portant, if not impossible. As on this point, however, men are much disposed to evade the plainest declarations of Scripture, and to resort to some shorter and easier method of salvation than the practice of moral righteousness, the apostle inserts a caution against all such self-deception-Be not deceived, says he; GOD is not mocked. The great purpose of the religion of the gospel being the active love of GoD, in the attainment, in our measure and degree, of his moral perfections; and the active love of our neighbour, in the exercise of benevolence and brotherly kindness; to expect the favour of the God of love upon any other conditions, is equally fruitless and absurd-as contrary to reason as to expect to reap what we have not sowed. And it is not only thus fruitless and absurb, but an affront also to the perfections of the Almighty, in thinking to impose upon him chaff instead of wheat-the useless pretence of some abstract quality of the mind, instead of the real qualifications of a holy and actively benevolent life. Among such false dependances for the divine favour may be reckoned as the chief, faith, without its fruits; trust in the mercy of GoD, without performance of the conditions on which it is promised; reliance on the merits of CHRIST, without departing from all iniquity; and good intentions put off till to-morrow. These most frequent delusions, as they produce no fruit corresponding with their external denomination, can only be classed according to their real character, by a wise and righteous Judge; and as his fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, they will fly before the blast, like the chaff which the wind scattereth abroad, over the face of the earth. To rely upon such vain expectations, then, is the fatal deception of thinking to deceive GOD with names instead of things; the miserable delusion of thinking that the supreme Moral Governor of the universe has less regard to the real fruits of religion and virtue in his creatures than to the empty professions of unfruitful acknowledgment of him, and will reward the unprofitable servant equally with him who has improved his talents.

But, whatever vain men may teach or wicked men choose to believe, Gon is not mocked. The unchangeable differences of good and evil, of virtue and vice, remain unaltered. The right.

eous laws of his kingdom remain in full force. The rule of his righteous judgment is fixed, and recorded for our benefit; and that rule is, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

What, then, are we sowing, my brethren and hearers? what preparation are we making for that great harvest of eternal life or everlasting death, to which each one of us shall be adjudged, according to what we now sow? We read in the verse following my text, He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the SPIRIT, shall of the SPIRIT reap life everlasting. Have we, then, considered, with the seriousness it deserves, this master distinction in our religious condition; and realized what these different pursuits end in? Oh! if we have not, let us now-before that night cometh in which no man can work-let us look our condition in the face! Let us meet the interests of our souls with an honest desire to profit by the yet sparing mercy of GoD, and improve this awakening passage of his holy word, to our eternal good! Who knows but (as it is the Lord's day) it may be God's time to visit and quicken us? Here are of all ages and descriptions--of all professions and worldly occupations present. Let us, then, begin and ask in order. What are we doing for eternity? What preparation are we making for that great harvest of the world, in which the reward of our hands shall be given us?

But with whom shall we begin? Let us state the most numerous class in that great body of opposition to God which this earth contains.

First, then, the wordling-by which I mean the person whose chief object and pursuits is, the things that are seen-the accommodations, enjoyments, and emoluments of time.

My brother in nature and in iniquity, what seed art thou sowing? what crop art thou cultivating? and what harvest dost thou expect to reap? Has the thought ever taken hold of thy heart, and the question been met, as from an immortal spirit, soon to appear before its awful Judge? or, has the god of this world blinded thy mind, among those that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of CHRIST, who is the image of GOD, should shine unto thee? Has the glory of the world, held up before thee by the prince of the power of the air, shut out from thy

view the glory of God, shining in the face of JESUS CHRIST, sent to redeem and deliver thee from his power? O, if he has, let me now do mine office towards thee, by turning thee from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to GOD, through the life and power of the word of God. What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Canst thou answer that? Can thy calculations of profit and loss take in this risk, and find a premium equal to it? No! what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

But, perhaps, prosperity has thee by the hand, and new barns and new warehouses are required for increasing goods, and thou art saying to thy soul, be merry, and take thine ease, for thou hast much goods laid up for many years. But tell me, hast thou the years? Art thou insured against death? May it not be said to thee as to the fool in the parable, this night shalt thy soul be required of thee, and then whose shall all these things be? Canst thou take them with thee, and enjoy them in the invisible state? No! we brought nothing into this world, and it is equally certain that we can carry nothing out. Will GoD accept them as not redeemed with corrupti

a ransom for thy soul? No! we are ble things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of CHRIST. What, then, is this world-in the whole extent of its praise, and power, and splendour-worth to an immortal spirit on trial for eternity? Every tongue can answer, that it is nothing worth; every understanding can perceive the folly of such a dependance; and the worse than folly of making that our main object in this life which cannot profit us in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of GoD. O, if those who are taken in this snare would but ask themselves, What is all that I am so busily engaged about doing for my soul? How does God look upon it? What will the event be in eternity ?—and take the answer from his true and faithful word; surely there is a voice of wisdom, even in the reason of our own minds, which might counteract this temptation-might strengthen us to resist its seducing effect, and bring us to GoD on the warrant of his promise, for grace to help in time of need! But no! the deaf adder is not more deaf to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely, than the worldling is to the ulted testimony of reason

and religion. Even at this moment, when his conscience responds to the truth instead of opening his heart to receive it, he is striving how to put it away from him, and to find some subterfuge under which to take shelter. And readily will we find some flimsy pretence to make the worse appear the better reason. His master is on the watch to prompt the ready evasion, and even to say, ye shall not surely die; and the strong delusion which heaven threatens to send upon those who will not believe, makes the devil's lie superior to the truth of GOD. But as no lie is of the truth, so this will be found emphatically of the father of lies in that day, when the fire shall try every man's work, whether it be good or evil. In this harvest of the world, then, what is the worldling to reap? He hath laid up treasure upon earth; but the earth and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. He is rich and increased in goods; but he is not rich towards GOD. No seed has been sowed to the glory of God; there is, therefore, to him no harvest of reward in the kingdom of CHRIST and of GOD. Take, then, thy gains in that day, worldling, and weigh them now in the balances of the sanctuary, and count their worth. Open thine ear to hear and thine heart to receive instruction, and be no longer deceived, for GoD is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Secondly, the sensualist, by which I mean the slave of appetite-the brutal follower of the lusts of the flesh, whether openly profligate or more secretly offending.

What seed is the glutton and the drunkard sowing for eternity? And of what description must his heaven be, to meet the propensities of his nature? An eternity of brutified faculties, and inflamed passions—a heaven of riot and intemperance, of oaths and blasphemy. Why, the very thought is impious! And yet, for what else is the drunkard prepared? or in what else can. he find satisfaction? We may suppose the mere worldly minded. capable of being gratified in endless pursuit and accumulation; for there is something of mind-of intellectual exercise, in scheme and calculation. But to the glutton and the drunkard intellect is of no use; his great purpose is, by repeated trial, to extinguish it and come nearer and nearer to the brute. Where, then, shall a place be found in GoD's kingdom of exalted and

refined perception, purity and peace, for such characters? And where shall infinite wisdom-to say nothing of justiceassign them their place in eternity, but with such as themselves? As, in this world, they are an offence to all decency, so, in the world to come, must they be excluded from those who shall stand before GOD. But when we come to add sin to the account of the drunkard, and count up the fearful wages reserved for it, then it is that the folly of this brutishness is apparent-the madness of this self-destruction conspicuous. The seed they have sown in time must produce after its kind in eternity; and what that is, we learn from the parable of the rich glutton in the gospel. He fared sumptuously every day, and indulged his appetite; but he died, and in hell he lift up his eyes in torments, and petitioned for a little water to cool his burning tongue, but it was denied him. I am tormented in this flame, said he; but not one drop of those plenteous libations in which he had debauched himself, was now at his command. He increased thirst and nourished an artificial fever in his veins, by intemperance, when upon earth-this was the seed he sowed, and the thirst of everlasting burnings is the crop he reaps. Oh! what a price to be paid for the sordid indulgence of intoxication. But the only, and the certain price. For GOD hath said-and he is not mocked-Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of GOD.

The same question must be asked of another class of sensualists--those who walk after the flesh, in the lust of uncleannessthe adulterers and fornicators of the world. With what seed are they sowing the great field of eternity, and what crop shall they reap?

Look at the prowling profligate on the watch for his prey as he skulks through darkness with the thief to the haunts of vice and wretchedness; and let darkness close upon what ought not once so much as to be named among Christians. Some sins can be exposed in their details, and, thereby, made the more odious ; but this is too odious for exposure, and, therefore, the more hateful in the sight of GoD. Yet to no other is the world so lenient or more criminally remiss in holding up to detestation those who are guilty of it. The wretched creature who steals your purse or your horse must forfeit all respect, and even his life;