eyes from the allurements of sin: he suffered not his soul to listen to its fascinations; but resolutely determined, that the word and commandment of God should immediately become the rule of his life. His example I would now press upon your attention, and I would beg you diligently to examine whether you are following it. Have you, like him, thought upon your ways? Have you set the word of God before you as the standard of your conduct, and endeavoured to understand its demands? Have you called your own ways to remembrance, that you might discover and correct the errors and sins of your life? Have you turned your feet, without any delay, unto God's testimonies, humbly confessing and lamenting your failures--seeking his merciful forgiveness, and his grace to enable you to walk more diligently in the path of his commandments. If this is your conduct-if you are thus aiming to know and to do the will of God, you have reason, from his word, to hope for farther knowledge and farther assistance in the way of holiness, till you are brought at length to those happy regions, where you will be made fully acquainted with divine truth, and perfected for ever in the divine image. But, am I not speaking to some who are unwilling to think upon their ways, because they feel, that even the most cursory and superficial consideration of them, must fill their minds with terror? Whose allowed continuance in sin-whose habitual disregard to God's commandments-whose utter neglect of the duty which they know they owe to him; are at the first sight, a full evidence to their minds, that they are walking in a path, the end whereof must be eternal death? How awful is your condition! Reflection upon your ways must indeed fill your minds with anguish. Yet the word of the Lord saith to you, "consider your "ways." Consider them not so much for the purpose of knowing what they are, (that is but too plain,) but that your fears may be awakened, by the recollection of the dreadful termination which they must have, if you persist in them. For though you may now refuse to think upon your ways, and endeavour to drown reflection, lest it should excite uneasiness in your minds; a time is coming when you must reflect when your conduct will be set in array before your eyes-when you will be called to the awful tribunal of omnipotence, and constrained to give an account of yourselves unto God. How dreadful must be this thought to him, who feels that he is living in sin! Yet I would call you, most earnestly to permit it to dwell upon your minds, and there to work its full effect. Not for the purpose of producing unnecessary anguish-but because the door of mercy is not yet shut; and I fear, lest through thoughtlessness and inconsideration, you should not strive to enter in. There is forgiveness with the Most High-through his well-beloved Son, he is ready to pardon and to bless all those who truly turn to him. Repent, then, and believe the gospel. Humble yourselves before your God for your offences. Seek earnestly for his merciful forgiveness of your past transgressions, and for his grace to enable you to walk in the way of his commandments, that you may escape the punishment which impends over the workers of iniquity, and that it may be well with you for ever and ever. But there is a state of mind which is exceedingly common among men, to which I have before alluded, but to which, I must again advert, because it is replete with danger. I mean, that of those, who, though they purpose at some future time to attend to their immortal concerns, are still delaying to keep God's commandments. They feel that there is an infinite importance in religion--but they put off attending to it. They think that they are too for it to be necessary for them, or that young they are too much occupied with the cares of the world at present, or they even hope that at a future time they may find themselves less disposed to take pleasure in sin. But if such is your conduct, I would ask you, whether youth or health can protect you from the stroke of death? Will that stern messenger of the Almighty, delay his blow, because you are eagerly engaged in temporal pursuits? Can any earthly business be of so much con. sequence as the affairs of eternity? Will any worldly gain compensate for the loss of the soul? Or think you that evil habits will lose strength by indulgence? You stand on the brink of an awful precipice-you know neither the day nor the hour when death may come; and yet you defer all preparation for its approach. Consider, I beg of you, your situation. Could you bear to appear before your God, if he should this day summon you to his bar? You could not. And yet what assurance have you, that he will not to day require your soul from you? Think then upon your ways, and delay not to keep God's commandments; when he enjoins upon you repentance for sin, humble faith in Christ as your Saviour, and a life regulated by his holy word. And be assured, that religion will debar you from no real enjoyment. It calls you off indeed from sinful pleasures, but it offers you higher present enjoyments, while it also reveals to you the pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore. It forbids you to make worldly possessions the main object of your pursuit; but it offers you an inheritance "incorruptible, and undefiled, "which fadeth not away." It offers to you abundant consolation under the troubles of life-it will afford you well grounded hope in the hour of death; and in the end it will bring you to everlasting enjoyment. Delay not then to keep God's commandments, and to choose "that good part which shall never be taken " from you. May we all have grace given to us to copy the example of the Psalmist-to “think upon "our ways, and to turn our feet unto the testi"monies of God." May he bring us back from all our wanderings, and incline our hearts to keep his commandments: that, having humbly and faithfully served him in this world, we may, by his infinite mercy, be brought to his immortal glory in the world to come. I |