this Night and hurry us away with all our Sins about us. It is a very dangerous Experiment, which Sinners daily make; because God hath permitted them to go on fo far without Punishment, therefore, they are refolved to try how long he will bear with them; and fo continue in their Sins until they provoke him to call them away by a fearful Destruction. Let the Folly of these Men teach us Wisdom. Let us learn to be wife before the Day of Salvation is past, and whilst there is Hope of Acceptance feek the Lord, and call upon him while he is nigh. Though we have been Sinners, yet there is Mercy in Store for them that seek it; and God waiteth for our Return, to crown us with Glory and Happiness.

Let us then turn to the Lord with all our Heart, and with all our Soul. Let us bid adieu to the vain Delights of this World, and follow after Holiness and Virtue. Though we have been loft in the Ways of Wickedness, let us now be found in the Paths of Righteouinefs. And though

we

we have been dead in Sin, let us now be found alive unto God; that when that awful Day shall come; when all Men shall ftand before the Throne of God to receive the Sentence of Praife or Condemnation,

we may hear that joyful Sentence pronounced unto us, Come ye bleed of my Father, receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. Amen.

SERMON

A

SWEAR NOT.

MONGST the many great and crying Sins, which the People of this Nation are guilty of, we may juftly reckon the profaning of God's holy Name, by curfing and fwearing, to be none of the leaft. This Sin, odious and vile as it is, no Age, no Sex, no Condition in Life is free from; and what is moft furprifing, no Man can fay, that there is any (even the leaft Inducement) to it. Whatever Excufes are brought in Favour of it, are so trifling,

and

and infignificant, that I cannot conceive thofe, who make Use of them, can think them to be a fufficient Vindication of their Practice. Some Reasons have, indeed, been affigned; but if thefe are allowed to be good, we may (by the fame Method) excuse every, Vice, of what Magnitude foever it may be. To evince the Weakness and Folly of thefe Excufes, fhall be the Bufinefs of this Difcourfe.

The first Plea that is produced in Favour of this abominable Vice, is Cuftom. Men pretend that they have got fuch an Habit of it, that they do not know how to refrain from it. The Force of Custom is in

deed very great. Conftant Practice of any Thing, maketh the doing of it almost natural. This fheweth us how cautious we ought to be what Habits we acquire; for by fuffering them to take deep Root, we shall find it very hard to pluck them out. It will be like striving against Nature; and the longer we continue in them, the greater will be the Labour of overcoming them. But furely, it can be no Extenuation of a Fault,

3