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yield to tears, repentance, and to grateful love! Dwell upon this history; let it not only have place in your memory, but let it be inscribed upon your heart. Here you learn the value of immortal souls, the heinousness of sin, the inflexibility of Jehovah's justice; and, above all, how dear and precious you must be to Jesus, thus to love, and bleed, and die for you!

In the Scriptures I would solicit you to read the history of the many conversions, deep experiences, and triumphant death beds, which are there recorded; each of which will assuredly increase your knowledge of the love of Christ. Peter, James, John, Zaccheus, Matthew, Magdalene, all proclaim the boundless love of the Prince of Peace. What but pure love could have produced the conversion of three thousand souls, who, with infernal rage, were accessary to the death of Jesus? In all the instances of conversion, experiences, and death triumphs recorded in the Bible, we may bring forward Paul as declaring on behalf of all, the source from whence such goodness flowed:-Christ loved me, and gave himself for me. Therefore, to him that loved us, and washed us in his own blood, be glory for ever and ever!

Is there not yet another volume in which you may read the history of a Saviour's charming love? What think you, my hearers, of your own heart and life? Ah! unhappy that breast, which, like a blank volume that can produce no marks nor lines of love from Christ? A blank

-an affecting blank indeed! Yet the page cannot be pure; though nothing there can be read that speaks a Saviour's love, there must be that guilt and unbelief which make it, like Ezekiel's roll, full of lamentation and of woe! Perhaps it is not so. Though you may net boast a large volume of a Saviour's grace, there may be some pre

cious lines, some few pages which neither time nor storms can possibly destroy. Yes, the history of his love; the time when first he claimed your hand and heart; how that love pursued you through the maze of life; turned your afflictions into blessings, and, to this moment, preserves your heart in love towards him. Read, then, this volume of your own experience, and be assured that every line will have a happy tendency to increase you in the knowledge of the love of Christ.

4. My concluding advice will be, to contemplate what Jesus hath promised yet to do for you; and by so doing you will find it an excellent lesson to teach you still more of the knowledge of the love of Christ. We know not what a day may bring forth; the Lord hath in infinite goodness concealed the knowledge of future events from us, purposely to give a spring to action, keep us watch! ful, and lead us along in daily dependence upon his arm. If spared yet a little longer, you may be called to perform many new duties; combat with many temptations in forms unknown to you before; pass through scenes of disappointment and grief, of which you have not now the faintest expectation; and likewise undergo many out-breakings of your depraved, sinful heart, that hitherto, like furious beasts, have kept their dens and caves. In each, and under all, how can you pass along with honour to your God, or pleasure to yourself? Only by living upon a Saviour's love. He will love you to the end. He gives you multitudes of precious promises in his word for your comfort; not one of which but affords you the picture of his loving heart. See what fulness it hath pleased the Father should dwell in his Son; and it is the Son's delight, by his Spirit daily, and as you need, to confer this grace upon you. Still there is an end, and thy expectations shall

not be cut off. You know you must die. Indeed, you would not wish to live alway. Remember then, your death bed: the time, place, manner, and cause of your death are all prepared, and shall be performed in love. Only believe this, and death will instantly be disarmed to you. And oh! pleasing employ, then to read the history of your Saviour's love in what he hath prepared for you beyond the grave! Kingdoms shall fall; crowns shall fade away; and the blazing sun shall cease to shine;-but in yonder bright abode a kingdom awaits you that never shall dissolve; a crown of righteousness shall sparkle on your head through the blaze of an eternal day; and you shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of your Father for ever and ever!

How unspeakably happy must that family be, whose bosoms glow with the love of Jesus! Be assured it will support you under every disappointment, sanctify your conversation, and constrain you to every act of duty connected with your relation in private or public life. This will tune your lips to praise redeeming love; and while in prospect of future bliss, look up to Christ with ardent prayer.

Each moment draw from earth away
My heart, that lowly waits thy call;
Speak to my inmost soul and say,

I am thy love, thy God, thy all!
To feel thy pow'r, to hear thy voice,
To taste thy love, be all my choice.

CHRIST MORE PRECIOUS THAN THE GOLDEN WEDGE OF OPHIR.

ISAIAH xiii. 12.

I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

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THIS, and the following chapter contain a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and Persians, about two hundred years before it was accomplished. It is asserted by some celebrated expositors, that so great was to be the slaughter, few male inhabitants should escape the sword; that the king of Babylon should not be able to possess a man of his own, nor hire troops of his neighbouring nations, to defend his city from destruction, even at the price of the golden wedge of Ophir. In objection to this, it need only be replied, Babylon was not taken by long siege, but by immediate surprize; when the king had no time to collect his forces, nor hire others from neighbouring nations. The work was done in one night. Rather, herefore, the text, may literally relate to Cyrus, king of Persia, whom the Lord raised up, and before whom the Lord went to open the two-leaved gates of brass for the sake of delivering his captive Israel. This man, Cyrus, therefore, was certainly more valuable and precious to the Jews than fine gold; for their liberty could

not have been purchased at the most extensive price. But if this be the literal meaning of the text, I am of opinion it has a still more extensive and spiritual signification. It is well known to those who are familiar with the writings of the evangelical prophet Isaiah, that when reciting deep calamities which should be inflicted on the nations for their sins, he would frequently speak of the great Messiah, by whom pardon should be received, and peace proclaimed. Our text is an instance of this. Jesus, the promised Messiah, is that man eminently and exclusively so, more valuable and precious than fine gold, even the golden wedge of Ophir. Dr. Gill says, "This is interpreted by the Jews, of the king Messiah; for, in an ancient writing of theirs, where, having mentioned this passage, it is added, "This is the Messiah that shall ascend and be more precious than all the children of the world, and all the children of the world shall worship before him." Zohar in Gen. Fol. lxxi. 1.

I am far from wishing to strain any text to serve the cause of a favourite opinion; but this passage appears to me so consonant to other texts, and the natural emblem used is so replete with ideas descriptive of Christ, that I am induced to employ this Lecture to offer you a few general remarks on the subject.

1. By the most correct accounts of gold, it is not found in a state of ore, but mixed with sulphur, as is common with other metals; nor is it found in ore of its own, but in that of other metals, especially copper and silver. From German mines it is collected in pure mass; and in Guinea în loose particles, mingled with the sand of rivers. The gold of Ophir, in the days of Job, David, and Solomon, was deemed the most precious and valuable, though the best modern writers are undivided in their opinion in

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