is it united with hatred of sin, and with a desire to forsake every evil way? Does the remembrance of what Jesus has done and suffered for you, awaken gratitude to him? Does it lead you to desire to do those things which are pleasing in his sight? Does your expecttation of a holy happiness in heaven, cause you now to be following after purity, and gentleness, and meekness, and love, in every part of your conduct?

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The scriptures tell us of a "good hope through grace" of a "hope that maketh "not ashamed; because the love of God is “shed abroad in the heart, by the Holy Ghost"

hope which shall be consummated in everlasting glory. But they also tell us, that there is such a thing as a vain hope--destitute of a foundation. And oh! what must be the disappointment of that man, who after having flattered himself through life, with such a hope, finds it fail him just at that period in which most of all he needs consolation-in the hour of death, or in the day of judgment. much better is it, to watch over our hearts with a jealous godly fear--to follow the Apostle's direction and "to prove our ownselves"even should our examination lead to the discovery that we have hitherto been mistaken.

How

Consider, my brethren, these things, and may he who is called "the God of hope," so direct and rule your hearts, that you may, by patience and comfort of his holy word, ‹ embrace and ever hold fast, that blessed hope ' of everlasting life, which he has given us in 'Jesus Christ our Lord.'

SERMON XXIV.

REFUSING THE GOSPEL A GREATER SIN THAN DESPISING THE LAW.

HEBREWS xii, 25.

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.

THE design with which the epistle to the Hebrews was written, was to set before the Jewish nation, the connection that subsisted between that form of religion which had been introduced by Moses; and that new and more perfect dispensation, which was promulgated by Jesus Christ. The Jews, perhaps, beyond all other people, had evinced an obstinate determination not to admit the claims of our Lord, or to pay attention to his doctrines and this arose in great measure from the mistaken regard they had to the law of

Moses, which rendered them altogether unwilling to believe that it could ever be superseded by any further revelation. It was therefore a great object with the Apostle, to shew that the christian religion was intimately connected with that of Moses: that all the ceremonies in which the Jews confided, were of a typical nature, and were only valuable when regarded as prefiguring that atonement for sin, which was made by the death of Christ. Having gone through with this design, he shews, in the chapter before us, that in consequence of what he had stated, a deep responsibility lay upon all, and especially on the Jews, to receive the gospel thus proposed to them; and that the neglect of it was a most heinous sin against God.

The giving of the law was the declaration of condemnation, and was accompanied by every imaginable circumstance of terror. The promulgation of the gospel was an exhibition of the mercy of God; and was intended to set forth both his justice in requiring a satisfaction for the sins of man, and his tender compassion in giving his own well-beloved Son to endure the punishment we had deserved. And, consequently, those who refused to receive the revelation of the Gospel, were guilty of a more aggravated offence, than if they had

refused submission to the law which was given by Moses. It was with this view that St. Paul addressed to the Hebrews the solemn warning of our text-" See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who "refused him that spake on earth, much more "shall not we escape, if we turn away from "him that speaketh from heaven."

We are not, however, to imagine that this warning is addressed only to the Jews, or to those who openly reject the very name of Christians it is equally addressed to us, for there is a possibility, nay, there is very great danger, lest, while we make an outward profession of christianity, and possess the inestimable advantages of christian ordinances, we should refuse to listen to him that speaketh to us in accents of mercy, inviting us to receive everlasting life and glory, as his free gift. Let us, consider the admonition as addressed to us, and let us inquire what instruction it is calculated to afford us.

I. Who is it, then, we may ask, of whom the Apostle speaks, as addressing us from heaven? It is "the Son of God," one with the Father, and equal to him. It is he who took our nature upon him--who appeared in the likeness of sinful man-who obeyed and honoured that law which we had broken-who, " in his