he sees things long before they arrive, he knows them by a concatenation of their causes and effects, and at the same time provides to forward or to frustrate them. By this prudential foresight, kingdoms and empires support themselves; by this cities and families are preserved; and by this all men endeavour, each as far as it is in his power, to procure a comfortable condition in this life. How then comes it to pass, that, while we employ our prudence so usefully about temporal things, we are all on a sudden deprived of it, when we should be concerned about the most important of all future things, salvation or damnation? Is it not for this reason, that St. Paul, speaking of worldly men, calls them animals? The animal man, says he, receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. As if he had said, This man, who for the world testifies that he is truly man, who has so much industry, vivacity, and penetration for futurity, and so much solidity of judgment in the choice of ways and means, is yet a brute beast, a simple animal, without reason and without intelligence, when the affair of his salvation is in question. Let us not be of this number, my brethren, let us not sleep like the foolish virgins, while we wait for the bridegroom. Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom; and this wisdom consists in always having the eyes open, and the mind concerned and active about what must follow this life, and the means by which we may attain eternal felicity.

I cannot help observing here two illusions, to which the greatest part of mankind are subject. First, we almost always imagine our salvation is a very easy thing, which requires but very little time. One moment, say we, is sufficient for conversion; and a true conversion, though wrought in a moment, is sufficient to save us. Besides, the time of calling is long, it endures till death. This is as much as to say, that when we have employed the best part of our days in our pleasures and sinful interests, we shall have time enough to repent and be saved. Never was any thing more false and deceitful than this idea of salvation. I grant there needs only a good and sincere conversion in order to salvation: provided it be good and sincere, it cannot fail of being effectual. I own farther, that a true and sincere conversion at the last hour of life is not altogether unexampled: God shews us now and

then one, to make us admire the marvels of his grace, and the depths of his electing love. But, granting all this, I beg you also to remark the following truths. First, true and sincere conversions in the last moments of life are 90 rare, that God has left us but one example in all Scripture; and even that example is singular in its circumstances; it is that of the converted thief. But, besides that nothing less than a cross, that is, a most infamous and cruel death, was necessary to affect him, there was needed also, to work this great miracle, the dying presence of the eternal Son of God. It was in that grand action, in which our Redeemer offered his eternal sacrifice for the whole world; in that action in which he caused the smoke of his oblation to ascend, as it were, from earth to heaven, in a sweet-smelling savour to God the Father; in that action in which the sun was eclipsed, the earth trembled, the graves opened, the vail of the temple was rent in twain; it was, I say, very just that the Saviour's blood should work such a miracle, and that the Spirit of grace, to honour the death of the eternal Son of God, should display his power in an extraordinary manner. But let no one imagine, from this example, that it shall be so with him. Jesus Christ does not die every day, his blood was shed but once: and who told you, that what he did in the act of his sacrifice, he will repeat again every day?

2. Conversion in the last hour is the most difficult thing in the world: the soul is, as it were, exhausted, without power, without light, without vigour; the heart is bound by a thousand old habits, long ago contracted, and which, like so many chains, prevent a freedom of action. The conscience has long been in a profound lethargy, all the doors of the soul are shut against ideas of piety, and these ideas, like strangers, know none of the avenues to the heart. In short, the whole man is so sunk in stupidity, and so incorporated with the world (if I may venture to say so,) that the world is, as it were, converted into his own substance, and become essential to him. By what means then shall a man be brought out of such a miserable state? By what means then can he be detached from all the relations and connexions which he has formed with the world and its vanities? I know God can do it, for nothing is impossible to him: but for this purpose there must be an extra

ordinary fund of grace, a singular effort of the omnipotence of God. If the Lord said, it was easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, how much more may we say so of an old rich man, of an old sinner, who has added to the obstacle of his riches, thousands of vices and crimes.

3. I am not afraid to say, that the sin of those who defer their repentance'is of so aggravated a nature, that it renders them altogether unworthy of God's extraordinary aid to convert them. Such people are crafty deceivers, who act fraudulently with God, and pretend to dupe him with their artifices; for they do as much as say, God calls us, and; we acknowledge, repentance is just and necessary, if we mean to be saved; but, in order to this, we must quit our pleasures. What then shall we do to enjoy our delightful sins, and yet avoid damnation? This is the way; we will be wiser than God; we will employ all our best days in debaucheries and sins, and so content ourselves with them; and when we are no longer good for any thing, we will be converted, and so prevent our damnation. Do you think a reasoning so horrible, a procedure so detestable, can be agreeable to God? Do you think it will extremely invite him to bestow extraordinary converting grace on such affronting wretches? No surely! What! because God is free in the dispensation of his grace, is there any likelihood that he will bestow it to establish and reward deceit?

Consider, I intreat you, there cannot be a more foolish and rash design than that of putting off repentance to old age; since it takes for granted the most doubtful and uncertain thing in the world, which is, that we shall live to a hoary old age. Is not this the grossest of all illusions? I omit urging what all the world knows, that no one can assure himself of the morrow: I say to you something more striking: make the different orders of men pass before your eyes; count them one by one; and, it is certain, the number of those who die before they are thirty years of age is incomparably greater than of those who come to that age. How many die between thirty and forty! how few arrive at fifty! fewer still live to sixty, and how very small in all ages and countries is the number of old men! In a city which contains a million

of souls you will find two or perhaps three thousand old people, that is, in the proportion of two or three to every thousand souls. Now, allowing this, what foolish security is it to imagine you shall be in the happy number of these two or three, in a multitude of a thousand! Were a man to hazard his fortune on such an uncertainty, he would pass in the world for a madman, and all his relations and friends, his wife and children, would pity and confine him: but thou, miserable wretch! dost thou hazard thy salvation, thy soul, the friendship of thy God, thine eternal happiness, on this frivolous hope? and, to complete thy misery, does thy wife, do thy children, thy friends, thy relations, do all the world let thee go on to do so? or, if they advise thee, dost thou pay no regard to their advice?

The second illusion, which beguiles multitudes, is an imagination that they discharge their duty, when, without concerning themselves about their own salvation, as the Apostle commands, they employ themselves about that of other people. There are, in general, two ways of doing this. 1. By saying the finest things in the world about religion. Observe what passes in the world: you will hardly find one among many employed about his own conversion: yet every body will tell you, we ought to be good people-the corruption of the age we live in is prodigious there is hardly any virtue or good faith-there very little profession of practical religion, and almost no real godliness. These common-place sayings are in the mouths of all: but, with all these fine speeches, you will rarely find one retiring from general views, seriously reflecting on himself, and saying, What am I? Am I not like others? Since I allow every one ought to correct himself, is it not just that I should begin with myself, put the first hand to the work, and set an example to my brethren?

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The second way of pretended concern about the salvation of others, without attending to your .own, is still more scandalous than the first; it consists in being always on the watch to censure and slander the actions of others.

If they be really blameworthy, you will hear them exclaim against the crime; they will appear to be extremely offended; they will set them off with the blackest circum

stances, and exaggerate them in every degree. But if the actions of others be apparently good and virtuous, not being able to condemn them in themselves, they will condemn them in their principles: it is only, say they, the effect of ambition or hypocrisy; they only want to make a parade, to be talked of, and raise their credit and reputation with good people. Certainly all these .are very distant from St. Paul's meaning, when he says, Work out your own salvation. I will not say we should entirely neglect the salvation of our neighbours; God commands, and charity obliges us to attend to it; and it would be a very unworthy and wicked saying, should any, like Cain, cry out, Am I my brother's keeper? However, I do affirm, it is not this only which ought to employ us; it is not our first and principal occupation; we must begin by working out, our own salvation; to this we must particularly apply ourselves, lest, while we correct others, we become incorrigible ourselves. I keep under my body, says the Apostle, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.

But it is time to pass to the second part of this sermon, in which I require less the attention of your minds than the emotions of your hearts. I intreat you both simply to hear and judge of the truth and importance of what I say to you, and to act for yourselves. May your consciences do what my tongue dictates, work out your own salvation! let us work at it now, without putting it off to another time; and let a just comment of these divine words be found to-day in the exact obedience which we render to them.

The first act, with which we must begin, is a holy reconciliation to God. For this purpose, having cast our eyes on the greatness of the sins which we have committed, and which we are perpetually committing against him, and having considered what favours we have received, and how shamefully we have abused them, having conceived a just grief for our innumerable sins, let us humbly have recourse to his mercy. Let each of us, in particular, recall his wanderings from God, his transgressions of his laws; how often and how variously each has dishonoured his calling; with what negligence