the fide of Atheism; the confequent Pof-SE R. M. fibility on the other fide, that there may XVII. be a God, proves the Folly of the profane Mocker to be intolerable; the Probability that there is a God, still increases That Folly; the Certainty, the Demonflration, that there cannot but be a God, fhows it to be what Solomon elegantly fets forth in that accumulative expreffion, Eccles. vii. 25, the Wickedness of Folly, even of Foolishness and Madness. For if there is a God, as the Works of Nature demonftrate that there is; both Reafon itself declares, and Revelation fully confirms, that he will govern the World in Righteousness, and in the End judge every man according to his Works. That poor Objection of the Scoffers mentioned by St Peter, that all things hitherto continue as they were from the Beginning of the Creation, and that therefore they never will be otherwife; difcovers the extreme Shortnefs of Thofe mens Understandings, who confider not that God with much long-fuffering gives men Space of Repentance, and can as eafily judge the World after a Thousand years as after

SER M. One day's fpace. Upon which delay of XVII. his Lord's Coming, if any wicked Ser

his por

shall be

For, as

vant flatters himself that he will not come
at all, and upon That Affurance of Im-
punity hardens himself in his Impiety;
the Lord of that Servant will come in a
day when he looketh not for him, and in
an hour that he is not aware of, and will
cut him afunder, and appoint him
tion with the Hypocrites; there
weeping and gnashing of Teeth.
in the days that were before the Flood, men
were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that
Noah entred into the Ark; And knew not
until the Flood came, and took them all
away: And, as it was in the days of Lot,
they did eat, they drank, they bought, they
fold, they planted, they builded; But the
fame day that Lot went out of Sodom, it
rained fire and brimstone from Heaven,
and destroyed them all; Even thus (fays
our Lord) fhall it be, in the Day when the
Son of Man is revealed, St Luke xvii. 30.
Then fhall the Lord convince ungodly men
of all their bard and profane Speeches
which they have spoken against him; And

the

XVII.

the wicked, feeing the Salvation of the SER M righteous, shall with anguish of Spirit say within themselves, (as 'tis elegantly expreffed in the Book of Wisdom, ch. v. 4,) We Fools accounted his Life Madness, and his End to be without Honour ; How is be numbred among the children of God, and his Lot is among the Saints !

2dly, As to thofe who cannot argue themselves into Infidelity, but believe the Certainty of a future State and of a Judgment to come; and yet live vitiously, and continue Impenitent, upon a general, loofe, and inconfiderate expectation, that Sin is lefs dangerous, and God more merciful, than the Preachers of the Gospel reprefent him: The Folly of making a mock at Sin in This Senfe, and upon This Ground; (which is indeed nothing else, but refolving to neglect a mortal Difeafe as of no Danger, and to fhut ones Eyes upon the Mouth of Destruction:) The Folly of This, I fay, is well reproved by the Author of the Book of Ecclus, ch. xxi. 2, My Son, flee from Sin as from the Face of a Serpent; for the Teeth thereof are as the Teeth of a Lion flaying the

Souls

SER M.Souls of Men; and, All iniquity is as a XVII. two-edged fword, the wounds whereof can

not be healed. To imagine that God will

be pleased with an empty Form of God-
liness, and accept a Zeal for mere Names
and Diftinctions of Religion, without true
Virtue and Holiness of Life, is, to be fo
foolish as to think God more eafily de-
ceived, even than mortal Men; and that
the Searcher of Hearts will be impofed
upon with an outward Profeffion of Ser-
vice, which even an Earthly Superior
Little
would with indignation reject.
children, faith St John, let no man deceive
you: He that Doth righteousness, is righ-
teous. The Vain Hope of those who re-
ly on any Other Foundation, is affection-
ately defcribed in the 5th chapter of the
Book of Wisdom, ver. 14. The Hope of
the Ungodly, is like Duft that is blown
away with the Wind; like a thin Froth,
that is driven away with the Storm; like
as the Smoke which is difperfed here and
there with a Tempeft; and passeth away as
the Remembrance of a Guest, that tarrieth
but a day: But the Righteous live for ever-
more ; there Reward alfo is with the Lord,
and the Care of them is with the most High.
3dly,

I

3dly and laftly; As to thofe who areSER M. truly fenfible of the indifpenfable Necef- XVII. fity of a Virtuous Life, and yet at the preSent fpeak Peace to themselves in the Practice of Unrighteoufnefs and in the injoyment of Unlawful Pleafures, upon an Intention of Repenting and Amending bereafter: The Folly of making a mock at Sin in This fenfe, is the Folly of Playing with Death, and Sporting with Deftruction: 'Tis the Folly of letting flip opportunities, which poffibly, nay, very probably, may never be retrieved: 'Tis the Folly of provoking God to cut us off in his Wrath, and to affign us our Portion among Hypocrites and Unbelievers. conclude, 'Tis the Folly of incapacitating a man's felf more and more for the doing of That, which yet is of abfolute Neceffity not to be left undone. For except we do effectually repent and amend, and That speedily too, fo as to bring forth the Fruits of Virtue and Righteousness, we must inevitably perifh: And yet the longer any man continues in Sin, the more difficult it becomes for him to leave it off. For he grows hardened at length through the Deceitfulness of Sin; and by

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