on all those who depart from his commandment, and rebel against him. The threatening and the promise are declared at the same time under the old covenant. "See," saith he, "I have set before thee this day, life and good, and death and evil, in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live; but if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live; that thou mayest obey his voice and cleave unto him. At the very time he declares to Moses, that he will be gracious to whom he will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom he will show mercy, he pronounces his judgment against all those who disobey him. The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visit

ing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon children's children, unto the third and fourth generation." The same divine truths are also fully revealed in the new covenant of grace. We there find that while it is declared that God is good, that God is light, that God is love, it is also asserted that God is just. He is the God of all grace, and while he delighteth in mercy, he is also a consuming fire to the wicked, and declares, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." In the exercise of his mercy and grace, he does not dispossess himself of his other attributes of righteousness and holiness. It is true that he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth; but in dispensing his mercy and justice, his will is ever regulated by infinite wisdom, and goodness, and truth. While he is great in mercy, he is also glorious in holiness. He is a just God, and yet bringeth salvation; he is a just God, and yet a Saviour. "He is just, and yet the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." In his love he sent his Son, his onlybegotten Son, "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He sent his Son, that we might live through him, that he might be the propitiation for our sins.

"God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all." But if his mercy be despised and rejected, it will be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, for where shall the ungodly and sinner appear, and what will be the end of them that obey not the gospel? it will be most awful and tremendous, for God is a consuming fire to the wicked.

The Lord Jesus, (he who was called Jesus, because he should save his people from their sins, the same Jesus who was seen to go into heaven,) "shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in them that believe." It is equally certain that he will be ever mindful of his covenant in regard to his holiness, his righteousness, and his truth, as in respect to his grace, mercy, and love. The works of his hands are verity and judgment, all his commandments are true, they

stand fast for evermore, and are done in truth and equity. He sent redemption to his people. He hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reverend is his name. The God of mercy and truth having proclaimed the blessings which shall await those who keep his covenant, hath denounced a curse on all those who break it; and making a solemn appeal to the blessing and the curse, to the threatening and the promise which he delivered, he reminds his covenant people of the recompense which shall be made at the resurrection of the just, and from these motives he exhorts and encourages them to walk in dutiful obedience to his holy will and commandments. Under the old covenant, he reminded all those who enter into covenant by circumcision of the promise and engagement made by them and himself. The Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do those statutes and judgments, thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice, and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised

thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments.

Cautions and exhortations of a similar kind, and to the same effect, are continually given in the word of life, to all those who have entered into the new covenant by the seal of baptism. John the Baptist on this ground, exhorted those who were baptised by him, "to bring forth fruits meet for repentance." The Apostle Paul, from the same motive, exhorts all those who have been solemnly admitted into the covenant of grace, by the sacrament of baptism, to consider their high calling in Christ, to hold fast their heavenly profession, and to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called. He appeals both to the blessing and the curse, to the recompense of reward which is promised to his good and faithful servants, and to the punishments denounced on sinners by the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds, to them who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life; but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that