to consider the justice, and holiness, and majesty of our God, we should know no bounds to our gratitude for the work of redemption : our every thought would be thankfulness ; and our every word be praise ]
2. To preserve upon your minds a holy dread of sin —
[Still must it be said, as in the days of old, " The Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God'' :" and we should never for a moment lose sight of him under that cha- racter. It is fit that he should be jealous, and suffer no rival in our hearts. In harbouring any unhallowed lust, we are as great enemies to our own happiness as we are to his glory : and he would have loved us less, if he had given us any reason to hope for impunity in the ways of sin. Be ye then jealous over yourselves with a godly jealousy, lest there be found in you any thing which is displeasing in his sight. Let your conscience be tender even as the apple of your eye : and if but a mote come upon it, let it not abide there for a moment ; but weep it away with tears of penitential sorrow, and wash it away with the blood of Christ, which alone can cleanse you even from the smallest sin. Bear in mind, that what ye are in respect of holiness, that ye are in the sight of God : and recollecting, that *' his eyes are as a flame of fire," and that " he weighs, not your actions" only, but " even your spirits" also, " be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless'."]
h Deut. iv. 24. ' 2 Pet. iii. 14.