pensation, as well as the Jewish, there are many things by you to be done and avoided; the omiffion or commiffion of which will occafion a forfeiture of the reward, notwithftanding all that Chrift hath done and fuffered to infure it to you.--God, therefore, feeing how present enjoyments would affect us, more than future, in both cafes ordained punishments to be a fecond part; and a tremendous part, of his fanction.

Let any one read over the remaining part of the 28th ch. of Deuteronomy, and he will fee all the bleffings I before described, changed into curses, denounced against the difobedient; and cannot but tremble at the terrible denunciations; more ef

pecially

pecially when he finds in the fequel of the facred hiftory, that all these threatnings were literally executed.

But what is the expulfion from the land of Canaan, to a privation of the heavenly Jerufalem, and to be thruft into outer darknefs! What the lofs of father, mother, brother, wife, and children, to the exclufion from the conversation of faints and angels? to weep and wail and gnafh the teeth with condemned finners, and infernal fiends? What the burnings of a fever or a peftilence to the fcorching torments of the fire, that never shall be quenched; or the bite of the most venomous ferpent to that of the worm that never dieth? What even the displeasure of God for a seafon (though that is intolerable) to his everlast

everlasting vengeance poured forth upon disobedient, impenitent, and incorrigible offenders.

Are these things harfh and grating to your ears; and do they discompofe your carelefs eafe, and disturb your imaginations? Are they not also true and certain to come upon you, unless you watch and labour to keep them from you. Would you have me only prophecy unto you fmooth things; to hold up to your view (as it were) a landscape of heaven for your curiofity and entertainment? without unfolding to you the draught that is annexed to it, of the horrors of hell and the torments of the damned, to awake your confcience and to alarm your fears? Then should I be an unworthy minifter of

the

the glorious gospel of Chrift; ungrateful to you, and unfaithful to my God.----Be it therefore my glory (as it is my duty) to fay with Moses, (and may I always truly fay it) "See,

I have set before thee this day, life

and good, and death and evil!

I

call heaven and earth to record "this day against you, that I have

"fet before you life and death, bleffing and curfing: therefore chuse

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life, that both thou and thy feed

may live ;" and that eternally; through Jefus Christ our Lord.

SERMON V.

MATT. XX. 6.

Why Stand ye here all the day idle?

W

ITH what propriety this queftion was put by the master of the vineyard, in a worldly fenfe, will easily be underflood, and readily be acknowledged.

All must

be fenfible of the evil effects of idleness in men of any worldly occupation; because their welfare is immediately, and their very fubfiftence would in the end be affected by it. And the only allowable excuse that could be made, by the husbandmen, who had continued unemployed till the laft hour of the day, was the fame

I