and

gone forever? Among the other things which form the "zest of society," you must pollute your conscience, corrupt your morals, and dishonor the glorious and fearful name of the Lord your God by a little innocent" gambling. You must also participate in that rational and elegant amusement which the abandoned and thieves select for their special entertainment, the play-house-all, lest your religion should appear unamiable. Were the Lord Jesus now on earth, should he not pass with our fashionable judges as morose, petulant, impertinent, a perfect stranger to polished manners, an enemy to all the cheerfulness and the graces of life? His apostle Paul would be derided as a fanatic; and John, the beloved disciple, would be pitied as a well-meaning enthusiast, endurable only because he was weak. In short, my friends, if you mean to be Christians, you must walk as Christ also walked. Your ears must be deaf alike to the open enmity and the hollow friendship of the world. You must have nothing to do with their plausible maxims-parleying is half a surrender. You must put down your foot decisively in the King's highway, the way of holiness, in which the elders obtained a good report, and which your short and only way to the kingdom.

is

3. When guilt, who pays no regard to etiquette, bursts in upon the conscience, raises his rugged voice, and reads his fearful lectures, the world has

another maxim to soothe him down and to keep all quiet within: "God is a merciful God; we injure his name by ascribing harshness and rigor to him. He pities his poor, feeble creatures, compassionates their infirmities, takes delight in forgiving their faults, and will not be extreme to mark what is amiss.'

How false and foul a conclusion, coupled with the most blessed truth that can sound in the ears of an awakened sinner! He is merciful. The dimensions of his mercy, its height, and depth, and length, and breadth, it is not for the creature to scan. The gospel alone however has revealed it in all its magnitude and freedom. But it is not to that mercy as thus revealed that the world appeals. Jesus Christ and his merit and grace find no place among its maxims. The creed of the world and that of the Unitarians are perfectly agreed. Shut out the Saviour; make no use whatever of him as the way, and the truth, and the life; know nothing, believe nothing, say nothing, of that new and living way which he hath consecrated by his blood, and all the rebels together will be loud in their praises of the divine mercy. But all this cry about the mercy of God is to encourage sinners who continue in their sins. It has nothing in common with the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who saves his people from their sins. It creates a deceitful hope, a lying persuasion, that a man may VOL. IV. 8

live habitually neglectful of God, of his immortal soul, of his eternal interests, and after all have a Believe it just confidence in the divine mercy.

not-shut your ears against so popular and fatal a delusion. It is not he who palliates, but he who confesses and forsakes his sins-he who turns from them wholly, impartially, forever, and turns his feet unto God's testimonies-that shall find mercy. Have as much as you please of this divinity of the world. It is reprobate silver; it will never make you rich unto everlasting life, nor buy one shred of clothing to cover your nakedness. The blood of Jesus must cleanse you from all sin; the righteousness of Jesus must be your spotless robe; the Spirit of Jesus must be your sanctifier; or in that great and terrible day of the Lord you have nothing to look for but to be condemned with the world.

2. To renounce in words the maxims of the world, will be of little avail, if we do not also renounce its practices.

The world has a method of forming a conscience of its own, and a moral law to correspond with it, so that whoever observes this law, however he may disregard and insult the law of God, is to be respected as a correct and honorable man. example:

For

You may spend a life in utter forgetfulness of God and his worship-in the most positive unbe

lief, and the most marked contempt of our Lord Jesus Christ-in habitual and even studious neglect of his great salvation, and every thing referring to its existence, and you never break the chain of your harmony with the world. These things give no uneasiness to a worldly conscience, nor disqualify you in the least for worldly honor and confidence. Nay, more: you may convert the Sabbath day, the day which the Lord emphatically calls his own, into a season for secular business, or carnal amusement-you may even profane the name of the Lord your God-you may bestow your highest affections upon as many idols as you can find places for in your heart-it breaks no scores with a worldly conscience, nor depreciates you in the least in the eyes of worldly men. If live in a commercial country, you may defraud the government of its just dues-may make false entries of your goods. If your country be neutral, may furnish forged papers for your vessel, to suit either belligerent, as circumstances shall require; may crown the whole with some hard swearing, which old-fashioned men call perjury; you may break, as it is termed, may convey your property fraudulently out of the reach of its true owners; may bring multitudes of the poor, the widowed, and the fatherless, who trusted in your integrity, to the extreme of wretchedness-and when you have secured a human acquittal, by laws perhaps not a

you

If you

whit more righteous than your own principles, may erect your crest, may turn round and look full in the face the very persons you have ruined; may insult them with the ostentatious display of your wealth, and receive not a hat the less. have spirit to carry the matter so high, you may disturb domestic peace, and then blow out the brains of the injured, for breathing upon your honor. The skirts of the world's conscience are very large, and its bowels of charity very strong, for all who side with it against the puritanical practices of fearing God and keeping his commandments. But now hear a moment what He who is to be your Judge hath said. Be not deceived: Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. His law is made, and its penalty enacted, for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for liars, for perjured persons, for murderers, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. He has said that the wicked, whoever they be, by whatever names they go, and under whatever sanctions they may shield themselves, shall be turned into HELL; if you mean to take up your bed there and to know, by awful experience, what it is to dwell with everlasting burnings, why then go, be conformed to this world, and