in its moft terrible form delays not to overtake him. The Spirit of the Lord departs from him. The fupport of divine grace is in a great measure withdrawn ; and in a proportion precisely correfponding he is judicially abandoned to his natural depravity. In proportion too as he has removed himself from the guidance of the Moft High, he falls under an opposite control. From time to time an evil spirit from the Lord, an evil spirit exercifing its malignity under the permiffion of Almighty God, troubles him. You wonder not, under these circumftances, to behold the remainder of his days darkened with calamities and crimes. You wonder not to fee him purfuing year after year the life of David; aiming his javelin at the heart of his own fon Jonathan; maffacring the priests of the Moft High with their wives and children; prying into his own deftruction by confulting a woman with a familiar fpirit and closing a long period of private and public mifery by an attempt at felf-murder; and finally by imploring and receiving death from the hand of an Amalekite, a furviving fugitive of that nation, with respect to which he had disobeyed the probationary mandate of his God. X 4 How How shall the life of Saul be fummarily described? I have finned: I have played the fool: I bave erred exceedingly. Whofe are these words? The words of Saul himfelf in his latter days. Do you require ftronger teftimony to the identity of folly and fin? II. From the foregoing history several important obfervations may be derived. We learn, in the first place, not to repofe blind and premature confidence on fome few promifing appearances as to piety. Let every symptom favourable to the fuppofition that religion is the ruling principle in the character of another be cordially welcomed, and judiciously encouraged. But remember the difference between the first transactions in the public life of Saul, and the general tenor of his fubfequent proceedings: and learn to guard your willing hopes from degenerating into fanguine credulity. Conceive not that an amiable deportment, accompanied even with strong inftances of modefty and forbearance, inftances which may originate in natural feeling rather than in a defire of pleafing God, are demonftrations that the heart is religious. Conceive not that ex amples amples of religious confideration on fome particular occafions are proofs that religion is firmly and durably established in the bofom. Gold is not known to be genuine, until it has stood the teft of fire. The crop is not eftimated by the blade, but by the harvest. Wait until religion has for some time been tried by the temptations of life, before you pronounce on its reality. Wait until faith has manifefted itself in a fteady course of good works, before you affirm yourself certain that it is fincere. Wait until the man has habitually shewn himself disposed to facrifice intereft and pleafure, evil tempers and evil practices, for the fake of Chrift, before you decidedly aver him to be a fervant of Christ. rish, in judging of others, the warmth and the tenderness of Chriftian charity but recollect that Chriftian charity requires not that you caft away caution, and difregard the inftruction of experience. Above all things, beware of being deluded by the contemplation of fcattered tokens in your own conduct of love to God into a confident opinion refpecting yourself. Your trials as yet may have been flight.. Others far more formidable may be on their way, may be at hand. Let him that Che thinketh thinketh be ftandeth, take heed left he fall. Be humble; be watchful; fhun temptation; refift temptation. In the midst of your moft earnest exertions look for fuccefs wholly through fupplication for the grace which is in Chrift Jefus. Are Confider in the next place the guilt of impatiently endeavouring to attain a prefent good by departing from the way of God's commandments. The Deity would not accept a burnt-offering from Saul, when presented in a manner contrary to his appointment. Every thing which is not conformable to his revealed will is evil. you involved in difficulty or trouble? Are you perfuaded not only that you could extricate yourself, but that you could accomplish some purpose good in itself and highly desirable, by departing only as it were a hair's breadth from the divine law? Do it not. To do evil that good may come is declared by St. Paul to be an utterly unchristian doctrine. Look back on the difobedient king of Ifrael. Remember that your Lord is putting you to trial. He is proving your patience, your fubmiffion, your faith. What if thou feemeft to thyself to discern a fhorter way to deliverance than that which He has prefcribed? Keep thy thy foot from it. It is the path of folly: it is the path of fin: it leads to destruction. Abide thou in the track of righteousness. This is the way. Walk thou in it. Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left. Abide thou in the track of righteousness: wait thou the time of the Most High: and in his own time and by the track of righteousness the Most High fhall guide thee to peace and to falvation. Behold, thirdly, the guilt of rafh refolutions and vows. In concerns of importance, that which is resolved haftily, is commonly refolved foolishly. But whenever, like Saul, a person forms a determination, or fetters himself by an engagement, under the precipitate impulfe of paffion: feldom shall a confiderable time elapfe before he perceives reason for deep and lasting regret. He shall find himself pledged to a line of conduct which will entail upon him many an hour of forrow. Or he shall difcover that his promife cannot be carried into effect without fin: and either fhall add to his offence by performing it; or by conscientiously declining to fulfil it, fhall excite clamour, fufpicion, hatred, and scorn. Or he shall be tormented by doubts whether his refolution was juftifiable or unwarrant able: |