versary:" He who is not careful to put on by faith that "garment of salvation, that robe of righteousness which he prepared, is left without covering, and must stand forth naked, a spectacle of derision and scorn to God, and angels, and men. Surely then this examination to which we are urged by the apostle is the most interesting which can occupy the attention either of male or female; it does not merely concern our health, our property or reputation in the present life, but involves all that is dear throughout the ages of eternity. Brethren, hear the declaration of the "Amen, the faithful and true Witness;" of him the decision of whose mouth will hereafter fix our everlasting destiny, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

2. A concern not only for our safety, but for our comfort, should excite us to earnestness in the duty of self-examination. If we occupy a particular house, or farm, the enjoyment is greatly enhanced from an assurance that our title is inviolable, and that neither intrigue nor violence can deprive us of the possession. He who is travelling to a distant region feels much more composure in his mind, and is animated to greater diligence in the prosecution of his journey; he can also bear with more patience every in

convenience to which he is exposed, when he entertains a full assurance that the road which he travels leads to the place of his destination: The mariner in performing a voyage sails along with inconceivably greater satisfaction, encounters with more resolution every storm which beats upon him, if confident in his own mind that he is pursuing the proper course, and will reach the desired harbor at last. But a full assurance of an interest in the covenant, and our title to eternal life, is a source of inconceivably greater consolation, because the object in expectation is inconceivably more important. With what submission, and fortitude can the christian carry along every cross, when assured that it will soon be succeeded by the crown? With what elevated pleasure can he read the promises, when he is enabled in the language of confidence to say, "these promises which are all yea, and amen in Jesus Christ, are unalienably my own; they are my security in the very hand writing of my heavenly Father for all blessings both temporal and eternal?" With what transports of joy can he sit in the sanctuary, and hear of the lovely Saviour, of his glories as God, of his excellency and sufficiency as Mediator, of the plenitude of his salvation when he can confidently say, "this Jesus whom you are now describing; whom you represent as fairer than the children of men, and heir of all things, is my portion, my Beloved, and Friend; I am a joint heir

with him who is the heir of all things, and I am persuaded that neither height, nor depth, nor angel, nor principality shall ever separate me from his love, and I expect shortly to taste more of his grace, and behold more of his glory in the temple above than language can now express or imagination conceive." With what emotions of joy can the heir of salvation either read, or hear of the heavenly city, of its golden streets, of its ivory palaces, of those trees of righteousness which there expand and flourish in unfading bloom, and of the pure river of water of life which proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb, when he can contemplate this fair inheritance as his own in reversion, and in the triumph of faith is enabled to exclaim, "thou wilt shew me the path of life; thou wilt guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory." How patient has this full assurance of hope rendered the righteous amidst the various evils of life? how cheerful in every act of obedience, how crucified to this world with its most gilded prospects, and how eager for the enjoyment of the purchased possession? Have we not often seen them glorying in tribulation, have we not heard them exulting in prisons, and on scaffolds, when their title to the kingdom was clear and the eye of faith was steadily fixed on that title? One rapturously exults, "although my house be not so with God, he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,

and sure; this is all my salvation, and all my desire." Another sings in strains equally elevated, "although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." It is the triumph of a third, enlivened by the same hope of immortality, "it is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with Jesus we shall also live with him. If we suffer we shall also reign with him. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory.

3. A concern not only for our own comfort and safety, but also a regard for the honor of religion, and for the encouragement and edification of others, should excite to a holy earnestness in self-examination. When the professors of christianity are always laboring in doubts; when they appear disheartened, and dejected under the afflictions of life, and entertain no more than a trembling hope of salvation in the life to come, spectators naturally become disaffected towards religion; they are tempted to imagine that it consists merely in melancholy and gloom; that it calls its votaries to the sacrifice of many earthly enjoyments and gratifications without affording as a substitute any other consolations: Inquirers af

ter the truth are thus discouraged, and its open enemies are confirmed in their prejudices. But when the professed disciples of Jesus are able "to give a reason of the hope that is in them with meekness and fear;" when they appear unshaken in their reliance on his merits for pardon, and glory; when they can assert from personal, repeated experience "that his ways are ways of pleasantness, and that all the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed," how is our holy religion recommended and confirmed? The drooping pilgrim, in hearing the testimonies of such, turns his face again towards Zion, and goes on his way rejoicing: Inquirers after truth are roused to greater eagerness in their inquiries: strangers are encouraged to join themselves to the Lord, and the open enemy of the cross, if not convicted of the reality of religion, and constrained to embrace it, becomes at least ashamed, and afraid openly to oppose it. When two travellers go along together, and both are doubting whether they have taken the proper road for the country in view, instead of encouraging and assisting, they will rather retard the progress of each other: If either is fully assured that the road which they travel will certainly conduct to the desired place; if he traces a variety of marks which have been described by others who have gone to the same place before him, he not only prosecutes the journey with resolution,