to go

forth and root up the tares, left with them they should also root up the wheat.

Men, impelled by the defires and conftrained by the neceffities of their nature to live according to the intention of Providence in fociety, find themfelves in various refpects closely united notwithstanding radical differences of views and of character. Neighbourhood, relationship, lawful occupations, common interest, mutual advantage, and the requifite offices and intercourse of life, bind together by numerous and infeparable ties the fervant of God and the fervant of Satan. The righteous and the wicked are fo firmly connected, that affliction cannot overtake the latter without alfo reaching the former. The tares do not grow up fingly and feparately among the wheat: but are fo twisted round it, fo entangled among it, fo interwoven with it, that to pull them without pulling up the wheat is impoffible. Lefs injury will refult to the crop of good grain from their continuance, than from an attempt to extirpate them.

up

Suppofe a nation, outwardly of the Chriftian church, to become memorable for impiety; polluted in itself; a torment and a fource of corruption to its neighbours.

You

You wonder that the earth does not cleave afunder beneath it: that fire does not fall from heaven and confume it: that by sword, or by famine, or by peftilence, divine vengeance does not fweep it to deftruction. But does it contain no righteous remnant? When the prophet Elijah imagined that every Ifraelite except himfelf was become an idolater, God faw feven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal. May not the eye of God discern thousands of righteous men, where you apprehend that there is not one? And what shall befall them? Shall they perish with the wicked? That be far from the Judge of the whole earth. Shall not perhaps the whole nation be spared. for their fake? Had there been ten righteous in Sodom, God would not have deftroyed it. On the prayer of Lot alone, he refrained from confuming the city of Zoar. Do you murmur, if he again vouchfafes to display fimilar mercy ?

Suppose a more common example. Suppose an individual to be diftinguished in wickedness; proud, fenfual, diffolute, profane, a defpifer of religion, a teacher and encourager of fin. "Why," you ask, "is "this man permitted to live, and to spread "mischief around him year after year?

"No

"No general calamity is requifite for his "removal. Why does not Death fingle "him out at once?" How know

you but that the man may live to repent? But, not to dwell on that poffibility; are there no other perfons for whofe fake he may be fpared? Is there no plant of wheat which might be fatally injured, if this weed were now plucked up? Has he not parents, whofe prefent interefts are closely involved in his? Has he not a wife, or a child, who may be left deftitute, if he should be cut off? Has he neither brother nor relative, nor friend, nor acquaintance, to whom his existence is at present useful or to whom Omnifcience may foresee that at a future period it will be advantageous? May not even his vices be overruled by the providence of God into beneficial warnings to others? May not his pride teach fome to cherish meeknefs? May not his intemperance evince the excellence of fobriety? May not his irreligion imprefs on others the beauty of holiness? In feasons of cold or of drought, or of immoderate rain, the proximity of a weed may for a time afford ufeful shelter to a ftem of wheat. May not this weed be as yet fuffered to grow, that it may answer a fimilar purpofe?

III. But

III. But shall it always be thus? Shall the genuine corn never be difencumbered from the tares? Shall the wicked for ever be intermingled with the juft? Not fo. The harvest shall come; and then shall be the day of perpetual feparation. Surrounded by angelic hofts, the Lord of the harveft of the whole earth, when the field of his church is fully ripe, shall return to examine the produce. The times of long-suffering will then have paffed away. The motives. for forbearance will no longer exift. Judgement will claim her office, and proceed to her appointed work. Gather ye together the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn. them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Such, in the emblematical language of the parable, is the commiffion which the Lord Jefus Chrift, feated on his throne of glory, shall deliver to his angels. With inftantaneous obedience they fhall execute the command. They shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity. They fhall fever from among the righteous all the children of the wicked one: all who have borne no fruit, or corrupt fruit: all who have not been purified by the blood of Chrift, and fanctified by the operation of his grace. Why fhall

these

thefe finners be thus collected? Mark the words of your Judge; To be caft into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. They fhall be collected, that they may receive the lot which they have preferred that having refufed the opportunities of mercy, they may be made the victims of juftice: that they may be for ever feparated from God, whofe fervice they have fcorned, and may share the portion of the devil, the mafter whom they have chofen that they may be caft into the lake of torment, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is never quenched. But what fhall be the bleffing of the children of the kingdom? They fhall fhine forth as the fun in the kingdom of their Father. The empire of Satan is at end. He is caft into everlasting chains. He is groaning under everlasting punishment. His minifters and his fubjects, apoftate angels and revolted men, are for evermore fealed up with him in the bottomlefs pit. The Lord and his Chrift have taken unto them their great power, and reign for ever and ever. The Son of God has enabled his fervants, who through him have overcome the temptations of Satan, to fit down with Him upon his throne. He has caufed the bleffed of