this thought dwell on thy mind, I have a soul as well as a body.' And let this question accompany the thought, What will • become of my soul? Will it be happy or • miserable?'-Call seriously to mind the shortness and uncertainty of life; and the vanity which is thus stamped on all earthly things. Think thus with thyself, I am • alive to-day, but I may be dead to-morrow: and in what state shall I then be?' Remember that there is a God, a just and a holy God in Heaven; and a Judgement, a solemn, and an aweful Judgement, to come; and then think whether thou art fit to appear before God, and to stand in judgement with Him. Say to thyself, What will it then profit me to have gained the whole world? I am living an ungodly life, I dare not meet God. I see my danger, I have never considered these things as I ought to have considered them. Sin and the world have ruined my soul.'-To such serious consideration add,

2. Repentance. Break off thy sins by repentance. No longer live in this careless, ungodly state. No longer follow the world, as if there were nothing deserving of thy thought and care, but the success of thy worldly schemes, or the pursuit of thy worldly pleasures. Walk no more with the multitude in the broad way to destruction,

nor do evil because others do it. Separate thyself from wicked and worldly companions, and have no longer any " fellowship with

the unfruitful works of darkness."

Desist

from forbidden practices; renounce unjust gains: discontinue unlawful pleasures. Flee from temptation. Shun the places and the employments which may be likely to prove a snare to thy soul. Watch over thy heart. Examine its motives. Redeem the time.

3. Seek the Knowledge and the Favour of God. No longer remain ignorant of that God, to whom thou owest thy life, thy breath, and all things; on whom thou dependest for every thing which thou hast, and wantest; who made thee, who preserves thee, who is about thy path, and about thy bed, and spieth out all thy ways. No longer continue indifferent to His favour; regardless whether He be thy friend or thy enemy, despising His mercy and provoking His wrath. But seek after Him, and acquaint thyself with Him. Seek to know Him. Seek His favour. Use the means which He has appointed to be used for the attainment of these things. Waste not the Lord's Day in idleness or pleasure, or worldly matters. But employ it in holy exercises, and to holy purposes, in frequenting His house, in reading His word, in praying to Him for His blessing on thee. Call upon the Lord for mercy; confess thy

sins to Him; implore His forgiveness through the Gospel of His Son. Beseech Him to accept and pardon thee for Christ's sake; to teach thee by His good Spirit, to pity thy weakness, to help thy infirmities, to take thee into His family, and to make thee an heir of everlasting salvation. — Thus, awake from thy sleep; thus, arise from the dead. This is the duty to which thou art called in the text. Observe,

III. The encouragement, which it affords for discharging it." And Christ will give thee Light."

Light is a word often used in Scripture to denote spiritual blessings; and when thus used, it generally signifies either Knowledge, Peace, or Holiness. It may be here taken in all three senses. All these blessings Jesus Christ is ready to bestow on every one who obeys the Call in the text yea, He engages and promises that He will bestow them.

"Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead." Consider thy State, and thy Danger; break off thy sins by repentance; seek the knowledge and the favour of God, and Christ will give thee

1. Knowledge. He will enlighten thy darkened mind. He will teach thee by His good Spirit, and will effectually lead thee into all saving truth. Thou shalt no longer

be ignorant of God and of His ways. Thy
understanding shall be opened to understand
the Scriptures; thy heart shall be disposed
to receive and relish divine truth. Are
there not some among us who can testify to
these things? Some, who have been awaken-
ed and quickened; and who, comparing their
past with their present state, can each for
himself confidently say, "One thing I know,
that whereas I was blind, now I see." Once
I was sadly ignorant of God, and of my
duty. I knew nothing of my own heart,
nothing of the way of salvation.
of salvation. I was in
darkness, and in the shadow of death. But
⚫ Christ has given me light. He has taken
away the veil from my eyes. He has
brought me by a way that I knew not.
He has led me into paths I did not know.
I asked, and it has been given me. I
sought, and I have found. I knocked,
and it has been opened to me.'

6

2. Christ also will give thee Peace. This is another blessing, which, on obeying the Call in the text, thou shalt receive. At present thou art a stranger to peace. It is utterly impossible that thou canst know what real peace is: for Sin and the World cannot give peace. The utmost peace which they can give is that fearlessness, which arises from ignorance of danger : such as a sleeping man might experience,

while a drawn sword were suspended by a single hair over his head. But far different is the peace which Christ will give. It is a real, solid, positive peace; a peace which springs not from ignorance, but from knowledge; not from seeing no danger, but from seeing a way of safety, a door of escape from all danger. Now, whatever peace thou mayest have, arises from not knowing and not feeling that thou art a sinner, and daily exposed to the wrath of God: but the peace which Christ offers thee, is a peace which will arise from a consciousness, that thy sins are forgiven, and that although thou art a sinner, thou art yet reconciled to God. This is true Peace. And How will Christ give thee this Peace? By showing thee that He Himself is become thy Peace; that having taken thy sins upon Himself, and suffered for them on the Cross, He has made thy peace with God: by teaching and enabling thee to trust in His blood and righteousness, and promises, and so to apply to thyself the all-sufficient benefits of His obedience unto death. My brethren, do not some of us know what this peace is? Do not we feel the difference between that false, presumptuous security which we once had, and the firm substantial comfort, which we now enjoy in Christ Jesus? I trust we do. I