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endowed. It can furvey the whole creation, afcend above it, and contemplate its glorious Author. How alert and vigorous is its will and fancy! and how Divine are all its affections, when fanctified by the Holy Spirit, and directed to their proper objects! Confider what an ineftimable price was paid for its redemption, a price no less than the precious blood of the Son of God. And must not that be of infinite value, which God has furnished with fuch noble faculties? fo that, in the language of the Pfalmift, he has made it but a little lower than the angels, and crowned it with glory and honour; and for the fake of which his eternal Son died upon the cross, that it might be recovered from mifery and guilt? Is then the foul a being of fuch dignity and value, and fhall we be unconcerned about it. If a treasure were committed to our care, for which, in case of lofing it, we should be accountable, how anxious would we be to preserve it from danger! Thy foul, O man, is a treasure of infinitely greater value than the whole world; it is committed to thy care; and if it is loft, thou art loft for ever. With what anxiety then ought we to guard over the interests and the happiness of our immortal fpirits!

2. Confider that as the foul is a being of fuch dignity and worth, its falvation must infinitely concern us. In proportion to the native dignity and value of any being, its happiness is of greater or lefs importance. Creatures of a lower rank, and more confined defires, are neither capable nor defigned for such high enjoyments, as thofe of nobler natures and of more enlarged faculties. Now, fince it evidently appears that the foul is a being fo divine in its original, and fo excellent in its powers, its happiness must be of great, nay, of infinite moment. But this, alas, however certain, is one of thofe many interesting truths, which make little or no impreffion on mankind. How few are there who have that inward fenfe, and ferious conviction of it, which its importance demands? Nay,

Nay, if we may judge by their conduct, the bulk of men around us have never beftowed on it a ferious thought. Amazing indifference! Is it a matter of no confequence whether we be faved or not? Are happiness and mifery fuch trifling fubjects, that they are not worth the reflection of an hour? Be not deceived. Salvation is a thing which claims the most serious attention. It is no lefs than a deliverance from the wrath of God, and being put in poffeffion of that happiness which is large as the wishes, and lafting as the days of an immortal fpirit. And is not this a matter worthy of our higheft concern? We employ thought and care about the things of the prefent life; how to amafs riches, or gratify defire and ought not we much rather to employ them on objects of a more exalted nature, on objects that refpect the falvation of our fouls, and everlafting blifs? How then fhall we anfwer it to God, and to our own confciences, if, while we are careful and cumbered about many things, we neglect the one thing needful; if, while we are folicitous what we fhall eat, what we fhall drink, and wherewithal we fhall be clothed, it is feldom or never the question with us, What fhall we do to be faved ?We hall conclude this argument, by recommending to your serious attention, that wife and weighty admonition of our Lord, "What is a man profited, "though he should gain the whole world, and lofe his "own foul? or what fhall a man give in exchange for "his foul (a)?”

3. Confider, that while we continue unconcerned and thoughtless, we expofe ourselves to the most threatening danger. It is a certain fact, and the leaft reflection may be fufficient to convince us, that we have broken the laws of our Creator, trampled on his facred. authority, and thus juftly incurred his wrath and difpleasure. This is what the facred writers exprefsly affert in a variety of paffages; and indeed, to be con

2 E

() Math, xvi. 26,

vinced

vinced of it, we need only look into our own hearts, or take a flight review of our paft lives. Have we not all, from our earliest years, from the very firft openings of reafon, a violent averfion to every thing fpiritually good, and as ftrong a propensity to folly and vice? Have we not indulged this finful bias in innumerable inftances? Have we not omitted thofe du ties which God exprefsly requires, and committed thofe fins which he as plainly forbids? And mut not fuch a conduct be difpleafing to him? Yes; as fure as there is a God he is offended at us, his justice is incenfed against us, and every moment we are expofed to his wrath: and can we, in fuch a condition, be happy and fecure? Do you know, or have you ever confidered what this wrath means? If it was only the wrath of a man like yourselves, though of the most formidable prince on the face of the earth, comparatively speaking, it would claim but little notice; for they, at most, can only kill the body, but are not able to hurt the foul: But it is the wrath of an infinite God, whofe power is almighty, and whofe juftice is inflexible. It is the fury and fierceness of his wrath to which you are expofed; and how dreadful must that be? Into what an inconceiveable depth of mifery muft they who fuffer it be plunged? For who knows the power of God's anger, and what a fearful thing it is to fall into His hands? What meaneft thou, then, thoughtlefs and fecure finner? Awake, and fly, by fincere repentance, from the wrath to come, before it overtake you, and there be no efcaping.

Laftly, Confider, that however fecure and infenfible we may be at prefent, the time will at last come, when confcience will awake and bring our ways to remembrance.

While we enjoy profperity and health; while we are engaged in the bufinefs, and furrounded with the gaieties of life; we may indeed contrive to fly from

ferious

ferious thought, and imagine fickness and death at a diftance. But what is this but felf-delufion? The young and the healthy are as liable to difcafes and death, as the aged and infirm; nay, how do we know but we may die to-morrow, or that this very night our fouls may be required of us? For what is our life? It is but a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanifheth away. Ye carelefs and unconcerned fiuners, who prodigally throw away your precious time, and, as it were, dance upon the brink of deftruction: Do you confider that you must foon die; and that, for any thing you know, fome fatal disease may this day begin its attack? And if once you were laid upon the bed of affliction, and fee the approach of the inexorable tyrant; confcience will probably awake and bring you to reflection. Thus, we find that the prodigal fon came to himself when he was reduced to the laft extremity, and ready to perish with hunger. Death has fomething in it that fills the mind with awe. But if it has no effect of that kind upon finners; if, as it is to be feared is too often the cafe, they die as they have lived, thoughtlefs and unconcerned; How miferable beyond imagi nation will they be? In the other world, they fhalt endeavour to filence their awakened confciences in vain; and, however much against their inclination, shall be forced to reflect with horror, on the carelessnefs and guilt by which they were undone. To this purpofe, when God fpeaks, by the prophet Jeremiah, of the extravagant folly of thoughtless finners; he adds, in a very awful manner, "In the latter day ye fhall confider it perfectly (b)." But, alas! it will then be too late; for beyond the grave, confideration can only aggravate their mifery, and increafe their remorfe. How much wifer then would it be to confider, while yet confideration may prevent our ruin? With what ferioufnefs ought we to apply our 2 E 2

(b) Jer. xxiii. 20.

minds

minds to the concerns of our fouls, and lay to heart the things that belong to our eternal peace, before they be hid from our eyes?

And now, need I use any additional arguments to perfuade you to ferious confideration? If those I have mentioned have no effect upon you; if you are Atill infenfible of the worth of your precious fouls; if you hold falvation and eternal happiness in no eftimation, and at the fame time be content to dwell with devouring fire and everlasting burnings: If these motives prevail not with you, what other can? O that the Spirit of God, whofe prerogative it is to awaken the confcience, would carry them home with power upon your hearts, and effectually engage you to compliance with your duty!

IV. We fhall now conclude with a few advices to fuch as are in fome measure awakened, and made to cry out with the apoftle in the text, "Lord, What wilt thou have me to do?"

Is there then in this affembly any awakened and convinced finner; any who, apprifed of his folly, and fenfible of his mifery, is defirous to fall at the foot of the Redeemer's crofs, and fincerely refolved to give unlimited obedience to him for the future? To fuch, I fhall now briefly address myself.

1. Entertain and cherith your prefent convictions; for thefe are happy influences of the Spirit, which, if duly attended to, may be improved to the eternal advantage of your fouls. Beware therefore of neglecting them; of putting them off to another feafon; or endeavouring to get rid of them, by flying to the bufinefs or amusements of life. Remember that by doing fo, you run the greatest danger, The ftifling of conviction grieves the Spirit of God; has a fatal tendency to harden the confcience; and may justly provoke him to strive no longer with you. If, therefore, you have any wish to be faved, cherish fuch serious impreffions

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