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the close of life under the burden of corruptions ftill unfubdued; and experience, until the moment when they grafp in death their unfading crown of victory, the difficulties and the dangers of their Chriftian warfare: where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear (e)! What fhall be the doom of the enemies of Chrift; of those who refuse to build on that corner-ftone which the hand of God has planted for falvation! They fhall be confounded for ever. The ftone which the builders rejected is become the head-ftone of the corner. Whofoever shall fall on this fone, fhall be broken but on whomfoever it fall fall it fhall grind him to powder (f).

Confider, whoever thou art, who art ungodly and a finner! Confider whether this prophetic warning of the deftruction which hangs over thine head, and over the heads of all who refemble thee, has not already received in many memorable inftances completion fo decifive in the prefent world, as to give thee full affurance that the judgements beyond the tomb, which are revealed as awaiting the impenitent, fhall be accomplished to the uttermoft. Suppofe, in the latter days of the Evangelift St. John, one of his youthful difciples at Ephefus, after hearing a recital of

(«) 1 Pet. iv. 18. (ƒ) Pf. cxviii. 22. Matt. xxi 42. 44.

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the life and fufferings of Chrift, to have enquired of the aged apoftle concerning the events which had befallen the moft diftinguished adverfaries of his Lord. "Did Herod, who fought to murder the new-born Saviour at Bethlehem, defcend to the grave in peace ?" "He died, fmitten by the hand of agony and defperation; baffled in his attempt to cut fhort his miferable existence; worn away by the lingering horrors of a difeafe unexampled in loathfomeness and anguish (g)." What vengeance overtook the traitor Judas!" "He perished by his own hand!" "What was the end of that other wretch of the name of Herod, by whom Chrift, a fhort time before his crucifixion, was derided ?" "He was ftripped by the Roman emperor of his property and of his kingdom, and was driven into perpetual exile (b). "What befel the iniquitous judge, Pontius Pilate?" "Recalled in difgrace from his government, and condemned to banishment, he took away his own life." "The city of Jeru

falem, which nailed its King to the crofs; does it furvive ?" "Not one ftone of it is left upon another!" "Where is now the Jewish nation?""Cut off by unequalled calamities;

(g) Jofephi Opera, edit. Hudf. vol. ii. p. 68. 770, &c. (b) Ibid. p. 820. 1067.

or fcattered in bondage and infamy over the face of the earth!" Within the fpan of St. John's life all these examples of divine justice and truth were difplayed. What if we continue the enquiry lower? What befel the Roman empire; which firft fhed the blood of the Mafter, and then perfecuted his followers? It bowed to the standard of the cross it difhonoured by fin the Chriftian profeffion; and was swept away by the deluge of barbarians which the Dragon, " the Old Serpent," is represented in the book of Revelations as having poured forth for the deftruction of the Chriftian church. But were those pagan invaders permitted a long triumph over Chriftianity? The earth opened her mouth, and fwallowed up the flood (i). Their names are nearly vanifhed from remembrance; nation after nation fpeedily worfhipped within the pale of the church which it came to destroy; and among their defcendents, deeply as the majority of them has been funk for many ages in the bitter dregs of a corrupted religion, are to be found peoples and languages eminent for evangelical purity of faith. What is the prefent state of thofe pre-eminent antagonists of Jefus, the votaries of the Papacy and of Mahomet? To the fervants of Jefus they are still (i) Rev. xii. 15, 16.'

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formidable foes. They have not yet fulfilled the appointed period, to the conclufion of which, conformably to the dictates of Prophecy, they shall have power to afflict the faints of the Most High. But the ftone, which, in the vifions of Daniel, was cut out of the mountain without hands, fhall afluredly become a great mountain, and fhall fill the whole earth (j). However tremendous may be the temporary triumphs in reserve for papal Rome; even now we behold her, after the lapfe of centuries, ftaggering under that concuffion which was a prelude to her irrecoverable fall. already we behold in the waning crefcent of Mahomet the tokens of its perpetual extinction. Even already we begin to exclaim, in the rapturous anticipations of affured and exulting hope; "Great and marvellous are thy " works, Lord God Almighty! Juft and true are thy ways, thou King of faints. We praise thee, we bless thee, we glorify thee; "we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hofts! "The whole earth is filled with thy glory! "King of kings, and Lord of lords! "Thou haft taken unto thee thy great

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power, and haft reigned. The kingdoms "of this world are become the kingdoms of

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our Lord and of his Chrift; and He fhail "reign for ever and ever (k)."

In the face of these admonitory demonftrations of the truth of the divine threatenings against tranfgreffors, prefumeft thou to think, O ungodly finner! that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? Knoweft thou not that after thy hardnefs and impenitent heart, thou art treasuring up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath? Flames and vengeance, tribulation and anguish, shall be upon every foul of man that doeth evil, The ftone, at which thou ftumbleft, fhall fall on thee, and grind thee to powder. Mercy has been preffed upon thee, bleffings have been heaped upon thee, in vain. The counfels of God for thy falvation thou haft rejected. The blood of thy Redeemer thou haft defpifed. The Spirit of grace thou haft grieved. The chains of fin are multiplying around thee. The fhades of death eternal are clofing over thy head. Yet now, even now, it is not too late. Thy Saviour still waiteth to be gracious. He ftill invites, ftill encourages, thee to fly to him for pardon and deliverance and peace. To-day, if ever thou wilt hear his voice, harden not thy heart. The prefent call may be thy last. Arise, and flee for thy life. ́

(k) Rev. xi. 17. xv. 3. xvi. 7. xix. 16. Ifaiah, vi. 3.

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