longing to Him, let us not thus foolishly cast away our hope; let us not deceive ourselves by imagining, that we can possibly maintain a title to the privileges and blessings of the gospel, whilst we are living in the neglect of those ordinances and laws, which the Lord has graciously ap pointed as the means of our acceptance with Him. They who neglect the means, will assuredly lose the end; will be numbered among the despisers of their Saviour's mercy.

eye

And in order to keep alive in our minds that deep concern, which so momentous a subject demands, frequently let us be meditating upon that awful hour,. when the King shall come in to visit and inspect His guests: His shall be upon every one, and every one's eye upon Him; imagine yourself then in the guestchamber without a wedding garment; ready and desirous to sink into the earth; but there will be nothing to cover your guilt and shame: though you have entered in with the other guests, and taken

your station at the feast, you will be called out from among them, and everlastingly separated from the goodly company. A garment you would then, no doubt, most willingly accept; but it will be too late; it should have been accepted when offered; the season of grace will be past; the time for judgment will be

come.

My brethren, you have professedly accepted the invitation of your Lord; you have entered into the guest-chamber; and if you be not already clothed with the spiritual apparel, provided by His grace and mercy, delay not an instant to apply for it: the King may come sooner than you expect; I pray that He come not, before you are ready to meet Him. And where is this garment to be found? Seek His Holy Spirit; search His Holy word: you will then not fail to find it, and He will dispose you to put it on. Repent and believe; love and obey: "cease to do evil, learn to do well;" thus "adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour in all

things." And then you will finally be admitted to the heavenly feast; to the marriage supper of the Lamb; to the company of angels; in the courts of uncreated light-" for the glory of God doth lighten them, and the Lamb is the light thereof;"* "In whose presence is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore."+

* Rev. xxi. 23. † Psalm xvi. 11.

SERMON XIV.

WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD, BE FRUITFUL, AND INCREASING.

COL. i. 10.

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

ONE of the great objects of St. Paul, in writing his epistles, appears to be considerably overlooked by the christian world at large it was, to lead those churches and communities, in which the true foundation of Christianity had been laid, to build upon it a corresponding character and life. Certainly, a great portion of the epistles is occupied in the assertion and explanation of christian doctrine;

and this, principally, with a view to remove certain errors and prejudices, which the members of some churches had entertained; and upon which they had requested the apostle's decision. But well knowing how apt the human mind is to rest satisfied with speculative views and persuasions, he never omits to remind his converts, that much more was necessary than the profession of a true faith; that in vain would their opinions be rectified, unless their heart was also changed; that though they had "all faith and all knowledge," it would "profit them nothing," unless the graces and virtues of their holy religion were signally manifest in their lives.

There is scarcely an epistle, in which the apostle does not labour, with the most intense desire, with the most full and repeated and peremptory injunctions, to press upon them this momentous consideration: there is not, in the word of God, a more complete digest and code of christian duty, than in the writings of St.

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