is it of importance that we yield to all their dues, except to the God that made us, and the Saviour that redeemed us? Is it important that we fulfil the duties owing from man to man, and is it of inferior consequence that we fulfil those owing to Almighty God? As well might we pretend that all offences in a state were to be carefully avoided, except treason against the head of the state, and that that was of no moment! We may argue that we best shew our piety to God by virtuous conduct towards men; but, in fact, by neglecting piety towards God, we subvert the foundation of the virtues between man and man. The fear of God and the love of God prevailing in the heart, would prevent all the vices, and more than half the miseries of mankind and not only so, but where the fear of God and the love of God do not prevail in the heart, there the essential principle of goodness is wanting, and no portion of true virtue exists in us. The distinction between "those who serve God, and those who serve him not," is of essential, of indispensable, of infinite and eternal consequence; and if we are not positively the servants of God, we are positively, however little we may suppose it, the servants of Satan; for there are but two causes and two services in the world, that of God, and that of the great enemy of God and man-and there is no intermediate, no neutral

state-they divide the whole world between them.

II. I proceed to observe, secondly, that this great DISTINCTION OF CHARACTER is not at present adequately marked or regarded.

The world indeed recognizes the distinction between the moral and the profligate. Honesty and social virtue are generally respected, though great tolerance is exercised towards many vices which do not immediately disturb a man's intercourse with his equals. But the distinction between "him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not," men of the world will, in no proper manner acknowledge. They will not admit the superior excellence of the strictly religious man. On the contrary he is very generally looked upon with an evil eye. If his piety is not pronounced hypocrisy, and his zeal fanaticism, yet at least his conscientiousness is regarded as preciseness, and his devoutness as being righteous over-much." Men will not admit that the strictly religious character is alone "the servant of God;" they will insist upon it that they are so too, and as acceptably so as he though it may be hard to point out in what their service of God consists. "The world knoweth not," nor acknowledgeth devout Christians ; and St. John intimates that this

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should not surprise them, seeing the same world "knew not" their Lord and master. If it carry

its hostility no further than " speaking evil of them falsely for his name's sake;" if it do not add persecutions to reproaches; they fare better than a great proportion of their predecessors.

Not only so: but God himself in his providence, does not by any means, in this world, accurately mark the distinctions between the righteous and wicked.

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There is indeed enough of retribution even here to make it in general visibly true concerning more notorious offenders, that "the way of transgressors is hard." The robber commonly comes to an untimely end the drunkard and the licentious man destroy their health and the fraudulent dealer ruins his character. But still the punishment of the wicked, and the reward of the righteous are to such a degree deferred, as to give occasion to the wise man's observation, that here" all things come alike to all." And hence many sinners are emboldened in their crimes; "because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." They know not, they will not know, that "the goodness of God" is designed to "lead them to repentance : "but after their hardness and impenitent heart they

treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath."

Nay, here often the conscientiousness of the righteous must lead him to sacrifice present interest; his holy moderation, to forego many present indulgences. In the conflict against sin, he often endures much anguish of heart. Here" many are the troubles of the righteous:" and not unfrequently it is an occasion of painful temptation to him to behold "the prosperity of the wicked," while he himself suffers adversity. The Psalmist in the seventy-third Psalm has recorded his feelings in such circumstances. He was tempted to say,

verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency:" and we can hardly suppose Lazarus a stranger to such feelings towards Dives.

A further cause of affliction to the righteous is that he frequently sees the cause of God, which is dearer to him than any personal interest, trodden down under the insolent " triumphings of the ungodly." Trials like these, led the holy prophet Jeremiah thus to address himself to Almighty God:

Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee, yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments : wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?" And it is to the abuse made of such

cases, and the encouragements drawn from them to irreligion, that the passage of my text refers. "Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord yet ye say, what have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, it is vain to serve God: and what profit is it, that we have kept his ordinance ? And now we call the proud happy: yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are delivered." And therefore it is promised, "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."

III. And this brings us to the last thing proposed; to shew, that THOUGH THE DIFFERENCE IS

NOT NOW MARKED, IT SHALL HEREAFTER BEAND THAT IN SUCH A MANNER THAT NONE SHALL ANY MORE BE ABLE TO OVERLOOK IT.

The prophetical connexion implies that at the coming of Christ an important discrimination should be made. And so it proved. That which to the believing part of the Jewish nation was "the acceptable year of the Lord," became to the unbelieving part "the day of vengeance of our God." And to this the words which follow refer: ye shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked"-" for behold the day cometh that

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