the Christian's, Glory• Woo I 175 b. A polg of ble among the Kings of the Earth; do you ftill glory in the Crofs. Adhering to this Banner, you may boldly and triumphantly fays O Death, Where is thy Sting? O Grave, Where is thy Victory *?-When that great, tremendous Day fhall come, which puts and End to Time and terreftrial Things; when that awful, that majefick Voice, is heard, which commands all the Race of Adam to appear at the Bar; then, my dear Brethren in CHRIST, then alfo fhall you glory in the Crofs. When others, in an Agony of Terror, call upon Rocks to fall on them, and Mountains to overwhelm them; This fhall be your fedate Appeal; rather, this shall be your heroick Challenge: Who fall lay any thing to the Charge of GOD's Elect? It is GOD that juftifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is CHRIST that died t.-Then fhall you enter the Harbour of eternal Reft; not like a fhipwrecked Ma riner, cleaving to fome broken Plank, and hardly, efcaping the raging Waves; but like fome ftately

1.Cor. xv. 55. This is evidently the Language of 2 Conqueror, addreffed to fome formidable, but vanquished. Enemy. We fhall form no improper Idea of this fignifcant and beautiful Paffage; if we picture to ourselves the good Apostle, in the Attitude of thofe Hebrew Captains, who fet their Feet on the Necks of the five Canaaniti Kings, Joh. x. 24. If we fuppofe him, in fuch a Pofture, to utter this animated Exclamation, or rather this pious Infult, over the two grand, but proftrate Adverfaries of Mankind; "O Death! Where is now thy Sting? "Since CHRIST has expiated Sin, by the Sacrifice of "himself? O Grave! Where is now thy Vidory? Since "CHRIST is both rifen himself, and has afcertained to "his People a joyful Refurrection ?"

† Rom. viii. 33, 34.

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Veffel, with all her Sails expanded, and riding before' a profperous Gale *.

3. Let me caution the Self-righteous. Thofe, who more frequently think of their own Piety, than of CHRIST's Obedience; are more apt to cry out with the Pharifee, I am no Extortioner, no Adulterer; than to confefs with the Publican, GOD be merciful to me a Sinner-What shall I fay to these Perfons? Let me not be thought cenforious, when my only Aim is to be faithful. Beware, I beseech you beware, left you build for Eternity, not on a Rock, but on the Sand." However you may appear in your own Sight; before the adorable Majefty of the everlafting GOD, before the confummate Perfection of his holy Law, you are lefs than nothing; you are worse than nothing. You are, indeed you are, Deficiency and Sin. Renounce, therefore, renounce all Dependence on Self." Truft no longer in a Refuge of Lyes: Eeft all your admired Attainments, at the Day of final Retribution, be like Straw, and Hay, and Stubble, in Nebuchadnezzar's burning fiery Furnace. Imitate the bleffed Penman of my Text. Are you blameless in your external Carriage? So was he. Are you exemplary in many Points? So was he. Yet all this Righteoufnefs he accounted but Dung, for the Excellency of the

* St. Peter's Expreflion, Είσοδος πλεσίως επιχορηγήθησεται, is perhaps too nervous, and too noble, to admit of an, adequate Translation. The above Comparifen is, I think, a pertinent Illustration of the delicate Sentiment, and the delightful Doctrine. A Ship wafted into the Port, under the full Influence of Wind and Tide, feems to afford the finest Representation of a large, a rich, an abundant Entrance. 2 Pet. i. 11.

Knowledge

Knowledge of CHRIST JESUS his LORD *.-Be this your Pattern. Write Emptiness upon your own Duties; Emptiness upon your own Works; and you fhall be filled with all the Fulness of GOD your SAVIOUR. Every other Caufe of glorying will be like the morning Cloud, or the early Dew, which pass: Seth away t. But this Cause of glorying, will fand faft for evermore as the Moon, and as the faithful Witnefs in Heaven t.

Can I conclude, without adding a Word of Admonition to the Wicked? Thofe I mean, who are Enemies to the Crofs of CHRIST; who mind earthly Things; but neither hunger nor thirst after Righteousness. My Soul remembers the Wormwood and the Gall of fuch a State; and cannot but tenderly pity thefe unhappy People.-Alafs! my Friends, what have you to glory in? The Devil and his Angels expect, ere long, to glory in your Deftruction. Thofe malignant Fiends are eying you, as their Prey, and are impatient to begin your Torment. Great, inexpreffibly great, is your Danger. The LORD Almighty open your Eyes to difcern it! -Nevertheless, your Cafe is not defperate. You may yet be delivered, " as a Bird out of the Snare of "the Fowler." Look unto the crucified JESUS. Why does he hang on that bloody Tree? Why are his Hands pierced with Iron? Why is his Body racked with Pain? Why his Heart torn with Anguifh? It is for you, Sinners, for you. That Blood is poured out, to cleanse you from Guilt. Thofe Wounds are fuftained, to heal your Confciences. That Anguifh is endured, to obtain Reft for your Souls.-In that mangled Body Phil. iii. 8, + Hof. vi. 4. Pfal. lxxxix. 36.

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dwells

dwells all the Fulness of the Godhead Great, beyond Imagination great, is the Merit of thofe Sufferings. Why then, O! why will you die? Why will you perish forever; who have an all-fufficient Propitiation in the Cross of CHRIST? Fly to this Sanctuary. Fly, before it be too late. Fly, without a Moment's Delay. 'Tis an inviolable Sanctuary. None ever perished, that fled by Faith to the compaffionate, the divinely compassionate Redeemer.-His Death shall be a full Satisfaction for your Iniquities. ASense of his immensely rich Goodness fhall win your Affections; fhall incline (what all the Threatenings of Damnation could never effect), shall incline you, to loath your Sins, and to love his Service; fhall fmooth your Path, and expedite your Progrefs to the Regions of immortal Honour and Joy.

Having now, with great Plainnefs of Speech, addreffed my Brethren in the Ministry; having exhorted Believers cautioned the Self-righteous; and warned the Wicked; let me commend the Whole to your ferious Recollection, and to GOD's gracious Benediction. And, "OLORD most holy! O GOD most migh"ty! O holy and merciful SAVIOUR! by thine "Agony and bloody Sweat by thy Cross and Paffion" let not the Word, now spoken, be in vain in the LORD! Amen, and Amen.

Coloff. ii. 9.

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CON

soy iliw W Soib uoy iw vw 10 nsd ydW CONSIDERATIONS

The Sentiments here offered against the prevailing Custom of profaning the Sabbath will probably be a Satisfac tion to every serious Reader, and be productive of much ( Good, efpecially as it is in every Body's Power to reform one, and as then his own Conduct will be a tacit Reproof to his Acquaintance, who may probably through bis Example be induced to weigh these Proceedings at→ tentively, and no longer follow a Multitude to doc Evil. It is certainly a Matter of Importance to en quire whether Sunday Vifits are juftifiable upon the Principles of Scripture and of Reason? as the confcientious Obfervation of the Sabbath has of late Years been fo much difregarded; and as it is now become the principal Day of Vifiting among Perfons of all Ranks. The chief Advocates for the Continuance of fuch a Practice hould methinks defend it publickly, that their Arguments may be properly examined, if (in their Opinion) fuch a Custom can admit of any rational Defence. And those, who are fufficiently convinced by what is WO

bere