thoughts, or some incidental indiscretions in their lives. These unhappy persons think not, neither do they consider. The law has never come home to their hearts, in its power, spirit, or authority.

I proceed to consider,

Secondly, What is implied in being alive in this situation, or what it is to be alive without the law. It may be proper here to observe, that the Apostle's representing himself as being alive. without the law once, that is, while he was in an unconverted and Christless state, influenced his life in its delusive hopes, while he was acting contrary to God, and breathing out persecution against the gospel. The words being alive, imply great ease and security-a vain hope and confidence-a kind of self-enjoyment and satisfaction in these circumstances.

First, The words imply a great deal of ease and security in certain respects. They are alive in their own feeling; proceeding en jovial and chearful; inapprehensive of danger; and destruction from the Almighty is no terror to them. Any serious concern about their immortal souls, they allow not themselves to meditate upon. Thoughts of this kind would be death to their life. They live along from day to day, and year to year, without any solemn reflections how their affairs stand with God, or what will be their condition in a future world. They cast not their thoughts beyond the present state of existence-hence, they feel themselves perfectly easy. The attempt to persuade them that they are dead, while they live, dead in trespasses and sins, they reject with the utmost scorn, saying, "who are so "lively and cheerful as we are?" Their consciences are compleatly still and silent, benumbed with the busy cares and stupifying amusements of the world. The strong man armed, keeps the house, and all within is quiet and composed. They feel no difficulties, perplexities or foreboding fears disturbing their repose. No religious concern molests or assaults their tranquility. While

many others, in a better state, are deeply afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted; filled with anxious distress least they should at last miss of heaven and life eternal. As to their part, they bless themselves they are strangers to killing exercises of this sort. Perhaps, indeed, there are few unregenerated sinners under the light of the gospel, but alarms of conscience break in upon their peace and quietude; but these remonstrances are soon overcome and reduced to silence. They speedily return to their wonted security and inconsideration. And as they live, so many of them die, and seem to have no bonds in their death. Some appear to exchange time for eternity, the place of hope for a state of punishment, with as much indifference and thoughtlesness, as they change their raiment, or pass from one room to another.

Secondly, Persons being alive without the law, implies that they enjoy much deceitful hope and vain confidence. They seem not to have a misgiving thought, but that their state is good.. What is more common than for dead sinners to imagine them. selves rich and increased in goods, and that they need nothing. They possess the conclusion of perfect safety, and at death a direct translation to glory and felicity. Their hopes are strong, and always were so and some are ready to thank God they never had a doubt about their future welfare. If they are enquired of respecting the grounds or reasons of their confidence. Some can give no answer, only they are so persuaded some will reply, their hope is, God is merciful-others, that their lives are unstained with gross abominations-and others, that they perform their duty to God and man; the duties of the church, devotion, honesty and charity. Thus, they compass themselves about with sparks of their own kindling. Their hopes, though destitute of every scriptural and rational foundation, and have not one property of a gospel hope, yet no arguments can induce them to a relinquishment of them. A christian hope purifies the heart, animates the soul in the service of God, engages and warms the

affections in religion-but theirs bear the full complection of the reverse of all this. They imagine it a most easy thing to obtain heaven, hence the most inconsiderable matters will support their confidence. Those persons are alive without the law. Before the hoThis, the Apostle assures us, was once his case. liness, strictness, and extent of the divine law came home to his heart, by the powerful application of the holy Spirit, as he was on his way to Damascus, no man entertained stronger hopes of his good estate, and standing high in the favor of God, than he did. All the concerns of his soul, in his imagination, were safe; and he enjoyed,imself in perfect security, entirely inapprehensive of danger, and a doubt entered not his mind, but that he was proceeding to heaven.

Thirdly, To be alive, implies a high degree of satifaction and self-enjoyment in present circumstances. The Apostle conceived all things were well with him. Contemplate the extent, fullness, and pleasure of the expression, "I was alive." Life is sweet, joyous, and desirable. The carnally secure in sin, their lives are serene, jovial and merry. Their hearts are whole, their consciences quiet, their hopes strong, and all is apparent happiness with them. They live at ease, their present moments are delight, and their future prospects without a cloud. They rejoice in the business, amusements, and diversions of life, and no inward jealousies about futurity to create uneasiness. When we consider a state of carnal security, it would at first blush, throw out signals for envy and desire. How charming are the ways of sin; they are as the rolling of a sweet morsel under the tongue. They live not only in pleasure, but in hope. But, O their end, their dreadful end, when their refuges of lies are swept away, and their hopes vanish into delusive air. The hope, the vain hope of the secure sinner and hypocrite shall perish. How awful is their case in the midst of all their comforts, pleasures, and fancied prospects, to find the earth opening beneath them, and their sonls sinking into the yawning pit? These are

the circumstances in which the Apostle once was, in his unen lightened and unconverted state, and in a similar situation are all hypocrites, deluded professors, and secure sinners under the gospel.

Here you behold the tranquility, peace, and comfort of a sinful state. My plan is not to unveil its fatal dangers at present. A conviction of its evils will be matter of future consideration.

The hints now given, shall be improved in a few remarks upon a state of security in sin. The

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First remark on this discourse is, that persons whose state is ill, may possess a strong confidence that it is good. This is abundantly exemplified in the case of the Scribes and Pharisees. Who more confident than they, that they were high in the friendship of heaven? They had Abraham for their father, and felt sure from the promises, they were eminent favorites of God.Was ever wickedness so great, delusion so strong, mistakes so gross, and opinions of goodness so high, as in this fatal instance?

Another instance we have in the parable of the foolish virgins. They had no doubt of the goodness of their state, that they were interested in the love of God, and would find a sure admission into his kingdom. But how did their hope turn out when the bridegroom came? They had no oil in their vessels with their lamps. They held the lamp of profession in their hands, but had not the oil of grace in their hearts. Their confidence vanishes, and their souls perish. The whole scope of the parable bears this intimation that the case our Lord describes is very common; that many persons maintain a full security that they are in a safe condition, while in reality they are mistaken, deceived, and fatal disappointment will be the issue.

The Church of Laodicea, is an undeniable proof and flagrant example of our doctrine. They imagined themselves rich, en

creased in goods, and standing in need of nothing. They were confident of their goodness, and that their future happiness was well secured. But Christ the judge, who searches the heart, entertains a different opinion of them. He pronounces them poor and miserable, wretched, and blind, and naked; quite the reverse of what they supposed themselves to be. Many are of a similar character, and under the same deception in all ages.

Thus a high boasting confidence may be an evidence of a state of life and security in sin, while it affords no marks of a gracious condition. A strong persuasion of being the favorites of God, may be a delusive fancy, a mistaken conception, and the very reverse of reality. This delusive persuasion may be continued to the moment of dissolution, and then the discovery of truth is too late.

Let us then be cautious and jealous with regard to the foundation of our hopes. It is not the greatest security that is an evidence of our goodness, but the scriptural grounds whereon it is

built.

How often do we see poor careless sinners, whose conduct and practice clearly evince that they have no inward sense of God upon their souls, and yet have no misgivings of heart, but all will be very safe with them at last. They live chearful and gay, indulge themselves in mirth, pleasure and jollity. There is a natural propensity in man to think well of himself; and a natural aversion against every disturbance of their ease and comfort. Let us beware, lest we should be ruined by groundless hopes, by fatal security, and the indulgence of vain imaginations.

A Second remark is, that the reason why sinners live so secure and unconcerned about the salvation of their souls is, that they are without the law. This the Apostle assigns as the cause of bis own former security. And this is the case with respect to all others. The law has not been set home upon their hearts; they