works of darkness; one of its first lessons is, "Deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow me." Without which no man can be a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is a hard saying to unregenerate men, who receive not the things of the Spirit of God. They imagine that the life of a Christian is a constant scene of gloominess; that on earth he is continually obliged to do penance, in order that he may finally be admitted to heaven: therefore that all his happiness is future: so ignorant are unbelievers of the consolation that there is in Christ. Hence they say unto God, "Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." Yet it deserves to be observ. ed here, that when threatening sickness seizes these despisers of things that are good, and death appears nigh, they, like Balaam, cry out, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." They who, through the enmity of their carnal hearts, set at nought a crucified Saviour, and trampled on his glorious gospel while in health, no sooner apprehend dissolution at hand, than they wish to be in the condition of that man of God, whom probably they had often ridiculed. It is said, that when godly Ambrose was dying, there happened to be present two abandoned rakes. The good man, knowing in whom he believed, rejoiced in the prospect of death, because he should be with Christ, which to him was infinitely better than to abide in the world. Upon this, one of them turned to his companion, and said, "O that I could live with you, but that I could die with Ambrose! What say ye, young men ; in like circumstances would you not choose as he did? Has he not spoken the

language of your hearts? I doubt not but he has. You would fain live in sin, yet die in the Lord, and go to heaven. But know ye that the wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God!

6. Against this solemn consideration you may probably be hardened by infidelity; which is dishonourary to God, destructive of virtue, the parent of vice, and damning to men. Where is the country, where the city, in which may not be found without much inquiry, the men, who, though they profess to credit that prime article of faith, the existence of a Supreme Being, contemn that glorious revelation, which, in kindness to a world enveloped in sin and blindness, he hath vouchsafed to give them? Such there are, no doubt, among us, who read the holy scriptures for no other purpose than to collect what they are pleased to call contradictions; which, together with their mysterious truths, they bring forth from time to time, on purpose to shew the absurdity of the Christian revelation. Upon this account they fain would be called men of sense. But their conduct rather discovers the badness of their hearts, and reflects not a little on their understanding. "He who continues a deist in a land enlightened by the gospel, must be wanting in goodness or reason; must be either criminal or dull. None therefore can be more mistaken than they that profess deism for the credit of superior understanding, or for the sake of exercising a more pure and perfect virtue."*

But shocking as the cause of infidelity may seem to a sober mind, and subversive of morality,

* Dr. Young's Centaur, page 28.

it meets with great encouragement: it owes its origin to Satan, and receives continual aid from the corrupt hearts of men. None are more liable to be fatally injured by it than our young men; who, without much difficulty, may be persuaded that the doctrines of Christianity are absurd, and its maxims for the regulation of life too severe. This persuasion will be the more easily admitted, because it so exactly coincides with the native and total corruption of their hearts. "For the carnal mind is enmity against God; it is not subject to the law of God." And the more vehement their desires of sensual gratifications are, the more readily will they receive every thing against revealed religion, that has the least appearance of argument; because, having arrived so far as to think it a cunningly devised fable, they will have greater liberty to indulge their appetites. But only suppose Christianity should be true-then the infidel will be found. among them who make God a liar, by not believing the record he hath given of his Son. To such it will be a fearful thing to fall into his hands!

Let us for a few minutes suppose, what a Christian will by no means allow, viz. That Christianity is doubtful; even then his condition is far preferable to that of a deist. For to him. who really believes the gospel of Christ, there is a tranquillity of soul, a peace of mind from time to time, which passeth all understanding; which peace ariseth from Christ alone, the author of his religion. Besides this peace, the doctrines of Christianity are happily calculated to support him, and do actually support him, under the many trials he meets with in this vale of tears.

They have also a powerful influence on his prac tice, not only teaching, but inclining him to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And when the solemn hour of death arrives, and he stands on the threshold of another world, he may rejoice in the glorious prospect which it af fords him of an immortal happiness. In these respects Christianity is of eminent service, though it should fail him in another state. It carries him through life well, and supports him till he has passed the valley of the shadow of death. Should it be a delusion, it is a very pleasing one. The deist has not these supports in life and death. And when the Christian shall meet him in another state, he will stand as fair a chance as he, if they are to be happy or miserable there, according to their behaviour in this life, without regard to the death of Christ; for faith in the religion of Jesus, makes the Christian virtuous in his conduct. But shift the scene; and suppose that Christianity will then be found a reality; a scheme contrived by Infinite Wisdom, and revealed to men for the salvation of their souls; where, my hearers, will the deist, where the sons of vice appear, "who have trodden under foot, the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant an unholy thing?" An answer to this question is given in the following tremendous sentence,

II. "But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." Meaning at that day when he will judge the world in righteousness. At which period, the secrets of all hearts will be revealed.

That there will be a future reckoning, or that man is an Accountable being, is a doctrine both

of reason and revelation. Reason gives her testimony to the awful truth. For that there is a God we know; "the heavens declare his glory, and the firmament sheweth his handy works." "The invisible things of him, even his eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen, being understood by the things which he hath made."

We cannot behold this astonishing universe, vast and complicated, the infinitely various parts of which do so exactly coincide to subserve one grand end, even the good of the whole, without being fully persuaded that there is a God, though no eye hath seen him. And as there is a God, he must be holy, just and good; a friend to virtue, and an enemy to vice; who takes cognizance of the actions of men, in order to punish or reward, If So, how shall we reconcile his conduct with this part of his adorable character? We see that all things come alike to all in the present state; or that there is an apparent unequal distribution of things in this world. It is no uncommon event for the wicked, who live in sin, and trample on the laws of equity, truth and justice, to have all and abound. Their eyes stand out with fatness, and they have more than heart can wish. While the man of real virtue, who lives devoted to God, and inoffensive to mankind, suffers hunger, cold and nakedness. This truth is indisputable. How then shall we solve that difficulty which results from it? In what does God discover his love of virtue, and his hatred of vice, when the wicked live in affluence, and the righteous are reduced to want? A solution of this difficulty can only be found in the doctrine of a future state; in which human actions will be fully weighed, and rewards

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