evangelical economy; but this happiness, on their falling away, rendered their loss irreparable.

for a model, he animated them by the idea of what they had already achieved, and by what they had yet to do. Call to remembrance,' says he, the former days, in which ye endured so great a fight of afflictions, partly whilst you were made a gazing-stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward,' Hb. x. 32, 33. 35. We address the

Apply this thought to the various means, which Providence affords for your conversion: and think what effect it must produce on your preachers. It suspends our jugdment, and ties our hands, if I may so speak, in the exercise of our ministry. We are animated at the sight of the blessing which the gospel brings; but, when we contemplate the awful consequences on those who resist, we are as-like exhortation to each of our hearers. We tonished and appalled.

Must we wilfully exclude the light? What effects have the efforts of Providence produced upon you? What account can you give of the numerous privileges, with which Heaven has favoured you? Think not that we take pleasure in declamations, and in drawing frighful portraits of your conduct. Would to God that our preaching were so received, and so improved, as to change our censures into applause, and all our strictures into approbation. But charity is never opposed to experience. So many exhortations, so many entreaties, so many affectionate warnings, so many pathetic sermons, so many instructions, so many conflicts to save you from vice, leave the proud in his pride, the implacable in his hatred, the fashionable woman in full conformity to the world. and every other in his predominating sin. What line of conduct shall we consequently adopt? Shall we continue to enforce the truth, to press the duties of morality; and to trace the road of salvation, in which you refuse to walk? We have already said, that these privileges will augment your loss, and redouble the weight of your chains. Must we shut up these churches? Must we overturn these ! pulpits? Must we exile these pastors? And making that the object of our prayer, which ought to be our justest cause of fear, must we say, Lord, take away thy word; take away thy Spirit; and remove thy candlestick; lest, receiving too large a portion of grace, we should augment the account we have to give, and render our punishment more intolerable. But why abandon the soul to so tragical a thought? Lord, continue with us these preeious pledges of thy loving-kindness, which is better than life,' and give us a new heart It is true, my brethren, a thousand objects indicate, that you will persist in impiety. But I know not what sentiment flatters us, that you are about to renounce it. These were St. Paul's sentiments concerning the Hebrews: he saw the efforts of the world to draw them from the faith, and the almost certain fall of some; in the mean time he hoped, and by an argument of charity, that the equity of God would be interested to prevent their fall. He hoped farther; he hoped to see an event of consolation. Hence he opened to the Hebrews the paths of tribulation in which they walked with courage. He called to their remembrance so many temptations refuted, so many enemies confounded, so many conflicts sustained, so many victories obtained, so many trophies of glory already prepared; and, proposing himself

remind you of whatever is most to be admired in your life, though weak and imperfect, the communions you have celebrated, the prayers you have offered to Heaven, the tears of repentance already shed.

And you, my brethren, my dear brethren, and honoured countrymen, I call to your recollection, as S. Paul to the Hebrews, the earth strewed with the bodies of your martyrs, and stained with your blood-the desert populated with your fugitives;-the places of your nativity desolated;-your tenderest ties dissolved;-your prisoners in chains, and confessors in irons ;-your houses rased to the foundation; and the precious remains of your shipwreck scattered on all the shores of Christendom. Oh! 'Let us not cast away our confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.' Let not so many conflicts be lost; let us never forsake this Jesus to whom we are devoted; but let us daily augment the ties which attach us to his communion.

If these are your sentiments, fear neither the terrors nor anathemas of the Scriptures. As texts, the most consolatory, have an awful aspect to them who abuse their privileges, so passages the most terrific, have a pleasing aspect to those who obey the calls of grace. The words we have explained are of this kind; for the apostle speaking of a certain class of sinners, who cannot be renewed again unto repentance,' implies thereby, that all other sinners, of whatsoever kind, may be renewed. Let us therefore repent. Let us break these hearts. Let us soften these stones. Let us cause floods of tears to issue from the dry and barren rocks. And after we have passed through the horrors of repentance, let our hearts rejoice in our salvation. Let us banish all discouraging fears. Let us pay the homage of confidence to a merciful God, never confounding repentance with despair. Repentance honours the Deity; despair degrades him. Repentance adores his goodness; despair suppresses one of his brightest beams of glory. Repentance follows the example of saints; despair confounds the human kind with demons. Repentance ascribes to the blood of the Redeemer of the world its real worth; despair ac counts it an unholy thing.' Let us enter into these reflections; let this day be equally the triumph of repentance over the horrors of sin, and the triumph of grace over the anguish of repentance. God grant us this grace; to him, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honour and glory for ever. Amen.

bates a religion which gives him inquietude and pain, and wishes to expunge it from every heart; this man has not committed the unpardonable sin in all its extent, but he has so far proceeded as to hate the truth.

4. What, lastly, rendered the crime atrocious with regard to apostates, was their running to this excess, after having tasted the happiness, which the hope of salvation produces in the soul. This may, likewise, be found among Christians of our own age. For example a temporary professor;-a man (to avail myself of an expression of Jesus Christ) who receives the word with joy ;'a man, who has long prayed with fervour, who has communicated with transports of delights; a man of this description, who forgets all these delights, who resists all these attractive charms, and sacrifices them to the advantages offered by a false religion; he has not yet committed the unpardonable sin, but he surely has the characteristic of falling away, after having been once enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift'

You now perceive, my brethren, that all these characteristics may be found separately among men of our own age. But should there be a man in whom they all unite; a man who has known and abjured the truth; who has not only abjured, but opposed and persecuted it, not in a moment of surprise, and at the sight of racks and tortures, but from a principle of enmity and hatred; do you not think he would have just cause to fear, that he had committed the 'unpardonable sin.'

To collect the whole in two words, and in a yet shorter way to resolve the question, Is it possible now to commit the unpardonable sin?' I answer: We cannot commit it with regard to every circumstance; but, in regard to what constitutes its essence and atrocity, it may be committed; and though men seldom fall so deeply, yet it is not impossible. Few complete the crime; but many commit it in part, and in degree. Some imagine themselves to be guilty by an ill-founded fear; but a much greater number are daily going the awful road, and, through an obstinate security, unperceived. They ought, of course, to reject the thought of having proceeded to that excess; but, at the same time, to take precaution, that, in the issue, the dreadful period may never come, which is nearer, perhaps, than they imagine.

APPLICATION.

But who among our hearers can be actuated by so great a frenzy? What deluded conscience can enjoy repose under a pretext, that it has not yet committed the unpardonable sin? Whence is it, after all, that this crime is so dreadful? All the reasons which may be assigned, terminate here, as in their centre, that it precipitates the soul into hell. But is not hell the end of every sin? There is this difference, it must be observed, between the unpardonable sin, and other sins, that he who commits it is lost without resource; whereas, after other sins, we have sure remedy in conversion. But, in all cases, a man must repent, reform and become a new creature; for we find in religion, what we find in the human body; some diseases quite incurable, and others which may be removed with application and care: but they have both the similarity of becoming incurable by neglect; and what, at first, was but a slight indisposition, becomes mortal by presumption and delay.

Besides there are few persons among us,there are few monsters in nature,-capable of carrying wickedness, all at once, to the point we have described. But how many are there who walk the awful road, and who attain to it by degrees? They do not arrive, in a moment, at the summit of impiety. The first essays of the sinner, are not those horrid traits which cause nature to recoil. A man educated in the Christian religion, does not descend, all at once, from the full lustre of truth, to the profoundest darkness. His fault, at first, was mere detraction; thence he proceeded to negligence; thence to vice; next he stifles remorse; and, lastly, proceeds to the commission of enormous crimes: so he who, in the beginning, trembled at the thought of a weakness, becomes insensible of the foulest deeds, and of a conduct the most atrocious.

་

There is one reflection with which you cannot be too much impressed, in an age in which Jesus Christ approaches us with his light, with his Spirit, and with all the advan tages of the evangelical economy; that is, concerning the awful consequences of not improving these privileges, according to their original design. You rejoice to live in the happy age, which so many kings and prophets have desired to see. You have reason so to do. But you rejoice in these privileges, while each of you persist in a favourite vice, and a predominant habit; and because you are neither Jews nor heathens, you expect What effects shall the truths we have de- to find, in religion, means to compose a conlivered produce on your minds? Shall they science, abandoned to every kind of vice: augment your pride, excite vain notions of this is a most extraordinary, and almost ge your virtue, and suggest an apology for vice, neral prejudice among Christians. But this because you cannot, in the portrait we have light, in which you rejoice,-this Christianigiven, recognize your own character? Is ty, by which you are distinguished,—this your glory derived from the consideration, faith, which constitutes your glory, will agthat your depravity has not attained the high-gravate your condemnation, if your lives est pitch; and that there yet remains one point of horror, at which you have not arrived? Will you suffer the wounds to corrode your heart, under the notions that they are not desperate, and there is still a remedy? And do you expect to repent, and to ask for giveness, when repentance, is impracticable; and when all access to mercy is cut off?

continue unreformed. The Pharisees were highly favoured by seeing Jesus Christ in the flesh, by attesting his miracles, and hearing the wisdom which descended from his lips; but these were the privileges which caused their sin to be irremissible. The Hebrews were happy by being enlightened, by tasting of the heavenly gift, and the powers of the

"

evangelical economy; but this happiness, on their falling away, rendered their loss irreparable.

for a model, he animated them by the idea of
what they had already achieved, and by what
they had yet to do. Call to remembrance,'
says he, the former days, in which ye endur-
ed so great a fight of afflictions, partly whilst
you were made a gazing-stock, both by re-
proaches and afflictions, and partly whilst ye
became companions of them that were so
used. Cast not away, therefore, your confi-
dence, which hath great recompense of re-
ward,' H. b. x. 32, 33. 35. We address the

Apply this thought to the various means, which Providence affords for your conversion: and think what effect it must produce on your preachers. It suspends our jugdment, and ties our hands, if I may so speak, in the exercise of our ministry. We are animated at the sight of the blessing which the gospel brings; but, when we contemplate the awful consequences on those who resist, we are as-like exhortation to each of our hearers. We tonished and appalled.

Must we wilfully exclude the light? What effects have the efforts of Providence produced upon you? What account can you give of the numerous privileges, with which Heaven has favoured you? Think not that we take pleasure in declamations, and in drawing frightful portraits of your conduct. Would to God that our preaching were so received, and so improved, as to change our censures into applause, and all our strictures into approbation. But charity is never opposed to experience. So many exhortations, so many entreaties, so many affectionate warnings, so many pathetic sermons, so many instructions, so many conflicts to save you frorn vice, leave the proud in his pride, the implacable in his hatred, the fashionable woman in full conformity to the world. and every other in his predominating sin. What line of conduct shall we consequently adopt? Shall we continue to enforce the truth, to press the duties of morality; and to trace the road of salvation, in which you refuse to walk? We have already said, that these privileges will augment your loss, and redouble the weight of your chains. Must we shut up these churches? Must we overturn these pulpits? Must we exile these pastors? And making that the object of our prayer, which ought to be our justest cause of fear, must we say, Lord, take away thy word; take away thy Spirit; and remove thy candlestick; lest, receiving too large a portion of grace, we should augment the account we have to give, and render our punishment more intolerable. But why abandon the soul to so tragical a thought? Lord, continue with us these preeious pledges of thy loving-kindness, which is better than life,' and give us a new heart It is true, my brethren, a thousand objects indicate, that you will persist in impiety. But I know not what sentiment flatters us, that you are about to renounce it. These were St. Paul's sentiments concerning the Hebrews: he saw the efforts of the world to draw them from the faith, and the almost certain fall of some; in the mean time he hoped, and by an argument of charity, that the equity of God would be interested to prevent their fall. He hoped farther; he hoped to see an event of consolation. Hence he opened to the Hebrews the paths of tribulation in which they walked with courage. He called to their remembrance so many temptations refuted, so many enemies confounded, so many conflicts sustained, so many victories obtained, so many trophies of glory already prepared; and, proposing himself

remind you of whatever is most to be admir-
ed in your life, though weak and imperfect,
the communions you have celebrated, the
prayers you have offered to Heaven, the tears
of repentance already shed.

And you, my brethren, my dear brethren,
and honoured countrymen, I call to your re-
collection, as S. Paul to the Hebrews, the
earth strewed with the bodies of your mar-
tyrs, and stained with your blood-the de-
sert populated with your fugitives;-the
places of your nativity desolated;—your ten-
derest ties dissolved;-your prisoners in
chains, and confessors in irons ;-your houses
rased to the foundation; and the precious
remains of your shipwreck scattered on all
the shores of Christendom. Oh! 'Let us
not cast away our confidence, which hath
great recompense of reward. Let not so
many conflicts be lost; let us never forsake
this Jesus to whom we are devoted; but let
us daily augment the ties which attach us to
his communion.

If these are your sentiments, fear neither the terrors nor anathemas of the Scriptures. As texts, the most consolatory, have an awful aspect to them who abuse their privileges, so passages the most terrific, have a pleasing aspect to those who obey the calls of grace. The words we have explained are of this kind; for the apostle speaking of a certain class of sinners, who cannot be 'renewed again unto repentance,' implies thereby, that all other sinnets, of whatsoever kind, may be renewed. Let us therefore repent. Let us break these hearts. Let us soften these stones. Let us cause floods of tears to issue from the dry and barren rocks. And after we have passed through the horrors of repentance, let our hearts rejoice in our salvation. Let us banish all discouraging fears. Let us pay the homage of confidence to a merciful God, never confounding repentance with despair. Repentance honours the Deity; despair degrades him. Repentance adores his goodness; despair suppresses one of his brightest beams of glory. Repentance follows the example of saints; despair confounds the human kind with demons. Repentance ascribes to the blood of the Redeemer of the world its real worth; despair ac counts it an unholy thing. Let us enter into these reflections; let this day be equally the triumph of repentance over the horrors of sin, and the triumph of grace over the anguish of repentance. God grant us this grace; to him, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honour and glory for ever. Amen.

SERMON XCI.

ON THE SORROW FOR THE DEATH OF RELATIVES AND FRIENDS.

1 THESS. iv. 13-18.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so 'them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.

THE text we have now read, may, perhaps, be contemplated under two very different points of view. The interpreter must here discover his acumen, and the preacher display his powers. It is a difficult text; it is one of the most difficult in all the epistles of St. Paul. I have strong reasons for believing, that it is one of those St. Peter had in view, when he says, 'that there are some things in the writings of St Paul, hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned wrest-to their own destruction,' 2 Pet iii. 16. In this respect it requires the erudition of the interpreter: It is a text fertile in instructions for our conduct: it illustrates the sentiments with which we should be inspired in all the afflictive circumstances through which Providence may call us to pass in this valley of misery, I would say, when called to part with those who constitute the joy of our life. In this respect it requires the eloquence of the preacher. In attending to both those points, bring the dispositions without which you cannot derive the advantages we design. Have patience with the interpreter, though he may not be able fully to elucidate every inquiry you may make on a subject obscure, singular, and in some respects impenetrable. Open also the avenues of your heart to the preacher. Learn to support separations; for which you should congratulate yourselves, when they break the ties which united you to persons unworthy of your love; and which shall not be eternal, if those called away by death were the true children of God. May the anguish of the tears shed for their loss, be assuaged by the hope of meeting them in the same glory.

We have said that this text is difficult; and it is really so in four respects. The first arises from the doubtful import of some of the terms in which it is couched. The second arises from its reference to certain notions peculiar to Christians in the apostolic age, and which to us are imperfectly known. The third is, that it revolves on certain mysteries, in regard of which the Scriptures are

not very explicit, and of which inspired men had but an imperfect knowledge. The fourth is the dangerous consequences it seems to involve; because by restricting the knowledge of the sacred authors, it seems to level a blow at their inspiration. Here is an epitome of all the difficulties which can contribute to encumber a text with difficulties.

I. The first is the least important, and cannot arrest the attention of any, but those who are less conversant than you, with the Scriptures. You have comprehended, I am confident, that by those who sleep, we understand those who are dead; and by those who sleep in the Lord, we understand those in general who have died in the faith, or in particular those who have sealed it by martyrdom. The sacred authors in adopting, have sanctified the style of paganism. The most ordinary shield the pagans opposed to the fear of death, was to banish the thought, and to avoid pronouncing its name. But as it is not possible to live on earth without being obliged to talk of dying, they accommodated their necessity to their delicacy, and paraphrased what they had so great a reluctance to name by the softer terms of a departure, a submission, destiny, and a sleep.-Fools! as though to change the name of a revolting object would diminish its horror. The sacred authors, as I have said, in adopting this style have sanctified it. They have called death a sleep, by which they understand a repose:, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; for they rest from their labours.' Rev. xiv. 13. In adopting the term, they had a special regard to the resurrection which shall follow. If the terms require farther illustration, they shall be incorporated in what we shall say when discussing the subjects.

II. We have said, that this text is difficult, because it refers to certain notions peculiar to Christians in the apostolic age, which to us are imperfectly known. The allusion of ancient authors to the peculiar notions of their time, is a principal cause of the obscurity of their writings; it embarrasses the

What might there be in the opinion, peculiar to the Christians of that age, which could thereby assuage their anguish? Among the conjectures it has excited, this appears to me the most rational :—It was a sentiment generally received in the apostolic age, and from which we cannot say that the apostles themselves were wholly free, that the last day was just at hand. Two considerations might have contributed to establish this opinion.

The ancient Rabbins had affirmed, that the second temple would not long subsist after the advent of the Messiah; and believing that the Levitical worship should be coeval with the world, they believed likewise that the resurrection of the dead, and the consummation of the ages, would speedily follow the coming of Christ. Do not ask how they reconciled those notions with the expectation of the Messiah's temporal kingdom; we know that the Rabbinical systems are but little connected; and inconsistency is not peculiar to them.

But secondly; the manner in which Jesus Christ had foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, might have contributed to persuade the first Christians, that the last day was near. He had represented it in the prophetic style, as a universal dissolution of nature, and of the elements. In that day the sun shall be darkened; the moon shall be turned to blood; the stars shall fall from heaven; the powers