all are permitted to approach unto the mercy-seat of their God, and to offer to him the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise.
Moreover, they are " a holy nation, and a peculiar people." All are vmited under the same king ; all obey the same laws ; all participate the same interests. They are all separated by God, and " set apart for himself:" they are not o/"the world, though they are in it: they are mere "pilgrims and sojourn- ers" here; and are travelling to " a city which hath founda- tions, whose Builder and Maker is God."
All these distinctions they enjoy; and they owe them all to the sovereign grace of God.]
Address,
1. Unbelievers — [You need only to examine your regard for Christ, and you will soon find with which class you are to be numbered. You may easily discover whether Christ be supremely pre- cious to your souls, or whether you are averse to the doctrines and precepts of his Gospel.
Think with yourselves, what guilt you contract, and to what danger you are exposed, while you remain insensible to all the love of Christ: your guilt is greater than that of the very persons who crucified him, because you sin against greater light, and contradict your most solemn professions. O provoke not God to give you over to judicial blindness ; nor make God's richest mercy an occasion of your more aggravated condemnation !]
2. Believers — [You see in the latter part of the text how infinitely you are indebted to your God : once you were in darkness ; now you are " brought into the marvellous fight" of his Gospel: " once you were not the people of God ; now you are : once you had not obtained mercy : now you have obtained mercy."
And for what end has God vouchsafed to make this altera- tion in your state, and to distinguish you thus fi'om millions, who are still left in the very condition in which you so lately were? Was it not " that you shovdd shew forth the praises, yea the virtues'^ too, of Him that called you ? " Entertain then a becoming sense of your obligations : and endeavour to " render vmto the Lord according to the benefits" conferred upon you. Shew forth his praises by frequent and devout acknowledgements; and shew forth his virtues by following his steps and obeying his commandments.]