such men descended from the most illustrious ancestors; had they, like Lucifer himself, an heavenly origin; did their power equal that of the prince of the air; were their attendants as numerous as the legions of that miserable spirit; could their riches and affluence raise winds and storms, that would shake the whole world; had they in their hands the sword of justice, and were they considered as gods upon earth, and children of the most high, Psal. lxxxii. 6. I should not be afraid to say, while they abandon themselves to these excesses, I detest and abhor them as devils.

But you, my brethren, you, who ought to be the most holy part of the church; you, who pretend to glory in bearing the name of Christian, and who aspire after all the privileges and rècompences of Christianity; into which of the two plans do you propose to enter? Into the plan of Satan, or into that of God? Which of the two beings do you wish to resemble? Would you resemble God, or would you bear the features of the devil? Let not the mortifying in this question prevent your examination of it? It is far better to acknowledge a mortifying truth, than to persist in a flattering falsehood.

The purpose of God, as we just now said, is to render us like himself, by communicating his knowledge, by imparting sound ideas to us. Do you enter into this design? Are you labouring to form this feature, you, who neglect the cultivation of your minds; you, who suffer yourselves to be enslaved by prejudice; you, who, so far from being teachable, are angry, when we attempt to remove your er

rors, and, consider those as your enemies who tell you the truth? The design of God, we just now told you, is to render us like himself by communicating his love to us. Do you enter into this plan? Are you endeavouring to form this feature, you who feel no other flame than that, which worldly objects kindle, and which the scripture calls enmity with God, James iv. 4. you, who at the most perform only some exterior duties and ceremonies of religion, and dedicate to these only a few hours on a Lord's-day, and who lay out all your vigour and zeal, performances, emotions and passions on the world? The design of God, we said, is to render us like himself, by enabling us to imitate his holiness. Do you enter into this part of his design? Do you desire to resemble God, you, who conform to this present world; you, who run with them to the same excess of riot, 1 Pet. iv. 4. you, who sacrifice your souls to fashion and custom? The design of God, we told you, is to render us like himself by communicating his felicity to us. Do you enter into this part of his plan? Are you labouring to attain this resemblance of the Deity? Are you seeking a divine felicity? Do you place your hearts where your treasure is? Matt. vi. 21. Do you seek those things which are above? Col. iii. 11. You, who are all taken up with worldly attachments, you, who are endeavouring by reputation and riches, and worldly grandeurs, to fasten yourselves for ever to the world as to the centre of human felicity; you, whose little souls are all confined to the narrow circle of the present life; you, who turn pale, when we speak of dying; you, who

shudder, when we treat of that eternal gulf, on the brink of which you stand, and which is just ready to swallow you up in everlasting woe; do you enter into the design of participating the felicity of God?

Let us not deceive ourselves, my brethren! We cannot share the second transformation, unless we partake of the first; if we would be like God in heaven, we must resemble him here in his church below. A soul, having these first features, experiencing this first transformation, is prepared for eternity; when it enters heaven, it will not alter its condition, it will only perfect it. The most beautiful object, that can present itself to the eyes of such a soul, is the divine Redeemer, the model of its virtues, the original of its ideas. Hast thou experienced the first transformation? Hast thou already these features? Dost thou ardently desire the appearance of the Son of God; and, should God present himself to thee as he is, couldst thou bear the sight without trembling and horror? Ah, my brethren! how miserable is a mind, when it considers him as an object of horror, whom it ought to consider as an object of its desire and love! How miserable is a soul, which, instead of loving the appearing of the Lord, the righteous judge, as St. Paul expresseth it, 2 Tim. iv. 8. hath just reasons to dread it! How wretched is the case of the man, who, instead of crying, Come Lord Jesus! come quickly! Rev. xxii. 20. cries, Put off thy coming; defer a period, the approach of which I cannot bear; thy coming will be the time of my destruction; thine appearing will discover my shame; thy glory will be my despair; thy voice will 53

VOL. II.

be the sentence of my eternal misery; instead of hastening to meet thee, I will avoid thy presence; I will strive to flee from thy Spirit, Psal. cxxxix. 7. I will call to my relief the mountains and the rocks, Rev. vi. 16. and, provided they can conceal me from thy terrible presence, it will signify nothing, should they crush me by their fall, and bury me for ever in their ruins.

Let not such frightful sentiments ever revolve in our minds, Christians. Let us now begin the great work of our transformation. Let us commune with God. Let us apply all our efforts to obtain the knowledge of him. Let us kindle in our souls the fire of his love. Let us propose his holiness for our example. Let us anticipate the felicity of heaven. Indeed, we shall often be interrupted in this great work. We shall often find reason to deplore the darkness that obscures our ideas, the chilling damps which cool our love, and the vices that mix with our virtues; for the grief which these imperfections will cause will frequently lower our felicity. But hope will supply the place of fruition. Our souls will be all involved in evangelical consolations, and all our bitternesses will be sweetened with these thoughts of our apostle, "Behold! what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is." To him be honour and glory for ever. Amen.

SERMON XIII.

Hell.

REVELATIONS xiv. 11.

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.

VIOLENT diseases require violent remedies. This

is an incontestible maxim in the science of the human body, and it is equally true in religion, the science that regards the soul. If a wound be deep, it is in vain to heal the surface, the malady would become the more dangerous, because it would spread inwardly, gain the nobler parts, consume the vitals, and so become incurable. Such a wound must be cleansed, probed, cut and cauterized and softening the most terrible pains by exciting in the patient a hope of being healed, he must be persuaded to endure a momentary pain in order to obtain a future firm established health. Thus in religion; when vice hath gained the heart, and subdued all the faculties of the soul, in vain do we place before the sinner a few ideas of equity; in vain do we display the magnificence of the heavens, the beauties of the church, and the charms of virtue; the arrows of the Almighty must be fastened in him, Job vi. 4. terrors, as in a solemn day, must be called round about him,