"Behold, now is the day of salvation." And remember how uncertain the remainder of this brief and diminished period is. In how many instances conjugal rites have been followed by funeral ceremonies! The man has finished a fine mansion, but he enters "the house appointed for all living." He begins a journey, and is brought home a corpse. He sleeps in his bed, and in the morning it is his grave. When you reflect upon the mortality of the human structure, and the number of dangers to which it is perpetually exposed, it is wonderful that you should live a week, or a day, or an hour. Know you not, that the heart beats seconds, and that there are sixty movements of the blood in a minute, that sixty times, therefore, in a minute it is asked whether you shall live or die?

"Behold, now is the day of salvation." And remember, that if the season be lost, it is irrevocably gone. You may then discover your mistake and your error; but there is no return to life to rectify; "there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest," says Solomon. No; after sowing, reaping naturally follows; and "be not deceived, God is not mocked: that which a man soweth shall he also reap. He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

"Behold, now is the day of salvation." And remember, that if the season closes before the blessing be possessed, this will be the bitterest aggravation of your woe. There are some who have pleaded for the damnation of infants. We contend against this barbarous and horrid doctrine. A child dying in infancy, would feel in another world no self-reproach, no regret, no remorse; no opportunities have been lost, no means have been abused, no calls have been rejected; and therefore, if such a creature should be made miserable, it must be by an immediate infliction of Divine power. But we fully believe, there

will be no such misery in a future state; we are persuaded, that it will all grow out of what is here sown; that it will arise from man's present principles and actions; and therefore that this will not apply to infants. But as to those of you who know to do good and do it not, who have heard the Saviour's voice and turned away from it, who would not come to Him that you might have life, who love darkness rather than light; as to those of you who come into misery from the house of God, from a land of vision, from reading and hearing the Scriptures-out of whose dying hands the Bible dropped; who came there from the Sabbath, and whose everlasting night springs out of the very day of salvation; oh! what is it that will constitute the principal part of your cursing and lamentation and mourning and woe for ever?

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"Behold, now is the day of salvation." And let us urge you immediately to seek an improvement of this season. "Seek ye the Lord, while He may be found; call ye upon Him while He is near;" lest you should be compelled to exclaim by and bye-" The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." 'Oh!' some may be ready to say, cannot pray till we have the Spirit: and can you continue easy till it comes ? If the house in which you lived were on fire, you would not be able to remain in bed, or lying on an easy sofa; you would necessarily make some effort to escape from it, though it might not be by a right way or in a right manner. Oh there is nothing upon earth so absurd, there is nothing upon earth so vile, as this antinomiau reasoning, No; we therefore oppose it; and we make no scruple to call upon you in the language of Scripture"Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life."

"Behold, now is the day of salvation." And therefore endeavour to save others. You cannot save them meritoriously, or efficiently; but you may instrumentally. And remember, this is their day as well as yours, and their only season as well as yours. "If a man err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

siah, God caused them to be dispersed about, and almost every where there is a portion of these Jews, and yet distinct; kept distinct evidently by God to bring about the future promise, when these ancient people (the Jews) shall be brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles. I cannot, however, but think the words before us have a more limited import; and that there is an evident reference to our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no question of His being really a Jew. He was so by birth; and His genealogy is traced as far back as to Abraham, as regards His human nature. He lived with the Jews, and as a Jew. And though the Romans brought His country into a state of tribute, yet our Lord lived as a Jew, and was evidently recognised as a Jew by the woman of Samaria. She found a stranger sitting upon the well, and she said to Him, after a variety of questions, "How is it, that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria?" It is evident, our Lord acknowledged He was a Jew. He came for a specific purpose, and informed her of the true nature of spiritual worship. 'Woman," said He, "the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father" intimating that there shall be no particular place where men shall call upon the name of the Lord; declaring, that "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and in truth."

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Our Lord evidently appeared as a Jew; and this woman so understood Him. Himself therefore a Jew, He came to work out salvation, not only for them, but for Gentiles also; even all who should believe in His name. The prophet Isaiah proclaims, "I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth." He came to be "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of His people Israel.”

But we may consider the term "Jew," as not only descriptive of our Lord, but in connection with any of the apostles of Christ who immediately succeeded Him. They were Jews; and even the apostle Paul was a Jew. "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews." Thus proclaiming himself to be a Jew, along with his other brethren.

But I think the term, "Jew," may be viewed as bearing a signification in reference to the people of God. The apostle, in writing to the Romans, says, "He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." Here evidently the term, " Jew," may be viewed in connec tion with every true believer in our Lord Jesus Christ, whether ministers who go forth to preach His Gospel, or whether private members of the Church of Christ, or believers on the Son of God, who may not as yet have identified themselves with the visible Church of Christ; every true believer, in a certain sense, may be considered as a Jew."

We now proceed to consider

II. What is to be understood by "ten men taking hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew?"

You are aware, that the term "ten" signifies an indefinite number; and perhaps multitudes of persons, for there were persons out of all nations represented as coming. "In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for God is with you." Considering this in its application to Christ, it evidently refers to the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness. This robe, which He has wrought out, justifies the ungodly, and entitles them to a glorious and blissful immortality. Arrayed in this robe, we shall stand perfect and complete in Him. In the days of our Lord's humiliation, it was no uncommon thing for persons to come to Him and obtain a cure. Some of them, you know, could only gain access to Him so as to touch the hem of His garment; and they used to obtain a cure. It was but to touch the hem or border of His garment, and their diseases instantly departed from them.

Now the touching of the hem of of Christ's garment, may be descriptive of the weakness of faith. But wherever that faith is real, wrought by the Spirit of the living God, and sinners are led humbly and entirely to

commit their souls' concerns into the hands of the blessed Saviour, such have perfect righteousness through His blood. Here, then, "the skirt of him that is a Jew," may be viewed as the robe of Christ's righteousness, wrought out by His life and sinless obedience to the law of God; for He was made under that law, and came to redeem His people from its condemnation and fearful curse. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." His robe, therefore, is a perfect robe, a spotless garment, in which the all-seeing eye of a holy God cannot behold a stain. We are guilty creatures before Him; nor can we hope for acceptance with Him, but as we are adorned with the garments of salvation. "For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed; for there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all who call upon Him." "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Here, then, is a guilty creature in the sight of God, who cannot by any means obtain ac ceptance with Him, but must fall beneath His frown; but by faith he comes and "takes hold of the skirt of Him that is a Jew," or lays hold of the garment wrought out by the obedience of Christ, or rather the Spirit of the living God. takes it and casts it all around him, and presents him with acceptance before a holy God; and now he is enabled to cherish hopes full of immortality. Though guilty in ourselves, our guilt is cancelled by His blood; though polluted in ourselves, through Him we may appear cleansed from all our defilement. The Spirit of the living God now worketh in us to will and to do of His good pleasure, inspiring us with hope and joy and holy zeal, making us willing to follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.

Holy Spirit honoured this, and brought conviction into their souls, made them feel their guilt and misery; and while under this conviction, they had pointed out to them "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." They preached faithfully, fully and simply, our Lord Jesus Christ; and thus men and women flocked around them, formed an allegiance with them, and said, “We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'

So with the people of God generally. When the ministry of the Word is successful, many will begin to seek after the people of God as their companions. Have you never known persons similarly circumstanced with good John Bunyan, who was anxious to hear the good old women talking of Christ? You may have known such persons benefited by the conversation of the people of God; their minds may by this means have become enlightened; and how anxiously desirous have they been to hear them again talk of Christ and His salvation! Now He receiveth sinners with a hearty welcome. If they could have entered anywhere unobserved, they would have come near and laid “hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

But eventually, they will come among you. You will observe their deportment and deep anxiety, and will begin to inquire after them; then they will gladly come and seek your society: they will deem your company that in which they greatly delight. Oh! there is a holy infuence, when the power of Divine truth reaches the heart, when the sinner feels his sin and misery, and when enabled to believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Then gladly he associates with those who trust in the same Redeemer, and are walking in His commands; and thus will take "hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

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III. We arrive at the determination of these people. "Ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirts of him that is a Jew, saying, "We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you." Now what does this import? I apprehend it imports obedience to the positive institutions of the glorious Gospel. Some of you have become followers of Christ in the ordinances of His house you have put on Christ by being solemnly baptized in His name. Spectators of your baptism and of your life may perhaps express themselves thus: "We have wondered how it was heretofore that you could come forward in the face of opposition, as some of you have done; we have wondered how you could come and avow your attachment to Christ; we have seen this and have known you for years, and have perceived that ou have been decided followers of that Saviour, whom you have professed for years.' Oh! that this could be said of you all. 'Now then,' say they, we are prepared to go with you, and are prepared to follow you in the ordinances of baptism and the supper of our Lord. The Saviour having left these two positive institutions to be observed by His followers till time shall be no more, we will give up ourselves to follow the Lanib in the institutions of His Word, and follow you as far as you follow Him.'

You know, in some cases, and especially in persecuting times, great hindrances have been laid in the way of persons coming forward. These, blessed be God, have long since ceased in our country as far as the civil power is concerned; but in some families some have much to endure, much scorn and contempt. But where the love of Christ is predominant, persons will overcome fear and shame, and publicly avow their attachment to their Lord. And not only is there scorn and contempt thrown upon the cause of Christ in some families, but in others there is much private opposition, and impediments are thrown in the way of young persons professing their love to Jesus. Well, be it so; let but the power of Divine grace be felt, let but the sweet and holy consolations of the Gospel be enjoyed, let but the glories of

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let but the love of Christ be shed abroad in the heart, and the determination is formed, whatever opposition is made, "We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." Let the world smile or frown, we will go with you; 'choosing rather," as it is said of Moses, to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.' We will choose the society of God's people, whether called to walk through smooth or rough paths. We will go with you. Let us but have the proof that you are renewed in the spirit of your minds, that you are the humble followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, and we will take a part with you, though you may be poor, or afflicted, or in sorrow; we are determined to follow you, inasmuch as you are followers of those," who through faith and patience are now inheriting the promises." "Whither thou goest we will go; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.

We come now to the last part of our subject, and that is, to consider

IV. The ground for forming this determination-" We have heard that God is with you." Here, dear friends, is groundwork for you to go upon; this is solid foundation. If God be with you, all must be right. Our dear young friends form connections sometimes, but do not make the inquiry, Is the Lord with you or not? Oh! it is of great importance to make this inquiry, in regard to persons you hope to have as companions through this vale of tears. If they can answer this question satisfactorily, it will be perfectly safe to go along with them.

"God is with you." God is with His people to guide them. "Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." God is with His people to defend them. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble; therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.' "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High." "God is in the midst of her"—that is, in His