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you deny these truths, you must deny your own faith, Christianity, religion.

Remember, we have taken our evidences from that part of scripture, which you consider as the most kind and comfortable, I mean the gospel. Renounce, I beseech you, at once this miserable prejudice, that under the gospel we ought not to speak of hell. On the contrary, it is the gospel that reveals it in its clearest light; it is the gospel which proves it; it is the gospel that describes it; the gospel says, Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, Matt. xxv. 41. It is the gospel that says, The servant which knew his Lord's will, and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, Luke xii. 47. It is the gospel that says, If we sin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins; but a certain fearful lookingfor of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries, Heb. x. 26, 27.

Remember the doctrine of degrees of punishment, which seems to diminish the horrors of hell in regard to Pagans, and Christians educated in superstition and ignorance, has every thing in it to augment the horror of future pain in regard to such Christians as most of us are.

Recollect what sort of persons God reserves for this state. Not only assassins, murderers, highwayrobbers: but also apostates, who know the truth, but who sacrifice through worldly interests the profes sion of truth to idolatry; misers, usurers, unjust persons, gluttons; unclean, implacable, lifeless, luke

warm, professors of Christianity; all these are included in the guilt and punishment of sin.

Remember, we must be wilfully blind, if we deny, that in this town, in this church, in this flock, in this assembly, among you my hearers, who listen to me, and look at me, there are such persons as I just now mentioned, each of whom must come to this reflection; I myself, I perhaps, am in a state of damnation, perhaps my name is one in the fatal list of those at whom these threatenings point.

Go further yet. Remember, this life is the only time given you to prevent these terrible punishments. After this life, no more exhortations, no more sermons, no more admission of sighs and tears, no more place for repentance.

After this, think on the brevity of life. Think, there may be perhaps only one year granted, perhaps only one month, perhaps only one day, perhaps only one hour, perhaps only one moment to avoid this misery; so that perhaps (0 Lord avert the dreadful supposition!) perhaps some one of us may this very day experience all these torments and pains.

vour.

Finally, consider the spirit, that this moment animates us, the drift of this discourse, and, to say more, consider what God is now doing in your faIn a plenitude of compassion, and with bowels of the tenderest love, he entreats and exhorts you to escape these terrible miseries; he conjures you not to destroy yourselves; he saith to you, O that my people would hearken unto me! Be instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee! Why, why

will ye die? O house of Israel! Psal. lxxxi. 8. Jer. vi. 8. O! were we wise, these expostulations would reign over our hearts! O! if there remained the least spark of reason in us, the frightful image of hell would henceforth make the deepest impressions on our souls!

Frightful ideas of judgment and hell! may you be always in my mind, when the world would decoy me to stain my ministry by its vain and glaring snares! Frightful ideas of judgment and hell! may you strike all these hearers so as to give success to this sermon, and weight to our ministry! Frightful ideas of judgment and hell! may you ever follow us, so that by knowing the terror of avenging justice, and the unspeakable value of grace set before us, we may be rendered capable of participating eternal glory; which I wish you, my brethren, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

SERMON XIV.

The Uniformity of God in his Government,

HEBREWS xiii. 8.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for

ever.

ST. Paul gives us a very beautiful idea of God, when he says, The wisdom of God is manifold, Eph. iii. 10. The first great cause, the Supreme Being, hath designs infinitely diversified. This appears by the various beings which he hath created, and by the different ways in which he governs them.

What a variety in created beings! A material world, and an intelligent world! Matter variously modified, or, as the apostle speaks, One kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds, celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial, one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and so on to an infinite multitude. There is a similar variety of spirit; men, angels, seraphims, cherubims, powers, dominions, archangels, and thrones.

What a variety in the manner in which God governs these beings! To restrain ourselves to men only, are not some loaded with benefits, and others depressed with adversities? Doth he not enlighten some

by nature, others by the law, and others by the gospel? Did he not allow the antediluvians one period of life, the cities of the plain another, and us another? the first he overwhelmed with water, the next consumed by fire, and the last by an endless variety of means.

But, although there be a diversity in the conduct of God, it is always a diversity of wisdom. Whether he creates a material or an intelligent world; whether he forms celestial or terrestrial bodies, men, angels, seraphims, or cherubims; whether he governs the universe by the same, or by different laws; in all cases, and at all times, he acts like a God, he hath only one principle, and that is order. There is a harmony in his perfections, which he never disconcerts. There is in his conduct an uniformity, which is the great character of his actions.. His variety is always wise, or, to repeat the words just now mentioned, the wisdom of God is of many kinds.

These great truths we intend to set before you to-day; for on these the apostle intended to treat in his epistle to the Hebrews. Look, said he, on the present period, reflect on past times, anticipate the future, run through all dimensions of time, dive into the abysses of eternity, you will always find the perfections of God in exact harmony, you will per ceive an exact uniformity, characterise his actions, you will acknowledge, that Jesus Christ is the truc God and eternal life, the same yesterday, and to-day. and for ever, 1 John v. 20.

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