character of experience. And if in addition to this, we have in ourselves the proof of his power, in the renewal of our nature; the forgiveness of our sins; the saving us from unholy tempers, dispositions, and desires; our knowledge is still further experimental.

3. It is practical.

The knowledge of God not only enlightens the understanding and informs the Judgment, it changes and reforms the life. There is no perfection of the blessed God, but which, if experimentally known, will have a practical influence upon us. The knowledge which does not improve the life is of very little worth.

II. THE CHARACTERS REFERRED TO IN THE TEXT.
1. Those who do not fear God.

These are evidently destitute of this knowledge. God is awful in power, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, terrible in majesty, jealous of his law; it is then a fearful thing to fall under his displeasure. Those who know God, fear to offend him, reverence his law, tremble at his justice, and endeavour to avoid his displeasure, by shunning whatever is opposed to his holiness. But there are those who do not revere his name;. do not regard his threatenings; who trample on his laws and abuse his goodness. They do not know and therefore do not fear him.

2. Those who do not trust him.

Those in the church of God whom we call penitents, have only a partial knowledge of God. They know his purity, his justice, and his power; they fear to offend him; they dread his displeasure; but they do not trust their guilty souls to his mercy; they do not rest on the atonement; they have not this knowledge of God.

3. Those who do not love him.

These show the very same ignorance of the glories and perfections of his name and character; they are unacquainted with the wonders of his works, and the wisdom of his ways. Where there is a want of love, there is a want of the knowledge of God.

III. THE DISAPPROBATION EXPRESSED.

It is a great shame not to have the knowledge of God, for nothing is so important. It is important for the miserable to know where happiness is to be found; for an immortal spirit to be acquainted with that which is to be its portion for ever.

To obtain this knowledge,

1. We have adequate means.

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The volume of nature, and the more precious volume of inspiration, lie open before us. The gospel, exhibiting to us God reconciling the world to himself," is preached at our very doors. There is a throne of grace to which all may come; and there is the Holy Spirit promised and given to all.

2. We have adequate faculties.

God, in the constitution of our moral and intellectual nature, has provided, not only for the attainment of every other kind of knowledge, but especially for the acquisition of this the most important of all.

3. We have the most urgent motives.

Ignorance of God is shameful; a knowledge of him is honourable. Those who are destitute of this knowledge will be made examples of vengeance, when the "Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God;" at the same time, they who have this knowledge will be put in possession of eternal life. "This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Let each ask, Do I know God? Is my knowledge real? Do I know him savingly?

A.

LXVI.

THE TERROR OF THE LORD.

2 COR. v. 11.-" Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."

It is the duty of the minister of the gospel, to employ all the means, to urge every motive, and to enforce every reason in his power, if by any means he can save a soul from death.

I. THE SUBJECT OF CONSIDERATION.
"The terror of the Lord."

This expression refers to the day of judgment, which may well be called the "terror of the Lord."

1. On account of its awful forerunners.

Our Lord has left a very graphic description of the circumstances that shall precede the great day: "Nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." There will be convulsions in nature; and there will be convulsions in civil and political society. Famine, fire, pestilence and sword shall be employed against men. Divers earthquakes in various places shall increase the calamities, and add to the sufferings of the dwellers on earth. The stars shall fall, the sun no more give light, the whole physical universe shall be dissolved. We know not the connexion between the physical and moral, the mental and material worlds; but the physical world in consequence of this connexion, shall undergo an entire renovation, just when the moral is the subject of investigation. Add to these things, the resurrection from the dead; the assembling of all the partakers of human nature, and just as this assembly is formed, the rolling away of the earth from their feet; an immense ball of fire; till it appears like a shrivelled parchment scroll;—and you have some of the awful forerunners of this dreadful day.

"The terror of the Lord." It is so,

2. Because of the glorious appearing of the judge.

We read in the prophet Daniel, that the Son of Man appeared to the prophet in glory, and that the prophet overcome by the glorious majesty of his appearance, fell before him as one dead; similar to this, was the effect upon the apostle John, in the apocalyptical vision; but if so glorious his appearing then, what will it be when he cometh, not only in his own glory, but in the glory of his Father and of the holy angels. Attended by these manifestations of power and majesty, how terrible will be the sight.

3. On account of the sentence which will then be pronounced. It is the "day of judgment," the day for giving judgment; the day of pronouncing on the character of human actions; the day of settling the destiny of human beings. The sentence delivered, will be,

(1.) Decisive.

From it there will be no appeal. There is no higher tribunal; there is no other court; there is no way now of averting condemnation; there remaineth now no more sacrifice for sins; the provisions of mediation reach not to that day.

(2.) Eternal.

The state fixed on that day continues for ever.

There can then be no alteration in character. The dispositions and habits formed in time, which underwent no alteration before death, are now fixed for eternity.

(3.) To the wicked, to those who have rejected Christ, it will be appalling.

The sentence will be to "everlasting fire.'

A fire of their own choice, for it was not prepared for them, but for the devil and his angels. But these chose to dwell there rather than with God.

II. THE APOSTLE'S ASSURANCE OF IT. "Knowing the terror of the Lord."

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The apostle knew the 'terror of the Lord."

1. By experience.

When journeying to Damascus he was struck to the ground by the "terror of the Lord." He was then the subject of those throes of agony, which are produced by the deep conviction of being a lost undone sinner. For three days did this dreadful state continue, in which he was consciously alive to all the horrors of his situation, and from which he knew of no mode of deliverance. This state of his, for aught he knew, might be the presage of an eternal

storm.

2. He had seen its effects on others.

There was the case of the Philippian jailer, who "called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas," his prisoners; so remarkable was the influence of Jehovah's presence and power.

3. He was acquainted with Scripture facts.

He had read of the deluge by which the whole population of the globe had been destroyed at once. He was acquainted with the utter overthrow and destruction of the cities of the plain. But more especially had he studied this subject, in the awaking of Jehovah's sword against the Man that was his fellow; in the pouring out of the vial of wrath

on the head of his only begotten Son; in the treading of the winepress of the wrath of God, when accomplishing the expiation of human guilt.

III. THE IMPROVEMENT HE MADE OF IT.

"Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men," 1. To flee from the wrath to come.

He urged men to avail themselves of the offers of mercy while they were made. He persuaded them affectionately, tenderly, earnestly, beseechingly, to escape for their lives.

2. To do it at once.

He could admit of no plea as justifying delay in a matter of so much importance. The whole of a long life is little enough to work out salvation; but when so much of that life has been trifled away, nay, worse than that, when so much of it has been spent in treasuring up wrath, in ensuring damnation, he could not but feel how imperative it was for sinners to repent at once.

Let us learn to feel for souls; to do all in our power to save them; to employ our knowledge for their eternal welfare. Let us not be content merely to wish them well. Let us urge them, intreat them, persuade them to escape the coming wrath.

B- -T.

LXVII.

THE UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

2 CORINTHIANS ix. 15.-"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

We must not suppose, from this language, that there is any posteriority on the part of the Son to the Father. The Son's goings forth have been "from of old, even from everlasting." Neither are we to imagine that there is any inferiority in nature on the part of the Son. He possesses the same nature; to him are ascribed the same perfections; he possesses the same attributes.