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lence. The workers of iniquity shall stand felf-condemned before the awful tribunal; and all their vain and impious pretexts and excufes, instead of availing them in that day, will only ferve to increase their shame and confufion. With what inconceivable remorfe and anguifh will the finner then review his paft conduct? How contemptible will thofe temptations then appear to him, which he once magnified fo much, when he fhall compare them with the powerful motives and encouragements to a holy life, which were in vain fo often and fo plainly fet before him? When he fhall recollect the various means and inftruments which were employed to fave him from ruin; the full and the free offers which were made to him of pardoning mercy, and of fanctifying grace; the earnest calls and invitations which he received to turn from his evil way, and live: When he fhall view that precious. fountain, in which thoufands, as guilty as himself, have been washed and made clean; and fhall reflect that all thefe advantages are for ever loft;-how fhall he then hang down his head, and fmite his guilty and despair

ing breaft? faying in the bitternefs of his. foul, “How have I hated inftruction, and "my heart defpifed reproof? and have not "obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor in"clined mine ear to them that inftructed "me?" (Prov. v. 12, 13.) Then shall all his complaints be turned against himself; ànd, instead of refting on his wonted excufes, he fhall then call, but call in vain, 66 on the mountains and on the rocks to fall

on him, and to hide him from the face of "Him, who fitteth on the throne, and from "the wrath of the Lamb." O that men were wife, and would confider these things, fo as to prevent, by a timely repentance, the horrors of that awful day which is haftening faft to furprise a fleeping world.

My brethren, I have reprefented your danger to you as plainly as I could. I have endeavoured to expose the weakness of those pitiful evasions by which many of you endeavour to fupport a vain hope, or at least to leffen the awful apprehenfions of a judgement to come. I have spoken to your ears: God alone can fpeak to your hearts; and to his mercy and grace I commend you.-AlF 3

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low me, before I conclude, to beg your attention to the following confiderations.

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Confider, that to be your own destroyers is to counteract the very strongest principle of your natures, the principle of felf-prefervation. Every creature naturally defireth its own felicity; and will you obftinately rufh upon manifeft ruin, through all the obftacles that are placed in your way? Affiftants you may find in accomplishing this defperate purpose: but without your own confent and active concurrence, it never can be accomplished, even though the whole world, and all the hoft of apoftate fpirits, were combined against you. Will you be worfe than devils to yourfelves? What pity can you expect to meet with, who have no pity for your own fouls? The unfortunate are objects of compaffion; but wilful felfdestroyers, neither deferve compaffion, nor can expect it. Confider what an aggravation this will be of your mifery in a future fate? How terrible will it be to recollect, in the regions of everlasting wo, that ye have brought all your mifery on yourfelves? that you, were forewarned, repeat

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edly and awfully forewarned, of the fatal iffue of your conduct, but without effect? that Chrift and eternal falvation were freely offered to you, but were contemptuously defpifed and fet at nought? These confiderations will add a continual fuel to the tormenting flames, and will make them burn with infufferable violence. O then be wife in time: "Seek the Lord while he 66.. may be found, and call upon him while he "is near. Let the wicked forfake his way, "and the unrighteous man his thoughts, "and let him return unto the Lord, and he "will have mercy upon him, and to our "God, for he will abundantly 'pardon."

To conclude: Ponder the wholefome advice

recorded in Prov. viii. 33.—36. "Hear in"ftruction, and be wife, and refuse it not. "Bleffed is the man that heareth me, watch❝ing daily at my gates, waiting at the posts "of my doors. For whofo findeth me, find"eth life, and fhall obtain favour of the "Lord. But he that finneth against me,, wrongeth his own foul. All they that "hate me, love death." Amen.

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SER.

80

SERMON IV.

GALATIANS vi. 4.

Let every man prove his own work.

BER

EFORE I enter upon the fubject of this text, it may not be improper to mention fome of the reafons which have led me to it at this time *.

ft, As many, who call themselves Chriftians, difcover fo little of Christianity in their lives, that we are often at a lofs to reconcile their conduct with their profeffions; I thought it might be of use to those who are in any degree diftinguished by their religious conduct, if I could lead them into. fuch a fcrutiny of themfelves as this text fuggefts to us; or perfuade them to inquire, whether their works, which are apparently good, are fuch as will abide the teft: whether they proceed from the Spirit of God,

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Preached on the evening of a communion-fabbath.

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