forth," there will be an end of all possibility of obtaining mercy to all eternity. "As the tree falls, so will it lie" for ever and ever. O, then let all of you "gather yourselves together," and, as the word also imports, "search yourselves," ere it be too late. For your immortal souls' sake, repent, I beseech you, without delay, " before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you."]
To those who have any measure of humility and contrition, this truth will approve itself as most un- questionable and most important —
[Prevalent as impiety is to a vast extent, there are some, I trust, " who have wrought God's judgment," and laboured in sincerity to fulfil his will. Such, it might be supposed, would be most self-confident. But the very reverse is their expe- rience : the more observant they have been of the Lord's statutes, the more will they be humbled under a sense of their defects: they are, and ever will be, "the meek of the earth." To such then we address ourselves with the greater hope of success : " Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth." You have already shewn that you think God is to be feared : your very attainments, small as they may be, yet testify in your behalf that you are neither " undesirous," or " undesired." You have chosen God ; and that is a proof that God has pre- viously chosen youe. Relax not then your endeavours: be not contented to have run well for a season : press forward, forget- ful of all that you may have attained : " never be weary in well-doing," lest you "turn back," and "your last end be worse than your beginning."]
But let your humiliation be such as God requires —
[" Seek righteousness, seek meekness ;" " seek righteous- ness" in the way wherein God has appointed it to be obtained, even by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ; who, by his own obedience unto death, has brought in an everlasting righteous- ness for the justification of the ungodly ; and by his efficacious and all-sufficient grace will "sanctify you throughout, in body, soul, and spirit." Rest not in any thing short of the full possession of Christ and all his benefits : but labour night and day, till " he is, of God, made unto you wisdom, and righteous- ness, and sanctification, and redemption." Particularly " seek meekness " also; for that is the grace which God most delights in : " the broken and contrite heart he will not despise ;" on the contrary, he will come down from the highest heavens to testify his regard for it, and to make it his habitation*. If there be one grace more than another which distinguishes the
e John xv. 16. f Isai. lvii. 15.