enough? who is there amongst us that dare stand up before God, and say to him, that thundered on mount Sinai, "I have kept this thy law ?" Who is there amongst us, that can think of that day, when the terrors of Sinai shall appear before him far more terribly, who is there that can think of those terrors, and say, "I fear them not, for I am guiltless ?" Surely there is not one of us so madly presumptuous, so obstinately ignorant. We have taken God's name in vain; all and every one of us have done so: and by the sentence of God's own mouth, we are all and every one of us guilty. What shall we say then, when we meet him as our Judge!-that we have kept his other commandments? Alas! if we considered them as closely as we have done this, we should find, I fear, that we have broken almost all of them. But what if we were clear from every other charge? would that clear us here? Where does God promise that he will hold us guiltless, if we keep the other commandments, while we break this? no where. The words in the text are absolute and plain: him that taketh God's name in vainwhether he keep or break the other laws, it mattereth not-no exception is made this one thing only is declared, that whoever taketh God's name in vain, God will not hold him guiltless. We need not therefore refer to other parts of our conduct this one point condemns us: we have sin

C

ned; we have despised his authority, who is the one great Lawgiver'; we stand exposed to his wrath; who is the great and terrible judge. What shall we do? shall we try to make excuses? shall we say that we have done our best? If we had done our best, it would not be enough: but we know very well, and God knows too, that we have not done our best; we have not done all we could to impress our minds with a sense of his greatness, we have not thought of him so often as we might, we have not begged of him so often as we might to make us to have a perpetual fear and love of his holy name. We have, alas! no excuse: we stand speechless before our Judge: we hear our sentence, and we feel that it is just. What then? have we no hope? none from ourselves, none at all. We have broken the law, and cannot repair the breach: we have dishonoured our Lawgiver, and cannot undo the wrong. Our profane speeches cannot be unsaid, our irreverent thoughts cannot be recalled, and not the strictest watch in future over our lips, or over our heart, can make void the sentence which God's mouth pronounces, or arrest the vengeance which his arm prepares. What shall we do then? there is but one thing which we can do throw ourselves prostrate at his feet, confess our guilt, and cry for mercy

Jam, iv. 12.

And (thanks to the blessed Jesus!) we need not cry in vain. Oh! my brethren! with what joy do I turn to this reviving truth, that, desperate as our case appears, there is still help found for us, help sufficient for our wants-help laid on one that is mighty. Great indeed, is our guilt; great is the punishment we deserve: but it hath already been borne in our stead by the Incarnate God, who died on mount Calvary; his precious blood washes off our guilt, and all the dishonour done to God's name. Though we have so often spoken unadvisedly with our lips, though we are so far from honouring God aright in our hearts, still, if we engage Christ to appear for us as our advocate at the great day of God's wrath, we may boldly trust, that, pleading his merits, we shall stand before the judgment-seat guiltless. But, may we all engage him to be our friend? Yes, every one of us, who truly seeks him. Oh! would to God that every soul, which hears me, were even now lifting itself up to him, as its only salvation, and only hope! Oh that thou, O God, wouldest impress all our hearts with so deep a sense of our guilt, and danger, and utter inability to help ourselves, that we may fly for refuge to the hope set before us, willing to be saved in thy appointed way! Teach us, O Lord, so to trust in thy Son, that thy own word may assure us, we do not trust in vain, and the same divine authority,

which declares our guilt, may, through him, pronounce our pardon !

Do not our hearts burn within us at the thoughts of pardon thus assured to us?-But, how shall we dare to apply it to ourselves? What shall satisfy us, that we so truly believe in Christ, as to secure an interest in his blood? My brethren, there is one sure never-failing proof. If we do really believe, that God gave up his Son for us, and that Christ died for our sakes on the cross, it will follow, as a necessary consequence, that we shall love Him, who hath so loved us: and the Holy Spirit, which will certainly be given to us, if we are true believers, (for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his) will as certainly shed abroad in our hearts this love of God". Those whom we love, of course we wish to please; we wish to do them honour: if then we love God, we shall keep his commandments, and certainly that commandment, which bids us honour his name. The matter therefore rests here: if we go on as we used to do before, neglecting to keep even one of God's commandments-if, for instance, we still use his name without respect, or hear it so used without concern-if we take no pains to meditate on the Divine attributes, or to pray to God frequently and with care;-our case is plain-we are not true believers-the sen

tence of the law is still thundering against us for every idle word that we have spoken, and the account we must give in at the day of judgment, will be followed by so much sorer punishment, because a pardon hath been offered us, and we have refused it. On the contrary-if this offer of pardon have so touched our hearts, as to kindle in them a steady desire of keeping God's law→ if we be inclined to think frequently on the greatness and the goodness of our God-if we be moved to pray often, trying always to pray devoutly if we have learned to become very care ful not to use God's name improperly, and to be very sorry, when we have done so ;-then may we trust, with a well-founded confidence, that all our sinful words and thoughts are blotted out of God's book by his Son's blood, that he hath sealed us by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption, and will then, through Christ, hold us guiltless-then may we hope, that he is preparing us for a seat in that heavenly temple, where they rest not day and night giving glory to their King, by teaching us even now not to let his name pass our lips, without remembering, that He

Is that great God, whose pow'r we fear,
That heav'nly Father whom we love.

* Matt. xii. 36.

y Eph. iv. 30.

z Rev. iv. 8, 9.

Watts' Hymns.