this to be the case, it does not leave us to our misery, but 3rdly, reveals a great Saviour, who is able and willing to save us. It exhibits to us, Christ the Son of God, who laid down his life a ransom for sinners. It tells us that his blood is the only propitiation for sin, and declares that if we are savingly interested in it, we shall escape the wrath to come. It also states that God cannot pardon the guilty unless he is sought through Christ; and that a sinner can only be happy in applying to the Redeemer, deeply sensible that he is lost and ruined without him. If we feel this to be our situation, the spiritual compass assures us, that the Saviour Christ the Lord, is just the friend we need, and it informs us that his arms are open to embrace us. How gracious is the language he uses to en

gage our attention.

"Look unto me,

and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:"* I am the Lord, and beside me there is no Saviour. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."+

The word of God, the heavenly compass, 4thly, points out all our dangers. It shows us that by steering a certain course, our destruction is inevitable.

It

says that if we follow the broad road of evil; never repent of sin; disregard Christ, and think nothing of eternity, perpetual misery will be the consequence. Solemn, important statement! and yet how true. Examine the Bible: it is placed before us in characters calculated to strike every soul with * Isa. xlv. 22. + John vi. 37.

fear and trembling.

"He that be

lieveth shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned."* "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God;"† and the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed." 牛

While this compass describes the character of all sinners, and shows what will be their end; it 5thly, places before us the pretensions and final end of some, who fancy that they are Christians, merely because they avoid gross acts of iniquity. Let them not, however, be deceived, for God cannot be mocked. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he

* Mark xvi. 16.

+ Ps. ix. 17.

Isa. i. 28.

66

that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."* Many outwardly appear righteous to men, but within they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." At the last great day, not a few, but many will say, Lord, Lord, and hope thereby to escape hell; but the great Judge says, he will reject them with indignation, and drive them from his presence, with this dreadful sentence, "Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, for I never knew ye."‡ It is humble, heart-felt sorrow for sin, and a continual striving against it, that proves we are real Christians, and wholly guided by the great compass of heaven.

* Gal. vi. 7,

8.

+ Matth. xxiii. 28.

Matth. xxv.

St.

The word of God, lastly, declares, that there is another world. We are not left as the ancients, to infer this great truth; but, we have a sure word of prophecy, which positively asserts the fact. Jesus says, "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."* Paul assures us, "that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." So also St. Peter, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath according to his abundant mercy, begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled,

* John xiv. 2.

† 2 Cor. v. 1.