as if his sins were forgotten--he loves him as if he had never sinned. Now, my brethren, what was the duty and privilege of the Israelites after their return to God? it was to serve him, and worship him in his temple, and to bear witness to his truth in the midst of an idolatrous world. And such is now the duty and privilege of believers, to serve God and worship him in his temple with the acceptable sacrifices of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, "by giving up ourselves to his service, and by walking before him in holiness and righteousness all our days." We should also earnestly endeavour, both by precept and example, to bear witness to the truth, in the midst of a world *"that lieth in wickedness," that all who see us "take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus." He is our great High Priest, who can present our offerings of gratitude with acceptance before God,he hath an unchangeable priesthood.+"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, may * 1 John, v. 19. +Heb. vii. 25. Ib. iv. 14. 15. 16. let us hold fast our profession, "for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Soon we shall be removed to the heavenly Jerusalem, and there it still shall be our delightful and eternal privilege to serve and glorify the God of our salvation, in his temple above, as we learn from the beloved disciple in the book of Revelation: "After this, I beheld and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beasts: and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and * Revelations vii. 9-17. ever, amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me: what are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more: neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Such is the happiness which the Lord in his mercy has prepared for them that love him. Oh, my brethren, who can measure the love of Christ to his redeemed people; it is unsearchable, unfathomable; and how powerfully should this boundless love constrain us to a cheerful, a generous, and universal obedience to his holy laws:-we who were once condemned rebels, are now the pardoned, the beloved children of God. Let us never forget that *"we are saved by grace through * Ephesians, ii. 8. faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God." Let us shed around us, the lustre of a Christian, and a consistent life, while we journey through this wilderness of sin," that men may see our good works and glorify our heavenly Father." May the grace of the Holy Spirit lead us all to return to the God of our salvation, that we may serve him in holiness, and pureness of living on earth, and in everlasting glory and happiness in heaven, through the merits and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. * Matthew, v. 16. SERMON X. "I tell you, nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."-LUKE, xiii. 3. He These words fell from the lips of our blessed Saviour, while he conversed with the Israelites on the destruction of the Gallileans, whose blood Pilot had mingled with their sacrifices; and on the death of those eighteen persons who were crushed by the fall of the tower of Siloam. denied that they were sinners above all others, because they suffered such things: and then addressed to those he was conversing with, the solemn warning contained in our text." Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." It is probable, that those words were brought home with power to the hearts and consciences of some of those among the multitude who were surrounding our Saviour at the time he uttered them. But |