"children of Judah together, going and weeping; they "fhall go and feek the Lord, their God. They fhall afk "the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, faying, “Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpe"tual covenant, that fhall not be forgotten." I fhall close this head, by addreffing to you the words of God to the children of Ifrael, Joel ii. 12, 13. "Therefore alfo "now, faith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your "heart, and with fafting, and with weeping, and with ་ mourning, and rend your heart, and not your gar"ments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."

66

I proceed, now, to make fome practical improvement of what hath been faid. And,

1. You may learn, from this fubject, the force and meaning of thofe paffages of fcripture, in which the whole of religion is expreffed by the knowledge of God. Thus, Prov. ix. 1o. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of "wifdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." The fame thing is affirmed by our bleffed Saviour, John xvii. 3. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, "whom thou haft fent." On the other hand, wicked men are often defcribed by this fhort and expreffive character, that they know not God, as in 2 Theff. i. 8. "In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know "not God." The truth is, God is either wholly unknown, or greatly mistaken by wicked men. None but his fervants do truly fee his glory; and the more they fee of him, the more they are affimilated to him. Thus the apostle Paul defcribes converfion in the following terms, 2 Cor. iv. 6. "For God, who commanded the light to fhine out "of darkness, hath fhined in our hearts, to give the light "of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift." And, in the fame epifile, chap. iii. 18, he thus defcribes the progrefs of the chriftian life," But we all, with open face, beholding, as in a glass, the

66

"glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image, "from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

2. From what hath been faid on this fubject, you may learn the great danger of a flate of ignorance. If repentance, which is the beginning of true religion, takes its rife from a knowledge of the nature and perfections of God, does it not follow, that thofe who are grofsly igno rant, are not only in a contemptible, but in a deplorable ftate that they must be ftrangers to the power and practice of religion, and, dying in that condition, muft perish eternally? It is much to be lamented, that even amongst us, who have the means of inftruction in fo great plenty, there are ftill many who continue grofsly ignorant. How inexcufable are thofe parents, who do not make confcience of diligently training up their children in the knowledge of the things that belong to their eternal peace? I muft alfo intreat all heads of families, whom God hath enabled to hire the labor of others, feriously to think of the obligation that lies upon them, to inftruct their servants in the principles of religion, and not fuffer any under their roof to perifh for lack of knowledge. Do not think you have done enough, when you have given them food and wages, if you wholly neglect their precious fouls. I do not expect to prevail upon you, faithfully to discharge this duty, by any arguments but those drawn from the glory of God, and your own everlasting intereft; but I cannot help, at the fame time, putting you in mind, that it is very much for your temporal intereft. Depend upon it, the more confcientiously you discharge your duty to them, the more honeftly, diligently, and chearfully will they serve you. It is very common to hear complaints of the flothfulness, unfaithfulness, and infòlence of fervants; but, if we confider, feriously, what belongs to the duty of a master, there will be found, perhaps, as many, and as great faults, on this fide as on the other. It is fur. prifing, that fome feem to expect, in a poor uneducated creature, all manner of decency of behavior, sweetness of temper, integrity, and diligence, and are ready to form upon the leaft defect, while, at the fame time, they fhow no example in their own conduct, but of a vifible neglect

of duty both to God and man. Oh! my brethren, have pity on the ignorant, especially the younger fort, who would learn, if they had teachers. Ignorance is always a fecure, infenfible ftate. They know nothing, and therefore they fear nothing. Public instruction is, in a great measure, ufelefs to those who are not prepared for it by more familiar teaching at home. Let minifters fpeak never so plainly from the pulpit, it is still to many of them a ftrange language, which they do not comprehend.

3. From what hath been faid on this fubject, you may fee the neceflity of regeneration, or an inward change of heart, in order to real religion. You have heard above, that it is not a fpeculative knowledge of the nature and perfections of God, or understanding what he is, that leads to repentance, but a view of his excellence and amiableness, as glorious in his holiness. This none can have, but those who are in fome measure transformed into the fame image. Hence it is, that wicked men do not cherif, but avoid the thoughts of God. Hence it is, that extraordinary tokens of the divine power and prefence, fignal judgments, and unexpected ftrokes on themfelves, or their relations, diftrefs and terrify them, and bring them under a flavifh bondage for a little, but produce no love; no defire of union; no cordial fubmiffion. Hence alfo appears the foolishness of that finful, but general propensity in men, to afk after a fign, and to defire that other and different evidence fhould be given them of the truth of religion than God hath feen meet. We have an example of this in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, recorded, Luke xvi. towards the clofe. There the rich man is reprefented, as intreating, that Lazarus might be fent to his brethren for their warning. When Abraham refers them to the revealed will of God, Mofes and the prophets, he urges his requeft thus, ver. 30, "And he faid, nay, "father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the "dead, they will repent;" to which the answer is given immediately," If they hear not Mofes and the prophets, "neither will they be perfuaded, though one rofe from "the dead."

There have been others at different times, who have defired fuch extraordinary proofs; but they would of themselves, be attended with no real benefit. Though you had been on Mount Sinai with Mofes, it would have produced terror, but no other effect, without a fpiritual discovery of the real glory of God. See Exod. xix. 16. "And it came to pafs, on the third day, in the morning, "that there were thunders, and lightnings, and a thick "cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet "exceeding loud; fo that all the people that was in the 66 camp trembled.” trembled." And the fame book, ch. xx. 18, 19. "And all the people faw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noife of the trumpet, and the mountain "fmoking; and when the people faw it, they removed, "and ftood afar off: and they faid unto Mofes, fpeak thou "with us, and we will hear; but let not God fpeak with "us, left we die." Another evidence of the fame thing, may be taken from the cafe of devils and damned fpirits. They have, no doubt, a fenfible demonftration of the being, and, probably, a very clear intellectual knowledge of the nature of God; yet hath it not any effect in changing their difpofitions: on the contrary, the more they know of him, who is fo oppofite to their temper, they hate him the more; it inflames their natural enmity, and makes it rage with double violence. This, I think, appears very plainly, both from the reafon of the thing, and from the following paffages of fcripture, Matth. viii. 29, it is faid of two demoniacs: "And behold they cried out, faying, what "have we to do with thee, Jefus, thou Son of God? art "thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Mark v. 6, 7. "But when he faw Jefus afar off, he ran and

worfhipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and faid, "what have I to do with thee, Jefus, thou Son of the "Moft High God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not." And again, Mark ix. 20. "And they brought him unto him; and when he saw him, ftraight"way the spirit tare him, and he fell on the ground, and. "wallowed, foaming." From which paffages, we may perceive, agreeable to what has been obferved, that the prefence of Chrifl increafed, at once, the rage and mife

Vor. II.

U

ry

of the unclean spirits. Let this excite us to pray, that it would please God to reveal himself to us by his Spirit, and give us the faving knowledge of him, as he is "in "Chrift Jefus, reconciling the world to himfelf."

4. Suffer me, on this occasion, shortly to address myself to those, who are strangers to true religion. Let me beseech them, while they are yet in the way, and whilst the Spirit of God is ftriving with them, in his word and ordinances, to lay down the weapons of their rebellion against him, and to lay hold, by faith, on the atoning blood of Chrift for their reconciliation and peace. Are there not fome in this affembly, who have yet no knowledge of God, but that which makes his fervice a burden, his Sabbaths a wearinefs, and his people contemptible or odious? Are there not fome tender fpirits, who are paffionate lovers of this prefent world, but unable to bear the view of mortality and mifery in their fellow-creatures; who tremble at the gloom of a church-yard, or burying vault, and turn pale as afhes at the fight of a death's head, or an open grave? I befeech you, my beloved hearers, to join, with the terror of divine power, the riches of divine grace; and let both conftrain you to "acquaint yourselves with "God, and be at peace, that thereby good may come un"to you." I know no way, by which you may avoid meeting with the king of terrors; but you may fet him at defiance under the protection of the King of kings. There is no profit in forgetting, but there is both honor and profit in conquering death. Some are unhappily fuccefsful, for a feafon, in banishing every difmal idea from their minds. The falfe and flattering pleafures of life engross their attention, and intoxicate their minds. But in a little time, Behold the fupreme Judge "cometh with clouds, "and every eye fhall fee him, and they alfo which pierced "him; and all kindreds of the earth fhall wail because of "him." He is now befeeching you with tenderness, and waiting on you with patience. Embrace, therefore, the happy feafon. "Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye "perifh from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a "little; bleffed are all they that put their truft in him."