mities, and to enable you to rejoice in the prospect of complete victory through him who hath loved you and given himself for you.

6. To convince us that salvation is entirely of grace. The temporal salvation of the people of Israel was totally irrespective of any worthiness in them they are reminded of the fact repeatedly in this chapter. Read the fifth and sixth verses, in connection with the text: "Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land (the land of the Canaanites); but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand, therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people. Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until he came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord."

The same truth applies to us in regard to spiritual and eternal salvation: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." The sentiment applies to all acquainted experimentally with these things: By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. Works have no merit; boasting is excluded; the plan of salvation which the glorious Gospel unfolds, admits of nothing of the kind. If any be ready to question this, let us not only recollect our original unworthiness, but "re

member, and forget not" our daily and hourly pro vocations, and we shall be convinced that if saved at all, it must be wholly of grace.

And if of grace, it is evident who must have the glory: "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake." The song of the inhabitants of earth and of heaven is the same: "Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; to him be glory and dominion for ever." Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever *."

The substance of what you have heard is this: We have all provoked the Lord our God, by actual sins, by secret pride, by unreasonable unbelief, by unchristian tempers: we are prone to forget this, owing to inattention, light thoughts of sin, and love of self: but it is of great importance that we remember and forget not, that we bear our provoca tions habitually in mind, in order to make us penitent, to keep us humble, to preserve us thankful, to assist our resignation, to endear the Saviour, and to convince us that salvation is all of grace, and that to God belongs all the glory.

and

These things are left with you. Forget not your sins. Attempt not by any means to cloak your transgressions. Let them be ever before you, lamented in all their aggravated offence. But, embrace the remedy of the glorious Gospel! Flee to Jesus Christ as the Refuge of the guilty, the Saviour

* Rev. i. 5; v. 13; vii. 10.

of the lost, the Friend of the chief of sinners! And having fled to Him, abide in Him, and cleave to Him with purpose of heart.

No man can wear out his sin by forgetting it: be his indifference ever so great, or his expedients to stifle conviction ever so artful, the stain of his transgression still remains. On the other hand, it is not our carefully remembering provocations that increases either their number or their evil; but it assists in the exercise of every gracious disposition, and prepares for the reception of the best of blessings. Thus may we be assisted; and thus prepared, may we be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus!

SERMON XXV.

THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.

REVEL. xix. 4.

These are they who follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth.

THE grand object presented in the Bible is the

Lord Jesus Christ: and next to Him are true Christians, his friends and followers. Their character is faithfully delineated; their temper and spirit, their views, their feelings, and holy conversation are correctly described. If we look attentively we may learn much and practically improving what we learn, we shall be highly benefited.

This chapter opens with a very pleasing and interesting scene: "And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion; and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads." The Lamb is the Lord Jesus, mount Sion is the Gospel church; there he presides amongst the myriads of his redeemed people, devoted to his Father's glory. " And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder." This voice, loud and tremendous, was softened by the sweetest music, the

most delightful harmony-" And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts and the elders; and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." The character of these redeemed people is then described in several particulars: "These are they who were not defiled with women." Probably this refers to their freedom from idolatry: it certainly expresses their chastity and purity, their exemption from the abounding pollutions of the world:-" These are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."

Without determining to what precise period the verses before us refer, in the order of prophetic events, we consider the text as applicable to all periods, and as descriptive of true Christians in all ages and circumstances of the church.-Observe,

I. The INSTRUCTIVE VIEW OF CHRISTIANS which the text presents: "They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."

By the Lamb, it is sufficiently evident, is intended the meek and lowly Jesus; the Saviour of sinful men, the great atoning sacrifice," the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world?" But in what respects do his disciples. "follow" him? And what is meant by following him "whithersoever he goeth?"

1. To follow Jesus is to maintain a visible profession of his religion.-This, in itself, is a small thing, yet it is included in the character of a Christian. He avows his decided preference of the religion of the Gospel. The fact is too obvious to be noticed, ex