nitions, however you may have disregarded too many exhortations of this kind. This is a remarkable day: O that it may be memorable on account of your turning to God! Let this be its distinction through all your future life; let this be its distinction through all the ages of eternity; that you may say, when death summons you into the invisible state, when the trump of God calls you to the great tribunal, when you mingle with saints and angels in the kingdom of heaven, "Blessed be God for that solemn day, and its sacred exercises! That was the day of my better birth. Then I began to consider; then I began to pray; then I began to see my undone condition, and my extreme need of a Saviour; then too I saw Jesus giving himself a sacrifice for my sins, and redeeming me to God with his blood." Happy! thrice happy! inexpressibly happy day! if thus, if thus improved!

You have, I presume, abstained from your usual food, as you have been joining in confession, supplication, and prayer. This is well done; but this is only half; rather it is, by infinite degrees, the smallest part of your duty. It is not said, When the wicked man abstaineth from his usual food, but "when he turneth from his wickedness," as the consequence of his believing in Christ. It is not said, When the wicked man joins in public confession to God, but when he doth that which is lawful and right," as a fruit of his fellowship with Christ-then he shall save, he shall save his soul, he shall save his soul alive. O that all, from the king on the throne to the labourer in the barn; from the highest nobleman to the meanest tradesman; that all might now be inclined, now be enabled to turn unto the Saviour of the world. In him millions, unnumbered millions, of wretched sinners have found recovery and liberty; recovery from the death, and liberty from the bondage of sin; "and," blessed be his unbounded grace," yet there is room.”

Then the national fast would be a national blessing; whereas, without this all-important turning to the adorable Saviour, what will the formalities of our devotion signify? They will be a mere liplabour, a religious trifling; nay, they will be a solemn mockery of the Almighty, and provoke his abhorrence. Does not Jehovah himself speak to the same purpose? "Is it such a fast that I have chosena day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ?" Isa. lviii. 5.; to discontinue your ordinary business, and refrain from a meal's meat? to make a little doleful lamentation, and put up a few petitions extorted by fear? Will you call this a fast?" saith the high and holy One, with an air of sovereign contempt; "this an acceptable day to the Lord?" No, verily; it is the most odious hypocrisy ; like crying, Hail master, with the tongue, while treachery and enmity fill the heart: unless you turn to Christ, that you may be washed, that you may be justified, that you may be sanctified; that, having remission of sins through his blood, and peace of conscience through his grace, you may feel the bands of wickedness loosed, and may become the willing servants of righteousness.

What is the grand sin of our nation? Ignorance and neglect of Christ. What is the cause of all our other sins? Ignorance and neglect of Christ. Why are the judgments of the Almighty hanging over our heads? For ignorance and neglect of Christ. Never, therefore, shall we answer the end of our sacred assembly, nor the design of God's alarming visitations, till we begin to know Christ, to receive Christ, to make use of Christ by faith. When this is done, we may reasonably hope, that our prayers will go up with acceptance, and not return again till a blessing be sent; that, as individuals, our "light shall break forth like the morning, and our health shall spring forth speedily;" that, as a community," the

favour of God shall go before us, and the glory of the Lord shall be our rere-ward," Isa. lviii. 8.

Then we may look around on our most enraged enemies, and say with the Psalmist, "Though an host of men should encamp against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid," Psalm xxvii. 3. Then may we look backward to the late desolating earthquake, and say with the believers of old, "God is our refuge and strength, therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea," Psalm xlvi. 1, 2. Then may we look forward to an incomparably more dreadful scene, even to the righteous Judge, and the great tribunal, and say with the triumphant apostle, "Who shall lay any thing to our charge? It is God that justifieth; who shall condemn us? It is Christ that died," Rom. viii. 33, 34.

Let me entreat you, therefore, brethren, for the sake of your own immortal souls, and for the welfare of our endangered nation-let me charge you, by all that is desirable in time, and awful in eternity, not to neglect these counsels. Being so solemnly reproved, if "you harden your neck," your destruction cometh suddenly, and "that without remedy," Prov. xxix. 1. Having these warnings from the divine word, and warnings from the divine Providence, "if ye still do wickedly," it is not man, it is not an angel, it is God himself who declares, "Ye shall be consumed; even ye, your country, and your king," 1 Sam. xii. 25.

THE

KNOWLEDGE OF SALVATION PRECIOUS IN THE HOUR OF

DEATH;

A SERMON,

PREACHED JANUARY 4. 1759,

Upon the Death of the Rev. MR James Hervey, by W. ROMAINE, A. M. Lecturer of St Dunstan's in the West, London.

Righteousness delivereth from death.-Prov. x. 2.

LUKE ii. 29, 30.-" Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation."

ACCORDING to the ancient prophecies, in the fulness of time God sent forth his Son. He came to his own, when there was a general expectation of his birth. Many just and devout persons in Jerusalem were then looking out for the Redeemer's coming in the flesh; and among them, good old Simeon, and Anna a prophetess, are particularly mentioned. St Luke says, "there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just," a justified person, "and devout," fearing to offend God, as the Greek word signifies, "waiting for the consolation of Israel ;" he was waiting for the incarnation of the divine Comforter, by whose birth all the promises of comfort were to be ratified and fulfilled, and the Israel of God was to receive everlasting consolation. The Lord was pleased to vouchsafe a particular revelation of his will in this matter to Simeon : "For the Holy Spirit was upon him, and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ incarnate. And he came by the direction of the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought

in the holy child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God that he had lived to this happy hour, when he could take up the prophet's words, and say, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord, we have waited for him; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Simeon waited to see God incarnate; and having seen him, he wanted to live no longer. He desired his dismission. All the ends of living were answered; and therefore he put up this sweet prayer: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation."

With these same words, one of our dear brethren, now with the Lord, finished his course. They were the dying words of the Rev. Mr James Hervey. He had long desired to depart and to be with Christ, which he knew was far better than to abide in the flesh; but he waited patiently for the Lord's time; and, when it was come, he thus expressed the thankfulness of his heart, "Lord, now lettest thou tny servant depart in peace, according to thy" most holy and comfortable "word: for mine eyes have seen thy" precious "salvation." The Lord heard him, and gave him a gentle dismission. He died, as he had lived, in a perfectly even and calm comof mind. Death shewed that he came to him posure as a friendly messenger to call him to glory; for he cheerfully obeyed the summons. There was no fear, no struggle, not a sigh or groan; but he departed in peace, and in full assurance of faith. Oh! that you and I, my brethren, may so live by the faith of the Son of God, that when we come to die, we may be able to use this same prayer, and may receive of the Lord a like gracious answer.

These sweet dying words of our dear brother have made a great impression upon several of his acquain

* Several particulars in this Sermon respecting Mr Hervey are more fully related in the account of his life.