blesome and unfeasonable interrupter of their pleafures. They regarded him as a dreamer; a felf-appointed prophet of evil tidings; a gloomy and over-righteous enthusiast, fearing where no fear was, and needlefsly tormenting himself and others by difcourfing of the anger of God, when no fuch anger existed, and of judgements and overwhelming vengeance never destined to take place. He feemed unto them as one that mocked. They despised his counsel they refused to fly for deliverance from that feat of corruption: and within the space of very few hours, they perished in the universal deftruction of the guilty land.

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I proceed, in humble reliance on the divine bleffing, by which alone religious inftruction, whether public or private, is rendered effica cious, to apply for your edification thofe circumstances in the hiftory of Lot and his fonsin-law, which are particularly mentioned in the text.

Perhaps, however, you may be difpofed to fay within yourfelves; "Why reprefent as applicable to us, the cafe of the most de"teftable tranfgreffors whom the world has "witneffed? Are we, like unto them, finners. "above all? Are we the by-word and fcandal "of the land? Are we, beyond all others, notorious for difobeying and difregarding

"religion ?" God forbid. But were not all things, which were written aforetime in the Scriptures, written for our learning Is it foreign to the purpofe, for which we are affembled, to fet before you any example of divine indignation poured out upon wickednefs? Do not two of the apoftles of Chrift, St. Peter and St. Jude, apply this very example to you, and to all mankind? Do they not aver that Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbouring cities, condemned with an overthrow, turned into afhes, and fuffering the vengeance of eternal fire, are set forth for an enfample unto all that afterwards fhall live ungodly; an enfample that all who shall thenceforth live ungodly fhall be referved unto the day of judgement to be punished (b)? Does not our Saviour himself apply to you and to all men this identical example? Does he not folemnly affirm to his difciples concerning all who fhould not hear and receive their words; and confequently concerning all who fhould not receive and obey the gospel, whoever may be the preacher of it; that in the day of Judgement it fhall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, than for them (c)?

(b) 2 Pet. . 6-9. Jude, 7.

(c) Matth. x. 15.

I. Let us in the firft place attend to the exhortation addreffed by Lot to his fons-inlaw; Up; get you out of this place: for the Lord will deftroy this city.

Confider what was the fituation of these men. They dwelt in a city fubject to the dominion of fin. They had conftantly before their eyes the example of numbers living without the fear of God, and in the groffeft disobedience to His holy commandments. They were continually exposed to the danger of being rendered, by becoming familiar with wickedness, infenfible of the heinous guilt of offending God. They dwelt in a city which in confequence of its finfulness deserved immediate destruction; in a city which, when time and opportunity abundantly fufficient for trial and repentance had been afforded, was devoted to immediate deftruction. The divine mercy fill extended to them one refpite, one opportunity, one warning more. To-day, if ye will hear: my voice, harden not your hearts. Flee "for your lives. If you linger, you are un"done. Get you out of this city; for the "Lord will deftroy it. Come out of this

"city, that ye receive not of her fins, and "that ye be not partakers of her plagues."

Such

Such was the admonition, fuch the injunction, which God delivered by His angels to. the fons-in-law of Lot.

Is there not a real, is there not a near refemblance between the outward condition of those unhappy men and your own? You dwell in a world which the Scriptures pronounce to be under the dominion of fin; a world fubject to the power of Satan, the prince of this world, the God of this world; a world to which you are not to belong, a world to which you are not to be conformed, a world which you are not to love, a world to which you are to be crucified, a world whofe friendship is enmity with God. You, like the fons-in-law of Lot, are inceffantly. obnoxious to the contagion of peftilent example. You are encircled by multitudes. living in wickedness; regardless of God, tranfgreffing His commandments, neglecting His ordinances, wilfully ignorant of His written word, profaners of His day and of His name. With perfons of this defcription you are conftrained, more or lefs, by the bufinefs of life to affociate. You witnefs their practices; you hear their fentiments; you become converfant with their principles. To the infectious influence of thefe practices, of thefe fentiments, of thefe principles, you are expofed

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pofed day by day. You dwell in a world deferving of deftruction; and condemned, if the appointed feason of repentance shall have paffed away in vain, to destruction for ever and ever, to the vengeance of eternal fire. To you, as to the fons in-law of Lot, life and the means of falvation are afforded. To you the exhortation is ftill addreffed; Arife, "and flee for your lives. Flee from the wrath to come. Save yourselves from this "untoward generation. Come forth, and be ye feparate. Keep yourselves unspotted from the world, that ye be not condemned with the world."

Such then is your fituation. Such is the fituation of every one, who hears the found of the gofpel. Contagion furrounds you: deftruction lies before you. You are defiled, miferable, and helplefs. Yet ftill there is a call of mercy; ftill there is a way to escape. The God whom you have offended places deliverance within your reach. The Son of God becomes man, and gives his life to purchafe your falvation. He commands, he invites, he encourages you to fly to Him for falvation. He promifes to you not only the pardon of fin, not only the enlightening and fupporting grace of the Holy Ghoft; but a crown of glory that fadeth not away, a king