And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him. When Jesus came to the place, he said to him, “make haste, and come down, for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully."

Others seeing what had taken place, murmured. But Zaccheus gave evidence of supreme attachment to Christ. He received the Saviour joyfully, and made ample restitution to all whom he defrauded. "And Jesus said unto him, this day is salvation come to this house, for as much as he also is a son of Abraham." Then follow the words of the text. man is come to seek and save that We here learn what our Saviour means by this declaration. He sought and found Zaccheus. And whenever a sinner comes to Christ, with equal propriety it may be said, "This day is salvation come to this house." "For the son of man is come to seek and to

"For the son of which was lost."

save that which was lost.' "" Every time a sinner comes down and receives the Saviour joyfully the text is fulfilled.

But there are some who have never felt that they were lost. And what does this prove? "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." 'Their case is truly deplorable. They are lost and know it

not.

Reflections.

1. We see why it is, that sinners say so little about the Saviour. They do not feel that they are lost. "They that are whole, need not a physician, but they that are sick. And Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

2. We learn from this subject why ministers preach the gospel. Although Christ has come and laid down. his life for sinners, they all with one consent, refuse to come to him for pardon and eternal life. The business of ministers is to show them their lost condition, and to urge them to come to Christ for life. This is the reason why Paul, and the other apostles preached the gospel to sinners ;-and this is the reason why missionaries are sent into all parts of the world to proclaim the gospel.

3. We learn what is the genuine effect of a preached gospel. Sinners begin to feel that they are lost, and to enquire what they must do to be saved. Until this is the case, no sinner will come to Christ. So it was under the preaching of Peter. His hearers were first pricked in the heart, and then like Zaccheus, they received the word gladly. And thus it is now wherever the gospel is preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.

4. Were sinners in this house to realize their true condition they would immediately begin to inquire what they must do to be saved.

There is one other sense in which the sinner is lost. He is wandering farther and farther from God. Were you lost in a natural sense, would you not cry for help? I will here mention a fact related by Burder.

"It was in the dead of a cold winter's night, when the snow fell thick and heavy, that a gentleman was awaked by the sound of a human voice. He arose and lifted the window, and heard distinctly uttered, in a piteous tone, these words, LOST, LOST, LOST. It was

a child who had been sent on an errand and lost his He discovered his danger, and cried for help,

way.

and happy for him, he was found." But this is nothing in comparison with the state of the sinner. He is lost in a sense infinitely more solemn; and God has sent his messengers to call "turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die."

Let it ring in your ears when you go from this place, and through the silent watches of the night, when you awake in the morning, and through the day at every turn, LOST-LOST-LOST—until you come to Christ.

But should you not wake to see the light of the morning, where are you? You will then feel what was intimated at the commencement of this discourse. You will wake up, in that world where Christ never died for sinners, in awful despair. Alas! you will say, this is the world of despair, where the gospel was never proclaimed. Christ never came to this world to seek and to save that which was lost; but to yonder world whence I came. You may feel all this before to-morrow's light shall dawn. O how solemn.

"In vain for mercy now they cry,

In lakes of liquid fire they lie;
There on the flaming billows tost,
Forever, O forever lost."

PLANS OF SERMONS,

AND

BRIEF OBSERVATIONS ON TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE.

Sir, we remember that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days, I will rise again.—Matthew xxvii: 63.

Notice.

1. The prediction. The chief priests and pharisees remembered it, talked of it, and told it to Pilate. Hence Christ must have declared it openly. The most unlikely event on which to practice deceit.

2. What a happy circumstance that they did remember it. Now they had an important object before them. If they could retain him three days in the tomb, a complete triumph would have been gained. The stone must be sealed, and be guarded by a band of soldiers. They no doubt expected to assemble on the fourth day and to examine the seal in triumph. They expected to break it and to show that the body was there. If they had not remembered, they might have said after Christ's resurrection, strange that we did not think of his prediction. Then we might have guarded the sepulchre. But this they could not say, for they had taken every precaution to prevent the possibility of fraud. But he could not be kept in the

grave. How striking that text, "whom God raised from the dead, because it was not possible for him to be holden of it."

Reflections.

1. The enemies of religion will be sure to remember, and to tell every thing which they think will work injury to the cause of Christ.

2. God will make even the wrath of man to praise him.

3. All Christ's predictions will certainly be fulfilled.

And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.-2 THESSALONIANS ii: 11, 12.

"He that believeth

1. Some errors are damnable. not shall be damned.” What errors? Generally such as prevent conviction of sin, and a sense of the justice of God-such as deny the necessity of regeneration, and such as break the force of the divine threatenings.

Objection. Cannot God convert those who embrace these errors?

Answer. Yes, if he has not declared the contrary. But does he? God can cause a crop to grow without seed. But does he? "God cannot lie."

2. Speak of the delusion.

It is strong delusion-not to be removed by argunt, or any means which man can employ. God

ls it.