IV.

rendered subservient. The parable in- SER M. forms us that, in the end, they are to be gathered together and burnt. In this life only they have their good things. But their profperity is tranfitory. They are brought into defolation in a moment, and utterly confumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh, fo, O God, when thou awakeft, thou shalt defpife their image*.When we confider their unhappy ftate, it becomes us to behold them with the eye of pity. Let us remember that, in the midst of their errors, they are by nature ftill our brethren. Let us not behave to them in the spirit of bitterness. Infult not their follies. Pride not yourselves on fuperior virtue. Remember that, as bad men are mixed with the good, so, in the best men, vices are at prefent mixed with virtues. Your own character, good as you may esteem it, is not free from every evil taint; and in the characters of thofe

F 2

*Pfalm. lxxiii. 19, 20.

IV.

$ ERM. those whom you reprobate as vitious, there are always fome good qualities mixed with the bad ones. Study, as far as you can, to reclaim and amend them; and if, in any degree, you have been profited by their failings, endeavour, in return, to profit them, by good counfel and advice; by advice, not adminiftered with officious zeal, or felf-conceited fuperiority, but with the tenderness of compaffion and real friendship.

In the third place, in whatever proportion the admixture of vice may feem to take place in the world, let us never despair of the prevalence of virtue on the whole. Let us not exaggerate, beyond measure the quantity of vice that is found in the mixture. It is proper to obferve, that in the parable now before us, after the owner of the field had fown his good feed, no reafon is given us to think, that the good feed was entirely choked up by tares. On the contrary, we are told that the blade fprung up, and brought forth fruit;

and,

IV.

and, though the tares also arose, yet, in SER M. the end there was a harvest, when the wheat was reaped and gathered into the barn. In the most corrupted times, God never leaves himself without many witneffes on earth. He is always attentive to the cause of goodness; and frequently supports and advances it by means which we are unable to trace. He nourishes much piety and virtue in hearts that are unknown to us; and beholds repentance ready to spring up among many whom we confider as reprobates.-I know that it has always been common for perfons to represent the age in which they live as the worst that ever appeared; and religion and virtue as juft on the point of vanishing from among men. This is the language fometimes of the ferious; often of the hypocritical, or of the narrow-minded. But true religion gives no fanction to fuch fevere cenfures, or fuch gloomy views. Though thetares must beat all times springing up, there is no reason for believing that they shall

IV.

SER M. ever overfpread the whole field. The nature of the weeds that spring up may vary, according to the nature of the foil. Different modes of iniquity may diftinguifh different ages of the world; while the fum of corruption is nearly the fame. Let not our judgments of men, and of the times in which we live, be hafty and prefumptuous. Let us truft in the grace of God; and hope the best of mankind,

In the fourth and laft place, let us keep our eyes ever fixed on that important period, which is alluded to in the text, as the conclufion of all. Let both grow together until the harvest. The great fpiritual year is to be closed by a harvest, when the householder is to gather the wheat into his barn; when, at the end of the world, the final diftinction of men and characters is to take place. The confused mixture of good and evil, which now prevails, is only a temporary difpenfation of Providence, accommodated to man's fallen and imperfect ftate. Let it not tempt

us

IV.

us for a moment to diftruft the reality SE RM. of the divine government; or to entertain the remotest fufpicion that moral good and evil are to be on the fame terms for ever. The frailties of our nature fitted us for no more at present than the enjoyment of a very mixed and imperfect fociety. But when our nature purified and refined, fhall become ripe for higher advancement, then shall the fpirits of the just, disengaged from any polluted mixture, undisturbed by fin or by finners, be united in one divine affembly, and rejoice for ever in the presence of him who made them. Looking forward to this glorious iffue with ftedfaft faith, let no cross appearances ever discomfit our hopes, or lead us to fufpect that we have been serving God in vain. If we continue faithful to the death, we may reft affured, that in due time we shall receive the crown of life.

SERMON