be a chriftian" And there are young people, how fhall I defcribe them? they had betimes convictions and impreffions; their early days were the time of their vifitation; they asked for God their Maker; they often retired to pray; they loved the fabbath; they heard the gofpel with fenfibility; but, alas! "their "goodness was as a morning cloud, and carly dew, "which paffeth away." But was it not better with you than now?" Ah! had you ftill "hearkened to "his commandments, then had your peace been as a "river, and your righteoufnefs like the waves of the "fea." Will this discourse revive your former feelings, and caufe you to return? or will it only hold you up as a warning, to guard others against trifling with confcience, and falling away after the fame example?

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On fome of you, I fear, the addrefs has been more than useless. I could wish you had faved yourselves the mortification of hearing a difcourfe, in which there was nothing agreeable to your tafte, and which you determined from the beginning to difregard; I could wish you had withdrawn yourselves from an affembly, which will one day furnish only witneffes against you. By an unfanctified ufe of the means of grace, you aggravate your fin, increase your mifery, and render your converfion more difficult. In endeavouring to be your friends, your minifters become your enemies; in trying to fave, they condemn; though ordained to be "the favour of life unto life," your corruption renders them "the favour of death unto death ;" and those affectionate importunities and faithful warnings, which if they had been followed would have fecured

your happiness, will furround your minds when you come to die, and render your recollection painful, and your profpect intolerable; for you will "mourn at "the laft, when thy flesh and thy body are confumed, "and fay, How have I hated inftruction, and my "heart defpifed reproof; and have not obeyed the "voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them "that inftructed me! I was almoft in all evil in the "midst of the congregation and affembly."

SERMON VI.

THE GOSPEL DEMANDS AND DESERVES

ATTENTION.

MARK iv. 23.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

THE fages of antiquity delivered much

of their knowledge in comprehenfive fentences. Each of the wife men of Greece was diftinguished by fome aphorifm. All nations have had their peculiar proverbs. The generality of mankind are much more influenced by detached and striking phrases, than by long addreffes, or laboured reasonings, which require more time and application than they are either willing or able to afford. "The words of the wife are as goads, "and as nails faftened by the master of affemblies." The good effects of preaching are commonly produ ced by particular expreffions, which leave fomething for our own minds to develope or enlarge, which please the imagination, which are easily remembered, and which frequently recur. This method of inftruction our Lord and Saviour adopted. We often read of "his fayings;" and there is no fentence, which He so frequently repeated, as the words which I have read. This alone fhould powerfully recommend them to

P

our regard; but they have higher claims, and we fhall view them, I. As implying THE AUTHORITY OF THE SPEAKER. II. As fuggefting THE IMPORTANCE

OF THE SUBJECT.

CONSIDERATION.

IMPROVEMENT.

III. As appealing to IMPARTIAL IV. As demanding PRACTICAL "HE THAT HATH EARS TO HEAR,

66 LET HIM HEAR."

ER.

I. Here is implied THE AUTHORITY OF THE SPEAKAnd who can advance claims on our attention equally numerous and powerful with His?" He en"tered into the fynagogue, and taught. And they "were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them "as one that HAD AUTHORITY, and not as the scribes." He poffeffed every thing from which a teacher could derive influence.

He had all the authority which is derived from knowledge. Religion was the fubject he came to teach; he knew the whole, and the whole perfectly. With all the ease of intelligence, he speaks of things which would fwallow us up; they were familiar to Him. He speaks of God without any embarrassment; "He was in the bofom of the Father." He speaks of heaven without any emotions of wonder ; it was his Father's house. He mentions the treachery of Judas without any furprise;" he knew from the beginning who would betray him." Nothing in the behaviour of his enemies, or of his friends; nothing in the denial of Peter, or difperfion of his difciples, aftonished him; he knew what was in man." He was fully acquainted with the capacities and difpofitions of his hearers. He knew how much they were

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able to bear; when it was neceffary to produce evidence, or to leave obfcurity; how to touch by fuitable motives, all the hidden fprings of action; and by appropriate illuftration, to remove prejudices, diffolve doubts, and fatisfy defires concealed in the minds of the owners, who "finding the fecrets of the heart "made manifeft," were filled with admiration, and exclaimed "never man fpake like this man." Both his fubject and his audience were completely under his management.

He had all the authority which is derived from unimpeachable rectitude. This gives a speaker peculiar firmnefs and force. A confciousness of vice, or even of imperfection, has a tendency to make him partial or timid. And where is the teacher, who is fenfible of no failings; who exemplifies univerfally those high inftructions he delivers?" In many things we offend "all." He alone could fay, "which of you convinceth me of fin?" It debafed none of his actions, it mixed with none of his motives. His tempers were all heavenly; his example embodied and enlivened every doctrine he preached. In him were none of thofe omiffions which call for the proverb, " phyfician, "heal thyself." He fpake fearlefs of the reproach of his hearers, and unchecked by the reflections of his own confcience.

He had all the authority flowing from "miracles, "and wonders, and figns." Think of a speaker, who could call forth the powers of heaven and earth, and establish his doctrine by their teftimony; who could • end his difcourfe and fay, all this is true; witnefs, ye winds and waves-and they "ceafe from their raging."