I would fondly hope, has begun to dawn! O that God would arise and " take to him his great power, and reign amongst us ! " O that he might no longer have to express a wish, " that there zvere in us such an heart ;" but rather have to rejoice over us as pos- sessed of such an heart ; and that he would magnify himself in us as instruments of good to a ruined world! The Apostle to the Hebrews represents all the saints of former ages as witnesses of the conduct of those who were then alive ; and he urges it as an argument with them to exert themselves to the uttermost: " Having then," says he, " so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Thus let us consider the Reformers of our church as now looking down upon us, and filled with anxiety for the success of their labours : let us hear them saying, ' We did all that human foresight could do ; we shewed to ministers what they ought to be ; we bound them by the most solemn ties to walk in the steps of Christ and his Apostles : if any shall be lukewarm in their office, we shall have to appear in judgment against them, and shall be the means of aggravating their eternal condemnation.' Let us, I say, consider them as spectators of our conduct ; and endeavour to emulate their pious examples. Let us consider, likewise, that the Liturgy itself will appear against us in judgment, if we labour not to the utmost of our power to fulfil the engagements which we have voluntarily entered into ; yea, God himself will say to us, " Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant." May God enable us all to lay these things to heart; that, whether we have already contracted, or are intending at a future period to contract, this fearful responsi- bility, we may duly consider what account we shall have to give of it in the day of judgment!
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