tion than other men. And he has continual experience of bleffings, which the wicked neither relish nor perceive. The interchange

of day and night, the viciffitudes of revolving feafons, return to him with renovated joy. They prefent to his view the Author of all things, the Supreme Object of his gratitude and love. The contemplation of the works of God, meditation on the wonders of redemption, recollection of paft mercies, devout anticipations of future glory; these are fubjects which occupy and expand his heart, and cause it to overflow with that peace of God, which paffeth human understanding. Great peace have they who love Thy law, O Lord. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whofe mind is ftayed on Thee; because he trufteth in Thee. Godliness has the promife of the life which now is, as well as of that which is to come (m). The ways of religion are ways of pleafantnefs; and all her paths are peace.

II. I proceed to apply the instruction, which may be drawn from the text, to perfons of three different defcriptions.

1. I would firft addrefs thofe who are decidedly wicked.

(m) Pfalm cxix. 165. Ifaiah, xxvi. 3. 1 Tim. iv. 8.

If the ways of religion are ways of pleafantnefs and peace; the oppofite paths of ungodliness must be paths of mifery. What faith the Scripture? The wicked are like the troubled fea, when it cannot reft; whose wa→ ters caft up mire and dirt. There is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked (n). Do you doubt the truth of this declaration of the Omniscient? Confider the unrighteous. Do fuch men appear to you to be happy? Are the tempers of their minds, are their views, their plans, their fecret reflections, fuch as are likely to give birth to inward tranquillity and comfort? If they feem to enjoy peace, is it not the tranquillity of folly, the security of ignorance, the ftupor of unconcern, the deadnefs of a confcience paft feeling, the judicial infatuation of a reprobate mind? Is it not the peace of a mariner who knows not that a plank has started in the bottom of his veffel? Is it not the peace of a traveller who thinks not that the bridge on which he croffes the gulf is about to fink from beneath his feet? Is it not the peace of a criminal, who fore fees not that the hand of juftice waits but for the clofe of day to arreft him in his bed, to hurry him to trial and execution? Is the conduct of the wicked fuch as is adapted to

(n) Ifaiah, Ivii. 20, 21.

produce

produce happiness to themfelves? Does their wickedness render their families happy? Does it recommend them to you as confidential affociates, as defirable friends? if you wifh for additional information, appeal to the wicked man himself. But appeal to him at a moment, when he will speak the truth. Appeal to him on his death-bed. Enquire of him, whether his life has been a happy life. Enquire whether from his own experience he would counsel thee to choose the path of guilt as the road to peace. And what if he profess that he has been happy? Examine and judge, whether he can have been a happy man. Stand thou on the one hand, while his confcience beholds the King of terrors on the other. Afk thyself whether the poffeffion of the whole world would bribe thee to take to thyfelf his paft life with all its pleasures coupled with his present fituation and all its horrors. Whoever thou art who haft hitherto walked in the ways of fin and mifery; hear that voice, which ftill invites thee to repentance, pardon, holiness, and happiness. Hear the voice of thy Saviour, who ftill waiteth to be gracious. Acquaint thyself with Him, and be at peace (o).

A

2. In the next place let me requeft the attention of those perfons, who are wavering between the paths of religion and the paths of guilt.

What is the refult of your experience? Do you find peace in your prefent courses? The fuppofition is impoffible. You are travelling by turns two contrary roads. In both of them you cannot be happy. If you find peace in one of them; you must neceffarily find disquiet in the other. What is the fact? You find peace in neither.

You have rather too strong a sense of religion to be comfortable in the practice of iniquity. And you have by far too weak a sense of religion, to enjoy the comforts which belong to the righteous. You are too much afraid of God to be able without anxiety to provoke Him. And you love Him too little to enjoy unmixed delight in obeying Him. How long balt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him (p). you would find peace; it is evident that you muft relinquish one of those paths, between which you have hitherto been hefitating. You must choose and abide by, the one, 23 or the other. What is your choice? In which of the two paths have you hitherto

(p) 1 Kings, xviii. 21.

If

found

found the nearest approach to peace of mind? To judge by paft tranfactions, do you conclude that you fhall attain the fairer profpect of happiness by forfaking fin, and devoting yourself wholly to God; or by renouncing religion, and abandoning yourself altogether unto wickednefs? If you would act confiftently, if you would purfue peace with any reasonable chance of fuccefs; you must adopt one of those methods. Determine therefore whether you deem it more defirable to have God for your friend, or for your enemy to apply to yourself the promises, or the threatenings, of His word: to behold in Chrift Jefus the Saviour of the penitent or the avenger of unrighteoufnefs: to enjoy, or to reject, the confoling influence of the Spirit of grace: to look forward to the day of judgement with triumphant hope, or with defpairing terror. Through the long-fuffering of your merciful Father the choice is yet in your power. Choose with an humble and a ftedfaft heart the fervice of God in Chrift; and the God of peace fhall fanctify you wholly. You fhall be filled with all joy and peace in believing. You fhall confefs that to be spiritually-minded is life and peace (q).

(9) Theff. v. 23. Rom. xv. 13. viii. 6.