[651
1.
Those who make light of God's wrath —
[There are, alas ! too many who do this. " The wicked," as David says, " through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God : God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous : thy judgments are far above out of his sight : and as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them0;" and, with atheistical impiety, " says in his heart, God will not do good ; neither will he do evilp." But consider, brethren, whether you will think so lightly of God's judgments when you shall have begun to feel the weight of them ? Think whether, on first opening your eyes in the invisible world, and beholding the face of your incensed God, you will not bewail your present supine- ness, and curse the day when you listened to the dictates of flesh and blood, instead of attending to the counsels of true wisdom ? O ! think, " Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger q ? " " Who can dwell with everlasting burnings r ? " I pray you to number your days, not as the world does, but as God directs you : and to consider every day as if it were to be your last. This, with God's blessing, will stir you up to redeem the present time, and will put energy into your exertions in " fleeing from the wrath to come." Whatever be your age, my advice is still the same : for " you know not whether your Lord will come in the evening, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morn- ing." " Knowing the terrors of the Lord, I would persuade you s ;" and " what I say unto one, I say unto all, Watch."]
2.
him-
Those who are in a state of reconciliation with
[Doubtless there are many amongst you, who can say with the church of old, " Though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me V To you then I would say, "Who knoweth the power of God's love ? Accord- ing to your hope, even your most sanguine hope, so is his mercy ; " yes, and infinitely above all that either men or angels can conceive. Compare your state with that of those who are now lifting up their eyes in the torments of hell ; and say whether eternity itself will suffice, to express your obligations to Him who has redeemed you by his blood, and to the Father who has accepted that atonement in }rour behalf? O ! bless without ceasing your reconciled God. Labour to count, if it were possible, the riches of his grace ; and to explore " the
0 Ps. x. 4, 5.
r Isai. xxxiii. 14.
P Zeph. i. 12. s 2 Cor. v. 1 1
•i Nah. i. 6. 1 Isai. xii. 1,