entreat you all to flee from the wrath to come. Let these principles be universally acknowledged amongst us, and deeply rooted in our hearts — That there is no refuge but in Christ — That all self-righteous methods of obtaining mercy will prove fallacious — That every one must feel his guilt and danger, and, like the man-slayer when pursued by the avenger, flee as for his life, renouncing all things whatsoever that may impede his flight and endanger his soul. Pleasures, interests, friends, must all give way to this great concern ; and all regard for them must be swallowed up in this, the one thing needful. To obtain an interest in Christ must be our great, our only care : we must " count all things but loss that we may win Christ and be found in him." The city of refuge was open day and night, and to a heathen sojourner as well as to the native Jew: in the same manner also is Christ accessible to us at all times, and his mercy shall be extended to all who flee unto him. The cities of refuge were so situated, that any one at the remotest corner of the land might reach one of them in less than half a day : and is not Jesus also "nigh to all that call upon him?" Yes, all, whether in this land, or in the most distant quarter of the globe, may come to him in one single hour, or, if I may so speak, in one single moment : for the soul that unfeignedly relies on him for pardon and acceptance, is enclosed by him as in an impregnable fortress, and shall be " saved by him with an ever- lasting salvation." Yet it is not sufficient to flee to him once : we must be daily and hourly fleeing to him in the habit of our minds : in other words, we must " abide in him," by the continual exercise of faith, even to the latest hour of our lives : then shall the death of our great High-Priest be available for our discharge, and we shall be restored to the com- plete and everlasting enjoyment of our friends, our liberty, and our inheritance.
Hitherto we have enforced the subject from topics suited to all persons in all ages of the world : but we cannot conclude without adding a few considerations,