is short. "For what is your life?

It is even

a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and
then vanisheth away." Death is insensibly, but
He will soon execute

rapidly, stealing upon you.
his appointed commission.

And after death comes

judgment. Are you then prepared to stand at the
judgment-seat of Christ? If you should this night
hear the voice of the archangel and the trump of
God, calling the living and the dead to judgment,
what sensations would it produce in your breast?
Are you in the number of those who "love the
appearance of Christ?" What reason or evidence
have
you to suppose that you would be found in
him, washed in his blood, clothed with his righteous-
ness, and sanctified by his Spirit? Have you sought
an interest in his mercy, grace, and love? Or have
you considered the awful consequence of dying
without an interest in the Saviour, in an unholy,
impenitent, and unbelieving state? Alas! all who
die thus, must be cast and condemned in the judg-
ment. They must for ever be banished from the
presence of God, the fountain of all happiness, the
fellowship of the holy angels, and the society of all
the excellent of the earth. May the God of all
grace, grant that you, my dear hearers, may escape
this dreadful doom, which, alas! will be the portion
of multitudes; for Jesus, who is to be the judge, has
declared that "broad is the way that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be that go in thereat;"
and that many will say to him in that day, "Lord,
Lord," to whom he will address the tremendous

:

words, "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity,

I never knew you." Oh how dreadful will be the

state of those, who hearing the gospel of Christ,

receive this grace of God in vain, and die in their

sins! who depart out of life unconverted, unrenewed,

without a saving interest in Jesus, and consequently

unprepared for his judgment-seat! May the Holy

Spirit, my brethren, lead you to an impartial exami-

nation as to the foundation of your hope! May

he deeply convince you of your sin and danger!

May he take of the things of Christ, shew them unto

you, and lead you to a reliance on the blood and

righteousness of this all-sufficient Saviour! The

same Jesus who will hereafter appear seated upon

a throne of judgment, is at present seated upon a

throne of grace.
O may you now look to him, as

your prophet to teach you; as your priest to atone

for your sins, to intercede for you and bless you;

and as your king to reign over you in righteousness,

to subdue your sins, to conquer your enemies; and

as the captain of your salvation to lead you through

difficulties and dangers to the promised inheritance

in his kingdom and glory. Found in him, and

depending on his merits, righteousness and grace,

you may triumphantly challenge all accusers. "Who

shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?

It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemn-

eth? It is Christ that died; yea, rather that is risen

again, who is even at the right hand of God, who

also maketh intercession for us."

I trust that some of you, dear brethren, who are

now in the presence of God, have a good hope through grace of an interest in the blood and righteousness of Jesus your Saviour, who is hereafter to be your judge. As far, Christians, as your hope in the Saviour is well founded, and lively in its exercise, so far you will look for and love the appearing of Jesus. And "to those who look for him, he will appear the second time without sin, unto salvation. There is laid up a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give at that day unto all them that love his appearing." O let it be your concern to be actually as well as habitually ready at all times to meet your Lord in the hour of death, and at the last judgment. May "you have your lamps trimmed and oil in your vessels, that whenever the bridegroom cometh, ye may go forth to meet him with confidence and joy. Let your loins be girt about and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching." Therefore watch and pray. "Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure." Endeavour to keep "a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards man." Pray for grace that you may so spend your remaining days, that your hearts may not condemn you while you live; nor your consciences when you die. "Be stedfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know

that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."

"If

he must forgive. Jesus had before taught his disciples this lesson, and the apostle, it seems, had not forgotten it. But he appears to be in a state of uncertainty in regard to the extent of this duty. He imagines it to be some great thing to forgive seven times. Nor does he here mean seven times in a day-a circumstance which our Lord elsewhere thus explains: If thy brother trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." But Peter here seems to mean seven times altogether, without any reference to time. He supposes, that if one should offend him so many times as seven, he might then indulge resentment, and no longer forgive. "How often is it necessary that I should repeat my forgiveness? Must it be till seven times?"

By these questions of Peter, we see something of the character and dispositions of the human heart. The forgiveness of injuries is so entirely opposite to the natural temper of the human mind, that nothing but the special grace of God can subdue the man's sinful inclinations to malice and resentment, and influence him to the cordial exercise of forgiveness. We learn likewise, from the circumstance of Peter's inquiry on this subject, as well as from other facts recorded in the Gospels, that the Apostles themselves were for a long time, not only weak in faith, but likewise defective in the practice of the duties and requirements of Christian morality. And, alas! how many are there now, who by profession are the disciples of