[SERM. XXI. that so they may be more pure and humble; let it be present with us in our prayers, that so they may be more earnest; and in our seasons of repentance, that so they may be more perfect and fervent. Thus during life, having endeavoured to realize our faith in active obedience, in our death we shall be able to realize Christ as our Saviour, and His spotless sacrifice as our perfect atonement; and though our conscience even then may accuse us, we shall not be without confidence and trust, seeing that "God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things.”

"Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not Thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, Thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from Thee."

SERMON XXII.

Preparation for Death.

AMOS iv. 12.

"Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel!"

HESE few but solemn words form part of an

THE

address delivered by Divine authority to the Jews, under the following circumstances. The kingdom, as we know, after the death of Solomon, was divided into two parts, and thenceforth becoming two states, the one was called the kingdom of Israel, and the other that of Judah. The kings of Israel were, with few (if any) exceptions, given to idolatry, and in other respects too like their founder, the usurper Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Nevertheless some of them were powerful and successful monarchs, among whom may be particularly mentioned Jeroboam the Second, who, in his wars with the Syrians, prevailed against them, and recovered Damascus and other ancient long-lost possessions of the Israelites. With this success, no doubt, he and his subjects were much elated; but it does not appear that they were at all the more inclined to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers, or to acknowledge their own

past sinfulness with true penitence and resolutions of amendment.

At this time, to warn them of their danger, and of the ruin that awaited them without timely repentance, God sent to them two of His messengers the prophets, if so be they would listen, before it should be too late, to the voice of Mercy. These two prophets were Hosea and Amos. The writings of these holy men have been preserved to us, and they contain abundant and awful proof of the dreadful corruptions into which the Israelites of that time had fallen; proof, also, no less decisive and awful, if any were wanting, of the dreadful indignation of God against those who despise His warnings, His goodness, His forbearance and long-suffering.

With respect to the prophet Amos, it appears that he was specially called out of the land of Judah to prophesy to Israel, and that he fulfilled his commission with the most heroic courage, delivering his warnings at Bethel itself, the chief place of Israelitish idolatry. He, indeed, as was the case with most of the prophets, was commissioned to utter the Divine counsels, not merely as they respected His own nation of the Jews, but other nations also, the inhabitants of the neighbouring countries and cities. Yet though his warnings are severe against those countries, it is against Israel that his most indignant threatenings are denounced, for their forgetfulness of their God, and their oppression of one another. And then, in the fourth chapter, he proceeds to men

tion the different judgments, which one after another God had sent on them; famine and want of bread, then want of rain and water, then blasting and mildew, pestilence and war. And then he refers to some awful destruction by fire from heaven, or perhaps lightning, the particulars of which have not been recorded. But something of the kind seems to be certainly implied in these words: "I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the Lord." And then, since all had been in vain, and not even these awful judgments could move their stony hearts, He seems to say that nothing more could be done, their destruction, as a nation, was unavoidable. "Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel!" i.e. prepare thyself, if penitent, to meet Him with supplications, prayers, and tears; but if still hardened and impenitent, to encounter His just vengeance and fiery indignation. But, at all events, whether penitent or impenitent, grieved or hardened, "prepare, O Israel, to meet thy God;" still Thy God, though thou hast disowned Him.

Now, whatever might be the condition and conduct of those Israelites, it cannot, I suppose, be imagined by any person of the least consideration, that such a warning as this is less applicable, or less necessary for us than it was for them. For,

like them, we have received warnings and notices in abundance of what we are to expect; like them, too, alas! we have too many of us oftentimes disregarded those warnings, and gone every one his own way. And yet, brethren, meet our God we must, prepared or unprepared; and surely it were far better to meet Him now with sorrow, shame, and sincere endeavour after amendment, than to meet Him hereafter in the day of His wrath, and when the door of mercy shall be for ever closed. As Christians, then, immortal spirits redeemed by the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, placed here for a little space on our passage and trial for eternity,preparation is our business, and our only business; preparation, that is, for the great changes which are drawing on upon us, and of which we must all soon be witnesses; but whether in joy or sorrow, in hope or in despair, it is left to ourselves to determine.

Now religious preparation implies in it, at least, these three things,-serious forethought, actual search and enquiry, and a resolute course of practice suitable to what appears to be the truth of our condition with respect to the future. Without these, it is vain. to flatter ourselves that we are preparing to meet our God.

Now, as to the first of these, no thoughtful person can deny or question the reasonableness, or rather the necessity, of serious forethought and anxiety about what end we are coming to. For as the great distinguishing mark which at present sepa