wicked, but also the careless and irreligiousthere is, by consequence, no prospect of safety. What doctrine, now, more than this, should avail to quicken the souls of men, and excite them to spiritual activity, ere they fall a prey to calamity and destruction? The sinner, unless he be quite past feeling, and given over to a reprobate mind, cannot but tremble, and turn from his wicked way, when he remembers the vengeance which most certainly awaits him: the ungodly, if he will take heed to the things which have been spoken, must perceive the importance of becoming godly, or of diligently acquainting himself with God in Christ, while the days of grace are prolonged, lest he be finally numbered with those, whom for the present he would indignantly disown; and the righteous will never cease to watch and strive with constant supplication, computing that, if at the best he be scarcely saved, great indeed must be his danger, should he, in a degree only, relax his exertions.-At the same time, this should not, nor will it by piously disposed minds, be accounted a harsh or a discouraging doctrine. Recollecting that the righteous scarcely are saved, let us, my brethren, finally, determine to hearken to and obey the voice of the Lord God, to inquire with unfeigned humility what He would have us to believe, and do, and never in any wise to resist His will concerning us, or treat His declarations of it with neglect. Thus implicitly submitting ourselves to the Divine righteousness, we shall be kept by Divine Providence, and in no case utterly be cast away. Dangers may thicken around him, until there seem no possibility of escape, yet "the just shall live by his faith," and, possessing his soul in patience, shall eventually rise superior to them for ever. When the terror of the world is at its height, when the ungodly and the sinner are seeking in vain to hide themselves, then shall he begin to look up, and lift up his head, being assured that his redemption is at hand. And, after all, having attained the end of his faith, how delightful to him, in proportion to their amount, will be his remembrance of the trials which he hath undergone. On being exalted to the realms of peace and glory, surely with joy will each one exclaim unto God," O what great troubles "and adversities hast Thou shewed me, and yet didst Thou turn and refresh me, yea, and broughtest me from the deep of the earth "again. I went through fire and water, and "Thou broughtest me out into a wealthy 66 66 66 -- place. Thou hast brought me to great ho"nour, and comforted me on every side. There"fore shall every good man sing of Thy praise SERMON XXII. PROVERBS Xi. 18. The wicked worketh a deceitful work; but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. THIS doctrine is variously delivered by Solomon in other verses of a nearly similar purport. The whole chapter appears to have been composed under a lively sense of the miserable disappointments, and evil consequences annexed to sin, and of the blessings, which may confidently be expected to result from a perseverance in the good and right way. He that will search, may find repeatedly described in it, the opposite events of these opposite courses, for the general warning and encouragement of mankind. It is usual to set a high value on all sentences which have obtained the title of proverbs: we are wont to esteem such sentences in the light of well established truths, discovered and confirmed by the experience of former generations; and accordingly, to resort to them as to sure guides or resting-places, when doubts and perplexities overtake us. Still, the most current sayings of merely human wisdom are not always, and indiscriminately, to be received. Some, perhaps, there are, which would teach us to do rightly, upon wrong or defective principles, others, which would prompt us at once to think, and to act amiss, in order to extricate ourselves from difficulty. The natural man is hardly disposed to form worthy notions of what is due from him to God, and his neighbour. His sentences, touching these two main branches of conduct, will savour, oftener than not, of a culpable selfishness, and of irreligion. They are for the most part rather maxims of cold and self-interested policy than salutary admonitions and excitements. The tone and substance of them ordinarily is, as if it were our prevailing practice to have a regard to God and our fellow-creatures, beyond prudence, and the measure necessary to be observed. We should rejoice, therefore, that some proverbs have come down to us, bearing the impress of the Divine mind, and consequently worthy of all acceptation. Those of Solomon, having been suggested to him by the 66 Spirit of wisdom and understanding," are on that account most strongly claiming our esteem; among which, the one selected for my text is a proverb of lasting and universal im |