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in which conteft men were in- |-dent marks of eternal truvhen Thus God has a witness in en for man's breaft, which, when so rid

volved, and become agitated as they fell under the influence of either. While others accountedly informed, will ever fgs, they for thefe things by an inexora-the Moft High. Whelelves any ble and blind fate.

vine character is fet faireflection. men, all things look it diffiWhen they think his eyesi Derish, them, they tremble. But ul to this view is withdrawn, they wwn

Some of the moderns, dream that we have a train of natural difeases in the mind, as well as in the body; which may cause fuch different frames of feeling, with--airy, loofe and vain, and are t out any fuperintending providence.

In the inftances of faints and finners there must be an effential difference, as to the nature of their remembering God. The former

character and glory. While the latter, in their apprehenfion of God, rife no higher than the con

of foolish trifling. And havids -depraved hearts, they try hard fi But others afcribe it all to the keep him out of fight by pervert. craftiness and guile of hard heart- ing his character, dreaming that ed, defigning men, who with by he is just fuch-an-one as themtheir influence to fpoil the cafe felves. Still, when God is exhiand comfort of others. Thus bited according to the feriptures, they wander into endless contra- they tremble, especially under imdictions, and leave the question pending judgments. When this more involved in darkness than is not the cafe, it is very clear, they found it. Such is the wif-they do not remember God their dom of this world. Now, as be- |-maker. fore noticed, let any one impartially look into the fcriptures and the mystery will vanifh. Here is the only rational anfwer: "I remembered God, and was trou-have a cordial, friendly fenfe of his bled." To fet God before men as the true God,' and his being kept in view, will account for the different frames in which the im-victions of confcience. However, penitent are feen. Because, they ftand in a ferious relation to God as his creatures and fubjects- In this remembrance, the finner They, as well as believers, have a has fome realizing apprehenfion moral capacity that renders them that the things of God are a reas accountable to God. They have ity-That the bible is the word s a confcience, which will accufe, or God-That the God of this reve "excufe, as they conduct themfelves lation is the true God-That his towards the Lord. "The fpirit government is univerfal and he will of a man is the candle of the Lord, not give his glory to anotherfearching all the inward part of the That his law is juft, holy and inflexbelly." Prov. xx. 27. compared ible-That the tranfgreffor is in with Rom. ii. 13, 14. and Job the hand of a righteous, benevolent viii. 9. xv. 24. Therefore, God, and cannot efcape-That 'men cannot reflect seriously on all men are finners, and jufly ex"moral conduct, without a fecret pofed to ruin-That the golpel of whisper within. "All is not grace is the only way of falvation right. You are in a more intereft-And that Jefus Chrift is the ing fituation than you imagine. Son of God, and the only mediaThe things of God bear the evi- tor; and the conditions of

the finner has a remembrance of God that makes him tremble.

convictions, which throw finners into trouble unknown to thofe who fit in the ftate of carnal fecurity. This remembrance of God will rationally account for all the fears, diftrefs and engagedncis, which we fee in fuch periods of the out pouring of the spirit of God. The things of godliness are deeply impreffed on the minds of faints and finners. Death, judgment and eternity are brought nigh, and fecurity vanishes. Sinners open their deluded eyes, and behold! their feet are on flippe

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for bugh him altogether reafona- | a reality, accompanied with fharp cepte This view muft, bring the reftores into an interesting fituation. the Ly well reflect: "Here is of Job," of the scriptures, whom friends. cs and angels love and aThis I ought to do the fame. the of am a tranfgreffor, impeniman, and the law of holiness curfes that to endless misery. I cannot tic cape the vengeance of the Alfunighty. What can I do. God opells me to fubmit to him, and juftify his law, and all his proceedings. This feems hard! I muft do no iniquity, I may not gratify any pride nor luft, on pain of end-ry places, and they muft flide in leís mifery. I am told, that I due time. Their all is at stake am wholly a finner, blind, naked eternity is opening; God is a and wretched; and must come confuming fire, who will not be empty to Chrift for life, or perish. mocked by finners. If fo, how This to me is dreadful! What can they refrain from finking into fhall I do? I find an heart to con- trouble? They have every reason tend with my maker. Yet my to be thoroughly alarmed. confcience teftifies, that these hard feelings are wholly wrong; and that God would be juft in punifhing me forever. If I fay, God is not fo holy and inflexible as to do this, it ftill tells me, that I am deluding myself with vain imaginations. If I fay, God will forget my fins, or never punish them, ftill I fear it is all a dream. If I fay, there is no God, this will not filence the difturber in my breast; and if I fay, there es nothing in the gospel, yet I fam no way relieved. Alas! where fhall I hide from this holy God? I may experience all the evil I fear. O eternity! infupportable eternity! What will become of me?"

These troubles are vifible in the cafe of those who try to keep the true God out of fight. But they are much more vifible in finners under ferious impreffions, particularly when awakenings prevail. Such impreffions give to religion!

Some will confider this the effect of delufion and folly. But why do they think fo, and fay fo? Is it not, because they do not remem‐ ber God? And were the remembrance of God more deeply impreffed on men, and divine things more thoroughly in view, more awakenings would appear than at prefent are experienced. Oppofers and scoffers, probably, would be as much alarmed as any clafs of men whatever. This has been, in a good measure, verified in the cafes of a number in the late revival of religion. When they remembered God, however ftupid and atheistical before, then they were troubled. They could readily fay, "I forgot God, and wandered into endless abfurdities. But when I remembered him, they all vanished. Only let God come near in his holy fovereign character, and we have reafon enough to be alarmed and tremble. It is because God is kept out of fight, that

men feel and act more like beafts than moral agents."

In a word, would men realize God aright, as impartially eyeing their hearts and actions, and determined to reward them according to their deeds; it would damp their vain feelings, take away their fancied confidence and joys, and leave them in forrow. We need only fet God before us, in order to have all things put on the countenance of folemnity. Thus, the remembrance of God will give a fhock that is never felt, when he is out of fight. When he is in view, it accounts for all our religious feelings. And on the other hand, when he is out of fight, we have all our vain feelings. Perhaps, fome may ask, "How shall we account for the different feelings among the heathen, who have never heard of the true God? Reply They act from fimilar principles with the rest of mankind. They have a confcience as well as others. And they have some traditionary hints of a power fuperior to men, though they egregiously mistake in his being and moral character. However, they ftand in fear of fuch a God as they have imagined, and it has great influence on them. When they apprehend themselves under the eye of their God, their moral conduct is very different from what it is, when they feel themselves out of his fight.

The above statement will affift us in accounting for feveral things. 1. That young perfons, and many others in a ftate of fecurity and vanity, dread being alone. They wish to be abforbed in jollity and carnal mirth. They will go farther to enjoy fuch an empty fcene, than to witnefs all the offers of the gofpel. The reafons are, they have a perverted tafte, and VOL. III. No. 12.

are tranfgreffors. Hence, when alone confcience troubles them for their madness and folly. To rid themselves of thefe ftings, they would never allow themselves any opportunity for ferious reflection. They plunge into conftant diffipation, where they must perish, unlefs God be more merciful to them than they are to their own fouls.

2. It will account for the floods of herefies, immorality and infi delity, which break in upon us. Forgetfulnefs of God opens the flood-gate for all the vicious propenfities of men. "Come! our lips are our own; who is Lord over us? Come! let us eat, drink and be merry; for to-morrow fhall be as this day, and much more a bundant. Come! let us follow our own devices; let us follow nature; for there is none to call us to account for what we do."

3. It will direct us to put a juft eftimate on the characters of thofe who imbibe and propagate notions calculated to keep Jeho vah out of view.

Such are deceivers, who break the cords of moral obligation, and give the reins to pride, luft and vanity; and ruin both themselves and all they engage.

Of this clafs may be confidered all the self-juftifying under the gofpel. Such stri ad of his righteoufnefs and uue holiness, and render the gofpel in vain. "For if righteoufaefs come by the law, then is Chrift dead in vain." Gal. ii. 21. This must keep God concealed, and allow men to fin with amazing greedinefs. In perfect confonance with this observation it is obfervable, that the felf-righteous can boast of no bet-ter morals than other men in general.

Of the fame general class are M m m

God.

To enforce thefe obfervations, it must be remembered, that the great day of judgment is coming, in which all must appear before Chrift as the judge of quick and

thofe who deny future punish- is the genuine fruit of forgetting ment. Such a step is taking away trouble at once, that men may have nothing to fear. It is, in reality, putting off the evil day at fuch a diftance, that no finner can complain. But is it not at the fame time opening the horrible pit, from whence there is no redemption? Or why do all men, thefe as well as others, fall into trouble, whenever they realize a holy God?

dead. The wicked have troubles in this world. What will they do, when their devices can ferve no longer to keep the God of Ifrael out of fight? When he shall The deniers of revelation must come to vindicate his name from rank under the fame class. Such deeds of the ungodly, and reward all the hard fpeeches and felffb evidently do not remember God. them according to their decep The confequence is, they are tions? What must be their agiwandering flars, to whom is re-tations in the laft day? Then no

ferved the blacknefs of darknefs forever. Long obfervation evinces, that fuch fentiments will Lot give peace in a stormy day. They give no hope in the paffage

of death. Such die in their fins.

Atheists must rank under the

fame clafs. They break every band of religion, and leave man to be his own God. Is not this tearing away the flood-gate, and giving room for all the luft of the human heart to flow? Hence, men "draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and fin as it were with a cart rope." There is no God to punish, no heaven to defire, and no hell to dread. Men die like the beafts that perifh; wherefore let us live like them. Such are

the delufions of infidelity. Thefe feveral notions, the flighteft confideration will convince, muft defroy focial happinefs. So far as the experiment has been made, facts demonftrate that they are of a fatal nature. How can men act fo? "Madnefs is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead." Such perfons are often boafting of their humanity. But is it not a ftrange and perverted humanity? Such

one can hide. "Behold he cometh in the clouds, and every eye fball fee him and all kindreds of the earth fhall wail because of him. Even fo, amen." Rev. i. 7. Sinners must answer for themfelves. plead their caufe. Imagine then They will have no advocate to

the diftressful scene !-How will unfaithful minifters feel, when their lost hearers shall face them before the omnifcient Judge ? "Here I am on the left hand, because my minifter did not inftruct me faithfully in the nature and character of the true God, and warn me to remember the Lord

and Saviour. Mut I be loft thro' his careless and inhuman ex

ample? Eternity! Oh, eternity! who can fupport the thought!"

How will irreligions parents feel, to have their neglected children reproach them before the af fembled univerfe? "You never told us what it was to remember God, according to the gofpeland you fet us the example to lead us directly into this diftrefsful condition! How could you be fo unnatural!-Oh! to have parents lead the way to everlafting fire

and then to be curfed with their company forever and ever!

mercy. It is with fpecial refer. ence to them, that the Holy Ghoft is fent into the world. He indeed often awakens others, and impreffes their minds with fome fenfe of the importance of relig

How will feducers feel before the Judge they have fo heartily defpifed when thofe whom they have feduced will charge them with their deftructive and poifon-ious truths; but does not fubdue ous fnares?"You told us, that the gospel was a farce; or not of fuch a nature as fome reprefented are thefe the golden dreams you preached to us? Oh! that we could be rid of fuch company! Hard lot, to be turned off with you into the place from whence we cannot escape!"

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How then must all these feel, when the fentence fhall pafs, and they depart in their own blood, and fink to the lowest hell, loaded with the blood of all they feduced and eternally ruined! The statement is overwhelming. May fuch confider before the Judge call!

To conclude, let us all remember God with an honeft, faithful heart; then a brighter fcene may open in this world, and in the last day. Let us fet God always before us, as our rightful fovereign, and be faithful in our feveral ftations and work. This will fave believers a whole series of troubles and disappointments-and the finner will escape the curfes of time, the infupportable troubles of the judgment day, and the defpairing glooms of eternity.

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their wills. He awakens and convinces them of their fins, and then leaves them to the inclinations of their own hearts, which, being altogether evil, infallibly lead them to deftruction. His bufinefs is principally with the elect. He is fent to fulfil the covenant of redemption made with Christ, that he fhall fee of the travail of his foul and be fatisfied. And fo far as the falvation of man is concerned, Chrift is satisfied with the falvation of those whom the Father hath given him, in the covenant of redemption. He afks no more. In his interceffory prayer, recorded in the 17th chapter of John, he grounds his interceffion on that covenant. He fays, I pray not for the world; but for thofe which thou haft given me. And he acknowledges that he had received power over all flefh, to give eternal life to as many as the Father had given him. And having finished his work, he asks them only for his reward.

Those who are thus given to Christ, are naturally as corrupt as other men. The reafon why they are felected, to be members of

The office of the Holy Ghof in the Chrift, rather than others, God falvation of the Elect.

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HERE are men, who were chofen in Chrift unto falvation, before the foundation of the world. The Father hath given them to Chrift, in confider ation of his work of redemption. And all that the Father hath given him will come unto him. They are deftined to be veffels of

has not difclofed. Our Lord has taught us how we fhould feel on this fubject, in his addrefs to the Father, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou haft hid thefe things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unto babes; even fo Father, for fo it feemed good in thy fight.' There is no

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