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flood came and took them all away; fo fhall also the coming. of the Son of Man be.

I proceed now to close this difcourfe with a few reflections.

How great is the resemblance between our prefent ftate and that of mankind before the flood! The fimilitude bears in all respects, and that too with peculiar aggravations on our part. It is fo glaring to every serious obferver, that the very mention of it were fufficient to bring all to an humble confeffion, and mournful sense of our danger. But it is the dreadful unhappiness of finners, the nearer they approach to judgment and ruin, the more blind and infenfible they grow.-This arifes from two general causes. 1. The proper nature of finful courfes, which always blind the mind and harden the heart. 2. The additional judgment of God, who permits the malignity of the human heart to exert itself with less controul. He ceases to apply those usual methods of restraint, -gives them up more to themfelves,-leaves them to the government of their own heart's lufts,-denies them reftraining grace,-takes his Spirit from them.

The resemblance between us and the old world is evident in the following refpects.-The universal prevalence of deep fecurity,-the great means which God is ufing with us to reclaim us,-and the amazing wickedness. which abounds among all ranks of men notwithstanding.

1. The resemblance is evident in univerfal prevalence of deep fecurity. Let us look around us, and do we not find in ourselves and others, ftupidity and unbelief in its ftrongest likeness, to what we fee drawn for those beyond the flood? Are we acting any otherwise than they? Are we doing any thing else, but eating and drinking, marry

ing,

the room of the ever-bleffed Gospel, in the place of this glorious inftrument of heaven for the fupport of religion ! Will not a jealous God take vengeance, and confound the defigns of all fuch deiftical and antediluvian builders!But leaving this, what fort of wickedness does not abound among us? How is the name, the dreadful name of God profaned? How often are our ears stunned with hellish oaths, and direful imprecations?-How are God's fabbaths abused? How are the ordinances, and special inftitutions of Jefus Chrift neglected? What reftraint of prayer? What thoughtleffness, refpecting all the great realities of eternity, take place? How does beastly drunkenness, and more than beaftly uncleanness, in all their horrid forms, defile our land?-And how has love and friendship among mankind ceafed? What extortion and injustice;—what tricking, defrauding, over-reaching and cheating, almost every where abound?-Alas! how few are of clean hands, how few are of pure hearts!

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How are mankind plunged and funk into iniquity!— How do they add drunkenness to theft, licentiousness to liberty, profaneness to foolish jefting; and to all these, a total neglect of Divine admonitions, and yet vainly imagine they shall have peace!-Will not the eternal God cause his jealousy to smoke against such secure and bold tranfgreffors?-Jehovah's wrath is already enkindled, and unless we awake to repentance and reformation, it will furely burn unto the loweft hell! It will confume the young man and the virgin, the fuckling alfo, with the man of grey bairs.

Let us hearken to the Divine voice, and not be found proclaiming defiance to the vengeance of Heaven. O! that fecure, ftupid, and carelefs finners would make a stand; lay your ways feriously to heart; confider what

is

is likely to become of you, and what will you do at the awful appearance of the Son of Man !

Go, confefs your fins; mourn for your iniquities; break off from your tranfgreffions; and cry unto the Lord, and it may be, that he will reftrain the fierceness of deferved wrath, and bestow bleffings upon you.

Let the wicked man forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for be will abundantly pardon.

Prepare to meet thy God, O Ifrael!-Let there be a general preparation. The Lord is on his way. Behold he comes quickly! Gird up the loins of your minds, and go ye forth to meet him, repenting of your fins, acquiefcing in the Gospel-plan of reconciliation, observing all the commandments and ordinances of God. But if this advice feem evil unto you, prepare, O Sinners, for judgment! Prepare to meet an incensed Judge! Our God is a confuming fire!-Upon the wicked be shall rain snares, fire, and brimftone, and an horrible tempeft; this fhall be the portion of your cup.

Let it be the fervent prayer of all, that God would awaken the fecure, alarm the stupid and inconfiderate, and turn multitudes to righteousness.

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SERMON VII.

GROWTH IN GRACE.

BY

JOHN H. LIVINGSTON, D. D. S. T. P. One of the Ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church,

New York.

2 PETER iii. 18.

But grow in Grace.

OTHING can be more worthy of our attention

NOTHI

than the great truths of Religion.-There is no fcience fo fublime in its object, fo fure in its principles, or so important in its confequences. Nothing can be conceived more extenfive for fpeculation, and at the fame time more immediately influential upon our conduct. Theory and practice are here infeparably connected, and the acknowledging of the truths will always lead to godlinefs. A fuperficial acquaintance with fome particular doctrines, and a bigotted attachment to favourite tenets, may foon be obtained, and confidered by many as an important acquifition. But the least reflection must convince us, that fuch have reafon to conclude, they are not

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taught of the Lord, and know nothing yet as they ought to

know.

There is in Religion a connection, a harmony, a chain so firmly united, that it cannot be understood, if taken only in detached parcels. Like a beautiful and useful machine when deprived of any effential part, the whole is deformed or destroyed. In a coherent fyftem of doctrine, there can be nothing useless, nothing repugnant, nothing which ought not to occupy the very place which the Divine Author, who compofed the whole, has affigned it. What will become of Religion if we embrace any of its doctrines separately? What is the Religion of the Gospel, if the law can justify, or the Redeemer be not honoured as the righteousness and ftrength of his people? What becomes of Religion, if faith be not productive of good works, or an hope is entertained of feeing God without the love and practice of holiness? How mutilated, how changed, how oppofite to itself the whole can be made. to appear, when only a part is brought forward to view! and how unfafe and wavering must that man remain, who refts fatisfied with small attainments, and a partial knowledge of Divine truths?

The Apostle Paul reproves the Hebrews for their little progrefs 'in knowledge, and urges them to go on unto perfection. There are fome truths which may be confidered as principles of the doctrine of Chrift; so plainly revealed, so fimple and evident, that mere babes in understanding can receive and digeft them. But to be always contented with these, without aiming at farther progress, would be to feed upon milk, when an advanced age renders it proper to take stronger meat.

In the verse, of which our text is a part, the Apostle Peter alfo exhorts believers to grow in knowledge. Grow,

fays he, in grace, and in the knowledge of our ow,

F 2

and

Saviour

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