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own times, we shall be obliged to acknow ledge, that a calm is often more hurtful than a ftorm, both to the church and people of God. True it is, that arts and sciences flourish, and a form of godlinefs may perhaps prevail but alas! the life and power of it decay apace; vices formerly unknown fpring up like weeds in too rank a foil; even the best are apt to grow remifs and careless, wanton and fecure.

What I apprehend to be moft neceffary upon this fubject, is, to inquire whence this unnatural abufe of the divine patience proceeds; and to detect fome of thofe falfe reafonings by which finners derive encouragement to do evil, from that very exercise. of goodness which ought to produce the quite contrary effect.

Now the principal caufes of this abuse, or the fteps whereby finners arrive at the amazing pitch of wickednefs defcribed in my text, feem to be these following.

The delay of punishment gradually weakens thofe impreffions of fear whereby the unpractifed finner is always alarmed at

his entrance upon a wicked and flagitious courfe of life. No man becomes utterly profligate at once: Confcience will remonstrate to the young tranfgreffor; and the ftruggle is oft-times fharp and long before this deputy of the Supreme Judge can be wholly put to filence. It were fuperfluous to prove what every man feels, or at least must have felt, in fome period of his life. Depraved as we are, fins of a groffer kind are always committed with fome reluctance at their first commencement, and followed with remorse, and the dread of punishment: but when, after repeated acts of fin, the tranfgreffor ftill finds himself safe, these painful feelings abate by degrees; the man waxeth bolder day after day; and thus proceeds from evil to worfe, till, like Job's warhorfe, he at length "mocks at fear," and rufheth headlong in his wicked courfe without any reftraint. This I take to be the leading abuse of divine patience; which paves the way to every fubfequent ftep of departure from God, till the finner arrive at the last stage of impiety, an heart fully fet in bim to do cvil. For as "the fear of God is

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"the beginning of wifdom;" fo the want of this fear may, with equal propriety, be ftyled the beginning of folly, or the introduction to a wicked and profligate life.

Having got thus far, he proceeds to call in question the omniscience of God, and to entertain fome hope, that his iniquities may pass unobferved. Of fuch we read, Pf. Ixiv. 5. "They encourage themselves "in an evil matter; they commune of lay

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ing fnares privily; they fay, Who shall "fee us?"-And P. x. 11. " He hath faid "in his heart, God hath forgotten: He "hideth his face, He will never fee it." He begins to think that God' taketh no notice of human affairs when vice paffeth long unpunished; and thence he derives fresh courage, and perfifts in his career with growing intrepidity.

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At lengh he acquires the boldness to impugn the boliness of God, and to form an idea of him that fuits the corrupt difpofition of his own heart. He endeavours to perfuade himself, that the remorfe he used to feel after the commiffion of fin, was purely owing to the prejudice of education, and

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the influence of fome narrow principles instilled into his mind by his parents or tu

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tors, before he was capable of judging for himself.

This step to a total degeneracy is ftrongly marked, Pfalm 1. 21. where God faith, "These things thou haft done, and I kept "filence: thou thoughteft that I was alto

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men;

gether fuch a one as thyfelf." Because God kept filence, and did not utter his anger in fpeedy vengeance, the finner thought that he was altogether fuch a one as himfelf; that virtue and vice were fictitious names, framed by credulous or defigning that God made no difference between them, but was every whit as well pleased with the one as with the other.-Dreadful abufe of the divine patience! and yet I am afraid it is too prevalent in our day: elfe whence thefe fecret whisperings among fome who pretend to think above the common rate, that their conftitution inclines them to fuch and fuch gratifications; which therefore cannot be criminal, feeing the Author of their being hath implanted these appetites in their frame, and of confequence

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must be held as confenting to the indulgence of them? When punishment is long fufpended, corruption too easily breeds fuch conceits as thefe; and nothing but the rod, a fharp and fanctified rod, will fuffice to expel them. Thus many interpret a mere delay of punishment as a certain token that their conduct is approved of: and becaufe God is not like man, weak and impotent to restrain his anger, hence they impiously conclude, that he doth certainly refemble him in another refpect; I almost tremble to mention it,-that he is a lover of impurity;-náy, the very patron and author of fin.

From fuch premifes as thefe, the determined finner, without much hesitation, will eagerly draw the fatal inference, that the administration of the divine government fhall always continue as it appears to his darkened mind at prefent; and that God doth neither mark iniquity now, nor will enter into judgement with finners for it afterwards. We find the Pfalmift propofing a queftion, P. x. 13. "Wherefore doth the "wicked contemn God?" which he answers.

thus,

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