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crime for a philosopher, a man of wisdom and understanding, to despise God, than for an ignorant and unlettered man? Is it a less crime for a sceptered monarch to despise the King of kings and Lord of lords, than for a labouring peasant or poverty-stricken beggar, who earneth a poor pittance from providence? Is it a less crime for a speculative statesman, who knows and commends good government, to despise the government of God, than for a slave who knows only the government of the lash? Or for a man who knows the sacrifices of mercy, is it a less crime to despise the inestimable sacrifice of Christ for mercy's sake? or for a man who sitteth in his house at home at his ease, is it a less crime to neglect to study the ways of God, than it is for lowborn, hard-toiled, unenlightened men? Whence, then, in the name of sacred truth and justice, this whining, puling pity, that these sovereigns of their various spheres should not stand in judgment, but be turned to the left with the throngs which they served to mislead? It is both bad philosophy and spurious sentiment, that the mind should shrink and misgive for their sakes, as if they were not the most privileged and therefore the most responsible of men. Nay, verily, I am for swaying to the other side, and pitying the poor ignorant, misguided man; the unlettered, untutored rustic; the wretches born under evil stars of vice, and bred amidst the contagions of wickedness. But my soul is like flint and steel against these proud, outrageous despisers of God,

who, though nursed in the lap of his providence, and cast into the finest mould of nature, and basked on by the sunshine of knowledge, entertain for his ordinances a high despite, taste his blessings with ingratitude, and, but for Death the destroyer, would, I believe, set up themselves for gods, and lord it over the very spirits of their kind. No, no; we have enough of this sycophancy of the soul, this unbonnetting of manhood, and selling of even-handed judgment here in time, to let it go any further. Verily, these qualities, according to their estimable degree, have in time that estimation which alone they sought, and, having aimed no further, they will not reach any further. God will have a rewarding time for himself, a reaping time for righteousness and piety.

And shall not God have a reaping time for righteousness and piety? Shall Science reward her servants with knowledge and with fame, with honour and with power; shall Mammon reward his servants with wealth and pleasures; and Temperance reward his servants with health and beauty; and Honesty bestow trust; and Affection find affection in return; and every Grace of life have its season of gain, but God alone have no opportunity of rewarding those who loved him and wrought for him and suffered reproach for his name sake, despising the rewards of mammon, ambition, luxury, and pride, and affection itself, when they stood in the way of his honourable service? What hinders these noble spirits. from regarding the Lord God Omnipotent who

reigneth, and who is surely more noble than they? Why do they not stretch out their hands to the tree of life, and live for ever? Are they too great to come under such a sovereign-too learned to learn from such a master-too well employed to have to do with such occupations-too exalted to deign a look from their several spheres upon the whole dispensation, except it be a look of scorn? Well, well! let them have their elevated places, and bear them bravely in their gallant courses, and nurse their enmity to God, and their contempt of his plebeian ordinances :-And let them bear the brunt of the judgment which they have braved, and reap as they have chosen to sow. What is that to us, that we should whine and mope with melancholy over them more than over others?

I do not frown upon the distinctions of temporal excellence, which I rather love and admire as the ornaments of time; but I will not exalt the Genius of philosophy, or the Muse of poety, or the Spirit of patriotism, much less will I exalt the base god of lucre, or the demon of pride and passion-above Jehovah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Nor will I admit into my mind that they shall shield their favourites, and keep them secure in rebellion against the God of all the earth, who alone doeth righteously. I think it patience enough on the part of the Most High to tolerate these, the idols and deities of our polished society; to tolerate them in their power, and their subjects in their idolatrous re

bellion, for the length of life, and to stand begirt with grace and mercy, holding out proffers of forgiveness all the duration of time. But, no; it is too much that He should yield them a place in his heaven, whence he cast out Satan, a more knowing, powerful, proud, and graceful spirit, and would not endure him an instant, but cast him out, and all those rebellious though highminded intelligences, who since that time have usurped their several places upon the earth, and led astray those bands of followers, whom we do pity, but will neither encourage nor justify!

OF JUDGMENT TO COME.

PART VII.

ACTS XVII. 30, 31. GOD COMMANDETH ALL MEN EVERY WHERE TO REPENT: BECAUSE HE HATH APPOINTED A DAY, IN THE WHICH HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

THE ISSUES OF THE JUDGMENT.

FROM the issues of Judgment to which we have at length arrived, we would shrink back utterly dismayed, were we not convinced that something must be said and done to present these subjects before the Court of human reason; else the blasphemers of this day, who make reason their stalking-horse, to come over the credulity of men, will utterly dislodge both the faith and the reverence of future things from the common breast, and a new plantation of religion among the common people will in a few years become necessary. For, with all the exertions making in this day for religion's sake, at home and abroad, accompanied with the demonstration of much success, I am satisfied that religion is retrograding in many quarters. The enemy is strengthening also, if Christ be strengthening. There is a mustering, as it were, of both hosts, a gathering to the conflict. The enemy hath written Reason on his recruiting standard; and we would also write Reason upon the Christian standard, not only for the purpose of defeating his malicious aspersions, but

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