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call. How terrifying-how apalling will be the recollection of his conduct, when he shall be summoned to appear before the dread tribunal of the Most High! I beseech you then, my brethren, as ye value your present, your eternal peace, provoke not the Almighty to your destruction. "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him when He is near.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." In deep humility and self-abasement, prostrate yourselves before the throne of grace, and turn unto the Lord your God. Implore Him, by his tender compassion toward perishing sinners, that He would hear and relieve you, in this your time of need: entreat, with fervour and importunity, that, through the blood of Jesus Christ, God would grant you the forgiveness of your sins; that, by the powerful aid of his Holy Spirit, He would daily renew your fallen nature, and effectually dispose you to choose Him for your everlasting portion; that He would "take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh;"-that He would "put his Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in his statutes, and keep his judgments, and do them." Offer up

your praises and thanksgivings for the revelation He has given you of his rich mercy and grace in Christ Jesus: acknowledge your unfeigned and entire acquiescence in all the

dispensations of his providence: admire, with grateful adoration, the gracious methods He has appointed, for conveying the blessings of his salvation to mankind: renounce those sins, in which you have indulged in times past; and wait, with humble faith and unwearied patience, on Him who is always found of those that diligently seek Him; yea, those that seek Him in sincerity and truth. "The promises of God are very sure;" and He hath declared by the mouth of his prophet, "Seek ye me, and ye shall live.' Fear not ye, then, that if ye turn to him with all your hearts, he will allow any of you to seek his face in vain. "Be wise, I beseech you, in time;" and may God of his infinite mercy, take away all your iniquity, and receive you into his love and favour: may he heal your backslidings, and comfort your souls with the firm-the well grounded hope, that his anger is turned away from you and at length, when the days of your earthly pilgrimage shall be ended, may he admit you into his everlasting kingdom, for the sake, and through the merits of Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Saviour.

SERMON VI.

A PIOUS COMMUNION WITH GOD, THE BEST SUPPORT UNDER AFFLICTION.

JOB XXII. 21.—“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace."

THE corruption of the human heart is in

nothing more manifest, than in our disinclination to entertain intercourse with God. Though we were created for that very end, and endued with faculties to attain it; though we stand in the utmost need of it; though we are graciously invited and encouraged to it, by God Himself; and though it is our chief honour, advantage, and happiness, as well as our duty, to comply with his invitations ;-yet, notwithstanding all these weighty considerations,—like our first unhappy parent, in the garden of Eden, after he had fallen from innocency, we are too apt to shun God; and instead of seeking his face, to fly from him: thus affording a lamentable proof that we are indeed fallen also. Now,

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it must be acknowledged, that such conduct forms an exception to our general practice in temporal matters. For instance, when the body is affected with pain, or sickness, we are by no means tardy in seeking for remedies: we listen to every one that suggests them, and upon the least hope of success, immediately apply them. And yet, notwithstanding we feel our souls disordered and disquieted by various pursuits,distracted by contrary interests,-ever, in vain, seeking happiness in the enjoyments of this world, which passeth away;-notwithstanding we are assured, from the experience of others, and from our own inward convictions, that the only way of regulating these disorders, is to detach our minds from too close an attention to the things of sense, and to employ them often in converse with our Maker, the author of our being, and fountain of all our happiness; yet are we extremely unwilling to adopt this only method of cure: we go on still nourishing the fatal distemper by which we are consumed, and choose rather to feel the pain, than to apply the remedy. Excellent, therefore, was the advice of Eliphaz to Job, when, in the midst of his great troubles and afflictions, he thus addressed him," Acquaint now thyself with God, and be at peace:"-as if he had said,- Take this opportunity of improving thy acquaintance with God, to which He now more urgently invites

thee; make the true use of those afflictions which His Hand, mercifully severe, hath laid upon thee, and be induced by them to know, and to love, and to serve Him better. Calm the disquietudes of thy mind, by reflections on his parental tenderness and mercy, -on the wisdom and equity of all his proceedings. Comfort thyself with such thoughts at all times, but at the present time especially, when all earthly comforts fail thee, "acquaint thyself with Him, and

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Conceiving that, (by the divine blessing,) it may be beneficial to us all,—more particularly to such among us, as are suffering under God's kindly-chastening hand,- to consider what is implied by the phrase "Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace,”—and wherein consists the duty recommended by it; I would direct your attention brethren, to these important points; and endeavour also to shew, that it is only by cultivating a close and intimate acquaintance with the Giver of all Good, that we can hope for any permanent, satisfying peace in this life, or look with the eye of faith, beyond the grave, to the enjoyment of that eternal "rest which remaineth for the people of God."

Unhappily, we are prone, by nature, to engage too closely with the things of this world, -its concerns and pleasures, surrendering our hearts too eagerly to the pursuit, and immersing ourselves too deeply in the enjoyment of them;

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