When Clement the monk, poniarded Henry the third, and Francis Ravaillac ftabbed Henry the fourth, both fovereigns of France, who were affaffinated by their own subjects, in the midst of their own courts, they were fure, either to be killed upon the spot by the enraged courtiers, or elfe to forfeit their lives by a judicial fentence in all the agonies of torture. Were not thefe men, therefore, affured of eternal falvation, from a fact which could produce nothing to them temporal, but torture and death? It could not, indeed, be otherwise in the nature of things, but happily for truth, hiftory affirms that it was the fact, as appeared on the examination of the latter,* and from circumftances discovered after the death of the former.†

Again; when Sir Everard Digby, who fuffered for his fhare in the gunpowdertreafon

See the trial paffim, at the end of Sully's memoirs ; wherein though he acknowledges the heinoufnefs of the crime, yet he plainly appears to have been actuated by no interested motives; and is, therefore, to be believed when he declares he did it for the honour of God and the holy virgin."

+ See again Sully's account of this tranfaction, Vol 1. Edin, edit, p. 167, and that note.

treafon projected against this kingdom, was in prifon, with death before his eyes; his original papers,* (which are I believe yet preferved,) fhew that he was by no means confciousof any crime; but that he co...fidered himfelf as staking his property and his life; all that he had, and all that was dear to him, in the service of his redeemer; by utterly destroying this church and state, in the perfons of the king, the lords, and delegates of the people of the realm.

that you

act con

Talk not, therefore, of your falvation, without your Bible in your hand; or of any affurance, but in your conformity to it. If that holy volume tells you formably to God's will, you will be accepted: if it fhews you to be guilty of any one courfe of fin, depend upon it, you are in no ftate of falvation, whatever your affurances may be.

Repent, therefore, of your fins; watch, ftrive, and be diligent in every virtue: otherwife you will not be accepted when the Lord "maketh

0 4

See these confidential letters to his wife, and other eircumstances proving the fact, under his article in the Biographia Britannica.

"maketh up his jewels," and the most general and fervent devotion of heart and life only are rewarded.

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE XII.

JOB XXII. 21.

ACQUAINT NOW THYSELF WITH HIM, AND BE

АТ РЕАСЕ:

To be acquainted with God is the first degree of excellence, as it comprehends in it both wisdom and virtue. For before we can think of attaining to fuch an height of fublime contemplation, we must raise our minds above the little flutter of human paffions; we must begin with regulating the tumultuous and inordinate affections; we must learn to be acquainted with ourselves. Not that these will confer upon us any new powers for the undertaking, but they will enable us to wield thofe, of which we are already poffeffed, and direct us, through the ways of wisdom, to determine our

choice.

choice. A vicious, or a trifling mind, defires only to be acquainted with the objects that will best gratify those trifles, or vices, which it defires. The child looks up no higher than to its rattle, and its bells; the youth only burns for a fucceffion of animal pleasure; and the man, man, when grown up to ambition, regards only the wealth and honours of the world. But vice is even more fteadily confiftent, more averfe to spiritual meditation than folly. What is it to Ahab that there is a God of juftice, or to Jezebel, that there is a God of purity? Every bad man is a god to himself: he knows not, and defires not to be acquainted with, any thing better than his vices. From them he expects his happiness; to them he directs his inquiries. Thus, the wicked in the old Teftament are defcribed as faying to God, "depart from us: we defire not the knowledge of thy ways;" which is the very ex-, cefs of impiety. And this, agrees with the apostle's account of the idolatry of ancient times, they did not like," fays he, "to retain God in their knowlege," after they had forfaken him, as he fully informs us, in their practice.

But