yield ourselves to God; and consecrate our bodies, souls, and substance to his service, with this humble fixed resolution, "Lord, we will follow thee whithersoever thou goest."

2. Consider on whose side you are, if you are not on the Lord's side.

God, or Belial: there is no alternative; there is no such thing as neutrality in religion: to say nothing for Christ, is in effect to say much against him; and not appearing for the support of his cause, is in effect contributing to its overthrow. Perhaps you may be surprised and offended at being told so, but it is a real fact, that as long as you remain indifferent and undetermined for God and religion, you are actually in league with death, and in covenant with hell; enlisted under the banner of the prince of darkness, and acting in concert with the devil and his angels.

But, not to enlarge on such a subject, I add,

3. Consider in how many instances God has appeared for you.

Who created you? who called you from nothing into existence? who gave you that high and distinguished rank which you hold in the scale of beings? who made you but "little lower than the angels, and crowned you with glory and honour?" to whose gentle and constant care do you owe your preservation amidst ten thousand surrounding calamities and dangers? who preserves your eyes from tears, your feet from falling, and your souls from death? who "satisfieth your mouth with good things," and your souls with things infinitely better? who opened the gates of heaven, and shut the gates of hell, and threw a covering over destruction? who satisfied

the demands of justice? who provided and applied the balm of Gilead? who quieted the clamours of conscience? who stilled the Enemy and the Avenger? who broke down the middle wall of partition ? who left the tribunal of justice for the throne of grace? who abolished Death, and" him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil?" who brought "life and immortality to light by the Gospel?" who pitied the distresses of a sinful world? who gave his Son to die for sinners, to die for you? who

Enough, gracious God! We can hold no more, we can bear no more. The cup of blessing runneth over. Thou art indeed loading us with thy benefits: we shall sink under the weight of thine abundant goodness. We own our obligations; we are ashamed of our ingratitude: we cannot forgive ourselves, that we should be so thoughtless, so base, so unnatural, as to fight so long, as to fight at all, against our Protector, our Friend, our Father. We presume not to make terms with thee: we throw down our arms; we disannul all our cursed agreements with sin and Satan; we cast ourselves on thy mercy,-humbly hoping that thy pardons are not all disposed of; that thy house is not so full but that yet there is room for us; that those bowels of mercy, which yearned so affectionately and effectually towards a Magdalen, a Saul, and a Manasseh, and ten thousand Magdalens, Sauls, and Manassehs, will not prove cold and insensible to our distresses. For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon our iniquity, for it is great. "Our goodness extendeth not to thee," but, as the most acceptable present we can make, we present thee with an op

portunity of manifesting

"the exceeding greatness

of thy power to us-ward," and of "magnifying thy mercy above all thy name."

4. Consider that the cause of God shall be assuredly victorious.

"Who ever hardened himself against God, and prospered?"" His counsels, they shall stand; and he will do all his pleasure." "His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion shall endure throughout all generations;"" For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet." Let the sons of Zion, then, be joyful in their king: let weak and fearful Christians rejoice in their merciful, and faithful, and ever-successful Head and Saviour; and let the young and inexperienced soldiers of Jesus Christ, who have but just buckled on their armour; who are but newly entered into the service of the King of kings: who have but just declared themselves on the Lord's side; who are yet ignorant of Satan's devices, and perhaps tremble at the formidable assaults of principalities and powers-"Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid:"" look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith," who hath said, "I will not leave you comfortless;" "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."-" Remember this, and show yourselves men: bring it again to mind," "O ye of little faith." He does not say, Show yourselves angels: he does not expect the purity and fervour of those flames of fire; but only that strength and vigour which it is in your power to exert: only show yourselves men, and he will show himself GOD. He will give power to the faint; and to them that have no might he will increase strength. He will

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enable" one to chace a thousand, and ten to put ten thousand to flight." He will" arise, and scatter his enemies, and make them that hate him to fly before him."- He will whet his glittering sword -not the flaming sword of vengeance, but the twoedged sword of his Spirit-and will go on, conquering and to conquer, till there shall not be an enemy to the Redeemer left out of hell.When shall it once be!" Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty: and in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness.; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things."

I come now to the

Application.

1. How dreadful the condition of those who oppose the cause of God!

It is dangerous even to remain doubting and unbelieving, when the Lord " makes bare his arm,' and the triumphs of his grace are so numerous and unquestionable: the example of the unbelieving nobleman in Samaria, mentioned in 2 Kings i. 7. is an awful instance and proof of this. It is dangerous not to appear openly to acknowledge, to rejoice in, and promote, the cause of God, and the interest of the Redeemer: "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord: curse ye bitterly the inha. bitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." (Judges v. 23.) But woe! woe! woe! to all those inhabitants of the earth, that "set themselves, and take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying, Let us break

their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."

There are few, I believe, who are so far hardened as to be openly and avowedly enemies to the cross of Christ, and to discourage the advancement of religion in others;-but, are none of you opposing its entrance into your own hearts? Are you not striving, to the utmost of your power to resist the Holy Ghost, and stifle convictions; to kill Time and Conscience, as if they were your enemies? and do you not hate and avoid those who would interrupt you in the pursuit of vanity and destruction? It is unwise, it is unsafe, it is to the last degree hazardous and fatal; it is making light of matters which are confessedly of the highest moment and importance; it is grieving that blessed Spirit, whose friendly operations and assistances you must one day implore and obtain, or be unregenerate and undone for ever; it is trifling with, and affronting Him, whose smile or frown constitutes and determines your eternal state; it is counteracting the uncontroulable Sovereign of the universe, and daring, with your feeble, slender, moth-like arm, to grapple with Omnipotence. The The very thought is almost blasphemy: wherefore, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." To which I will only add the prudent, seasonable, heavendirected advice of Gamaliel to the Jews, when they were thirsting for the blood of the apostles: "Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, ye cannot over