and liars,” who shall be shut out of heaven. Make a conscience, then, I beseech you, of this sin, and carry past transgressions to the throne of grace, to be washed from them in the blood of Christ, and taught to live soberly, as well as righteously, and godly in this present world.

I am afraid too many mariners, also, make little conscience of observing either private or public worship, even when they have opportunity. There is not a day but gives you opportunities of praying in secret, and surely you are answerable to God for every day's neglect of this duty. As to public worship, surely, when you have opportunity, you should not let a trifle hinder you from attending it. Oh, if you had hearts at all sensible of the kindness of God in preserving you from so many dangers, and were impressed with any lively ideas of the providence of God, which you of all men have the greatest opportunities and occasions of being impressed with, you would gladly wait upon God in his house. You would pay your vows in the sight of all his people, with thankful acknowledgments of past deliverances, and listen to the sound of the blessed gospel of Christ, which alone can make you

wise unto salvation.

Let me ask you also, O mariners, how have you fulfilled those resolutions which you made of amending your ways, when you were in distress. You seemed, in a storm, to be near approaching to eternity. Then, perhaps, you cried to God, and promised how good you would be for the future, if he spared you. But did you not return immediately, when danger was over, to your old sins? Think of the aggravated baseness of this ingratitude.

In truth, it is no wonder you kept not those resolutions; not only because they were extorted from you by fear, but also because there is a reason why no resolutions whatever, made by a man in his own strength, have any power to turn him to God. The new creature in Christ is not the product of man's resolving. Those who are, indeed, born again, are, as the Scripture tells us, "born not of the will of man, but of God." Read the third chapter of St. John's Gospel carefully with prayer, and be well assured from thence, that if ever you be, indeed, saved from your sins, and made good and holy, you must be born again. Whether you have led moral or immoral lives, in time past, this change is necessary to all who would enter the kingdom of heaven. off that levity and carelessness of spirit, I beseech you, too common among persons of your profession, and begin to inquire what you shall do to be saved, with the earnestness becoming men, who are sensible they have immortal souls, which must one day appear before God in judgment.

Shake

Would you carry with you, in your hearts, to the seas, a God in Christ, a reconciled and a loving father to you? Oh, be supremely concerned to seek his face. Consider, you are sinners by nature and in practice. It is no light thing that can take away your iniquities, and reconcile you to God. The sole Physician of Souls who can give you both repentance and remission of sins is he who is exalted for that end, to be a Prince and a Saviour. Implore him to look upon you, to create in you new and contrite hearts, that "worthily lamenting your sins, and acknowledging your wretchedness, you may obtain remission," perfect remission from

the God of all mercy, through his well-beloved SonIf any of you are sensible that you have hitherto lived in sin and wickedness, and would gladly be guided into the way of salvation, I declare unto you, That JESUS IS THE WAY. Through him there is plenteous redemption. Yes: he whom you have pierced with your sins, is good and gracious, and of great mercy unto all them that call upon him. All things are now ready. Pardon is ready; sanctification is ready; the consolations of God's Holy Spirit are ready. They wait your acceptance. What you want is faith in Christ, to lay hold of him for holiness and happiness. The Lord draw you by his power; and whoever is willing to be saved from his sins, and taught to live righteously, soberly, and godly, let him come to Christ, and take of the water of life freely.

Thus far, O mariners, I have endeavoured to exhort you. Some of you may be sailing hence very shortly, and perhaps you may never more have an opportunity of hearing the glad tidings of salvation. You will be answerable to God for the neglect of what I have said, if you do neglect it. Some of you may shortly be involved in imminent peril of your lives. If so, may you then think of what I have, this day, said to you, if not before.

I add no more but this: Sin and wickedness will entail God's everlasting curse upon those who die in it: If you would escape it, seek to God by Jesus Christ to obtain pardon, and holiness of heart and life.

SERMON XIX.

PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS, CONSIDERED.

Luke xvi. 22, 23.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

THE parable of the rich man and Lazarus is one of those strong paintings, which can scarce fail to arrest the attention, and captivate the imagination of all to whom it is presented. But, with the blessing of God, I hope this day's consideration of it may do more; may be the means of penetrating the heart, and persuading men to seek after the blessings of the heavenly country.

May each of us view ourselves as strangers here! May we sit loose to the earth, and behold eternity before us! When we view the rich, and the poor; our neighbours, our relations, and ourselves; may we remember that an eternal state of bliss or misery lies before us! This eye to eternity enables a person to form a due estimate of the goodness of characters, and the happiness of stations. Forget ABRAHAM'S BOSOм, and you would deem the poor,

despised Saint, an unhappy object.

Forget helltorments, and you would think a proud, rich man, the happy person. But will you go with me to look at that within the vail?"" Saviour! let thy Spirit touch our hearts, and lighten our darkness, and dispose us to hearken!"

The grand moral, as it may be called, of the whole parable, appears to be this-He who places his happiness in this world's goods of any kind, however successful he may have been in his pursuits, will find in the life to come unspeakable disappointment and confusion: but he who in obedience to the word of God receives the gospel of Jesus Christ, and cleaves to his God with determined faith, however poor and miserable he may appear in the present life, will in the life to come find unspeakable, everlasting joy, and satisfactionthe drift of the preceding chapter all tends to establish the same doctrine.

But let us not be diverted from our subject. "Come forth, O rich man! clothed in purple, and fine linen; faring sumptuously every day. How do many envy thy equipage, and ease; thy prosperity, and success! What numbers pay court to thy greatness !" Since man fell from God, how natural is it for him to admire riches! For however common it be for us to affect to despise them, yet is there something in them which commands respect from men. On the contrary, the beggar, laid at the rich man's gate full of sores; who is in so wretched a state that he is desirous of the crumbs which fall from the rich man's table; while the dogs lick his sores such a poor object as this-though it may