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have hitherto paid to the voice of God, who hath so often spoken to us, we are astonished to find ourselves under such extreme stupidity.*

That we may the better perceive the importance of this salvation, and the necessity of attaching ourselves to it, methinks we need only turn our eyes a little to the miserable state of those who neglect it during the whole course of their lives, and at length go out of the world without having at all employed themselves about it. Behold, I beseech you, what a great number of unbelieving and profane sinners there are in the world! Would you choose to be of their number? One is a giddy young creature, whose head is full of nothing but follies and mistakes. Another is an old miser, who has filled his house with extortions and iniquities. A third is a proud and cruel wretch, who delights and glories in violence

• Our author discovers great ability in discussing this subject in the applicatory method. It is extremely delicate and difficult.-1. He makes a judicious choice of topics, all true, indisputable, and of allowed importance.-2. He selects that part of each topic which is best adapted to his purpose, not aiming to say all that could be said, but only what suited his present particular view.-3. He makes each article project into a striking point of view by contrast.-4. He softens, as it were, the auditor by a tender mode of expression.—In all he appears a master of assemblies, fastening nails in a sure place. I allude to Eccl. xii. 11.

First, The topic here is salvation, the important wish of every human soul.

Secondly, Salvation is considered as springing from mercy-flowing through mediatorial blood-and bringing along with it an ocean of rich benefits: these are parts only of the topic, but parts highly adapted to touch the heart."

Thirdly, The mercy of God is contrasted with our misery—the agonies of Christ set against our insensibility—the benefits proposed against damage, danger, and death. All this is heightened with the beautiful image of a shipwrecked mariner inattentive to a friendly vessel coming on purpose to save him, a vessel freighted with treasures for him infinitely exceeding all he had lost.

Fourthly, All is softened with melting phrase-Meditate, I beseech you-God mercifully proposes salvation-he kindly stretcheth out his hand-Salvation comes from the bosom of mercy, &c. &c.

The human passions are sources of eloquence; and no minister can possibly excel in this part of pulpit eloquence, unless his own affections be thoroughly moved. The Christian pastor, of all men in the world, should have an affectionate heart. When he preaches thus, it is the shepherd in search of his strayed sheep, the father in pursuit of his lost child. Is it possible for statues to discharge this part of necessary duty? As well might a marble parent supply the place of a real one.

and blood like a wild beast. A fourth is a sly hypocrite, who never appears in the world unmasked, who never goes out but to set snares, nor ever stirs but to deceive the simple, a notorious impostor, who thinks only how he may impose on the whole world. Another is a filthy epicure, always drowned in wine, or immersed in sensual pleasures; a swine, whose soul is buried in flesh, and who thinks of nothing but how to invent new pleasures.

How many abysses has vice opened to ingulf mankind! Into how many shapes does it transform itself to surprise and destroy them! Sometimes it appears under the beautiful veil of riches and grandeur; sometimes under the agreeable charms of sensual pleasures; sometimes under the justice of supporting one's interests and satiating a just revenge; sometimes under the reasons we have to envy another's prosperity; sometimes under the idea of the joy of succeeding in a lawful enterprise, or under an idea of the shame of not succeeding in what we have undertaken. In short, sin is a Proteus, changing itself into a thousand shapes; or, if you will, a scrpent, twisting itself a thousand ways to slide into men's hearts, in order to prevent their thinking about their salvation.

Moreover, if you cast your eyes on this part of the world, which appears the most civilized and refined, you will see people so immersed in an almost infinite number of occupations perpetually employing them, that there does not remain a moment to think of the most important matters. Some are wrapt up in the study of human sciences, and others in worldly employments. Each gives himself up entirely, and none remembers that piety and the fear of God ought to be a profession common to them all. Piety does not hinder lawful employments; but it restrains them within proper bounds, that itself may not be hindered by them.

To these considerations you may add another, which more immediately regards good people, that is, the small number of believers, who, in a manner, are separated from the world to serve God. It is certain, that at what distance soever we are removed from the world and its vanities, we have yet too much communication with worldy things, on which account we should look upon our salvation as în perpetual danger of being torn from

us. We are, I grant, separated from the worldly by the profession of the Gospel: but yet do we not live in a commerce with them in civil life? and are we not consequently always exposed to the influence of their bad examples, and to the false shame of seeing ourselves opposite in sentiments, maxims, and customs, to the rest of mankind? are we not exposed to the flattering baits of their promises, the violence of their threatenings, the delusion of their sophisms and artifices, and, in one word, to an infinite number of temptations arising from them?

Were we, through these temptations, prevailed on to lay aside the work of our salvation for a time, or to labour but negligently at it, our loss would be inevitable. You cannot but see how necessary it is never to discontinue the work we have undertaken, never to relax, but rather to hold fast what we have received, till the Lord comes. Salvation can never be obtained unless we strive against the stream of the world. We must not only make some efforts, but we must make them perpetually; for if we suspend or diminish our efforts ever so little, it will be impossible for us not to be carried away. Sin will gain ground by the least negligence, and considerably remove us from the end we propose. It is not in this spiritual work as it is in temporal concerns: we may lay aside the latter for a time without suffering any damage; but as to our salvation, it is certain the least interruption is capable of retarding it, and two days of suspension will ruin more than a thousand well-spent days can advance.

After all, say you, what interest have we in this salvation? and why must we quit all things to apply ourselves to this with so much diligence and earnestness? My brethren, to judge rightly of the interest you have in it, I intreat you to consider some few truths, which are not unknown to you, although, perhaps, they have never made all the impression on you which they ought to have made. Remember, then, you must die: this necessity is imposed on us all, in so inviolable a manner, that no man can possibly exempt himself. Remember, God has hid from you, under an impenetrable veil, the hour of your death; and all that you can know is, that your life will be short, and that there does not pass one single momen in which your death may not happen. You are always Gg

VOL. I.

danger, and always liable to some dreadful accident. Remember, immediately after your death you must be obliged to appear and answer for the deeds done in the body, before the tribunal of God: for as God is the governor of the universe, and you are not. only one of his creatures, but one of his reasonable creatures, for whom he has made laws, and prescribed the bounds and measures of their duty, he must necessarily be your judge.*

As then death is inevitable, so is judgment: but, alas! what judgment! A judgment so terrible, that St. Peter reasons in this manner, If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the wicked and ungodly appear? A judgment so dreadful, that sinners will cry to the mountains, Fall on us! and to the hills, Cover us; hide us from the face of the Lamb; for the day of his wrath is come! A judgment so exact, that all our thoughts and all our words, all the principles and emotions of our consciences, all the secrets of our hearts, our connexions, ways, ends, artifices, crimes, in general all that belong to us, shall be discovered before the eyes and under the hands of our Judge, nor can any thing escape the light of his eyes or the trial of his wisdom and equity. Above all, remember this judgment must needs be followed with eternal life or eternal death, with perfect salvation or damnation. There is no medium between these things; heaven and hell will then divide the world; and they who have not the happiness of hearing this comfortable voice, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, will receive this dreadful sentence, Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. This judgment is so certain, that the Lord, not content only to declare it in his word, gives us some forebodings of it in our consciences. What believer does not feel every day a tribunal of God prepared in his heart? who does not hear this secret voice demanding an account of his actions, making

Remember you must die. Our author's transition from death to judgment is natural and beautiful, and his choice of these plain, easy articles in an applicatory discourse is agreeable to the nature of it; for here the preacher should select clear, allowed truths, which require little or no exercise of judgment in the auditor. The heartis to be impressed: and to affect the heart, the mind must be relieved from suspense, and engaged by evident truths.

inquiry into the use he has made of benefits received, of the obedience he has renderd to the law, the fruit he has yielded to the Gospel, the improvement of opportu nities, and, in one word, of the virtues he has practised, or the sins he has committed? Who is that sinner, however insensible, who does not frequently feel in his heart some presentiments of this judgment? Do not all the fears and terrors, the inquietudes and remorses, which usually agitate wicked men, come from hence? We have every one of us these prelibations throughout life; but they become incomparably stronger at the approach of death. Then man feels the hand, the mighty hand of the omnipotent God drawing him to himself. Then is he seized, and forced, in spite of himself, before the throne of the sovereign Judge of the world. In these last moments of life, as the eyes of the body are darkened, those of the mind are enlightened, and, penetrating into the secrets of the world to come, discover the good or evil consequences which we must expect. What dreadful blindness is it then, that, with so much certain, so many marks, so many outward and inward testimonies of this divine judgment, we should yet neglect to prepare for it, and leave an article so capital, on which eternity depends, to hazard!*

One of the most useful and admirable powers which nature has bestowed upon man, and which follows reason, and distinguishes man from other animals, is prudence, a sagacity respecting future things. Beasts, which have not received this advantage from the hand of nature, only act and display their feeble senses about present things; they walk the way that offers to their eyes, they eat the herb which they see, and only move as they are enticed by the objects at which they look: but as they have no knowledge of futurity, they are at perfect rest. It is quite otherwise with man, his reason anticipates years and ages,

Consider judgment. The force and the beauty of this branch of our author's application lie in the properties of the subject.-A judg ment so terrible-a judgment so exact-a judgment so certain a judgment inevitable-a judgment that issues in eternal happiness or misery; this is the subject, and these the properties of it, which the wisdom of God uses to alarm and affect a sinner. How highly fitted to answer the end!

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