"cannot ftand before, whofe wrath once kindled, "burns to the loweft hell, and to the utmost eter"nity." O let the best men that ever lived, offer their lives and actions to be fcanned before this moft worthy, but dreadful JUDGE eternal; and then tell me, if Eliphaz faid too much, Job xv. 14, 15, 16. “What is man, that he should be clean? and "he which is born of a woman, that he should be

righteous? Behold, he putteth no truft in his "faints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his fight. "How much more abominable and filthy is man, "which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Though men may now cavil it out with their fellows, yet all the defences and confidences, how will they vanish at the prefence of their glorious Maker, when he comes to judge the world? And when the laft trumpet shall found, they will be roufed out of the fine golden dreams of their own riches and righteousness, and be confounded even at the very beft worth of their own, upon which they were wont fo much to value themselves, and not backward then to make David's confeffion, Pfal. cxix. 120. "My "flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid "of thy judgments." And may not this ftain the pride of all glorying in any thing that we have done, or can do, and humble the lofty looks, and bring down the haughtiness of man, that the "Lord "alone will be exalted in that " dreadful " day; and to him alone, and not to any man, fhall be all the glory of the falvation of every one that is faved?

Almighty Judge, how shall poor mortals brook
Thy dreadful look,

Able a heart of iron to appall,
When thou shalt call

For every man's peculiar book!

VOL. II.

3 Y

What

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What others mean to do, I know not well;
But I hear tell,

That fome will turn thee to fome leaves therein
So void of fin,

That they in merit shall excel.

But I refolve, when thou shalt call for mine,
That to decline,

And thrust a Teftament into thy band';

Let that be fcann'd,

There thou fhalt find, my faults are thine.

HERB.

And if any ftill think they can ftand well enough upon their own legs, and are for "eftablishing their "own righteoufnefs," O Chriftians, do not ye count it a difparagement to imitate the fpoufe of Chrift that is reprefented, Cant. viii. 5. coming 66 up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Belov"ed." But, as your weakness makes you all to need the prop, fo will you fhew your wifdom in making use of it. And take it not for a thing of indifferency, but your bounden duty, when this is "the command of God, that you fhould believe "on the name of his Son Jefus Chrift," John iii. 23. O blefs his name, that he has given you his Son to believe in, and obliged you to that, which is your only fure fupport, and everlafting confolation. And let no difputers or fcorners abroad in the world, nor any unworthinefs or failings at home in yourselves, ever pluck you from this faftnefs, nor wrench you out of this fiducial affiance in the Lord your righte ousness and your Redeemer. But look to the blef fed Jefus, and depend all upon him; and hope for life only from his death and truft to his merits and righteousness alone, for the pardon of all your fins, for the whole of your acceptance with God,

and

and all that ever you would have to do you good, both here and for ever.

And thus "fubmitting to the righteoufnefs of "God," and repofing your confidence in the SON of God, your expectation fhall not perish; you fhall not be ashamed of your hope, but shall believe, to the quieting of your minds, and to the faving of your fouls.

COLLECT for FIFTH SUNDAY after Epiph. and part of Sexagef

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LORD, who feeft that we put not our truft in any thing that we do, we befeech Thee, "to keep thy church and household continually in "thy true religion, that they, who do lean only "upon the hope of thy heavenly grace, may ever"more be defended by thy mightv power, through "Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen."

FINI S.