of bliss, in that eternal and glorious kingdom, where, in union with those glorified bodies, from which, until this day of your complete redemption, you have been separated, you shall reign for ever with your glorious and highly exalted Lord.

III. Christians look for the Saviour, to pronounce their acquittal.

Their acquittal from that sentence of condemnation, which, through transgression, they have incurred. This acquittal had, indeed, as to its reconciling and consoling effects, been frequently pronounced, in all those holy ordinances, which are the divinely constituted means and pledges of pardon and mercy; and in all those holy acts of penitence, and faith and prayer, by which Christians hold communion with their God and Saviour. In the In the mercy and grace thus assured, and conveyed to them, they have rejoiced. And having "the testimony of their conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity"," they served their God and Saviour, they have "confidence towards God," and rejoice in him, as their reconciled God and Father. But still the day of the coming of their Lord, is the day in which publicly acknowledging them as his people, he will publicly proclaim their pardon.

Fear not then, Christian, the scrutiny or the disclosures of the last day. Alas! were "judg

h2 Cor. i. 12.

1 John iii. 21.

ment then to be laid to the line, and righteousness to the plummet," who could stand? Were the holy and almighty, and omniscient Being, who presides at the tribunal before which are assembled the quick and the dead, to judge as one strict to mark what is done amiss, who could abide? But, Christians, you, whose sins have, in humble peni

tence, been confessed and renounced; whose constant prayer and endeavour it is to depart from iniquity, and to "walk in all the statutes and ordinances of the Lord blameless';" and whose hopes of forgiveness have rested, not on your penitence, however deep and humble; not on your renunciation of sin, however sincere and effectual; not on your obedience, however strict and universal; but only on the merits of Him, " whose blood alone cleanseth from all sin"," and whose grace alone redeems from its dominion-your transgressions, Christians, on that day, when the thoughts of all hearts shall be disclosed, and every secret thing be brought to light, shall not rise in judgment against you, to condemn you. Your Saviour, whom you have humbly sought in penitence and faith, and not sought in vain; he to whom you have committed the salvation of your souls, and whose mercy and grace have been your trust and your solace, will then shield you from the accusations of conscience, from the assaults of the great adversary, from the condemning sentence of justice.

k Isaiah xxviii. 17.

'Luke i. 6.

m 1 John i. 7.

IV. And Christians-you look for to vindicate your integrity.

your Saviour

That integrity which envy may have sought to tarnish and malice to assail; and which, amidst the collisions of the world, may have been suspected or impeached. How often in this respect do they who would "live godly in Christ Jesus" even at the present day, "suffer persecution"." How often do they who regarding human favour and applause as inferior objects of pursuit, and very imperfect motives to virtuous exertion, on all occasions make the demands of duty the paramount consideration, and therefore inflexibly comply with those demands, however opposed to prevailing opinions, or to the views and the spirit that rule the varying fashion of the dayhow often do they incur the suspicion of the weak, the censure of the temporising, and the calumnies of the malicious. Few are they who, in this erring world, where selfishness is the actuating spirit, and unkindness and censoriousness sit in judgment on character and motives can uniformly and with unbending aim pursue the path of duty, without being exposed to the surmises of suspicion, or the attacks of calumny. It was of this world, that one who experienced all its vicissitudes, and who reigned a monarch on the throne, and roamed an exile in the wilderness, pronounced

2 Tim. iii. 12.

the declaration-" Mischief and sorrow are in the midst of it-deceit and guile depart not from its streets"." And it was in this world, that he of whom this suffering and calumniated monarch was a type, he who was as pure and perfect as that divine nature which he sharedsustained in his inflexible opposition to prevailing errors and vices, every reproach and calumny and suffering that fiend-like malice could suggest. And Christian, thou art not above thy Master. Wonder not then, still less repine, that in thy inflexible defence of truth and discharge of duty, reproaches and calumnies and sufferings assail thee. Possess thy soul in patience. thy master rose from the cloud of reproach and calumny and suffering that overshadowed him, to divine dignity and glory and honour. And here too thou shalt be as thy master. For thou doest look for him, to sit in judgment, to bring to light the thoughts and purposes of the heart, and then before men and angels thy “righteousness shall appear as the light, and thy just dealing as the noon-day"."

Christians-look for their Saviour.

V. To proclaim their good works.

For

Not as constituting the meritorious cause of their advancement to that blessedness which he has prepared for them-not as if they were so pure and perfect as to stand the scrutiny of Di

vine holiness and justice-not as if they were wrought through the unassisted strength of nature, and therefore constituted a ground for boasting. No, sincere and humble Christiansyou nourish no such vain expectations-you would startle at the suggestion of such presumptuous pretensions. You have no object of glorying but Jesus Christ, and him crucified; no dependance for salvation, but his all-sufficient merits. Alas-you are daily humbled with the conviction that "in many things you offend," and that your best works need to be repented of. You feel so sensibly the corruption of your nature, the weakness of your best resolutions, and the power of the temptations which solicit and assail you, that in deep humility you acknowledge that the grace of God alone can keep you from falling, and make you conquerors. But still you look to your Saviour to proclaim at the last day your good works, as fruits of that faith which has thus proved its strength and its sincerity; as qualifications for that blessedness which "the pure in heart" only can enjoy, and to which they alone who have abounded in the work of the Lord will be advanced; and as evidences of the power of that Divine grace through which you have thus "fought a good fight," and secured a crown of glory.

How exalted, Christians, are the hopes set be