* hath not left himself without witnefs" in any spot of the universe. In all his works a voice is heard. The voice of reafon and conscience within unite with the voice of nature without to prove a God. But neither the voice without nor the voice within is heard by the atheift. He will not be perfuaded. He cannot but feel his dependence, though he will not acknowledge it. He can neither account for his own existence or preservation, nor that of any thing elfe, without admitting a God. Still he will not believe. A review of the paft, an apprehenfion of the future, are calculated to impress the fentiment of a Creator, a moral Governour, and accountableness. Yet a Creator, a moral Governour is difowned. There muft then be great criminality in the temper of the atheift. His unwillingnefs to believe a God is the true caufe of his atheifm. The divine perfections and providence are difplayed to his view, no less than to the view of others. But the language of his heart is, I would there were no God: Hence all his thoughts are turned to the fide of irreligion. Were he not hardened through the deceitfulnefs of fin, he would believe. Is it no crime, that through the pride of his countenance he will not feek after God?-that he hath corrupted his mind, and doth abominable works?

The fame obfervations are applicable to the rejecters of revealed religion. Their deeds being evil, they love darkness rather than light. A revelation from heaven is poffible-is greatly to be defired: Man's neceflities call for it. Shall he not enquire, whether the Father of lights hath vouchfafed the inftruction fo neceffary? whether the Father of mercies hath pitied man in his dark and perishing state? hath laid a foundation of hope for the guilty? If the guilty will not be at the pains to examine whether God hath offered the light and grace which their circumftances loudly call for will not receive his teftimony-will not attend to the evidence laid before them, they refufe to hearken unto God.

It is criminal, in an high degree, to fix down in the conclufion, that whatever may be offered to mankind as divine revelation must proceed from fiction and fraud. This is neither more nor lefs than to determine that God never will nor can make a revelation of his will; or if he should, that his creatures are not obliged to receive it-that they may refufe to be taught of God. If we demand irresistible evidence, or fuch as the nature of the thing does not admit-If we examine with a view to cavil-If we will not admit the evidence which is abundantly fatisfactory in other matters, a plain account may be given of our unbelief-fuch an account as furnishes the materials of our condemnation. To neglect and abuse the means and opportunities of faith is to reject the counsel of God against ourselves. The love of the truth is requifite to the knowledge of it and establishment in it.

You fee the fource of infidelity in an enlightened age. Unbelief is a fin; yea, it is the fource of all other fins. The Spirit of truth reproveth the world of fin; because they believe not in Jefus Chrift as fent of God. The first apostate and deceiver, who abode not in the truth, was affiduous to involve the human race in the fame condemnation with himself. In imitation of him, infidels take pains to involve as many as they can in their own guilt. Their folly and prefumption must be confeffed, if they fhall die in their fins.

The nominal Chriftian, while he cenfures avowed infidels, fhould reflect that his own faith is no other than that of devils. For fuch is faith without works. If unbelief is an heinous fin, faith is a precious grace. But faith of what kind? Not the faith of fuch as love the praife of men more than that of God. Nor the faith of fuch as fall away in a time of trial: But believing with the heart unto righteousness--faith which overcomes the world-faith which is the fubftance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not feen-the faith of fuch as are crucified with Chrift-fuch as live in the

Hefh by the faith of the Son of God-such as are rooted and grounded in love, who are conformed to the image of Chrift-in whofe hearts he dwelleth by faith. This faith is the great principle of evangelical obedience— an inward fubmiffion to Chrift, a confent that he fhould reign over us. The believer, to whom he is precious, is "filled with the fruits of righteousness, "which are by Jefus Chrift to the praise and glory of "God." He came to fave from fin. Sin hath no dominion over Chriftians. They " yield themselves un"to God as alive from the dead. Having their fruit "unto holinefs, the end is eternal life."

Sin and righteoufnefs, enmity against God and reconciliation to him, unbelief and faith, walking after the flesh and after the Spirit, death and life, damnation and falvation, are expreffions used in scripture to describe opposite characters and ftates. What foundation is there for the opinion that the whole human race are actually in a juftified state through the Redeemer? What concord hath Chrift with Belial? or what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? or what part hath a believer with an infidel? Should the opinion of the final falvation of all men be true, nothing is hazarded by embracing and acting upon the doctrine which denies it. But fhould it prove falfe, irretrievable ruin must be the confequence of prefuming upon its truth. No wife man can hesitate a moment, which fide to embrace, where the difference in point of fafety is so obvious and great. While nothing is hazarded by embracing one fide, every thing is hazarded by venturing on the other. One will certainly iffue in eternal happiness; the other may iffue in everlasting deftruction. He must be a fool indeed, who would venture his foul on the prefumption that all men will be faved, and on this prefumption fhall neglect the prefent day of falvation.

Those who die in their fins, and those that believe in Jefus, who came to fave finners, are diftinguished

from each other in character and state. They are dir tinguished here, and will be hereafter. The Lord knoweth them who are his. They are made meet for the fociety, employments and blifs of the world above. They, as the friends of Chrift, fhall have an entrance miniftered unto them into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord. But his enemies fhall be caft out. Revelation guides us no further. Men may indulge any con jectures: But they run an amazing hazard in trusting to conjecture against the clear voice of the facred fcriptures. We have no concern but with the public revelation in the old and new teftament. Suppofe a further revelation may be made, we know not what it will be: It certainly cannot contradict that already made, which is the only rule of faith and practice to us"To the law, and to the teftimony; if they fpeak "not according to this word, there is no light in "them."

A sense of future judgment and retributions is impaired, and may be deftroyed, by a vicious life, and by the doctrine of fatality. While reflection is afleep, while refinements in fcepticism are cherished, finners are unconfcious that they are on the brink of a fatal precipice that hell from beneath is open to receive them. "If the righteous fcarcely be faved, where "fhall" thofe appear who harden in fin?

Gloomy indeed muft the fhadow of death be to a finner under guilt uncancelled, scarce daring to lift his eyes to heaven, and beg for mercy. A review of life wafted and abufed-counfel, warnings, reproofs, offers of mercy flighted, will naturally awaken apprehenfions, that it may be unavailing, too late, to folicit what has been long flighted. Or fhould fuch, as are yet in their fins, be unconcerned, and even confident, in the day of death, this is to rush into the presence of their Judge as the horfe into the battle.

Will no after propofals of reconciliation be made to fuch as die in fin? Why fhould any finner flatter him

felf that he may have a more convenient season to turn to God than the prefent? It is furely a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, while eftranged from him. Before judgment examine thyself; and in the day of vifitation thou shalt find mercy. "Think upon the wrath that fhall be at the end, and the time of vengeance when he shall turn away his face.

It is not that the death of finners is any pleasure to God. He is not willing that any fhould perish. He waiteth that he may be gracious. He expoftulateth with them, Why will ye die? But they take occafion, from his forbearance, to harden against the denunciations of his wrath. The fabled tartarus of the heathen proved a greater restraint to them, than the revelation of the wrath of God against the unrighteousness and ungodlinefs of men is to many under the light of the gofpel. The fcenes of eternity, being out of fight and future, are forgotten, or regarded as fictions. Sinners would not be disturbed in their fins. Though affured that iniquity, perfifted in, must be their ruin, they go on in their trefpaffes. They either flatter themselves that they fhall have a further space for repentance, or difbelieve that foul and body fhall be deftroyed in hell, if they die impenitent. An awakened finner can excufe no delay to his confcience. Every plea for procrastination is to plead for the privilege of living without reflection. Is this a privilege? You are an intelligent and accountable creature. bound to an eternal world, to exift in bliss, or woe, according to the character formed in this fhort probationary ftate-a ftate which may not continue till tomorrow. Sinners have Sinners have every reafon to make hafte, to make no delay, in turning their feet into God's commandments. The declaration of the God of truth, the anguish and horrour of impenitents in the day of calamity and danger, their own inward reproaches and apprehenfions, unite to fhew that unamending wickednefs will be bitterness in the end.

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