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and hard labour, as it were, that they may exceed in wickednefs: "They weary them"felves to commit iniquity;" and "fin as "with a cart-rope."

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It muft no doubt appear an incredible abuse of the divine goodnefs, to pervert that patience which fhould lead men to repentance, into an encouragement to fin more prefumptuously: yet fo it hath been in times past; and there is too just cause to complain, that it continues to be fo ftill. Indeed, "when God's judgements are in the "earth," the inhabitants thereof do fometimes" learn righteoufnefs;" at leaft, fo long as the rod lies heavy upon them, they may refrain from those fins which they imagine have fubjected them to it; but no fooner is the rod laid afide, than they quickly relapfe into their former courfe of living, agreeably to what the Prophet Ifaiah observes, "Let favour be fhewed to the wicked, yet "will he not learn righteoufnefs: in the "land of uprightnefs will he deal unjustly, "and will not behold the majefty of the "Lord." What is written, Luke xii. 45. is too just a picture of the temper and practice

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of the bulk of mankind: " They fay in their "heart, The Lord delayeth his coming; and

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thereupon prefume to beat their fellow"fervants, and to eat, and drink, and to be "drunken:" yea, not the foolish virgins only, but even the wife, are in danger of flumbering, while the bridegroom tarrieth,' as we read, Matth. xxv. 5..

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There is an unhappy tendency in our nature to forget God. ado to overcome it; but the wicked give full fcope to it; and nothing but chastisement, fevere and prefent chastisement, will bring them the length even of a feigned fubmiffion to God. Hence the obfervation is drawn, that times of adverfity have always been moft friendly to religion; and they must know little of the history of the world in general, and of their own country in particular, who do not agree in this remark. National profperity is certainly moft defirable; ; we regard it as a bleffing, we pray for the continuance of it; and it is our duty to do fo: yet if we examine the annals of former times, and do not turn away our eyes from the real ftate of our

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in their wickedness.

You perhaps fufpect that I am going to address you with sharpness and feverity; but you are really mistaken. God knows that I pity you, and have no other aim but to make you pity yourselves. You have long been deaf to warnings and reproofs :-O let the sweet voice of mercy at length prevail! God hath fworn, that he taketh no pleasure in your death; and this is his call to you after all your provocations, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? Nay, he hath paved the way for your return to him with the blood of his own Son, "who fuffered, the "juft for the unjust, that he might bring "the chief of finners to God." It is impoffible you can prevail against him, or disappoint him of his glory: the weapons

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your rebellion can only hurt yourselves; and ere long, the proudeft of his enemies fhall bow down before him, and lick the very duft.-Even you, my friends, muft either bend to the fceptre of his grace, or be dafhed in pieces with his rod of iron: thofe haughty looks fhall fhortly be humbled, either in mercy or in judgement;

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and if once his wrath begin to burn, there is no power that fhall be able to deliver you out of his hand. Why then will you reject his gracious counfel? Why will you perifh when mercy is in your offer? Why will you break the hearts of all that fear God, when, by your converfion, and flight into the true city of refuge, you might afford cause of great joy both in heaven and on earth? For the Lord's fake, confider your ways, and be wife; "feek the Lord "while he may be found, call upon him "while he is near." The great enemy of your fouls will probably fuggeft to you, that if you comply with this exhortation, your old companions will mock and ridicule you, in proportion to your former excefs in fin; and this fnare, I am afraid, is too fatally successful with many. But let not any fuggeftion of this kind deter you from doing what you plainly fee to be your duty and your intereft. The godly, with whom you join yourselves, will be far from upbraiding you with paft offences; they will freely forgive all the injuries you have done to them, and teach you to magnify the

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while we live, and fhall at last, through the mercy of God in Christ, have an entrance miniftered unto us into that better world, where all tears fhall be wiped away from our eyes, where the inhabitants are altogether unftained, and the joys abfolutely perfect; where, with one heart, and one voice, we shall celebrate the praifes of Zion's King;-afcribing glory and honour, dominion and power, to him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.

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