Have you then done these things, or have you not done them? Have you avoided the tempting occasions of evil? Have you used the means of grace, and attended seriously upon the ordinances of God's worship? -If you have neglected to employ the powers you poffefs, whom can you blame for it, that you have not obtained more extenfive powers? God will make you one day to know that it was not he who carried you to the haunts of riot, intemperance, and lewdnefs; that it was not he who tempted you to fwear profanely, or to rail at goodness, or to quarrel with the Word that fhould have faved you; but that all this was owing to the voluntary and obftinate wickedness of your own corrupt hearts. And, whatever excufes finners may now feign to themselves, they must all stand fpeechless at laft. None fhall be able to plead, Lord, I applied to thee for converting grace, but it was refufed me.' No, God will be clear when he judgeth; and every mouth fhall be ftopped in that day when he paffeth fentence on an affembled world.

Thus have I examined and, endeavoured to refute fome of the moft plaufible objections which are commonly alleged against the mildnefs and equity of the divine administration; and from all that has been faid, I hope it now appears, that nothing can be more unreasonable or blafphemous, than to lay the blame of the finner's deftruction upon God. "The foolish"nefs of man," faith Solomon, "perverteth his

way; and his heart fretteth against the Lord." (Prov. xix. 3.) This is the true account of the

matter.

matter. The finner deftroys himself by his own wilful and obftinate folly, and then he accufes God, as if he were the caufe of his mifery; although God hath done every thing to fave him, which could have been done by the righteous Lawgiver and Governor of the world.

The lying lips fhall ere long be put to filence. The workers of iniquity fhall ftand felf-condemned before the awful tribunal; and all their vain and impious pretexts and excufes, inftead of availing them in that day, will only ferve to increase their fhame and confufion. With what inconceivable remorfe and anguifh will the finner then review his paft conduct? How contemptible will thofe temptations then appear to him, which he once magnified fo much, when he fhall compare them with the powerful motives and encouragements to a holy life, which were in vain fo often and fo plainly fet before him 2 When he fhall recollect the various means and inftruments which were employed to fave him from ruin; the full and the free offers which - were made to him of pardoning mercy, and of fanctifying grace; the earneft calls and invitation which he received to return from his evil way, and live: When he fhall view that precious fountain, in which thoufands, as guilty as himself, have been washed and made clean; and fhall reflect that all thefe advantages are for ever loft;-how fhall he then hang down his head, and fmite his guilty and difpairing breaft? faying, in the bitterness of his foul, "How have "I hated inftruction, and my heart defpifed "reproof? and have not obeyed the voice of

my

my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them "that inftructed me?" (Prov. v. 12, 13.) Then fhall all his complaints be turned against himself, and instead of refting on his wonted excufes, he fhall then call, but call in vain, "on the "mountains and on the rocks to fall on him, " and to hide him from the face of Him who "fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of "the Lamb." O that men were wife, and would confider these things, fo as to prevent, by a timely repentance, the horrors of that awful day which is haftening faft to furprise a fleeping world.

My brethren, I have reprefented your danger to you as plainly as I could. I have endeavoured to expofe the weakness of those pitiful evafions by which many of you endeavour to fupport a vain hope, or at leaft to leffen the awful appre-henfions of a judgment to come. I have fpoken to your ears: God alone can speak to your hearts; and to his mercy and grace I commend you.-Allow me, before I conclude, to beg your attention to the following confiderations.

Confider, that to be your own deftroyers, is to counteract the very strongeft principle of your natures, the principle of felf-prefervation. Every creature naturally defireth its own felicity; and will you obftinately rush upon manifest ruin, through all the obstacles that are placed in your way? Affiftants you may find in accomplishing this defperate purpose: but without your own confent and active concurrence, it never can be accomplished, even though the

whole

ye

whole world, and all the hoft of apoftate fpirits, were combined against you. Will you be worfe than devils to yourselves? What pity can you expect to meet with, who have no pity for your own fouls? The unfortunate are objects of compaffion; but wilful felf-deftroyers, neither deferve compaffion, nor can expect it.--Confider what an aggravation this will be of your mifery in a future ftate; how terrible will it be to recollect, in the regions of everlasting woe, that have brought all this mifery on yourselves? that you were forewarned, repeatedly and awfully forewarned, of the fatal iffue of your conduct; but without effect? that Chrift and eternal falvation were freely offered to you, but were contemptuously defpifed and fet at nought? These confiderations will add a continual fuel to the tormenting flames, and will make them burn with infufferable violence. O then be wife in time: "Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked "forfake his way, and the unrighteous man "his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, “and he will have mercy upon him, and to "our God, for he will abundantly pardon." -To To conclude: Ponder the wholesome advice recorded in Prov. viii. 33-36. "Hear

"inftruction and be wife, and refufe it not. "Bleffed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whofo findeth me, findeth "life, and fhall obtain favour of the Lord. "he that finneth against me, wrongeth his own foul. All they that hate me, love "death." Amen.

But

SERMON

SERMON XIII.

GALATIANS vi. 4.

Let every Man prove his own work.

BEFORE I enter upon the subject of this text, it may not be improper to mention fome of the reasons which have led me to it at this time*.

ift, As many who call themselves Chriftians, discover fo little of Chriftianity in their lives, that we are often at a lofs to reconcile their conduct with their profeffions; I thought it might be of use to those who are in any degree diftinguished by their religious conduct, if I could lead them into fuch a fcrutiny of themfelves as this text fuggefts to us; or perfuade them to inquire, whether their works, which are apparently good, are fuch as will abide the teft: whether they proceed from the Spirit of God or from the fpirit of the world: whether they are animated by a "fimplicity and godly fin

cerity," or by the unhallowed principles of felf-love, and the defire of recommending themfelves to the efteem of men.

2dly, It is evident from Scripture, that a man may go far in the outward performance of his duty, and yet be actuated by fuch motives as afford

* Preached on the evening ct a Communion-Sabbath.