voice that shall soon bid you pass over Jordan, and enter on your fair inheritance, and standing ready to obey the first summons.

Lastly, As pilgrims, anticipate home and rest. You are now travelling through a wilderness, you are combating with enemies, wrestling hard with sins, and doubts, and fears; but it will not be so always; soon the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

But are there any who have not yet set out for Canaan? I dare not close without addressing a word of warning to you; do you know that this earth which you so highly prize, and seek as your portion and your all, will very soon be burned up? and you, if you have not sought a better, an enduring substance, shall be left for ever destitute and wretched. Storms of wrath and vengeance are coming upon the world of the ungodly! oh say, shall they beat upon your naked, your defenceless soul, in one eternal torrent?

Assuredly they will, unless you now fly to the Lord Jesus the covert from the storm, the only hiding place from that awful tempest. Unless you now turn your back on the devoted city of destruction, you must inevitably perish in its ruins. Oh, may divine grace influence you to forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding.

May you cast in your lot with the pilgrims to Canaan, and have your everlasting portion in that good land, concerning which the God of truth has said, he will give it to Israel; even that inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth not away, and is reserved in heaven for all those who are kept by the mighty power of God, through faith, unto salvation.

SERMON XVII.

THE CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE.

PART II.

NUMB. X. 29.

We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.

AFTER an interruption of several sabbaths, occa sioned by our turning aside to listen to the voice of Providence in its particular dispensations, and by seasonable meditations on peculiar events in the economy of grace; we now resume this subject, hoping, that time has not altogether obliterated from your minds the remembrance of what has already been said on it, and praying that our present meditations may be made a means, in the hand of the great Master of assemblies, of fixing salutary impressions as a nail in a sure place.

We have already considered these words as describing the true Christian under the character of a pilgrim; and as expecting on the word of God, who cannot lie, all needful good things on the

road; and at last, an inheritance in that good land, concerning which God has said to the spiritual Israel, "I will give it you."

We now propose him to your notice, as inviting those around to join his march; saying, " Go with us, and we will do thee good.".

In farther discoursing from the words, I propose, hoping for divine assistance,

I. To point out some of the ways in which the Christian invites companions to join his march to heaven.

II. The motives that should induce him thus to plead; and

III. Those which should influence persons to comply with the invitation.

I. The Christian urges the invitation in different ways:

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First, By endeavouring to diffuse religious knowledge around him. The blessed Bible, that rich fountain of truth, he endeavours to distribute in a circle as wide as his influence extends; for though I would exercise the utmost stretch of candour towards the prejudices of some, as to particular ways of dispensing the Bible, I can hardly think the name of Christian applicable to him, who possessing the sacred treasure himself, could have the heart to keep it back from his perishing fellow-creature, of whatever name and country, clime or colour.

He endeavours also to diffuse religious knowledge, by persuading those to whom his influence may extend, to seek instruction in the sanctuary of God; he says, with holy delight and earnestness, "Come, let us go up to the house of the Lord, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths... Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Zion... for the law shall go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem... thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, to the testimony of the God of Jacob... Go with us and we will do you good;" go and share the blessings we there enjoy, for what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same is free for you also.

The Christian, too, takes every opportunity that offers, of speaking a word for God. His children and servants are not like the children and servants of those families that know not God, and that call not upon his name, and upon whom the wrath of God shall be poured out. His family is daily assembled round the domestic altar, and taught to call upon the name of the Lord; they are restrained from sin, and encouraged to religion; they are taught the value of their souls, the importance of salvation, the dreadful consequences of sin, the ability and willingness of the Son of God to save their souls. Enviable is their lot! they sit under the droppings of the sanctuary; religious truth drops on their minds like the rain, and distils like the dew.