sinner, even death eternal. For the wages of sin is death, and he that chooses the one (let his pretences be what they may) must be said to choose the other; because he knows (at least it is his own fault, if he does not know) that God will render to every man according to his deeds: to them, who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and honour and immortality; eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doth evil. Rom. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9.

See, then, what wretched folly the sinner is guilty of, (how wise soever he may think himself, and how much soever he may despise the sober part of mankind), when he first enters upon a life of wickedness! for he is then evidencing to all the world, that Life and Death being set before him, he has determined his choice to the latter: --A choice so absurd and unaccountable, that, did not experience convince us it is often made, we could hardly

think it possible for a rational creature to be so blind. O blessed God! hast thou set before us happiness and misery ; joys unspeakable and full of glory on the one hand, and torments endless and intolerable on the other! hast thou given us the light of reason to guide us, and superadded that of thy Holy Spirit to illuminate and instruct us; hast thou implanted in our nature a dread of, and aversion from, pain and misery, and an insatiable and never-ceasing thirst after happiness; and is it possible for us, after all this, to be so blind and senseless, such enemies to our own souls, and so regardless of their eternal welfare, as to prefer the dark ways of sin and misery before those blessed paths that lead to the bright regions of bliss and glory!-Alas! such wretched fools are too many among us, who, notwithstanding all that thou hast done for us, will not hearken, nor be advised, but run headlong into the ways of sin and destruction.

This indeed is a melancholy oonsideration and what shall we say to awaken men out of this fatal lethargy,

and to inspire them with a just sense of their danger? what! but intreat them to consider, that, unless they repent, they will certainly perish! For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness. and unrighteousness of men:—and though God winked at the times of ignorance; yet now he commandeth all men every where to repent; because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead. Acts. xvii. 30, 31. In that awful day, sinners will in vain call to the mountains and rocks to fall on them and to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.-For, when the great day of his wrath is come, wha shall then be able to stand? Rev. vir 16, 17. Who, indeed, shall be able to stand before the face of an incensed God, and hear him pronounce that dreadful sentence, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everiasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels?—Ah !

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who can bear an eternity of horror and despair? Who can dwell with implacable fiends in everlasting burnings? Is. xxxiii. 14.

These are consideratious of infinite concern, and sufficiently shew us the great necessity of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and living righ teously, soberly and godlily, in this present world. But because the weightiest truths, when their consequences are not immediately felt, are too apt to be disregarded; I shall enlarge a little upon the great Importance of a religious Life, by endeavouring to prove these three things:

I. That there is no solid happiness to be attained in this life, but in the practice of Religion.

II. That as Religion is the only thing that can make us happy while we live, so there is nothing but a good life can give us any comfortable prospect, when we come to die.

III. That a conscientious observance of the duties of Religion will not only make us live happily and die comfortably; but, what is infinitely beyond

all this, will most certainly be rewarded with eternal happiness in the life to

come.

First, then, I shall endeavour toprove, That there is no solid happiness to be attained in this life but in the practice of Religion.

It has ever been the great artifice of the Devil, to possess the minds of unthinking men with an opinion that Religion is a sour, morose, ill natured principle; an enemy to whatever is. pleasant and cheerful; and that whoever engages in the practice of it, musti renounce all the pleasures and enjoyments of this life. But as the Devil. is the Father of Lies, it is no wonder that he sets every thing before us in a false and deceitful light: it was by these means he deceived our first unhappy parents; and it is by the same methods he endeavours to betray their too credulous posterity. He is continually representing Evil as Good, and Good Evil; putting Darkness for Light, and Light for Darkness. He knows that there is such a beauty and comeliness in Religion, as no one can behold it but