together" for the purpose of national humiliation, and repent, before the threatened judgments come upon them. And, if they in their national capacity will not hear his voice, he bids the meek and contrite among them to abase themselves, that they at least may be preserved amidst the general wreck.
A similar exhortation is at all times seasonable ; since at all times there are the heaviest judgments impending over the ungodly, and since by true and timely penitence they may be averted.
To analyze this passage, will be to enervate its force. I shall therefore ground upon it a general address, having respect to its main import, and pro- secuting in an unartificial way its more prominent topics. Know then, that
The most dreadful judgments hang over an un- godly world —
[There is a day wherein " God will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained, even by our Lord Jesus Christ." That day is called " the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God;" and " the day of the perdition of ungodly menb" But the terrors of that day who can conceive ? Who can form any idea of what is meant by that wrath of God, which is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of menc?" Who can imagine what it is to be " cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone," where " the worm," that gnaws the conscience, " dieth not, and the fire is not quenched?" In a word, the "power of his anger who can telld?"]
To escape those judgments should be the one con- cern of every living man —
[There is no man who is not justly exposed to them : all are trangressors of God's holy law, and consequently obnoxious to the curse which it denounces against sin. All then, as with one heart and one mind, should unite in deprecating the dis- pleasure of their God, and in " fleeing for refuge to the hope
set before them " in the Gospel Hear this, " O people
not desired:" whether through the hardness of your hearts ye are not desired by God, or through your ignorance of him are not desirous of his favour, (for the prophet's expression may be understood in either way;) you should not lose an hour in embracing the proffered mercy. If once "the decree bring
b Rom. ii. 5. 2 Pet. iii. 7. c Rom. i. 18. d Ps. xc. 11.