which fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels ftood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beafts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, faying, Amen: Bleffing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders anfwered, faying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I faid unto him, Sir, thou knoweft. And he faid to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that fitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They fhall hunger no more, neither thirst any

more; neither shall the fun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne fhall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev. vii. 9-17.)

H

SERMON V.

OUR FATHER'S APPEAL.

My fon, give me thine heart.

Prov. xxiii. 26.

“BELOVED,” fays St. John, in addresfing the general body of Christian people, "now are we the fons of God." Once children of wrath, as others, now are we the fons of God. "No more," as writes alfo St. Paul, "fervants, but fons; and if fons, then heirs of God through Christ. Even as many as are led by the Spirit of God,

they are the sons of God." Mighty privilege! A child of misery and fin, taken out of that state, received into the keeping, and adopted into the family-not of an earthly friend, nor of an earthly prince or potentate, but of the Lord God omnipotent the Maker and Creator of all things-the King eternal, immortal, and invifible!

Therefore God dealeth with us as with children encouraging or chaftening as our cafe may require; encouraging, if we can bear it without being puffed up-chaftening, and that bitterly, if our need demand it. At one time holding out the fceptre of His acceptance, at another the rod of His reproof, but both in unerring wifdom and love. His fimiles ftimulating our fidelity, His chastisements working our good; and, more than this, proving to us, were our moral eyefight clear enough to perceive it, that He thus correcteth, not in anger, but