not of it. Supposing even that in this terrible separation which will one day take place, there should be only one sinner in this assembly on the side of the reprobate, and that a voice from heaven should assure us of it, without particularizing him, which of us would not tremble, lest he should be the unfortunate and devoted wretch? Which of us would not immediately apply to his conscience, to examine if its crimes merited not this punishment? Which of us, seized with dread, would not demand of our Saviour, as the apostles formerly did, and say, "Lord, is it I?" And should a small respite be allowed to our prayers, which of us would not use every effort, by tears, supplication, and sincere repentance, to avert the misfortune? Are we in our senses, my dear hearers? Perhaps among all who listen to me, ten righteous would not be found; perhaps fewer. What do I know, O my God! I dare not with a fixed eye regard the depths of Thy judgments and Thy justice. More than one, perhaps, would not be found. And this danger affects you not, my dear hearer! You persuade yourself, that in this great number who shall perish, you will be the happy individual; you, who have less reason, perhaps, than any other to believe it; you, upon whom alone the sentence of death ought to fall, were only one of all who hear me to suffer? Great God! how little are the terrors of Thy law known to the world! In all ages, the just have shuddered with dread, in reflecting on the severity and extent of Thy judgments upon the destinies of men-Alas! what do they prepare for the children of Adam !

But what are we to conclude from these great truths? That all must despair of salvation? God forbid. The impious alone, to quiet his own feelings in his debauche

ries, endeavours to persuade himself, that all men shall perish as well as he.

This idea ought not to be the fruit of the present discourse. It is meant to undeceive you with regard to the general error, that any one may do whatever others do; to convince you, that, in order to merit salvation, you must distinguish yourselves from the rest; live apart in the midst of the world, and resemble not the multitude.

When the Jews were led in captivity from Judea to Babylon, a little before they quitted their own country, the prophet Jeremiah, whom the Lord had forbidden to leave Jerusalem, spoke thus to them: "Children of Is"rael, when you shall arrive at Babylon, you will be"hold the inhabitants of that country, who carry upon "their shoulders gods of silver and gold. All the peo"ple will prostrate themselves, and adore them. But 66 you, far from allowing yourselves by these examples "to be led to impiety, say to yourselves in secret, it is "Thou, O Lord! whom we ought to adore." Let me now finish, by addressing to you the same words.

At your departure from this temple, you go to reenter into another Babylon; you go to revisit idols of gold and silver, before which all men prostrate themselves; you go to regain the vain objects of human passions, wealth, glory, and pleasure, which are the gods of this world, and which almost all men adore; you will see those abuses which all the world permit; those errors which custom authorizes; and those debaucheries which an infamous fashion has almost constituted as laws. Then, my dear hearer, if you wish to be of the small number of true Israelites, say, in the secrecy of your heart, It is Thou alone, O my God! whom we ought to

adore. I wish not to have connection with a people who know Thee not: I will have no other law than Thy holy law; the gods which this foolish multitude adore, are not gods; they are the work of the hands of man; they will perish with him: Thou alone, O my God! art immortal; and Thou alone deservest to be adored. The customs of Babylon have no connection with the holy laws of Jerusalem: I will continue to worship Thee with that small number of the children of Abraham, which still, in the midst of an infidel nation, composes Thy people; with them, I will turn all my desires towards the Holy Sion; the singularity of my manners will be regarded as a weakness, but blessed weakness, O my God! which will give me strength to resist the torrent of customs, and the seduction of example: Thou wilt be my God in the midst of Babylon, as Thou wilt one day be in Jerusalem.

Ah! the time of the captivity will at last expire—Thou wilt call to Thy remembrance, Abraham and DavidThou wilt deliver Thy people; Thou wilt transport us to the holy city; then wilt Thou alone reign over Israel, and over the nations which at present know Thee not. All being destroyed, all the empires and sceptres of the earth, all the monuments of human pride annihilated, and Thou alone remaining eternal; we shall then know, that Thou art the Lord of hosts, and the only God to be

adored.

Behold the fruit which you ought to reap from this discourse; live apart from mankind: bear it always in your mind that the great number work their own destruction; regard as nothing all customs of the earth, unless authorized by the law of God; and remember, that holy men have in all ages been looked upon as singular.

It is thus, that, after distinguishing yourselves from the sinful on earth, you will be gloriously separated from them in eternity.

Now, to God the Father, &c.

SERMON III.

THE DISGUSTS ACCOMPANYING

VIRTUE.

JOHN X. 31.

Then the Jews took up stones again, to stone Him.

BEHOLD then, my brethren, the marks of gratitude which Jesus Christ receives from men; behold the consolations which Heaven prepares for Him in the painful exercise of His ministry. There He is treated as a Samaritan, and possessed by the devil: Here they take up stones to stone Him. It is thus that the Son of God has passed all the time of His mortal life; continually exposed to the most obstinate contradiction, finding only hearts insensible to His kindness, and rebellious to the truths which He announced to them; yet never did He allow the smallest sign of impatience, or the least complaint to escape Him.