is short. "For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and rapidly, stealing upon you. And after death comes judgment. Are you then prepared to stand at the : 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. 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 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 |