When God sent me away from you, about eighteen months ago, I think I could then number, in my own mind, more than sixty souls who, I trust, had visibly passed from death unto life during the time I had been among you. Now, I do think I could number many more, ay, twice as many more, of you who have come, by the wonderful grace of God, to choose Israel for your people, and Israel's God for your God. I trust that there is hardly a family in this church who have not some friend or relative really born again. Oh, that God would this day put Ruth's resolution into your heart to cleave to your converted friends, and to say: "Where thou goest, I will go' Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God!"

I. Their God is a precious God.

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1. A sin-pardoning God: "Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth iniquity?" Unconverted souls have no God: "Without God, and without hope in the world;" or, like Orpah, they have false gods. Whatever they like best is their god. Their belly is their god-money is their god-or the god of this world is their god. But, ah! he is not sin-pardoning. Your converted friends have found a sin-pardoning God-one that washes out their sins in blood, though red as scarlet-the God and Father of Jesus-one that forgets sins: "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins ""Thou hast put all my sins behind thy back" -one that is the prodigal's Father: "When he was yet a great way off, his Father saw him.” Should you not cleave to them? They had the same sins as you-perhaps they have sinned along with you. Why should you despair, if they have found mercy? Cleave to the skirt of their garment; for God is with them.

2. Their God is a faithful God-faithful to them in enabling them to persevere: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee "He who hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ "-"Even to old age I am he."-Isa. xlvi. 4. When once he takes a brand out of the fire, he never lets it fall in again. He will let heaven and earth fall sooner than one of his own. He keeps them night and day. The souls whom God chose four years ago in this place, he has kept to this day. Often they have been ready to die: "Then the Lord sent from above; he took me, he drew me out of many waters"

"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them: I the God of Israel will not forsake them."

Faithful in temptations: "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Look back, believers, on your temptations. They have been very dreadful. You have been on the brink of ruin. The Lord has delivered you.

Faithful in afflictions: "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee." Do you not see they have a refuge in the storm? Believers in this place have passed through many sore trials within these four years; yet God has been their refuge. He is a strength to the poor-a strength to the needy in his distress. Do you not see in the hour of trial what a rest they found in God-in the Saviour? -how they poured out their sorrows into the ear of their High Priest? Cleave you to them.

II. Their people are a happy people.

Naomi was one of the peculiar people of Israel. It was this people that Ruth was going to join. But converted persons amongst us have joined the true Israel-a still more peculiar people. They have been added to the Churchsuch as have been saved.

1. They are a pardoned people: "Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven." They have all this blessedness. Sin is the greatest curse and burden in this world. Sin makes the world groan, makes damned souls shrink, and makes hell blaze. But this people have no unpardoned sin lying upon them. They are washed whiter than snow. They are all fair-without so much as a spot on them. They are as clean in God's pure eye as Christ is. Christ carried all their sins-they carry all his righteousness. Christ has suffered all their hell. They are in the love of God. God delights in them. Are they not a happy people? Are they not happier than you, who have as much sin as would sink a world?

2. A holy people-all born again-all have received the Holy Spirit. He dwells in them, and will never leave them. They have an old heart; still the Spirit reigns in them. They walk after the Spirit-they love in the Spirit-they pray in the Holy Ghost. Of themselves they cannot pray;

rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, in the tents of wickedness." Do you see no di their tempers-habits-lives? Are they not cal pier, heavenlier, than they were before? Seek have found.

3. All things work together for their good. you will say they are an afflicted people. Some -some bereaved-some groaning on sick-beds. Idealeth with them as with sons. Often they

things are against me. All for them. If we co end as God does, we would see that every even believer. When we get to the haven, we will se wind was wafting us to glory.

4. In death. Even wicked Balaam said: " the death of the righteous." "Mark the perfect, the upright; for the end of that man is peace.' upon you to mark the death-bed of his childr times it is triumphant, like Stephen : "Behol heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing a hand of God. Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit always peaceful. Or, if it be that the sun goes cloud, O how sweet the surprise, when the be himself on the other side of Jordan!-at the pe the New Jerusalem !—in the arms of the ange smile of Jesus! "There is a rest remaining for of God." Will you not cleave to your godly ch -brother-sister-friend? You have sported to have sinned together-will you not be blesse Thy people shall be my people, and thy God

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III. They want you to go with them. It is plain that Naomi wanted Ruth to go wit she wanted her to go not out of mere natural af out of love to Israel's God. Moses wanted

brother-in-law, to go with him. Moses knew the soul: "We are journeying unto the place Lord said, I will give it you. Come thou with will do thee good." Jeremiah wanted the Jews go with him: "Give glory to the Lord your he cause darkness, and before your feet stumb dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he

to

the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride."-Jer. xiii. 16, 17. Your converted friends

want you

to go with them. They may not have boldness to tell you so. It is easier to speak to a stranger than to a friend. Do you not see their anxiety in their eyes? Do you not see how anxious they are that you would come to the house of prayer? They pray for you in secret. Often when you are sleeping they are praying for you. They weep for you "in secret places, for your pride." Well, if you will not go, you will be left behind. Still weep and pray, dear friends.

This earth would be too like heaven if
Oh, what a sad company will be

all we love were saved.

left!

IV. Eternal separation.

When Orpah turned back from Naomi and Ruth, she little knew she was parting for ever. They had lived together perhaps from infancy. They had played around the same palm tree-sat before the same cottage door-wandered over the same hills of Moab; now, they parted for eternity. So it is amongst us. There are, no doubt, many of us about to be separated for eternity. How strange, that two trees should grow so near-one to flower in paradise, the other to be a firebrand in hell!

Dear friends, do you not see some whom you love much really converted and saved? Do you not see they have a peace that passeth understanding, while you are still loaded with guilt? They are growing holier-more fond of prayer -walking more humbly-riper for glory; you riper for hell-your sins getting faster hold. Oh, this separation will be for eternity! You may love them much, but you will go back to your gods. 1. You will be separated at death; they will pass into glory, into perfect day-you will lift up your eyes in hell. Besides all this, 2. You will be separated at judgment. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, he shall separate the sheep from the goats; those on the right hand shall be solemnly acquitted-rewarded for all the good works you now see them daily performing. All their prayers and tears for you will then be recompensed. You, on the left hand, shall go away into everlasting punishment. You shall look on that Saviour whom you now despise, and "wail because of him." When your eye catches your godly friends, how you will

weep

and wail! You will then remember all their love, and all madness. Parents, do you your love your converted children? Can you bear to be parted eternally? Will you cleave to Naomi, or go back to your people and your gods? How will you bear to see the fruit of your body on the throne with Christ, and yourself a brand in an eternal hell?

St Peter's, 1840.

SERMON XXXIX.

THE VISION OF DRY BONES.

"The hand of the Lord was upon me," &c.—EZEK. xxxvii. 1-14.

In early life the Prophet Ezekiel had been witness of sieges and battle-fields—he had himself experienced many of the horrors and calamities of war; and this seems to have tinged his natural character in such a way that his prophecies, more than any other, are full of terrific images and visions of dreadful things. In these words we have the description of a vision which, for grandeur and terrible sublimity, is perhaps unequalled in any other part of the Bible.

He describes himself as set down by God in the midst of a valley that was full of bones. It seemed as if he were set down in the midst of some spacious battle-field, where thousands and tens of thousands had been slain, and none left behind to bury them. The eagles had many a time gathered over the carcasses, and none frayed them away; and the wolves of the mountains had eaten the flesh of these mighty men, and drunk the blood of princes. The rains of heaven had bleached them, and the winds that sighed over the open valley had made them bare; and many a summer sun had whitened and dried the bones. And as the prophet went round and round to view the dismal scene, these two

thoughts arose in his mind: Behold, they be very many; and, lo, they are very dry.”