partake in the final triumph, and all the Saviour's per fect and eternal glory.

The author has given a Chronological Chart with this chapter, as calculated to promote an interest in the subject of which it treats. The chart is taken from Dr. Hugh Pearson's Historic View of the Progress of the Gospel, with alterations and additions.

T

CHAP. XIII.

The Danger of neglecting Divine Truth.

It is the common opinion of men of worldly minds,

that it is entirely optional with them, whether they heat the word, or not; that they may do just as they please, and no evil will result from neglecting to hear. As far as regards human punishment, this may be very true; but there is a far more serious evil than any human punishment whatever, connected with this neglect.

We have all a living and palpable evidence of this Look at that race of men who are a proverb and bye-word among all nations, and have, for hundreds of years, been only oppressed and spoiled evermore. Once they were prosperous; once it could be said of them, Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee? and what is the reason of the change? they despised

and misused his prophets, until the wrath of t
ose against his people, till there was no
cies of the Old Testament,

remedy

and

the reasons of the captivity, it is very observable how frequently the prophets dwell on this, as the great reason why the Jews were rejected from being the people of God; they disobeyed the voice of the Lord, and disregarded his prophets. And if we look at the true cause of the calamities which have since befallen the Jewish nation, the destruction of Jerusalem, their dispersion among all nations, and their being every where base, degraded, and insulted, we shall find a similar cause,-they knew not in their day the things belonging to their peace, and rejected the words of Christ and his Apostles, till at length God's long-suffering and patience were exchanged for his righteous indignation and tremendous vengeance.

Such a history, with such an inspired account of the real cause of all their calamities, is pregnant with solemn admonition. Every Jew that we meet seems to proclaim in our ears, Take heed that you now attend, in this your day, to the word of God! While your privileges are continued, lay hold of them; while your day of trial is prolonged, be diligent; while you have opportunity, believe and obey to your eternal salvation!

The danger of neglecting divine truth will appear more clearly from considering, first, the excellence of the salvation proposed to us. We will, then, notice the sin and danger of disregarding it.

The message which christian ministers bring is weighty enough to call for all our attention. The glorious truth which they have to declare is nothing less than the highest evidence of divine love that we can imagine-God so loved the world, that he gave his onlybegotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Consider a little the greatness of the salvation pro