enough to make this reply in words ; but is it not the language
of your hearts and lives ? Must we not carry this report
to Godr? O that you would hearken to God's voice,
before it be too lates!
But we trust there are some of a better mind amongst us, some who cordially assent to whatever God has been pleased
to propose On behalf of them we pray, that God may
fix this pious disposition abidingly in their hearts'. Happy are we to see the rising purpose to obey God ! but we must caution all not to adopt the purpose lightly, or to carry it into execution in a partial or listless manner. The message of God in the text is, " If ye will obey my voice indeed." Our obedience must be sincere, habitual, and unreserved. We must not be satisfied with purposes and resolutions, but must carry them into effect : nothing must divert us, nothing intimidate us, nothing retard us. But let us hold fast the covenant of grace, and uniformly obey the commands of God, and then all the blessings of grace and glory shall be ours ]
r Put their conduct into words. s Jer. xiii. 15 — 17.
* 1 Chron. xxix. 18.
Exod. xx. 18, 19. And all the people saiv the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking : and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we ivill hear : but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
THE law of God was originally written on the heart of man : but by sin it was almost obliterated, so that scarcely any traces of it remained. When there- fore it pleased God to separate to himself a peculiar people, who should know his will, and enjoy his presence, and subserve his glory, it was necessary, if we may so speak, that he should republish his law, and record it in some way, which might give it a permanent establishment in the world. This he was pleased to do on Mount Sinai, after having con- ducted his people thither in safety, and shewn, by the wonders he had wrought, that he was indeed the only true God. What were the particulars of that