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has actually burfted, and the ftorm is exhaufting its fury. The believer, with the lively exercife of all his graces, is like a rock in the midft of the ocean, unmoved, immoveable by all the dafhing of either wind or wave But, where, ah, where will the ungodly and the finner appear, when the wrath of Almighty God has gone forth; when it confumes the earth with her increase ; when it fets on fire the foundations of the mountains, and burns to the lowest hell? Where, ah, where will appear the empty profeffor; the man who poffeffes merely the mask of christianity, and is an utter ftranger to its power, where will he appear when Jehovah in his jealoufy will fearch Jerufalem as with lighted candles, and punish the men that are fettled on their lees; that fay in their hearts, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. Where, ah, where will then appear the gay, the thoughtlefs, wanton youth; thofe who put far away the evil day; "who crown themfelves with rofe buds ;" who chant to the found of the viol, and remain deaf to all the entreaties of friends, and parents, and minifters,where will they flee for help, where will they leave their glory, when the whirlwind of divine wrath fhall fweep terribly the earth; when the fierce anger of the Lord fhall come upon them, when the day of the Lord's anger fhall come upon them? To all fuch every temporal fcourge is only a pledge of that hour when the fon of man fhall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire; when the elements fhall mell with fervent heat, and the world and the things that are therein shall be diffolved. But they who are reconciled to God by the blood of the Infinite Surety, are

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fecured, infallibly fecured from avenging wrath: here the thunders of a broken law cannot reach to alarm, no lightnings pour their terrors, and therefore they may fit unruffled amidst all the agitations of the world.— Being juftified by faith they have peace with God, and if God be for them who can be against them? With his wisdom to direct; his omnipotence to defend; his all-fufficiency to fupply, and his mercy to fympathife, they enjoy a peace which passeth understanding amidst every outward ftorm.

2. WE ought to prepare for meeting our God by walking circumfpe&tly and keeping our garments unfpotted from every pollution. Upon all occafions it is our duty to be fober and vigilant; to keep our hearts with all diligence; to walk worthy of him who is calling us to glory and virtue, but this is pre-eminently our duty and our intereft in the hour of impending judgment. True it is, there is nothing meritorious in the fervices of the creature; our moft perfect performances fall infinitely fhort of the pure law of Jehovah; yet the reflection that we have walked circumfpectly before him; that we have not willingly devi. ated from the paths of righteoufnefs to the right hand or to the left, infpires with confidence and joy when his rod is ftretched out to fcourge a nation and we muft participate in the common calamity. While confcious guilt then ftands appalled; while it ftartles at the fhaking of every leaf, the righteous is bold as a lion; looking for protection to that God whom he has ferved; to whofe glory his life has been honeftly devoted, he bids defiance to all external danger; he

confiders that all the afflictions of time are short and inconfiderable when compared with the glories of eternity; he contemplates death itself as ftripped of every terror, and no more than a dark entry to the regions of unclouded, everlasting day. With what confolation in the depth of diftrefs; with what holy heroism in danger, did a confciousness of their integrity infpire the three Ifraelites in Babylon; it extinguifhed in their bofoms every impulse of fear; it enabled them to behold undifmayed the majesty of the princely throne, and the horrors of the fiery furnace; 0, Nebuchadnezar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter: If it be fo, "if we must resist even unto blood in adhering to our religion and our God; if our tortures are even aggravated by a furnace fevenfold hotter than ufual, we are not alarmed at the profpect, nor anxious about the issue;" our God whom we ferve is able to deliver from this burning, fiery furnace ; and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King.

3. We ought to prepare for meeting our God by awakening to greater diligence in the discharge of every duty, and abounding more eminently in the work of the Lord. When the tumult of war is heard, and the enemy appears in view, the prudent foldier inftantly arifes; he collects his armor; he faftens every part of it in its proper place; he arranges himself in order for battle, and thus ftands ready every moment for the arduous onfet: When a ftorm is expected on the ocean; when the clouds collect and blacken; when the diftant thunder is heard and the lightnings begin to blaze around, the vigilant mariner takes the alarm,

and makes the requifite preparation. Such fhould be the chriftian's conduct when the judgments of Almighty God are commiffioned to pass through a nation. Of whatever kind the calamity be, whether war or famine, or peftilence; on whatever that he ef teems precious the affault may be made, whether on his liberty, or religion, or life, he should aim at ftanding prepared; at fhaking off his fpiritual floth ; at having his lamp carefully trimmed and replenished with oil, from Jefus Jehovah the anointed one, burning with the purest flame; he ought to become more fervent in prayer; more edifying in his converfation; more fincere in repentance for his own iniquities, and the iniquities of the nation with which he is connect. ed; more abundant in all the duties which are incumbent upon him as a man and a christian. This is the beft poffible preparation for all the calamities of life. To all fuch the Lord God will become a little fanctuary when the fword of his vengeance is drawn, and his wrath confumes a guilty land. The angel fpreads his pavilion around the pious Lot, when the cities of the plain are turned into afhes; the houfes of the Ifraelites were passed over without injury, when the first born was flain in every family of the Egyptians, and the minifter of justice never disclosed his commiffion against Jerufalem, until a mark was fet upon the forehead of the men that fighed and cried for all the abominations that were done in the midst of the land. The providence of God has even miraculously interpofed for the protection of his faithful followers; he has proved a wall of fire around the individual, the fami

lies, the fettlements that have cleaved to him in the hour of general apoftacy.

THE application fuitable for this fubject will be readily fuggested by your own minds.

1. LET all be exhorted to improve their diftinguishing privileges while they are yet enjoyed. You have long fat undisturbed under the means of salvation; the heavenly manna has been descending in fhowers around your tents and you have been entreated again and again to partake this divine provifion; the river of life has been rolling plenteously around you its refreshing waters, and you have been urged again and again to draw near and drink and live for ever.Whether these golden opportunities will be long continued, is altogether uncertain; it depends on the mere fovereignty of Jehovah: I would therefore moft folemnly admonish you to walk in the light while you have it: Give glory to the Lord your God, left he caufe darkness, and before your feet fumble on the dark mountains: Let the drunkard abandon his cups; let the fwearer ceafe from his impious oaths; let him that fole feal no more, but render to all their due; let thofe who have indulged themselves in fenfual gratifications crucify the flesh with its affections and lufts; let the covetous remember that neither their gold nor their filver will deliver them in the day of the Lord's anger; let every prayerlefs perfon awake from his unconcern, and arife calling upon his God; let thofe who have wafted the precious fabbath in idleness, or worldly employments, hereafter keep holy that day to the Lord our God by not finding their own pleafure, nor fpeak