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end. "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden. destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. These things," saith God, at length provoked by their contempt of all his warn ings and entreaties, "these things hast thou done, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself, but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." Men may slumber securely in their sins; they may neglect the various means which are appointed for their instruction and salvation; they may remain deaf to the voice of conscience, to the admonitions of the word and Spirit of the living God, and still amuse themselves with the prospect of happiness at last; but amidst all this delusion "their judgment lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." Each year, each month, each day, each hour hurries them on towards their dreadful retribution. They may shut their eyes against the light of the gospel, and close their ears against the calls of the ministry, but the light of the judgment day must be admitted, and "the trump of the archangel" must be heard and obeyed. Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished." How did the soul of the compassionate Saviour melt while he contemplated the guilt, and foresaw the doom of the unbelieving,

incorrigible Jews? "He beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. As it was in the days of Noah, they did eat and drink, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all :" Such is the infatuation, and such, without preventing mercy, must be the doom of thousands under the dispensation of the gospel: They go to "their farms, or merchandise," or amusements; they yield to one temptation after another, and never embrace the overtures of divine love, until death overtakes them, until their judgment be executed, and their damnation unalterably fixed.

We proceed,

II. To shew the guilt and danger of indulging this security. "How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?"

1. To indulge this security is inexcusable in the extreme, because we thus disobey the command of God, and rob him of that service and glory which he requires. Our own ease and enjoyment were not the principal

end for which we were created. The Lord God formed us, and preserves us for HIMSELF; "that we should be unto him for a name, and a praise, and a glory." Therefore to live in sloth and indifference; to waste our precious moments in serving and gratifying ourselves, is a species of robbery upon God our Creator, and defeats his purpose in giving us existence. Should not this consideration rouse us from our slumbers? Might it not constrain us to return without delay to that beneficent and glori ous Being, from whom we have shamefully departed?" A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master; if I be a father, where is mine honor? if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts." Open thine eyes, beloved reader, and survey the other parts of the divine" dominion." Behold the angels" who excel in strength," how cheerfully they perform the pleasure of their Creator! They readily go abroad at his command to execute his purposes, either of love to his children, or wrath upon his enemies. See even the inanimate parts of his creation; how uniformly they perform his will? Do not the rain and the snow descend, and visit and refresh the earth at his command ? Do not the waters of the deep ebb and flow at his command? Does not the sun at his command hasten from the east, and "run his race" to enlighten and cheer the nations of the earth? And shall man, the most favored inhabitant of this lower world; man, whom

his Creator "formed after his own image and likeness;" who was invested" with dominion over the fish of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and every thing that moveth upon the earth;" and from whom a large revenue of glory was expected, shall he alone defeat the design of his existence? Must we be reproached as the only part of this lower world that disregards the call of our Creator and Lord? "How long therefore wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?"

2. To indulge this security is inexcusable in the extreme, because thereby our salvation is neglected, and our souls exposed to endless destruction. "Be not deceived, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap: For he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." Brethren, there is much to be done; interests unutterably great are at stake, and therefore there is no room for carnal ease and indifference. "The whole world is become guilty before God: You are by nature the children of wrath even as others," and without reconciliation by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, you cannot "escape the damnation of hell. There are none righteous in themselves, no not one; and know ye not that the unrighteous shall not. inherit the kingdom of God?" You have by transgression forfeited your title to the inheritance of glory, and this title can be re→

gained only by improving the merits of the Divine Redeemer. "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life, but he that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him." Be not deceived, brethren, there is much to be done, and therefore no room for the indulgence of carnal ease, or indifference. "You are all as an unclean thing; aliens and enemies in your minds by wicked works and without holiness no man shall see the Lord :" You can have no communion with him either in time or eternity. As you regard the peace of your souls in this world or the next, remember that declaration of our Lord, "Ye must be born again; verily, verily, I say unto you, that except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." In heaven all the society is holy, and all the exercises are holy, and none can be admitted "unless renewed after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness." The seeds of grace, of faith, of repentance, of love, of hope must be sown in this world if we expect them to mature in the milder region of glory, and there to flourish in unwithering verdure. How necessary then to arise" from our sleep," and earnestly "strive that we may enter the kingdom?" While the work of our salvation is unspeakably great, many difficulties must be encountered in pursuing it. An evil world will attempt, sometimes to delude with its false smiles, again to dishearten by