knew that he had denounced. You had no power to avert his vengeance, to fatisfy his juftice. You could not hope to pass even fingle day unftained by fresh offences againf him. But his free mercy has provided for you the means of deliverance, of forgiveness, of restoration to the inheritance of heaven, God fo loved the world, that he fent his only Son Jefus Chrift to redeem it, by making atonement for the fins of mankind upon the crofs. Through faith in his blood you may receive pardon and peace. Believe in Him as your Saviour, and truly repent of your fins. So fhall the punishment which you have deferved be turned away, for the fake of the fufferings and merits of Jefus Christ. Nor is this the whole extent of his mercy. He who in his unbounded compaffion undertook to become a facrifice in your steadi He who now intercedes for you at the right-hand of God; has purchased for you the fanctifying influence of the Holy Spi

rit.

Though you are prone to evil, and unable of yourself to withstand temptation: the Spirit of God is ready to ftrengthen and fupport you. Though you have to contend against the malice and the fnares of the devil and his angels; yet, if with fincerity and fervency of prayer you addrefs yourself to God,

he

he will enable you to conquer by the grace which he will pour into your heart. If you depend on yourself you are undone for ever! but they that truft in the Moft High fhall not be confounded.

4. Set the Lord before you as your Sovereign and your Judge. He has ftationed you upon earth that you may perform his good pleasure; that you may be put to the proof whether through his offered grace you will ་ས keep his commandments or no. He has revealed to you his righteous laws: and he requires you to love and obey them. He has placed the Bible in your hands, that you may poffefs a recorded declaration of his will. He has appointed two facraments, by one of which you are dedicated to his name; by the other you are taught habitually to bear in mind your redemption through Jefus Chrift his Son. He has enjoined you to give diligent attendance on public worship, that you may unite with your fellow-Chriftians in prayers, praises, and thanksgivings; that you may reverently listen to his holy word; that you may thus have the mercies which you have received, the bleffings of which you ftand in need, and the duties which you are to fulfil, perpetually brought to your remembrance. He has forewarned you that a day is approach

approaching, when this earth and all that & contains fhall be destroyed; when throned in the clouds of heaven and encircled by angelic hofts, Chrift fhall return to fummon the living and the dead to judgement. He has announced to you the fentence which awaits you againft that dreadful day, accordingly as you fhall be found in the number of thofe who have accepted the gospel and obeyed it from the heart; or among thofe who have continued obftinately or carelefsly in fin., He has apprifed you that your ftate will then be fixed in happiness or in mifery for sever that you will be exalted into heaven, into glory and happinefs which fhall never fade away; or be caft into hell, the prifon of apoftate fpirits, into the lake of fire which is the fecond death.

III. Suffer me to illuftrate by fome examples the duty of fetting Almighty God always, at all times, and under all cireumftances, be fore you.

Be it fuppofed that you are profperous! Your profperity you owe to God. It is to Him, and to Him only, that you are to look for the continuance of the whole and of any part of your happiness. It is He who has filled your cup with bleffings, and who keeps

it full. It is He who has conferred fuccefs on your industry and exertions. It is He who has raifed you up friends. It is He who has given you caufe to rejoice in your relations and in your children. It is He only who can bestow upon you farther mercies in addition to the bleffings which He may permit you to retain, or in the place of thofe which His wifdom may take away. Be grateful then for every mark of His lovingkindness with which you have been favoured. Give daily proof that you are fincerely and warmly thankful for His bounties by poffeffing them with an humble heart; and by cheerfully employing a large portion of them for the good of your fellow-creatures. Why doft thou glory? Who maketh thee to differ from another? Freely thou haft received: freely give. Remember the words of the Lord Jefus; bow He faid, It is more blessed to give than to receive (c).

your

But you are encompassed by adversity and affliction. Your comforts are curtailed: diligence fails of its reward. Sickness preys upon your ftrength. The ftroke of death deprives you of near kindred, and even of your offspring. Fix your eyes on the Lord your God. Remember that no affliction

(c) 1 Cor. iv. 7. Matt. x. 15. Acts, xx. 35.

Overtakes you without His permiffion. Re member that the event, which you now deem a calamity, may hereafter prove to have been most conducive to your eternal interests. Remember that diftrefs and forrow are mercifully fent by your Heavenly Father as chastisements for your good in the end. You are by nature difpofed to dote on the present world, and to think little of that which, whether you think of it or not, is affuredly to come. If God were not pleafed continually to admonish you by croffes and difappointments, by infirmities of body and anxieties of mind, that here you are not long to remain, that on earth no durable happiness is to be enjoyed: you would difmifs the next life from your thoughts; you would forget to work out your falvation with fear and trembling; you would make no ferious and habitual preparation for your appearance before your Judge. Confider, what numbers there are, who, in contempt of all these warnings, fet their hearts upon the present world, and neglect and defpife their God. Confider whether, notwithstanding all these warnings, you are not yourfelf neglecting or defpifing Him. Think then to what exceffes of careleffnefs and prefumption you would probably have been carried, if fuch warnings had not been commiffioned

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