indulges himself in fin, trusting to his form to fave him, Of hypocrify our Saviour gives a description, when he fays, When thou doft thine alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the fynagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. And when thou prayeft, thou shall not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray flanding in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the Streets, that they may be seen of men. We have a remarkable inftance of it in the Pharifees of old. They devoured widows boufes, and for a pretence made long prayers. Who would have thought that fo excellent a thing as Religion would be so basely abused? That men with this cloak would cover their villanies? Their conduct is extremely foolish and desperately wicked.

Once more: I may mention, as descriptive of the wicked, that they are impatient of restraint and reproof. They cannot bear to be checked in their mad career of fin and folly; and the faithful reprover, if fuch be found, is hated and avoided. The very fight and example of the godly is a fecret reproof to the wicked; it is a contrast to their own conduct; gives them difagreeable feelings, and therefore they strive to be out of the way. Sometimes they are fo bold as to expofe, in a ludicrous manner, every appearance of fincerity, and laugh and jeft merely to keep themselves in countenance.

The preacher who seeks to fave himself and them that hear him, by telling them plainly of their fins, and denouncing the judgments of God, is thought rigid and fevere. Ahab, the king of Ifrael, faid of Micaiah, the fon of Imla, I hate him, for he never propheficth good unto me, but always evil. The difcourfe which flows smooth and even, dwelling on generals, not directed to the conscience, nor finners purfued in it by the terrors of the Lord, is most applauded. It is related as fact of a preach

er,

er, who had arrived at fo great perfection in adapting himself to delicate ears, that he once told his hearers, "If they did not vouchsafe to give a new turn to their lives, they would go to a place he did not choose to name in so courtly an audience." It is no breach of charity to fay, that fuch preachers and their hearers are in danger of going down to hell, and enduring never-ceafing torments, of which we should now often hear and think, that so we be excited to lay hold upon the hope fet before us. If danger is not known, how fhall it be fhunned? We do not preach you to, but from these everlasting burnings. If our own hearts do not condemn us, why fhould we fear? If they do, O! what madness to shut our eyes, and wander heedlessly on! Will this make the danger lefs? What fearfulness muft feize fuch, when they come to stand on the brink of the awful pit!

may

That there is an improper method of reproving finners is certain; a method tending more to disgust than edify even pious ears. The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. There are many descriptions of heaven and hell to no purpose, or worse: Eye hath not feen, nor ear beard, neither bath entered into the heart of man, the one or the other. The joys of the one, and the terrors of the other, are best reprefented in the language. of facred writ. Befides, the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; and is that inftrument by which, in his difpenfation of grace, he wounds and he beals.

SER

SERMON XIII.

THE CHARACTER AND MISERY OF THE WICKED.

BY

WILLIAM LINN, D. D.

One of the Ministers of the Reformed Dutch Church, New-York.

ISA. lvii. 21.

There is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked,

HAV

AVING endeavoured, in a former difcourse, so to describe the wicked, as that we might be affifted in forming a judgment of ourselves, I proceed now to show,

II. In what respects there is no peace to fuch.

First, There is no peace to them with God. By their wickedness they wage war with heaven, and the Almighty King is angry with them every day. Man, hearkening to the fuggeftions of Satan, has thrown off allegiance to his rightful owner, tranfgreffed his holy law,

refufed

lies in his favour. Having

refused that tribute of praise which is due, and engaged in open rebellion. Whatever we may think of the claims of fellow-mortals, furely the great God hath an unquestionable right to us and all our fervice. He hath made, and continually upholds us. Of him we cannot be independent, and our happiness ruined ourselves, he found out a help. He fent his Son to fulfil the demands of the law in our room, and in his Gospel he proclaims pardon and peace to all who will return. Only they have reconciliation with him, who have fubmitted to his terms; who, forfaking their fins, have believed in the name of his Son. The impenitent and unbelieving must fall under the ftroke of his juftice. To their rebellion they add ingratitude, by making light of the offers of grace.

Having no peace with God, of what advantage are the most flattering circumstances in this world? Of what advantage that we are the citizens of a free ftate, and the nations around in league with us? These indeed are ineftimable bleffings, and which we must not tamely furrender to every proud and ambitious fpirit; but can they make us happy hereafter? We may not enjoy them a day, or an hour. While we continue under the power of fin, we are the most abject flaves. We do the works of the devil, who delights in the ruin and misery of our race. Is not the displeasure of our Maker enough to embitter every comfort, or render us joyless in the midst of every earthly good thing? How dreadful to think that his curfe is upon us when we lie down and rise up, and in all our ways! How fearful to know that we must fall at laft into the hands of the living God! This is the pitiable condition of the wicked, to whom,

In the fecond place, There is no peace in their own confciences. The thoughts of what their crimes have ex

pofed

pofed them to, often tear them with the most bitter reflections. Some of them have been afraid to be left alone; and dismal spectres, which guilt formed, have haunted them in the midnight hours. It is faid of the infidel Hobbes, "that though he would speak very strange and unbecoming things of God, yet in his study in the dark, and in his retired thoughts, he trembled before him. If his candle happened to go out in the night, he awoke in terror and amazement. He was unable to bear the difmal reflections of his dark and defolate mind; and knew not how to extinguish, nor how to bear the light of the candle of the Lord within him."

See the man of pleasure, how gaily he walks abroad! What cheerfulness in his looks! He affects to esteem the more fober part of mankind as precife and fupercilious! Talk to him of conscience, and he hardly restrains a burst of laughter! Did you fee him in fome hour of fickness, gloom and folitude, you might find distress pictured in his face, arifing froin remorfe within. Though repeated acts of fin fear the confcience, and render it lefs fenfible, yet there are few but have their fevere twinges and repenting feafons. It is easier to prostitute conscience than to filence it." Whatever there be in the air, there is certainly an elastic power in confcience that will bear itself up, notwithstanding the weight that is laid upon it to ftifle and kill its clamours." Dr Doddridge, in his life of that memorable convert, Col. Gardiner, informs us, "That ftill the checks of confcience, and fome remaining principles of fo good an education as he had received, would break in upon his moft licentious hours; and that he told him, when fome of his diffolute companions were once congratulating him on his distinguished felicity, a dog happening at that time to come into the room, he could not forbear groaning inwardly, and saying to himself, "Oh, that I