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of them who through faith and patience do now inherit the promises. Were the glorified faints in heaven to addrefs you, would they not,with one voice, invite you to follow them? Would they not fay, "Seek the Lord and his ftrength; feck his face evermore ?" They never repented of the happy choice they were enabled to make, when on earth they preferred the light of God's countenance to the increase of corn, of wine, and of oil; when they efteemed all the most flattering profpects the world can afford but drofs and dung, in comparison with the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus the Lord.

The Bereans are filed noble, for their ready reception of that gospel which fhews how finners are reconciled to God, through the death of his Son. Men of a noble spirit aspire after great things; and what honour can be compared with that of friendfhip with the King of kings? The minifters of the gofpel, with one voice, pray you, in Chrift's ftead, to be reconciled to God. Your godly neighbours and pious relations with this for you above every thing else. The conftant ftudy and endeavour of those who hold forth unto you the word of life, is to bring you to God. This is the end of their prayers and their preaching. They travail in birth with you, till Chrift be formed in you. They

would

would think their toils fufficiently rewarded, if finners were brought to repentance, and engaged in feeking the divine favour, with their whole hearts. They are willing to spend and be spent; if they may but, in so doing, win fouls to God. As friends of the Bridegroom, they would rejoice greatly in the betrothing of finners to him.

To the examples of the best of men, to the earneft folicitude of relations, to the prayers, the tears, the entreaties and perfuafions of minifters, we may add the voice of the dying. Reader, could you be prefent with all those who lie on beds of languishing, and hear the cautions and counfels of enlightened fouls, who are just going to launch forth into the eternal world, while capable of expreffing their fentiments, to what would they call your immediate and earnest attention? What would they recommend to you, as most worthy of your purfuit? Would they not all, as with one voice, cry, 'Make it your care to mind the one thing needful, to know Jefus Chrift, and him crucified. Make it your care to feek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; to fly for refuge to the hope set before you; to give diligence to make your calling and election fure; to renounce the world, with all its deluding vanities and vexatious cares; to look after the everlafting welfare of your foul, with car

neft and unwearied folicitude, that you may know your intereft in the divine favour, and be made meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the faints in light?'*

If

* What if to the teftimony of the dying, we could add that of the dead? What if God were to turn afide the veil which feparates between us and the invifible world, and to permit the most carelefs finner among us to converfe for a few moments with the inhabitants of it? If you were to apply yourself to a happy spirit, that trode the most thorny road to paradise, or paffed through the most fiery trial, and to ask him, "Was it worth your while to labour fo much, and to endure fo much for what you now poffefs?" Surely, if the blessed in heaven were capable of indignation, it would move them to hear that it fhould be made a question.

'And, on the other hand, if you could inquire of one tormented in that flame below, though he might once be clothed in purple and fine linen, and fare fumptuously every day, if you could ask him, "Whether his former enjoyments were any equivalent for his present sufferings and despair ?" What anfwer do you fuppofe he would return? Perhaps an anfwer of so much horror and rage, as you would not be able fo much as to endure. Or if the malignity of his nature should prevent him from returning any anfwer at all, furely there would be a language even in that filence, a language in the darkness, and flames, and groans of that infernal prison, which would speak

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If none of these will prevail with you, let me entreat you to confider the great end of the Redeemer's coming into the world. Was it not to seek and to fave that which was loft? Did he not die, the juft for the unjust, that he might bring us to God? Was he not lifted up upon the cross, that he might draw all men unto him? Why was he a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief? Why did he agonize in the garden of Gethsemane, and sweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground? Why was he ftricken, fmitten of God, and afflicted? Why was he bound with cords, fcourged with rods, crowned with thorns, blindfolded, fpit upon, and buffeted? Why was he led as a lamb to the flaugh-, ter? Why was he nailed to the cross? And why did he there offer up himself without fpot to God?,

Was

to your very foul what the word of God is, with equal certainty, though less forcible conviction, speaking to your ear, that one thing is needful. You fee it is fo in the judgment of God the Father, and the. Lord Jefus Chrift, of the wifest and best of men, of many, who seemed to judge moft differently of it, when they come to more ferious and deliberate thought, and not only of the dying, but of the dead too, of those who have experimentally known both worlds, and moft furely know what is to be preferred.'

Dr. Doddridge's fermon on the Care of the Soul.

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Was not all this that he might gain the hearts of finners to himself, and procure their peace, their pardon, their reconciliation to God, and their everlafting falvation? And is this of no weight with you? Are you ftill unmoved, ftill fecure?

Shall I remind you, how intent the men of the world are to obtain the favour of their fellow-creatures? Many will entreat the favour of the prince, and feek after the notice and regard of him that giveth gifts. The tenant is folicitous for the goodwill of his landlord, on whom he is dependent. Infériors covet the notice of their fuperiors, and fometimes feek to obtain it by obfequiously crouching to their capricious humours, and by bafe compliances with their unreasonable requifitions. The object of this folicitude is unworthy the purfuit.. If it could be gained, where would be the advantage?"Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity." But the favour of God is life; his fmile is felicity; his frown is deftruction. Heaven and earth tremble before him when once he is angry. His difpleafure may make us miferable for ever; but the light of his countenance will conftitute the objects of it completely and eternally happy. Who then would be unconcerned about friendship with him? Surely