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heavenly fold every day. Every soul that is carried on the wings of the eagle is flying towards the rest that remaineth. The hours fly fast; but as fast flies that divine eagle. running a race, every step brings you nearer to the end of it -nearer to the prize and the crown.

Question. Are you fitter for heaven every day? Ah! my dear Christians, I tremble for some of you who are on your way to glory, and yet are not turning fitter for glory. Oh! that you would forget the things that are behind, and reaching forth to those that are before, press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Some of you are just beginning the journey to heaven. Dear little children, wax stronger and stronger, pray more, read more, hear more, love more, do more every day. Let your sense of sin grow-like the roots of trees -downwards, deeper and deeper. Let your faith growlike the branch of the vine-stronger and stronger every year. Let your peace grow-like a river-broader and broader. "We are journeying."

1. Some are wellnigh through the wilderness. Some of you are on the top of Pisgah. The time draws nigh when you must die. Dear aged Christians, how soon your eyes will see Him whom, having not seen, you love! How soon your heart will love Him as you wish to do! How soon you will grieve Him no more for ever! Do not be afraid, but meekly rejoice. Live more above the world; care less for its pleasures. Speak plainer to your friends, saying "Come ye with us." Be oftener within the veil. Soon you shall be a pillar, and go no more out.

2. Unconverted. You are nearer hell every day. You, too, are journeying to the place of which God hath said: “I will give it you." "For the fearful and unbelieving, and

the abominable, and murderers, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Oh! stop, poor sinner, stop and think. Wherever you are, and whatever you are engaged in, you are travelling thither. The most go in at the wide gate. When you are sleeping, you are posting thither. When you take a journey of pleasure, you are still advancing on that other journey. When you are laughing and talking, or in the full enjoyment of your sin, you are still hurrying on. You have never stopped since you began to live. You never stand a

moment to take breath. You are nearer hell this afternoon than in the forenoon. O stop and think! "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good."

III. This journey is the great concern of a Christian. Their journey was the great concern of Israel. They did not care much for doing anything else. They did not take to another occupation. When they came to a green spot, they did not take to the plough, to try and cultivate it. Their journey was their great concern. So it should be with those of you who are children of God. Your journey to heaven should be your great concern. Dear friends, judge of everything in this way—whether it will help you on in your journey or no. In choosing a profession, or trade, choose it with regard to this-Will it advance or hinder your heavenward journey? Will it lead you into sore temptations, or into wicked company? Oh! take heed. What is the use of living, but only to get on in our journey to heaven? Choose your abode with regard to this. Christian servants, choose your place with regard to this. Remember Lot. He chose the Plain of Jordan, because it was well watered; but his soul was all but withered there. In choosing connexions or friends, O choose with regard to this- Will they help or hinder your prayers? will they go with you, and help you on your journey? or will they be a drag upon your wheels? In going into companies, in reading books, choose with regard to this-Will they fill your sails for heaven? If not, go not near them. In yielding to your affections, especially if you find them hindering your journey, drop them instantly. Never mind the consequences. "If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to be cast into hell fire." "Wherefore, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus."

IV. All true Christians wish others to journey along with them: "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good." So it was with Moses. Hobab had been his friend for forty years, in the land of Midian, where Moses married his sister, and lived in his father Raguel's house. In that time, I doubt not, Moses had told him much of Israel's God and Israel's coming glory. Many a time, while they

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fed their flocks in this very wilderness, Moses had reasoned with him of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, till Hobab trembled. Still it would seem Hobab was not quite convinced. He doubted-he lingered. He had been awed by the terrors of Sinai, but not won by the love of Calvary. He did not know whether to go or stay. But the hour of decision came. He must decide now. Now was the heart of Moses stirred in him: Come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel." So it was with Paul, when he himself had tasted the joy and peace of believing; then says he: : "My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." So it was with Andrew: “Andrew first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him-We have found the Christ." So it was with the poor maniac whom Jesus healed: "Go home, tell thy friends how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and how he hath had compassion on thee." So it was with the poor slave in Antigua, who used to pray that there might be a full heaven and an empty hell.

Question. Is it so with you? Have you asked your friends to come with you? Have you a father whom you love?—a mother that carried you at her breast? Have you a brother or a sister? Are they lingering like Hobab? Oh! will you not put in a word for Christ, and say: "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good." Have you a friend whom you love much-who knows nothing of Christ and of God who is willing to die in the wilderness? Oh! will you not win him to go with you to Israel's God and Israel's glory?

Word to lingering souls. Some of you, like Hobab, are half persuaded to go with Israel. "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Some of you see your children converted, and you not; and yet you are not determined to go with them. Oh! why halt ye between two opinions? Go with them now.

Observe, 1. This may be the deciding day. It was so with Hobab. God is pleading hard with you to-day. He has spoken to you by most solemn providences-by the Bible, by his ministers, and by the tender persuading voice love. you "Come thou with us." "Choose you this day, then, whom you will serve." Remember this may be the deciding day: to-morrow it may be too late.

of those

2. You will share in their joys: "We will do thee good."

What makes them so anxious for you to go with them, if it be not for your good? You know they love you tenderly; they would not have a hair of your head hurt. You will taste their forgiveness-their peace with God-their joy in the Word and prayer; you will know their God; you will know their heaven. Oh! that God would put it into your heart to cleave to them like Ruth to Naomi, saying: "Whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."

St Peter's, July 22, 1838.

SERMON XIII.

COMFORT YE,

"Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."-Isa. xl. 1, 2.

THESE words are a blast of the silver trumpet of the Gospel. Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound. They are like the words of the angel at Bethlehem: "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." This is the voice of the shepherd, which all his flock know and love.

I. Believers have received double punishment for all their sins: "She hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."-Verse 2. There are two ways in which sinners may bear the punishment of their sins.

1. In themselves-on their own body and soul for ever. This is the way in which all unconverted men, who finally perish, will bear their sins. "These shall go away into

way

everlasting punishment." "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." Not that they will be able to bear their punishment: "My punishment is greater than I can bear." "The great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" They shall say to one another, "Who among us can dwell with the devouring flame? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" And God will say: "Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the day that I shall deal with thee?" This is not the spoken of in the text; for, (1.) It would be a message of woe, and not of comfort-Woe, woe, woe, and not Comfort ye, comfort ye. When God really takes in hand to punish sinners, there will be no comfort in that day. The heart of sinners will sink under insupportable gloom. (2.) Sinners never can bear double in themselves. When a poor sinner dies Christless, and goes to bear the punishment of his sins, he never can bear enough. He has sinned against an infinite God; and his punishment, if it be just, must be infinite—his stripes must be eternal-the gnawing worm must never die—the burning flame must never be quenched. In this way, poor Christless souls can never satisfy the justice of God. God will never say it is enough. He will never pour water on the flames of hell, nor send a drop to the parched tongues that are tormented there. Instead of suffering double, they will never receive enough at the Lord's hand for all their sins. Oh! dear friends, it is easy talking of this now; but many of you will probably feel it soon.

2. In Christ the surety. It is according to justice, that sinners may bear their sins in Christ the Surety. (1.) This was the very errand that Christ came upon. He thought upon this from all eternity. For this end he came into the world for this end he became man. "He himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree." If it were not a just and righteous thing, that sinners should bear their sins in another, and not in themselves, Christ never would have undertaken it. This is the very way here spoken of. (2.) All the sufferings of Christ were at the hand of his Father: "It pleased the Lord to bruise him: he hath put him to grief. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all." We generally look at the wicked hands that crucified and slew Christ; but we must not forget that it was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, and that they would have had no power at all against him, ex