of amufement and earthly pursuits employ the whole of their time. Thefe fwallow up their thoughts through the day, and recline with them on their pillow at night. These will not allow them to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

We find many of this character who are wife in their own conceit, for pride and ignorance moftly dwell together. "We have, fay they, a fufficient knowledge of our duty, and we need not be informed of it. If we act wrong, the blame is our own, and we know not why any one should intermeddle with our business." Well might Solomon fay, There is more hope of a fool than of fuch perfons. Their minds are dark, and they have closed every avenue by which light might enter. Every one that doeth evil bateth the light, neither cometh to the light, left his deeds fhould be reproved. Be affured there can be no true religion without a good measure of knowledge, and a defire of growing in it. We cannot love and worship an unknown God. Whoever among you are ignorant of the great truths of revelation, are in darkness

even until now.

Secondly, Some break out into open acts of wickednefs. Such are drunkards, swearers, unclean persons, extortioners, Sabbath-breakers, and mockers at religion. Thefe are they whofe fins are open beforehand, going before to judgment. Were we to rank no others, under the gofpel, in the clafs of the wicked, but of thefe, how great a number would be found! Reckon even common fwearers, thofe audacious men, who call for the vengeance of a God upon themfelves and others, as well as use the names of Lord and Chrift, and facred things with irreve rent lips and we muft reckon,-how dreadful to tell it! multitudes, who have been baptized and educated among profeffing Chriftians. When to these we add lafcivious

talkers

talkers and actors, infatiable lovers of strong drink, those who spend the the Sabbath in fleep, in vifiting, in worldly thoughts and converfation, or in worfe; those who fuppofe that gain is godliness; who cheat and over-reach their neighbour; and those whofe wit never fhines but in making a jeft of the Bible, and serious perfons, how does the difmal catalogue fwell! surely it will be agreed, that all fuch characters are wicked; and that none of these shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Thirdly, Others, though free from grofs immoralities, are yet wicked, because they neglect the duties of religion. There are fins of commiffion, and there are fins of omiffion. We are guilty before God, when we do not perform what he hath enjoined, as well as when we commit what he hath forbidden. All, therefore, who live in the habitual omiffion of what is required, come fhort of, and will be condemned by that law, which is holy, just, and good. Not only is the unjust man a finner, but the uncharitable alfo; not only he that curfeth his father and mother, but he that honoureth them not; not only the profane, but the prayerlefs. We must not divide the law in our practice. One part must be done, and the other not left undone. Whofoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. "Some fins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the fight of God than others, but every fin deferveth God's wrath and curfe both in this life, and that which is to come." The impious wretch, whofe mouth is full of blafphemy and deceit, may deserve a more dreadful punishment; and yet the prayerless person will go down to mifery as furely as he.

Having mentioned the important duty of prayer, allow me to say, that it is with an ill face that any, who pro

fefs

fefs themselves to be Chriftians, neglect it in their fami lies. Social, as well as fecret worship, is indifpenfably neceffary. Those who omit it, do not diftinguish themfelves from the ungodly world, and are unworthy of the privileges of the church. Such ought to think seriously of these words of Chrift: Whosoever, therefore, shall confefs me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whofoever shall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny before my Father which is in Heaven. What shall be faid of fome, fo deftitute of any form of religion, that they omit what is called faying grace before meat, or asking the bleffing of God on their food? It is not the fneer of fools, nor the raillery of the profane, should put us out of the practice of what is warranted in fcripture, confonant to reafon, and customary among all denominations of Chriftians whatfoever. The person who does not often realize his dependence upon God; who does not in every thing give thanks; and who does not, on proper occafions, openly acknowledge God, by calling on his name, has no title to be thought religious; else there is no criterion by which to judge at all.

In former days, many confeffed Chrift at the hazard, and even the lofs of their lives. Have we found an easier way to heaven? Can we go there, without any confeffion? Is religion of such a nature that we may mould it as we please? The fashion of this world paffeth away; but be affured, God and religion are ever the fame. The Divine precepts will not bend to you. They are fixed and immutable. On no other terms can you be a disciple of Chrift, than by taking up your cross and following after him. If the world deride you as stiff and unfashionable, it is a perfecution you muft fuffer for his name's

fake

fake. He hath faid, He that findeth his life fhall lofe it : and he that lofeth his life for my fake shall find it.

Fourthly, There are some who adopt loose and dangerous principles, who allege, either that the scripture is not true, or that the great doctrines, as generally taught, are not contained in it. These are wicked, and they are corrupters of others. Too commonly they are licentious in their practice, and fwelled with a conceit of their own abilities.

It is not eafy to perfift in a course of iniquity, without fomething to quiet the confcience; and, therefore, have fome endeavoured to overturn revelation, or at least to adapt it to their own depraved inclination. The infidel or Deist is a person of such great strength of reason, that he fees no need of the fcripture, his own reafon teaching him all that is neceffary; he is of fuch prodigious modefty, that he views all the world around him, even those of fuperior talents, as a number of fuperftitious fools; his genius is so piercing as to discover that the Christian religion is the device of rulers and cunning priests to keep the world in awe; and he wishes to perform the mighty service of fetting mankind free from the shackles wherewith they have been bound for fo many ages. To treat him with ridicule is no more than just retaliation. It is the beft weapon the Deift has, and of which he is extremely fond; fo much fo, that one writer has made it the only proper teft of truth. The fecret motive, howcharacter to a rejection of

ever, which leads many of this fcripture, is the defire of being free from its reftraints. They are wedded to their lufts, and thefe and the fcripture are irreconcileable. Unhappy men! engaged in an undertaking desperate and impoffible; like one who attempts to top the fun, or remove a mountain. The words which are ftoried of the apoftate Julian, when mortally

*Shaftury.

tally wounded in fighting against Christians, will be the doleful dying fong of every determined infidel: "Thou hast conquered me, O Galilean." Whosoever shall fall on this ftone fhall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Though revelation be not altogether denied by others, yet it is wrefted to fuit the depraved taste of mankind. They fet up corrupt reason in opposition to faith, and adopt principles which lead to licentiousness. Not to be particular here, fuffice it to fay, that the doctrines of man's depravity, inability, and falvation by grace, through faith in the imputed righteousness of Chrift, as they are taught in the Divine word, fo they have been always fuccessful for the converfion of finners, and the edification of faints. They who oppose these set themfelves in oppofition to God, and feek to lay another foundation than what he hath laid. Indeed, it is to be expected, that infidelity and dangerous opinions will have a more rapid growth in this country than heretofore. In every age have they fprung up to trouble the church. They will be imported from abroad, with other things injurious to our interest and happiness, as well as that they naturally increase with population and luxury.

Fifthly, Among the wicked we must also rank the formalift and the hypocrite. Though these are mentioned together, yet they are of very different defcription. The formalift is one who has the form of Religion, fubmits to the drudgery of performing duty, for which he has no spiritual life or ftrength: he deceives himself; whereas the express defign of the hypocrite is to deceive others. Of the first the Apostle fpeaks, when he fays, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. However exact he may be in his cold and even round of duties, yet his heart is not right with God; and perhaps he indulges