Ser. 7 ously to think of the obligation that lies upon them, to instruct their servants in the principles of religion, and not fuffer any under their roof to perish 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 thể 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 conscientiously you discharge your duty to them, the more honestly, diligently, and chearfully will they ferve you. It is very common to hear complaints of the flothfulness, unfaithfulness, and infolence of fervants; but, if we confider, seriously, 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 furprising, that fome feem to expect, in a poor uneducated creature, all manner of decency of behaviour, sweetness of temper, integrity, and diligence, and are ready to ftorm upon the leaft defect, while, at the fame time, they fhow no example in their own conduct, but of a visible neglect of duty both to God and man. Oh! my brethren, have pity on the ignorant, efpecially 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. Publick inftruction is, in a great measure, useless to those who are not prepared for it by more familiar teaching at home. Let minifters fpeak never fo plainly from

the pulpit, it is still to many of them a strange language, which they do not comprehend.

3. From what hath been faid on this fubject, you may fee the neceffity 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 holinefs. This none can have, but those who are in fome measure transformed into the fame image. Hence it is, that wicked men do not cherish, but avoid the thoughts of God. Hence it is, that extraordinary tokens of the divine power and presence, fignal judgments, and unexpected strokes on themfelves, or their relations, distress and terrify them, and bring them under a flavish 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 ask after a sign, and to defire that other and different evidence should 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 close. 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 request 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

U

Mofes and the prophets, neither will they be per'fuaded, though one rose 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 'pass, 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 ex'ceeding loud; fo that all the people that was in the camp trembled.' And the fame book, chap. XX. 18, 19. And all the people faw the thundrings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain fmoking; and when the people 'faw it, they removed, and stood 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 demonstration of the being, and, probably, a very clear intellectual knowledge of the nature of God; yet hath it not any ef fect 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 reason of the thing, and from the following passages of scripture, Matth. viii. 29. it is faid

of two demoniacks: 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 saw Jefus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and cried ' with a loud voice, and faid, what have I to do with

thee, Jefus, thou Son of the most high God? I ad'jure thee by God, that thou torment me not.' And, again, Mark ix. 20. And they brought him unto him; and, when he saw him, straightway the fpi• rit 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 Chrift increased, at once, the rage and mifery of the unclean fpirits. 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 Christ Jesus reconciling the world ⚫ to himself.'

4. Suffer me, on this occafion, fhortly to addrefs myfelf to thofe, who are ftrangers to true religion. Let me befeech them, while they are yet in the way, and whilft the Spirit of God is striving 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 Christ for their reconciliation and peace. Are there not fome in this assembly, 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 spirits, 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 unto 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 honour and profit in conquering death. Some are unhappily fuccessful, for a feafon, in banishing every difinal idea from their minds. The falfe and flattering pleasures of life ingrofs 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 pe'rish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little; bleffed are all they that put their truft in

' him.'

5. In the last place, you may fee the reason why every truly good man, the more he groweth in religion, the more he groweth in humility. Growth in religion implies, or carries in it, a growing difcovery of the glory of God, as it fhines in his works, his word, his ordinances, his providence. This necef