such cordial gratitude to this inspired Evangelist.

Let not this precious portion of the Sacred History be lost on us, my brethren, but let us implore the Divine Spirit to bring it home to our affections, that our hearts may also burn within us when we hear (or read) the gospel of our Saviour, and join in his holy ordi

nances.

We learn that, on the day in which our blessed Lord rose from the dead, two of his disciples were travelling to Emmaus, a village a few miles distant from Jerusalem; "and they talked together of all these things which had happened." One of the disciples was named Cleopas, and the early tradition of the Church maintains, that the other was no less than the Evangelist himself; an idea which derives no small support from the many minute and exquisite touches in the description, which seem to indicate that the historian was himself an eye witness of what he relates. But what was the subject of their conversation? The most important that had ever yet engaged the thoughts or reflections of mankind! The cruel sufferings and death of him whose heavenly life and doctrine, and gracious miracles, had raised their hopes so high, only, as it appeared, to plunge them into

deeper despondency at his sad and unexpected end. They had been expressing, most probably their mutual surprise, that he, who could open the eyes of the blind, and bring the dead to life, could not enlighten the minds of his judges, or soften the hearts of his persecutors; that he who could calm the raging sea, and expel devils out of the bodies of their unhappy victims, could not tame the ferocity of the infatuated populace, who cried " crucify him, crucify him;"-that he who could have summoned legions of angels to defend him, should have permitted a few persons with sticks and staves to lead him away captive, and deliver him into the hands of his enemies. To form any adequate idea of the state of mind in which the two disciples found themselves on this memorable journey, we must conceive ourselves in their situation, and we shall then, and then only, rightly understand it. They had numberless proofs of Christ's extraordinary power over the order and course of nature they had heard him speak, as never man spake before, with a simple force and majesty of language, wholly unknown to the scribes and usual teachers of the law they had often witnessed the meekness and tenderness of his manner toward his disciples, and at the same time exulted, perhaps, in

aizschke, and see whether we can find my inducements there to pursue our career of inattention and folly; whether the Deity be represented there as a Being whom no extent of transgression can rouse to inflict punishIDeLt. The first page of that sacred volume exposes the falsehood of such an opinion: the first page exhibits the awful scene of punishment upon the crimes of our first parentsthen first did man transgress the commands of Lis God, and then did the sentence of the Almighty stamp in characters so legible that be who runs may read, the irrevocable truth, the wages of sin is death. Yes, my brethren, each of us bears about him the tremendous punishment of that crime-each of us bears about him the sad proof of his mortality, and daily is reminded that dust he is, and unto dust he must return.

Impressive, however, as was this lesson, it soon ceased to produce an adequate effect, and man corrupted his way upon the earth. Were all the terrors of the Lord exhausted? was the Almighty unable to make any further revelation of his wrath against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of man? Oh, no! The visitation of the flood followed their crimes. For many years did the Lord grant to the guilty inhabitants of the earth time for repentance; for many years did he exhort them

by his faithful servant Noah-but at length the cup of his indignation was full, and the earth exhibited but one continued scene of his wrath, the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of Heaven were opened, and all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, died. Here the general visitations of Providence ceased, but can we not recognise the same discipline, the same correcting hand in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the events of the Jewish History. And though the terrors of the Almighty's outstretched arm be not so openly bared to our view, can we not learn the same impressive, awful lesson, from the revolutions of the kingdoms of the earth, which through successive ages exhibit the chastisements of an offended God, justifying his ways to man by making their crimes the never failing instruments of his vengeance upon the guilty nations.

The most awful declaration of God's hatred to sin remains yet for our considerationEven the work of man's redemption, the offering of the Son of God for the crimes of the whole world, to satisfy the justice of the Almighty, and atone for the violation of his laws. In the solemn melancholy service for this day, you have heard the affecting recital.

* Preached on the Sunday before Easter.

Does the awful sacrifice present us with any marks of that tenderness which cannot punish, of that mercy which always spares? Assuredly not. It exhibits a being of infinite purity, proclaiming to the astonished world by the most expressive action, his abhorrence of iniquity, and must make his frail and erring creatures" tremble at his severity, even while they are in the arms of his mercy."*

These are hard sayings, my brethren, but shall I dissemble when your eternal salvation is at stake?-Shall I speak to you smooth things? shall I say peace where there is no peace? No. Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel--and if I have now delivered to you the plain unsophisticated word of Godreceive seriously the voice of exhortationIf you do not believe the terrors of the Lord ́a vain thing; if you do not deny the night to be far spent and the day to be at hand; if you do not disregard your salvation, your eternal salvation; if you have not resolved upon your destruction, and sworn your ruin, return unto the Lord your God and seek him evermore. This day is the accepted time-this day you have been summoned to renew your vows of obedience to your God, to claim on the an

* Scott's Christian Life, B. 3.