knee to a sanctifying Saviour? Whose holy ambition spurns the dregs of earth, and soars to the kingdom above? Where are those crowns of glory, the hoary heads found in the way to righteousness?" Where the hopeful

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the holy scriptures, in which the most august, grand, and awfully sublime ideas of the Almighty are exhibited-Its relation to the infinite love of Christ to mankind-and the peremptory and awful injunctions of this Divine Saviour, that men love one another-together with our joining in solemn, heart-felt supplications, confessions, and thanksgivings at the Throne of Grace; these things, I believe, have had, and still have, an efficacy on the minds of the great body of the people in Christian nations, I was almost going to say infinitely great-and I firmly believe, that no man who ever became very vile and profligate, could possibly be so, till he renounced all solemn and serious attention to the Lord's day. A question has some time employed my thoughts, what in human nature it is that will account, in a rational manner, for the generally extreme wickedness of soldiers and sailors? The true solution of the problem, I believe, is this. They do not carefully observe the Lord's day they have no opportunity, or very little, of attending the worship of God: consequently the impressions of a God; of the worth of their souls; the evil of sin; and the infinite impor tance of a future state, are either very faint in their minds, or perhaps in some scarcely existent. In this respect, the institutions of Christianity have a most benign influence on society; and wise rulers, who wish rather to prevent crimes than to punish them, will take care, both by precept and example to promote the sanctification of the Christian Sabbath,-This is the best security of our life, property, and liberty. This is like the wings of the Almighty spread over us. No man who conscientiously, and with knowledge, sanctifies the Sabbath, will find a liberty in his mind to injure us through the week.--This is God's shadow extended over us; it is Heaven's protection." (A concise and faithful narrative, &c., p. 68-70.)

youth who dedicate themselves to the Lord God of their fathers: and who are not ashamed of Jesus and his words before a crooked and perverse generation?

On the contrary, what is the frequent treatment of the Bible? This blessed Bible which unfolds the counsels of Heaven, and proclaims the glad tidings of salvation? Is it not despised as the parent of enthusiasm, and calumniated as the offspring of fraud? Are not the exercises of that serious godliness which it inspires, which purifies the human mind; and ennobles the human character, reviled as the whine of fanaticism, or the cant of imposture? Is not infidelity the fashion? Is not the profession of a Christian thought to degrade the dignity of a gentleman? Is not the bold blasphemer of the holy oracles admired by many, as a man of genius? Is not the rude and impious jeer, at all which the wise and the good hold sacred, applauded for wit? Is not the paltry witticism, if it be but leveled against religion, complimented with the name of invincible argument? Does not every unfledged sciolist; every ignorant retailer of the sophisms of a Hume, or the quibbles of a Voltaire, set up for a philosopher, and think himself entitled to laugh at the faith of the saint? Is not the progress of principles so pernicious,

an awful symptom of deep degeneracy? And is not the fact as notorious as it is distressing? If it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?”

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When we turn our eyes from these miserable mortals who carry the mark of hell in their foreheads, and survey the generality of professed believers, is there not reason to fear that a large proportion of them have only "a name to live, while they are dead?" How many call themselves Christians, while their whole deportment proves that they are, in truth, the enemies of Christ? No subject so tedious and irksome as redeeming love. Speak to them of the ideal scenes of a romance, and they are all attention and activity. But speak of the sweet realities of the gospel; of the height, the depth, the length, the breadth, of the love of Christ, and immediately they are languid and listless. Set before them the fooleries of the stage, and their bosoms will be agitated with alternate and violent emotions. Now they will be softened into pity, or roused into rage: Anon, they will melt in grief, or be transported with joy. But conduct them to Calvary: Show them that real tragedy which clothed all heaven in sackcloth-show them a bleeding Saviour--show him stretched on the accursed tree; bowing

in agony his guiltless head; and pouring out his soul unto death, a victim to divine wrath, a sacrifice for sin; and they will be cold and unfeeling as a stone. Not a pang of remorse will shoot through the flinty heart, nor a tear of contrition steal down the iron cheek.

Do even the disciples of Jesus, who love him in sincerity, walk as he also walked? Do they live, as habitually as they ought, by faith, and not by sight? Do they improve, as they are bound, the precious promises? Do they apply to the fullness which is laid up for them in their new covenant head? Are congregations entirely free from those iniquities for which the Lord is visiting our land? Are there no ministerial transgressions? Yes, my brethren, the humiliating truth must be told, "The Lord is righteous, I and my people have sinned."

It is, therefore, undeniable that the Lord is speaking to us in wrath, and that his controversy is holy and just. Let us, then, attend,

Secondly, To the duty which our circumstances and our text point out; and that is, to plead with him for mercy,-O Lord, in wrath remember mercy!"

Here it is requisite to elucidate some of those principles which the petition implies;

and the temper with which we should employ it.

1. With respect to the principles of the petition.

It plainly implies that there is mercy, pardoning mercy, which may, consistently with both the divine attributes and the divine government, be freely communicated to the sinner.

Dreary, my brethren, would be our prospect, and miserable our consolation, were it absolutely necessary for the God whom we have offended to reward us exactly according to our deserts: Then, indeed, might we close our eyes on peace, and lie down in sorrow.

If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquity; O Lord, who could stand?" Certainly we could not stand; we, whose conduct has been little else than a series of transgressions; and whose crimes have been attended with every hateful circumstance which can aggravate guilt, or increase punishment. Unable to answer our Judge," one of a thousand" of the accusations he may bring against us, if we attempt to "justify ourselves, our own mouths will condemn us." But, glory, eternal glory, be to God in the highest! There is FORGIVENESS with him that he may be feared. There is a Saviour for whose righteousness' sake the Father is well pleased. Through this Saviour we may safely ap