in question because he was burdened with a sense of imperfection. And no real christian ought to doubt or despond because he feels the heavy burden of imperfection. His feeling such a burden is an evidence that he loves holiness and hates sin; that he loves his duty, and delights in the law of God after the inward man. If christians could not have hope so long as they remain imperfect, they could have no hope in this life. Let them keep their hearts right with God, and grow in grace, and this will afford them sure and positive evidence of their gracious estate, which the remains of moral corruption cannot destroy.

4. It appears from the character and experience of Paul, why christians must live by faith. It is because they have so much moral corruption remaining in their hearts, which is altogether criminal, and causes them to need daily the pardoning mercy of God. This renders it necessary that they should live by faith in the atoning blood of Christ. It was in the view of his daily imperfection that Paul constantly lived by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, "I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." And it is written in the prophets, "The just shall live by faith." All real, but imperfect christians find occasion, every day, to apply to the blood of sprinkling for pardon and cleansing. Though their criminal imperfection does not destroy their hopes, yet it destroys their peace, until they find peace with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. The best of christians find as much need, and are as much disposed, to live by faith, as the lowest or most imperfect christians. They cannot bear to live under the just displeasure of God, and therefore daily seek his pardoning mercy, and the light of his reconciled countenance. They are the most sensible of their imperfections, and most desirous that they may be blotted out, through the atonement of Christ.

5. It appears from the character and experience of Paul, that real christians never live in a state of spiritual death. Though they are imperfect, and their spiritual affections often decline and languish, yet they do not live like sinners, without a sense of the burden of sin. Paul felt and lamented every degree of his moral imperfection. He did not live from day to day, from week to week, from month to month, or from year to year, in a dead, torpid, unfeeling state, as some suppose that real christians may do. He was alive to his sinful, as well as holy exercises. While he had joy and peace in believing, he had pain and distress in disbelieving and disobeying. He did

not feel indifferent whether his heart were right or wrong with God. It is as inconsistent with the character of real christians to live habitually in a dead and secure state, as to live in a state of perfection, as some vainly and criminally profess to do. Paul did not live in such a state of sinless perfection, and there is but little reason to believe that any of the Methodists are more holy than was Paul. And there is no reason to think that real christians can live at ease in sin, any more than he could. There are undoubtedly some dead professors, who live, and feel, and act as the men of the world do; but they have no evidence that they are real christians, but positive evidence that they are in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity.

6. It appears from the character and experience of the apostle Paul, that the more christians grow in grace, the more they will resemble, and find that they resemble him, in their religious character and spiritual experience. Young christians very often enjoy much comfort and peace in believing, and seem to imagine that they shall never feel such burdens and distresses from sin, as the apostle felt, and as older christians sometimes complain of. But if they live and grow in grace, watch over and restrain the corruption of their hearts, they will find the Christian warfare extremely painful and burdensome. When they find the world against them; and see the weakness and fickleness of their own hearts, which are bent to backsliding and easily carried away with the current of the times; their moral imperfections, and their undue attachment to the world in its various forms; they will then find abundant occasion for mourning, as well as rejoicing. Though they may not be troubled with doubts and fears respecting their gracious state, they will be burdened and troubled and distressed, on account of their great imperfections in external and internal duty. It is no evidence that christians are growing fast in grace, that they experi ence no more darkness and distress in their minds, but it is a greater evidence that they are declining in every gracious affection, and losing their first love.

7. This subject now calls upon all to inquire, whether they have that evidence of being good men, that Paul had of being a real christian. Have you any better evidence of being really gracious, than Paul had before his heart was changed? He then had that external evidence of being a good man, and in favor with God, which gave him entire satisfaction. And are there not many now building their hopes upon the same kind of evidence? They appear externally like Paul and other christians. But have they that internal evidence of being christians that he had, and other true believers have? Have you ever felt the burden of sin? Have you ever engaged in a spir

itual warfare? Have you lived by faith in Christ, day by day? Has sin become a greater and greater burden? Are you more and more diligent to keep your hearts in the love of God? Does it give you pain to be interrupted in duty? Do you derive your highest happiness from the enjoyment of God, or from the enjoyment of the world? These are questions respecting views and feelings, that none can answer but yourselves. Others can answer for all your amiable external conduct, but not for any wrong feelings of heart.

8. This subject reproves and condemns those who make light of sin. It is the character of some sinners that they make a mock at sin, and they are called mockers. This is extreme folly and wickedness. The burden of sin is not a light burden to bear. It made the heart of Paul to stoop. He did not look upon sin as a light thing. God does not, Christ does not, saints do not, and the angels in heaven do not. And those who now make light of it, when the commandment comes home to their conscience will find it heavy. And it will sooner or later come home to every one's conscience. Let all sinners, then, prepare to meet God and their conscience, by true repentance, self abasement, godly sorrow, and a lively faith in the divine Redeemer. There is no room for delay. The burden of sin may now be taken off, but never will be taken off beyond the grave, but terminate in endless and insupportable despair.

SERMON XXI.

THE DISPERSION AT BABEL.

So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth. GENESIS, xi. 8.

SINCE the greatest part of the Bible is properly historical, we may justly conclude that history is not only entertaining, but useful. The scripture history of the world is the most ancient, as well as the most authentic. Profane history is altogether fabulous, which pretends to give an account of the world from Adam to Noah, and from Noah to Alexander. From that time downwards, the history of nations becomes more clear, just and authentic; but from that time upwards, the Bible is the only source of authentic information. This book, indeed, gives us a history of the world, from Adam to Noah, and then from Noah to Abraham and his descendants. The Bible history from Noah to Abraham is very concise, but extremely interesting. The Flood was an astonishing and important event. It reduced a world full of people to one single family of eight persons. From these all mankind since that memorable catastrophe have descended. The history of Noah's family is the history of all mankind in miniature. Could we know how they increased, when and where they spread over the face of the earth, we should have a general and comprehensive knowledge of all antiquity. And so far as the Bible will conduct us in searching for this useful knowledge, we may safely proceed. The words I have read, relate to the interesting event of the building of Babel, and the dispersion of those who were concerned in that impious design. "So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth." I shall

first inquire who those persons were; and then what were the most remarkable consequences of their dispersion.

I. Let us inquire who were dispersed over the face of the earth, at the destruction of Babel. This is a more difficult and important point to ascertain than some may imagine. It is generally supposed that they were the whole of mankind at that day; but, perhaps, in the course of our inquiry, we shall find this to be a mistake. We are told in the ninth chapter of this book of Genesis, that Noah lived after the Flood three hundred and fifty years. He was probably a very great, as well as good man. Of his goodness God himself testified, when he told him he had found him perfect in his generation. But mere goodness would not have qualified him for the great and extensive service which God assigned him. He was to be the preserver of the old, and father of the new world. He was to erect a stupendous building to preserve the human race in the Deluge. This was a work of art, as well as of time; and when he had preserved the world, he was also to be the guide and governor of it. It is therefore to be presumed that he was a man of extensive knowledge, as well as of eminent piety. Such a man must have had a great and powerful influence over all his posterity as long as he lived, and kept them in order, peace and harmony. And this is, probably, what the heathen poets allude to, when they celebrate the once golden age, as a time of universal justice, peace and prosperity. But if, during Noah's life, mankind lived in peace and prosperity, then it is reasonable to suppose they increased very fast. It is computed that a people, at this day, double in number once in twenty-five years. And according to this ratio of increase, the eight persons in Noah's family must have increased to above one hundred and thirty thousand, before he died. This number was too large to live comfortably together on the plains of Shinar, all the while he lived. This leads us to inquire when his family first began to disperse. It is natural to conclude that they would wish to live together as long as they could, or as long as Noah would permit them to do it.

If we now look back into the chapter preceding our text, we shall there find an account of a regular and general dispersion of Noah's family. The sacred historian first gives the genealogy of Japheth; and then says, "By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations." He next gives the genealogy of Ham; and "these are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations." In the last place, he gives the genealogy of Shem; and among his posterity he mentions Peleg, in whose days the earth was