquity-all who have continued such, whatever pretensions they have made of regard to the gospel; for "the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Το It will be shut against delaying sinners. such the Lord will come in a time, when they look not for him, and will cut them asunder and appoint them their portion with unbelievers and hypocrites. It will be shut against the despisers of God's worship and ordinances. These shall perish wonderfully. God will perform a work, which they would not believe, though one should declare it to them. Hence the caution given by the Apostle, "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together."-" He that despised Moses' law, died without mercy; of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of God." If many, who have eaten and drunk in Christ's presence, and heard him teach in their streets, will be rejected, because they have been workers of iniquity, what will be the doom of those, who not only have been workers of iniquity, but have also treated with open contempt Christ's invitations to hear him teach in their streets, and to eat and drink in his presence? These are mockers, walking after their ungodly lusts. But some will ask, "Ought we to hear Christ teach, and to eat in his presence, while we are workers of iniquity ?" Invert the question, and it is easily answered. "Ought we to work iniquity, when we hear Christ teach, and while we eat in his presence? This is the true state of the question; and I dare say, you have already answered it. "Let every man, who names the name of Christ, depart from iniquity." What is the time here referred to, when the door will be shut? The judgment will shut the door against all impenitent sinners. "God has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness." Jesus Christ is ordained the judge. Of this God has given assurance by raising him from the dead. He, at the time appointed, will descend from heaven with an innumerable company of angels; will erect his tribunal in the air; will gather all nations before him; will separate, by an exact trial, the righteous from the wicked; will place the former on his right hand, and the latter on his left; those he will call to inherit the kingdom prepared for them; these he will doom to that place of everlastIng punishment, which was originally prepared for the devil and his angels. He will then ascend to his heavenly kingdom, and all the righteous with him. And when they shall have entered, "the door will be shut." And the wicked will be ex cluded. No arguments or intreaties will prevail Death will shut the door against all, who, at that momentous period, are found impenitent in their sins. "It is appointed to man once to die, and after this the judgment." Between these solemn events, there is no probation. There is no work in the grave. Death will therefore be as decisive of every man's eternal state, as will be the judgment. From that moment the door will be shut. The great gulf, which is fixed between paradise, and the place of torments, cannot be passed. The rich sinner in the parable could not ascend to paradise, and, being in despair, he did not even propose it; nor could Lazarus descend to the rich man's dreary abode, even though it were only to him the small refreshment of a drop of wacarry ter. Yea, the scripture gives us reason to believe, that the door of mercy may, in some cases, be shut before death. God's spirit will not always strive with men. When this finally departs, there is no repentance, and no pardon. The scripture speaks of some, who are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, and given over to a reprobate mind. Hence it cautions us "not to grieve, nor quench the Spirit;" and calls upon us to "know, in our |