gathered from the bible, that does not urge it, nor christian character without it. If the truth must render men holy, it must, in a world like ours, render them peculiar. In two respects the good man, from the moment he is born of God, becomes unlike the men of this world. All the features of depravity that are cast from his character, and the features of holiness ingrafted on it, will tend to render him peculiar. Thus in two directions will the difference widen, and will go on extending through time and through eternity. To produce this pecu-. liarity is the very design of the gospel; for men by nature are unlike God, and the gospel, when it produces its legitimate effect, renders men like God. Hence unless it sanctify all men, or the regenerate are taken immediately to heaven, it must introduce into society a peculiar people. If you are offended with this peculiarity, then you need not put it on. You can live in this world without it, and you can die without it, but you cannot live in heaven without it.

That zeal begotten in his people by the grace of God, constitutes I know the most offensive feature of their peculiarity. But God's people cannot be without it, and please him. And he has never promised to render his people what the world can admire. "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore shall the world hate you." You need

have nothing to do with this people, or imbibe their zeal if it offends you. There is current a gospel, and you can attend upon it, that pours out against this zeal the whole torrent of its invective. It would nourish a cold philosophical religion, that shall never reach or warm the heart, that will have but little to do with prayer, or praise, or holy feeling, or heavenly aspiration, or effort to save souls; or take away, in any shape, the curse that has lighted upon this dark world. You can take your pew under such a gospel and never be urged to zeal and engagedness. But where it will conduct you, may demand a doubt. Not to heaven surely, where they cease not day nor night saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." There must be great zeal where there is such perpetual worship. Day and night! O, how such zeal as this would be lashed and scouted, in this cold and cheerless world!

But the gospel of Jesus Christ, aims to make this world as much like heaven as possible; would beget all the zeal they have there, and all the industry, and all the celestial fire. We hide not our wish, to render men, in this world as much in earnest in serving God, and blessing his creatures, as they are in heaven. And, sure as you breathe, you have never seen a zeal like that in heaven. It was not in Paul, nor Peter, nor Brainard, nor Whitefield, nor Martin. And if you have ever once seen

enough any where to offend you, depend upon it you could not. stay in heaven an hour.

Finally it offends you, that the Saviour should be the proprietor of the church he purchased with his blood. You would have him an agent, a prophet, a messenger; you would not allow him to own his sheep; you would make him an insignificant subject of that kingdom he purchased with his blood. And why this zeal to degrade him. Did he not earn the kingdom with his stripes, and his wounds, and his sweat, and his dying agonies? And did he not build the very world in which he has set up this kingdom? The apostle thought proper to speak of his purifying to himself a peculiar people.

And why not let them be his? Are you afraid to be his? would it grieve you to be a member of his family, and have a seat at the supper of the Lamb? Well, dear friend, there will come a day when you will be afraid, if you are not his. When he shall come in the clouds of heaven, and all his holy angels with him, and the last trumpet shall have waked you from the sleep of the grave, then "he that believeth shall not make haste," but all others,―oh, with what hurry and confusion will they quit their sepulchres! and with what untold anguish, will they call upon the rocks and mountains, to fall on them, and hide them from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb! Will you not then wish that you were his?

Ye disciples of the Lord Jesus, did it ever occur

to you how precious a thought this is. You belong to this very Lord Jesus. "Ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." How safe and how happy, if he can make you so? and you have no fear but he can. Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you. You will see him come directly to gather you, and you will hail him as he comes, "My Lord, and my God." My soul casts in her lot with you. We glory in belonging to Christ, and look wishfully toward that hour, when we shall see him as he is and be like him. Then, almighty Redeemer, then shall I be satisfied when I wake with thy likeness. Amen.

SERMON 7.

TERMS OF ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD.

ACTS XVI. 30.

"Sirs, what must I dó to be saved?”

PAUL and Silas, in the faithful discharge of their duty, found themselves at length immured in the dungeons of Philippi. There they lifted up their voices in prayer and praise; and the prisoners heard them; and what was to them of far higher importance, God heard them, and sent his angels to deliver them. The bars of their prison were sundered, their doors flew open, and their bands were loosed. The result was, a deep alarm fastened upon the mind of the prison-keeper, venting itself in the language of the text, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?"

Now the gospel aims to bring every man to the very spot where that man was brought, and then direct him to a Saviour and to heaven. There must be alarm, because there is danger, unless in those, perhaps very rare cases, when a Saviour is embraced, or rather the heart prepared to receive him, before the danger is fully discovered. Unless we see our danger we shall make no effort to escape