lives and souls of her fellow-creatures! And is not this an important cause of rejoicing to the blessed inhabitants of heaven? And ought we not, with increasing alacrity, to employ every proper means, in order to increase the number of such useful examples of the efficacy of religious instruction, and the power of divine grace?

3d. It is manifest from the sacred scriptures, that there are two grand interests, or kingdoms, in the world: that of God and his Christ; and that of the devil and his angels and servants. All impenitent sinners remain among the latter, and are the subjects and "children of the wicked one." But Christ" was manifested to destroy the works "of the devil." "The serpent and his seed bruised "the Redeemer's heel," when he hung upon the cross: but even on the cross he triumphed over the devil; and the penitent thief was an illustrious trophy of his victory. Thus every true penitent, through successive generations, is another trophy of this victory, infinitely more durable than those monuments which men erect to perpetuate the memory of their achievements and successes, and coeval with the glorious conqueror's own eternity. In the sinner's repentance and conversion Satan is foiled and disappointed, and receives another stroke, all tending finally to crush his head and subvert his usurped domination. This appears, in some measure, at present: but, "when the Lord Jesus "shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on "them that know not God, and that obey not "the gospel," he will also "come to be glorified "in his saints, and admired in all them that be

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"lieve:" and the case of every one, while exciting in all others the admiring exclamation, "What "hath God wrought!" will reflect additional glory on the great deliverer, and, as it were, add fresh laurels to his crown. While then he calls on us and says, "Rejoice with me," in my triumphs over my great enemy and yours, as an earnest of complete and eternal victory; shall we not readily comply with the call? And shall any of his friends search for objections against those methods which he evidently blesses in bringing sinners to repentance? Shall we even presume to forbid men to cast out devils in his name, "because they fol"low not with us," and do not altogether adopt our plans? Were he on earth as man, even his gracious countenance would, on such an occasion, wear a frown, and he would say, "Ye know not "what manner of spirit ye are of."

Whether, therefore, we consider the eternal and infinite advantage accruing to the penitent himself; or the mischief prevented, and the good done to others, or made way for, by his conversion; or the honour and triumphs of the Redeemer over the powers of darkness; the adequate grounds and reasons of the joy in heaven on account of it are sufficiently manifest. Lay these things together, my friends; and then form your judgment concerning that Institution which I at present recommend to your patronage.

It is the express object of the London Female Penitentiary to become, by all scriptural means, the active instrument of Christ, in accomplishing his most gracious purpose of calling sinners to repentance, in respect of one special description of

sinners. These certainly as much need repentance as others can do; and are as miserable and mischievous without it as any of our fallen race. They are in general overlooked, as hopeless characters, and are greatly out of the way of religious instruction, as it is more generally given: nor can it reasonably be expected that they should attend on such instructions, or profit by them, if unaccompanied by any method of providing for their maintenance, while they are called on to relinquish "the wages "of unrighteousness." The more clearly it appears that they are deeply sunk in vice and misery, the fuller proof is adduced that they need the Saviour's mercy and grace; and also our assistance, in bringing them to Christ to be saved;-as the four men carried the paralytic, that he might be healed by him: unless it be concluded, contrary to scripture, and to most undeniable facts, in modern as well as ancient times, that their recovery to God and holiness, their deliverance from temporal and eternal destruction, is impracticable; that it is either beyond the reach of omnipotence and infinite mercy, or falls not within the limits of the Redeemer's commission!

It is, however, most evidently the plan of the gospel, to leave no sinner, however deeply criminal, without refuge, whenever he becomes willing to avail himself of it: and the same precisely is the grand object of this most Christian Penitentiary. No argument can be adduced against the outlines of the design, which would not equally bear against the gospel itself. And should any think, that improvement might be made on the manner of filling up this outline; instead of making this supposed

defect, in a subordinate matter, an excuse for neglecting or exposing the design itself, (as it is commonly the case, in respect of the most important plans of usefulness ;) let them come forward with their proposed improvements: yea, let all benevolent, all pious minds unite in bringing the design to the greatest degree of attainable perfection. For it requires, and certainly deserves, the concurrent wisdom and experience of the most intelligent Christians and able ministers, to give it the full effect of which it seems to be capable.

To encourage repentance can never encourage sin, as some men seem to imagine; else the gospel itself would encourage sin: for, without making our distinctions between different classes of sinners, it calls on all to "repent and be converted, that "their sins may be blotted out." In this respect, "there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God:" for "the scrip"ture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise

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by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them "that believe." There is not one expression in the whole word of God which intimates the least discouragement to any description of penitent sinners, however atrocious their crimes may have been. On the contrary, abundant pains seem to be taken to obviate every temptation to despondency, and to excite hope, not only of safety, but of

peace, joy, and consolation, in every one who obeys the call to repentance. This is done in parables, especially those in the chapter before us; and in narratives, as that of the woman "who was a sin

1 Rom. iii. 23. 26. Gal. iii. 22.

ner," who "washed our Lord's feet with her tears, "and wiped them with the hairs of her head;" of Manasseh" who filled Jerusalem with innocent blood," in addition to his complicated abominable idolatries; of the thief upon the cross; and of Saul the persecutor: as well as by express and repeated declarations. "I was before a blasphemer, and a "persecutor, and injurious;" but I obtained mercy, "that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth "all long suffering, for a pattern to them which "should hereafter believe in him to life everlast“ing.”1 "Be not deceived; neither fornicators, "nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of "themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And "such were some of you: but ye are washed; but ye are sanctified; but ye are justified; in the "name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of "our God."2 What more atrocious criminals can be thought of than those contained in this list; and such once were some of those who, when the apostle wrote, were washed, and sanctified, and "justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by "the Spirit of our God?" Indeed a still more atrocious description of criminals is mentioned by St. Peter; "Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, ❝ and desired a murderer to be given unto you; "and killed the Prince of life:" yet on these murderers of the Prince of life, he calls to re

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pent and be converted, that their sins might be "blotted out." "Go ye," saith our Lord," into "the high-ways, and hedges, and compel them to

1 Tim. i. 13, 16.

21 Cor. vi. 9. 11.