or fuffer for religion. tomorrow we die."

"Let us eat and drink, for

HOWEVER we may amufe ourselves with idle fpeculations, this life is a probation feafon.-Our use or abuse of the talents we poffefs will determine us to happiness, or mifery, honor or infamy.

"ALL have finned, and are guilty before GodIn his fight fhall no man living be justified". our fole defert is punishment. But God hath had mercy on us-provided a Savior, and offers us falvation. The offer is univerfal-"Whofoever

will let him come.".

THAT there is no refpect of perfons with God, is alike the dictate of reason and revelation. We have only to act with integrity before God, relying on his grace in Chrift, and his grace will be fufficient for us.

THE man who had the one talent, neglected it, under pretence that he ferved a hard mafter, who required things unreasonable and impoffible -he was condemned; but only for neglecting the talent which he poffeffed.

IT is required of a man according to that which he hath-this he can render-the neglect will be fatal. "We must all appear before the judgment feat of Chrift, that we may receive the deeds done in the body, according to that which we have done, whether good or bad. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.

An unfeen hand is conftantly writing down our volitions and actions, to be referved to judgment.

Ere long the books will be opened, which will open every heart, and life. Not a circumstance which goes to conftitute a ftate of trial, will be omitted-all will be brought into the reckoning, and ferve to determine our eternal ftate.

THAT ftate will be determined by the ufe which we fhall have made of life, and the advantages which we enjoyed in it. The divine impartiality will then appear-" The ungodly will be convinced of their ungodly deeds-and of their hard fpeeches, which they have spoken againft God." None will complain of injuflice-none of the condemned pretend that they receive aught, which others circumftanced as they were, and acting as they acted, would not have received from the hand that made them. 66 Every mouth will be stopped."

ty.

THIS, fellow mortals is our feed time for eterni

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man foweth, that fhall he also reap whatsoever good thing any man doth, the fame fhall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free-every man fhall receive his own reward, according to his own labor."

NOT only the ftate into which we are to enter at death, but the rank we are to hold in it depend on prefent improvement. All the fanctified will be faved; all who die unrenewed will be damned. But there will be different grades, both in the upper and lower worlds. Of the faints, fome "will be scarcely saved." To others "will be ministered an abundant entrance into the kingdom of

[SERM. 6. Chrift." There are alfo greateft and leaft in the kingdom of heaven. And among thofe exiled the world of light, differences will be made, fuited to the different degrees of criminality. Capernaum will receive a more intolerable doom than Sodom.*

ALL thefe difcriminations will be built on the prefent life, and rife out of it. This will be fo abundantly manifefted, "when God fhall judge the world in righteoufnefs," that an affembled uni. verfe will confefs, That there is no refpect of perfons with God.

SERMON VII.

Moses' Prayer to be blotted out of God's Book.

EXODUS xxxii. 31, 32.

And Moses returned unto the Lord and said, Oh! this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

THIS is one of the most difficult paffages in the holy fcriptures. Many have attempted to explain it, and in our apprehenfion, failed in the attempt. Some will entertain like opinion of the following. Perhaps juftly. We are no lefs fallible than

others.

IN matters which have engaged the attention of the learned, and in which they have differed, affur. ance is not perhaps to be expected. But as we are forbidden to call any man mafter, we have ventured to judge for ourselves respecting the meaning of the text, and now lay before the reader the refult of our attention to it; not wifhing to obtrude our opinion upon him; but leaving him to form his own as he may find occafion,

SOME fuppofe that a person must be willing to be damned for the glory of God, or he cannot be faved; and this fcripture hath been alledged in proof. After a few obfervations, to fhew that the fuppofition is erroneous and abfurd; we shall exhibit the various conftructions which have been put on the text, by feveral expofitors; then give our own fenfe of it; and clofe with a few reflections.

THE fuppofition that man must be willing to be damned, in order to be faved, is in our apprehenfion, erroneous and abfurd. It supposes a desire of God's favor to be an unpardonable offence; and a contempt of it a recommendation to his regard! It fuppofes that God will banish those from his prefence who long for it ; and bring those to dwell in it who do not defire it! A fuppofition, which, in our view, carries its own confutation in it. For the all important inquiry is, confeffedly, how to obtain falvation? The folution which the fuppofition exhibits, is this, by being willing not to obtain

it!

GOD cannot iffue an order, making it the duty of man to be willing to be damned. To be will ing to be damned, implies a willingness to difo. bey God, refufe his grace, and continue in unbelief and impenitence! Should we fuppofe it poffible for God to issue the order, obedience would be impoffible, and equally to thofe of every character.

THE hardened finner, cannot furely be thought capable of love to God, which will dispose him to fuffer eternally for God's glory. He may do that