justified by his blood, and sanctified by his Spirit? Have ye devolved the whole weight of your acceptance with the Father, of your perseverance in holiness, and your arrival at glory, on him who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him?

To these interrogations very different answers must be given by two classes of hearers. To each of them our subject furnishes a suitable exhortation. To those, who have a good hope through grace, it addresses the command of the apostle Peter, Give all diligence to make your calling and your election sure. In seasons of wrath it is peculiarly needful for believers to have their faith strengthened; their title to their inheritance fully ascertained, and their way to the possession of it freed from all obstruction. Trim, then, your lamps, ye wise virgins. Gird on your armor, ye soldiers of the living God: Be sober, be vigilant. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord-Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. And when ye supplicate for yourselves, intercede for your fellow-citizens, with whom you profess to sympathize. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine he

ritage to reproach. Say, O remember not against us former iniquities: Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. Let the sighing of the prisoner come up before thee; according to the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that seem appointed to die. Intercede for your country: say, Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Say, Forgive our sin, and heal our land. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands; yea the work of our hands establish thou it. Intercede for the church of Christ:

say, Do good, build thou the

in thy good pleasure, unto Zion: walls of Jerusalem. O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years; in the midst of the years make known in wrath remember mercy.

To those who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise, the dispensations of Providence speak in a most alarming style, and the doctrine of the text offers salutary counsel. Wherewithal, my brethren, will YE come before the Lord, and bow yourselves before the most high God? Unprovided with that robe of righteousness, and those garments of sal

vation, without which none can enter the palace of the king, what will ye do in the day of visitation? Are ye able to contend with your Maker? Are ye able to abide the fierceness of his anger? O put not from you the evil day. Multitudes, of your neighboring city, who were as careless and secure as yourselves, have been hurried away, with scarce a warning, to the bar of God. What assurance have ye that this shall not, very shortly, be your own case? Death is now doing his work among our fellow-citizens; and before we are aware he may come up into our windows. Perhaps-God grant that the fear be not realized! perhaps the destroyer has already received his commission to clear these seats of their useless possessors; to cut down the cumberers of the Lord's vineyard; and to cast them into the fire. My brethren, as your souls live, there is but a step between you and death: critical is your condition; and precious your time. Haste, then, flee for your lives; flee from the wrath to come! But whither shall we flee?" Whither? To the mercy-seat! To the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. To Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Savior to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins. This, this is the only channel through which the mercy of God can flow to the sinner: For there

is no other name given under heaven among men, whereby we can be saved. The only alternative

is, to receive the Savior, or perish. Receive him without delay. Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. To-DAY if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. He has said that Them who come to him he will in no wise cast out. Having such high encouragement, fasten your hope on his atoning blood; throw yourselves undeservedly upon his precious merits; and plead, O Lord, in wrath remember mercy. Amen.