professedly cast off their allegiance to hime, we glory in being " called by his name." In this view we may plead his presence witli us, and his relation to us ; yet not in a spirit of proud boasting, but of humble and thankful acknowledgment. And the more God is honoured in the midst of us, the more may we expect a continuance of his favour towards us.
It is almost needless to observe, that, with respect to our personal necessities, we must have no other plea than that before mentioned. He must be ignorant indeed who will pre- sume to ground his hopes upon any merit of his own ; though certainly, if we belong to God, we may plead his past mercies as a ground on which we hope for the continuance and increase of them. In this manner therefore let us approach our God ; and we may rest assured that our supplications shall not go forth in vain.]
Application —
[Let this day be truly set apart for the humbling of your
souls before God And let the pattern now set before
you be not only approved, but imitated in all its parts. There is a day coming when we shall either look back upon our pre- sent humiliation with unspeakable comfort, or regret bitterly that we trifled with God and our own souls. Defer not then this necessary work. The nation, of which you are members, demands it of you. Whatever be your judgment with respect to politics, there can be no doubt but that you have contributed to augment the guilt of the nation, and are therefore bound to deprecate the judgments that are hanging over it. The salvation of your own souls too depends on your unfeigned repentance ; and the sooner you turn to God in his appointed way, the sooner will you obtain a sense of his favour, and the brighter will be your prospects in the heavenly world. Let us all then turn to Christ, as the Hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof: and however unable or unwilling to save we may have foolishly supposed him, we shall find him both " able and willing to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him."]
e The time of the French Revolution.