"The King himself comes near, | ing to impose upon God, and to

a transgressor of the law of God, the great standard of eternal rectitude? Have you uniformly loved, and supremely worshipped the adorable Jehovah, whose character is distinguished for its boundless excellencies? Have you never uttered his venerable name, that name, at the mention of which hell trembles, and heaven adores, but with profound reverence and ardent affection? Have you constantly and willingly obeyed the reasonable commands of those whom God has placed over you? Does your past history testify, that you have sanctified the day of rest, and set apart its hours for the divine glory, not thinking,

which is essential to our peace and holiness. "Ask, then, and ye shall receive." Ifthen, we are in the spirit on the Lord's-day, though we have no reason to expect similar revelations to those of St. John the divine, yet "we shall behold the King in his beauty." We shall not hear the voice of a trumpet, but we shall hear the voice of the blood of Jesus speaking better things than that of Abel. And like the planet which is most contiguous to the solar light, our minds will be more fully irradiated with the effulgence of the Sun of Righteousness, whilst his holy influence will consume every unhallowed feeling, and transform us into the resemblance of the di-speaking, or performing your acvinity for according to the beautiful idea of the apostle, "the glory revealed will absorb the object beholding it, even as by the spirit of the Lord." Wallingford.

READER !

FLEE FROM

I. T. D.

THE WRATH TO COME.

To this wrath and displeasure of almighty God you are justly liable, because you have sinned against him. Surely you are not so ignorant as to be unacquainted with this awful and important truth. What! has conscience never testified, "that you have left undone the things you ought to have done, and done the things you ought not to have done ?"— Do you not know, that the sacred scriptures declare, that "the thoughts of the imagination of the heart of man are evil, only evil, and that continually;" and that "if we say, we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us?" Are you not

customed thoughts, words, and actions? Have you never been angry with your brother "without a cause?" or indulged unhallowed thoughts; or robbed God of the homage of your heart and life, which are his unquestionable due? or borne false witness against your fellow-creatures? or coveted what was not your own? Have you been grateful to your great Benefactor for his ceaseless liberality, and returned again "according to the benefits bestowed on you?" Especially have you been thankful for "the unspeakable gift," and cordially and heartily embraced the messages of God's love revealed in the gospel? Ah! deceive not thyself: it is not more plain that the sun has shone around thy path, than it is, that thou art a sinner.

And if a sinner, thou art justly liable to punishment. This is evident from the nature of things, and from the testimony of the scriptures. Can an infinitely righteous being regard with an equal eye those who have been guided by a supreme regard for his holy will, and those who have

contemned in principle and prac-fuge, is provided.-Yes, when divine justice demanded the punishment of the sinner-when unsullied holiness affirmed, that polluted creatures could never be admitted into the realms of glory-when

tice his most sacred injunctions? Impossible. Has he not testified in the most solemn manner, "that he will by no means clear the guilty?" that "though hand join in hand, he shall not go unpun-infinite faithfulness pronounced ished?" that "the soul that sin- the fatal words, Death is the due neth shall die?" He has. Punish- of the sinner, and the threatening ment and sin are inseparable.- must be fulfilled :-then, animatUntil God shall cease to be faith-ed by unutterable pity, and matchful and holy, that is, until he shall less love, the eternal Son of God cease to be God, the sinner, living undertook our cause, assumed our and dying in his iniquities, must nature, and by his obedience and be exposed to infinite danger.- sufferings even unto death, the Others have not escaped his ignominious death of the cross, righteous wrath due to their trans- he made an atonement, and gressions. Reader! how wilt wrought out a righteousness on thou? Is there any place where behalf of all, who in every age, thou canst hide thyself from all- from a sense of their misery, should seeing eyes? Is thine arm suffici- believe on him for life and salvaently strong to contend with om- tion. With his expiring breath he nipotence? Hast thou any good exclaimed, "It is finished!"— reasons to adduce in judgment, "He was delivered for our of sufficient to justify thee in having fences, and raised again for our sinned against a Being of infinite justification;" and is "able to rectitude, to whom thou hast ever save unto the uttermost, seeing he been unspeakably indebted, whose ever liveth to make intercession goodness is extensive as his bound- for us." less dominion, and permanent as This is a divine refuge.-It is his everlasting throne? How wilt Jehovah's own appointment.thou bear the tormenting reflec-The astonishing sacrifice was given tion, that for the most contemptible pursuits, and low and momentary gratifications, thou hast thrown away, vilely and foolishly thrown away, the favour of Jehovah, the incorruptible crown, and an eternity of consummate, of inconceivable blessedness? How wilt thou endure to be the prey of "the worm that dieth not, and of the fire that can never be quenched?" Ah! will not the thought of the mansions of bliss, which now you will not seek, but which will then be for ever unattainable, be a fearful addition to your future misery? Arise, "O sleeper, and call upon God?" have come out of great tribulaFlee from the wrath to come. tion, and washed your robes, and A refuge, an all-sufficient re-made them white in the blood of

by himself. God SO loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'

It is a free and open refuge.Thou art as much at liberty to flee to it, as the Israelites who were bitten by the fiery flying serpents, were to look on the brazen serpent elevated by the prophet, for their salvation. Thou art not more free to breathe the vital air, than thou art to believe on the Son of God.

It is a tried refuge.-O ye multitudes of the redeemed, who

the Lamb, say, for ye know, is it not 66 a faithful saying, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, even the chief?" Patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and millions of lesser name, all testify as with one voice, "that whoso believeth on Jesus shall never be confounded."

It is the only refuge. All others must be utterly renounced and abandoned. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

It is a sufficient refuge." His blood cleanseth from all iniquity." "And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses."

And it is a glorious refuge.God appears in this way of salvation unspeakably lovely. Here mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace embrace each other. Here Deity appears "full-orbed, with his whole round of attributes complete ;" nor does

it

appear

his love in redeeming poor sinners are destined to survive the ruins of the world, and to live for ever.

And will you not flee to it?~ "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Would he who is perishing with hunger derive any benefit from provision, he must partake of it. Would the individual, who is dying, gain any advantage from a sovereign remedy, it must be applied. And if you would .derive any benefit from the GREAT ATONEMENT, you must believingly look to it, and rely on it.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

By thy own lost and perishing condition, considered as a sinner, righteously condemned by the holy law of God-by the certainty and duration of that misery and ruin which await thee, dying without an interest in the great Sacrifice-by the near approach of death, and the awfulness of future judgment-by the unspeakable sorrows and love of a suffering and dying Saviourby the indescribable value of thine immortal soul-and by the ecstatic enjoyments of everlasting felicity, flee, O flee, from the

"Which of the letters best is writ, The power, the wisdom, or the love." It is so glorious, that the apostle pronounces it to be "worthy of all acceptation," that angels perpetually celebrate it on their golden harps, and with increas-wrath to come. Reader! thou ing interest investigate its unfa- canst not escape from the wrath thomable mysteries, that in of God due to thy sins, if thou forming an estimate of the divine neglectest this great salvation. character, all his other works may Give an answer to Him whose be passed by as comparatively un-eye is now, and ever on thee. worthy of our attention,-through Wilt thou believe on the Lord the cross, shall be manifested to Jesus Christ and be saved? or principalities and powers, the manifold wisdom of God,-that all the other productions of his hand, though confessedly, in many points of view magnificent, shall be swept away, but the labours of

wilt thou continue to reject him, and die eternally? Remember "he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life!"

Coseley.

B. H. D.

AN ADDRESS

TO THE CHILDREN OF GODLY PARENTS.

PROBABLY, my young readers, you have often thought those who fear the Lord are happier than other people, and yet many of you live without scriptural evidence that you are of that number; suffer us, therefore, to remind you of this subject, and solicit you seriously to consider its importance.

ing devotions in the families of their parents; but all such imaginations must be delusive, and the expectations built upon them disappointed. Freedom from gross sins, and an attendance on external duties, cannot constitute true piety. The difference between such young persons and others originated, not in religion, but in their different circumstances. A religious education, and the example of pious parents, may have restrained some from flagrant vices and follies of which This world is full of afflictions others have been guilty; but if and changes, which perhaps you this be all, they are still strangers have already begun to expe- to God, and to the vital princirience; and have also proved ples of true holiness. While that the things of time cannot your hearts remain unchanged yield satisfaction to your minds, by divine grace, no outward obbut that something of a superior servances can be of any use to nature is necessary for that pur-you: "God is a spirit, and they pose. This is an experimental acquaintance with true religion, or the knowledge of Jesus Christ Other young persons may supas the great Saviour of sinners, pose their information in the which is attended with joy and scriptures, and their understandpeace here, and will be followed ing the peculiar doctrines of by perfect felicity hereafter. Christianity, will favourably dis"Godliness is profitable unto all tinguish them from those who things, having promise of the have not such knowledge; a suplife that now is, and of that which position equally delusive with the is to come." To engage you to former; for, as a quantity of the proper study of divine things gold cannot be useful to a man would be highly pleasing, how-sinking in the sea, but only serves ever much labour it might cost to plunge him so much the us, for we could have no greater deeper; so, a mere speculative joy than to see our children walk-acquaintance with the word of ing in the truth; while your being far from God, and exposed to his righteous displeasure, fills us with anxiety and pain.

that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

God will increase your guilt, and aggravate your condemnation. We could easily inform you of many, whose views of Christian Some young persons have ima- doctrines have been very clear; gined themselves in a safe state but who, to all appearance, have in relation to another world, be- died without an experimental accause they have not committed quaintance with the Saviour. the gross crimes which many of well informed judgment should their own age and neighbourhood not be mistaken for a sanctified have committed; but on the con-heart; knowledge without holitrary have attended public wor- ness is far more dangerous than ship, and the morning and even- ignorance. "That servant which

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