Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-08-07
FROM Ihoiuck's Sermon on the Penitent Thai
POWER OF PENITENcE.

Is it then fact, | hear Won enop;re
can the last spasmodic breath. with which
the profigate breast is able to utter a
E" God have mercy on me-" drown in ST.
lence the loud cry of long, vicious lite
Tor vengeance2 Is it fact, that there
are no blood spots so dark, and so great.
that they cannot be washed away by that
solitary tear, which falls from the CLASSY
eye OF dying sinner? Obi happy mel
so let me drink deeper of il, the intoxicat-
ing cup of pleasure-I had only moisten-
ed my lips at It's very brimI Oh, Lapnv
me DO | then have my portion in 5oth
worlds; the joys of salvation and of the
present life2 Let me first pluck the
chequered, the sweet poisoned flowers
In the garden Of time, ere hasten to vour
s2otless lilies, which bloom in the garden
OF your eternity
Look at this Row the brightness of
heaven, which lies over the spectacle that
we are contemplating, is changed into the
yellow reflection of hell, for our blinded
diseased eyes 1t is true, we have re.
liglon, which teaches, that in the very in
teryal of death, between, as it were, the
llghtning's flash and its stroke. there Is
time to secure salvation. We have a
Scripture that proclaims, I" Where sin hath
abounded, grace abounds stiTl more."-
We have Savior, whom the poet fitIv
represents In. saying" Whosoever de-
votes himself to me as my servant, I
choose him as my bride; and the sin
which his heart repents of. look unou
a.. n
should you wonder at this To believe
with bruised heart to believe-what
is 1t more or less than to open the door of
the soul! When there is no penitence
and faith, this door was shut; the Savior
Knocked, but it was not opened. When.
however, it Is once opened, does be not
enter the soul, and with the Father take
up his abode therein! Does there NOT
enter within him, fhe Spirit of discipline
and pardon, whose work it is to convert
the heart of man into a temple of God p
The kingdom of God, then, with all its
treasures, is within such a soul, and win
you shut the door of heaven upon it. and
leave it Without
The blind man, who, as he rushes IN
on the precipice, is suddenly restored to
sight, and who, with lifted arms and ioy-
ful thanksgiving, springs back from the
abyss, seizes and kisses the good hand
that touched his eyes, and will never more
let 1t go-will you make no distinction
between this blind man, and such an on,,
as will not receive the kind hand that was
about to touch his eye-lids, but thrusts Il
back, until more convenient season q
Blind man ! and how do you know that
the hand will ever come to you again p.
do you suppose, that it will come to You
Just as soon as you will To become peni-
tent to shed tears of cOntrition, to exer-
else faith? Oh, brethren, so perhans
many of you may have already experienc.
ed these hottest of all tears; they flow not
barely when the man wills to have them.
Have you not heard of the judicial obdu-
racy which comes over those who turn
the grace of God into RIGHTEOUSNESS 2 Be-
lieve me, in the inward life of the sinner.
to whom the grace Of God would give the
sighings of repentance, and the tears of
contrition. and the blessedness of faith.
but he will not receive the gif-there
will come to him hours of slumberine.
when the breast shall heave no more signs.
the eye shall shed no more tears, and the
hands. though they shall fold themselves
convulsively, yet shall not be able to ex-
tort a prayer; when the anchor of long
ing desire, thrown out on all sides, shall
find no bottom to which it may cleave.-
Be not deceived, God will not be mock
ed Oh, the Holy Spirit which inviteth
man to repentance, is a tender Spirit
once sent away, he comes back again
reluctantly and rarely. Of them who do
evil, so that good may come. the word of
truth testifes, their "damnation is JUST
mn xryo~Lsug Me- A., g. ~