never dies. Inftead of hope, eternal despair covers them round, and they are preffed under the wrath of a just and fovereign Judge. Before the body is conveyed to its cold lodging by furviving friends, the immortal fpirit is fentenced and confined to that dismal dungeon which justice hath prepared for all the rebellious; where are, "Regions of forrow, doleful fhades, where peace In utter darkness, and their portion fet, Who is able to describe their misery? Who knows the power and vengeance of Almighty God? Future punishment is reprefented in fcripture by the worm that never dies, by everlafting fire, by a lake of fire and brimftone, and by every thing terrible in nature. That there will be degrees of mifery our Saviour has taught us, when he fays, that it fhall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, for Sodom and Gomorrah, than for Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, in the day of judgment, because thefe enjoyed fuperior advantages to the others. Thefe words alfo teach the fame: This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light. It shall be more tolerable for the heathen world, than for those under the Gofpel. Wickedness indeed grows to a greater height among the latter. Would you find the moft daring and abandoned finner? look not for him among the Indian tribes, but among profeffing Chriftians. Nothing can exN 4 *Milton's Paradife Loft, Book I. ceed ceed the anguish arifing from the reflection of having flighted offered mercy. This is a mifery from which the devils themselves will be exempted. To them no Saviour has been revealed, nor pardon offered. Skilled in the art of torment, they will increase the anguish of our race by infulting their folly. The body having been a partner in guilt, will be reunited to the foul, and both made unspeakably miferable. Our Saviour concludes his awful representation of the day of judgment, by say ing, Thefe fhall go away into everlafting punishment. The character and mifery of the wicked having been now set before us, furely it becomes us to make careful and serious application of these truths. We see the unhappy condition of such, notwithstanding our political war is turned into peace. To rejoice in it, most certainly they ought, but by no means to view it as an evidence that God is pleased with them. Without repentance, they are only referved for severer judgments. The difpenfations of Providence towards mankind in this world are various, and all defigned to bring them to a fenfe of themfelves, and an acknowledgment of the living and true God. He tries us now with affliction, and then with merey, or he mixes the cup. They who harden their necks fhall fuddenly be deftroyed, and that without remedy. They who have felt the diftreffes of the war, and have not wept for their fins; those who have loft their eftates, and have not made peace with God, have reafon more than ever to fear. There is yet no peace to them. They are not immediately threatened, it is true, with an invading army, or called to change domeftic blifs for the hurry of a camp, and jeopard their lives in the high places of the field. They no longer tremble for dear relatives, and figh for life, liberty and property at stake, but they lie under the displeasure 2.. I difpleasure of that Almighty Being, who difpofes of them and all their concerns. He hath other ways to punish them even in this world; and they fhall not escape his righteous judgment in the world to come. What are all the scenes of terror and confufion we can witness here, compared to that place, where shall be continual weeping and gnashing of teeth. Is it not then of the utmost importance, that we examine whether or not we are numbered with the wicked? If ever we would obtain mercy of God in Christ, we must first be acquainted with our own condition. As fome diforders are of the most deadly nature, in which the patients are stupid and infenfible of pain, so a sinner not knowing himself to be fuch, and unconcerned, affords but little ground of hope.-Are any of you living in ignorance of divine truths, feldom thinking or caring about them? Are you guilty of great immoralities, fecret or open? Do you live in the omiffion of pofitive and known duty? How then can you hope that your state is good and fafe? Your ftate is beyond all doubt bad and dangerous.-Believe it to be fo, and labour after repentance and amendment.-Neither will a life faultless in the eyes of men, and a regular attendance on outward duties, prove you the subjects of fupernatural grace. He is a Christian who is one inwardly. The feat of piety is the heart. If you believe the doctrine of man's depravity and inability, you must, in connection, believe the neceffity of being created anew in Chrift Jefus. As is the tree, fo is the fruit: As is the fountain, so are the ftreams. Have you then paffed from death to life? There is no medium. Either you have been changed, or you are at this, day, in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Hear the words of Him who came down from Heaven to teach us the way of life: Verily, verily I I fay unto thee, except a man be born again, be cannot fee the kingdom of God. Alas, that too many, like Nicodemus, think this a strange and unintelligible doctrine. They allege, that nothing more is neceffary than those endeavours and defires which are in their own power. They feel no need of the influences of the Holy Spirit. O Religion, mysterious in thy nature, giving glory to God, and debafing the creature, may we never mistake thee, our eternal concern! Bleffed God, difpel the darkness of our minds; give us to know thee, and what we ourselves are, and lead us in the way everlasting! Our deceitful hearts are too apt to impofe upon us, and our adverfary the devil, is ever seeking whom he may devour. The most wicked perfon flatters himself, that he will some time or other mend, or prefumes on the mercy of God.-Let us try to make a thorough work of religion, Many who were not far from the kingdom of Heaven, will never arrive there. The formalift muft lofe his foul after all his pains. He needs the new heart to turn his drudgery into a willing fervice, and make him happy for ever. The hypocrite, if enewed in the spirit of his mind, will not act the player, or affume a borrowed character; but he will really be what he appears to be. How vain are all pretences! It is easy to deceive fellow-men; but God, with whom we have to do, searches the heart and tries the reins. What we are in fecret, when none but his eyes fees us, will determine our true character. ་ Sinners, of whatever defcription, open your eyes on your wretchedness! Flattery in your cafe would be poifon. To hide your danger, or fnooth it over, would be monstrous cruelty. Do you ask, Is there no hope concerning us? None while you continue in fin. There is no fuch falvation in all the Scriptures. If you are re folved and permitted to go on in a course of iniquity till the end of life, you are condemned already. The wages of fin is death. Nothing but the flight union of foul and body prevents the flames of hell from kindling all around you. On this precarious tenure you hold any ease and peace you have. A few days fickness may end all your joy for ever; a sickness in which you may be infenfible, and can no more attend to the salvation of the foul, than one already in the grave; nay an accident may precipitate you into everlasting burnings. You now live, and have health and reafon. If you will leave your fins, there is an ample remedy provided for you in the Gospel. There is falvation for the worst of you, for all of you. O delay not, but break off your fins by righteoufnefs. Be importunate in prayer to God. Bring your polluted foul and body to the blood of Chrift, which cleanseth from all fin.-Now is your day of grace; fin it not away. The moments are on the wing.-Improve them before they are fled, and you go down to the duft. You, my brethren, who have your peace made with God, are happy indeed. I congratulate you on the peace reftored to our land; but I congratulate you much more on this. By the one, the calamities of war are removed, and days of eafe and reft are come; by the other, you have efcaped calamities without end, and have found reft to your fouls. By the one, you are freed from the oppreffive yoke of men; by the other, from the vileft flavery of fin and Satan. By the one, you have profpects of a growing and extenfive empire; by the other, affurance of reigning for ever and ever. You are doubly bleffed. Peace without and peace within. Peace here, and peace hereafter. You must not, however, put off the harness. In your spiritual concerns, much remains yet to be done. This warfare is not over. Sin and Satan, I though |