so does every prophecy lead me nearer and nearer unto Jesus. till they fix infallibly on him as the object of my pursuit, Thus, I say, I take prophecy for my light; and I follow it, till it stands over the very person of my adorable Lord, and leaves me no possibility of doubt respecting his being the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world.]

2. To lead us to an experimental sense of his excellency and glory

[We must not be satisfied with knowing that Jesus is the Messiah, but must seek to experience all the blessings of his salvation in our souls. Suppose a condemned criminal to receive a pardon from his prince, and at the same time a grant of large estates, and a title to all the highest honours of his kingdom; and the man were to satisfy himself with examining and ascertaining that the writing which conveyed to him these benefits, was not a forgery: what should we say of that man? Should we think him sane? Should we not expect that, as a rational being, he would leave his prison, and go forth to possess his estates and honours ? Yet this is the very folly which we are guilty of. We are contented with ascertaining to our satisfaction the Messiahship of Jesus, and go not forth to him to obtain the blessings he has purchased for us. But let us remember, that a lamp is only to guide us through a dark place when the day has dawned and the sun is risen, we are then to walk in the light of that sun, which will supersede the use of the glimmering taper we have just employed. Now thus it is that the Lord Jesus Christ," the true Morningstare," "the Sun of Righteousness," will arise in our hearts, and "will manifest himself to us, as he does not unto the worlds." And, as light is its own evidence, so will he bring his own evidence along with him, and prove himself to be the Messiah by the blessings he imparts. Only let that "God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, shine into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," and we shall have the same evidence of his Messiahship as a man has of the sun's existence when he is basking in the beams of its meridian splendour. This then is what we must seek. We must seek to have "the day dawn, and the day-star arise in our hearts:" and then we shall be able to say to prophecy, as the Samaritans did to the woman who had guided them to Jesus, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." It is said of heaven, that "the glory of God

e Rev. xxii. 16. h2 Cor. iv. 6.

f Mal. iv. 2.

i John iv. 42.

8 John xiv. 22.

doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereofk:" and thus may it be said of us when Christ has once revealed himself within us; so bright, so cheering, so glorious will be his presence in the soul !]

We may LEARN then from hence,

1. The propriety of considering the evidences of our religion

[Were we habituated from our early youth to consider these things, how vain and impotent would be the efforts of infidels to shake our faith! If we regarded nothing but intellectual amusement, we can scarcely conceive a richer feast to the mind than the study of prophecy. But, when we reflect that on the truth of Christianity our eternal welfare depends, it is surprising that we are not more interested about this all-important subject. We should not be satisfied with believing Christianity, because our fathers have believed it: we should examine for ourselves. We should search the Old Testament Scriptures, which testify of Christ; and compare them with the New Testament, in which the fulfilment of the prophecies is recorded. Thus should we examine the foundation upon which we propose to build, and assure ourselves that it will bear the edifice which we design to construct upon it.]

2. The folly of resting in them—

[A man who lays a foundation proceeds to build upon it. And so must we do. We have ascertained beyond a doubt that Jesus is the Christ. But what does the assurance of that fact avail us, if we go not to him for the salvation which he has purchased for us? The Israelites, when they found the manna that was round about their tents, inquired, "What is it?" But when they had ascertained that it was a species of bread given them from heaven, were they satisfied with having learned that fact? No: they proceeded to gather it, each one for himself, and then to feed upon it from day to day. Do ye then so in reference to Christ, who is " the true bread from heaven." Do not imagine, that because you know he has been given, and are acquainted also with the ends and purposes for which he has been given, you will receive any benefit from that. You must lay hold upon him, and feed upon him from day to day. If he be indeed, as he has declared, the light of the world, you must walk in his light. Then shall your path to heaven be clear, and your way delightful: and then shall you be prepared to dwell with him in that place, where "the

k Rev. xxi. 23.

sun shall be no more your light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto you, but where the Lord shall be unto you an everlasting light, and your God your glory'."]

1 Isai. lx. 19.

MMCCCCXXIV.

GOD THE PUNISHER OF SIN.

2 Pet. ii. 4-9. If God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

THERE were in the Apostles' days a set of religious professors, such as, I would fondly hope, scarcely exist at this time. If we take the chapter before us, and the Epistle of St. Jude, and mark the characters which are there portrayed, we shall not know where to look for persons of a similar description or, if we find a few, they are so few and so insignificant, that they have no influence whatever in the Church. If they were at all numerous, we should not wonder that "the way of truth should be evil spoken of." But what has been, may be: and, if we be not alive to the dangers of an Antinomian spirit, we may yet see "false teachers amongst us, privily bringing in their damnable heresies, and denying the Lord that bought them, and bringing both on themselves and their followers a swift destruction." One of the most fearful and disgusting

traits of such characters is, the boldness and confidence with which they propagate their errors; professing to expect for themselves, and promising to others, impunity in "their pernicious ways." But, whatever they may dream of in relation to their security, "their judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." In confirmation of this truth, the Apostle adduces many striking examples, which attest, that God will put a difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve him, and those who serve him not.

The truths deduced from these records will form the ground-work of our present discourse:

I. God knows how to punish impenitent transgressors

He has inflicted terrible judgments on account of

sin

[Angels in heaven have experienced his wrath. Respecting the fall of the angels we know but little. But this we know: there were a countless multitude of angels, once as holy and as happy as any that are now around the throne of God; but, on some temptation, they fell, and "left their first estate" of holy obedience, and for their wickedness were cast down from heaven, into a place of inconceivable horror and misery created on purpose for their reception, where they are "reserved in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day." Their sin will in that day be made known before the whole assembly of men and angels, and the justice of God in their punishment be universally acknowledged. Their misery is not yet complete. God has seen fit to give them somewhat of a respite, as it were, till the counsels of God respecting the redemption of the world shall be completely fulfilled: but then, together with the ungodly from amongst our fallen race, they shall receive their final doom. They are indeed yet continually adding to their former impiety, by labouring with all their might to frustrate the counsels of heaven in the salvation of mankind and thus are they treasuring up continually an augmented weight of wrath, which at the appointed season shall come upon them to the uttermost.

On men too, even on the whole world, has God inflicted

c ver. 3.

vengeance on account of sin. Scarcely had the world existed fifteen hundred years, before wickedness abounded in it to such a degree, that "God repented that he had made man." On this account, he determined to destroy the world: and for that purpose he sent a deluge, which soon covered the face of the whole world, and overwhelmed every living thing, with the exception of those which, with Noah and his family, were assembled in the ark.

Another instance of God's displeasure against sin has been manifested in the destruction of Sodom and the cities of the plain. Grievous beyond measure, and beyond sufferance, was the iniquity of those cities. Yet, if only ten righteous persons had been found in them, God would have spared the whole for their sake. But their being one only, he rained down fire and brimstone upon them from heaven, and reduced them all to ashes, making them a terrible example to the whole world, of the vengeance that should overtake all who should thereafter live ungodly.]

From these instances it is undeniably clear, that he both can, and will, inflict judgments on sin and sinners

[Here are facts; facts, which cannot be denied; facts, which bear upon them the stamp and character of divine agency; facts, which speak so loudly, that we cannot shut our ears against them.

There are doubts on the minds of men: Can God, or will he, execute his threatenings, when, if he should proceed according to his word, so many will be destroyed? Shall the great and noble be of no more account in his eyes than the meanest of mankind? or, if some notice shall be taken of sin, shall it be so severe as we are taught to expect?' Look, brethren, into the divine records, and all these doubts shall vanish in an instant. Angels confessedly are a far more exalted race of beings than men: yet not even angels were spared, when once they had sinned against their God; but were cast headlong from heaven into the bottomless abyss of hell. But will God proceed against so many? Look to the old world, where not a human being, except Noah and his family, was saved. But shall it indeed be so terrible? Look at the cities of the plain, and see what terrible destruction was brought on them and bear in mind, that these very judgments were intended" for an example unto them that should thereafter live ungodly." Look, I say, at these things; and then doubt whether that judgment which is threatened shall be executed; "God will rain down upon the wicked snares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest; this shall be their portion to drink "." If, after d Ps. xi. 6.