the words of one that mocketh? Is it, because, instead of sending two or three witnesses, as he did to them, God hath sent a cloud of witnesses to you? Is it, because he hath set his seal to their testimony, while he writes folly and confusion upon all other attempts to enlighten and reform the world? Is it, that he hath fulfilled a long chain of prophecy; and added thereto his wonders, signs, and mighty deeds? Is it, that, in these last days, he hath spoken to us by his Son, and striven with our consciences by his Spirit?

No! these are not your reasons-these are not the marks of a cunningly devised fable. Men tremble when they seriously attend to the evidences of our faith. Some of us can speak from experience, who once sat with you in the chair of the scorner. We can well remember, that, while company was present and vanity afloat, we could sport with the warning, and treat the messenger as a mocker; and, as well do we recollect with what difficulty the remonstrances of conscience were suppressed. Truth would force its way into our retirements, and bring a thundering charge into the conscience of the trembling liar, of Know thou, that, for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment.

You are young, perhaps; and some profligate writer or companion has injured your minds. Every age has been infested with such men; but it is the reproach of the present age that it swarms with them. Like the frogs of Pharaoh, they cover

the land and smite all the borders of it; they corrupt the streams of literature and conversation; and cause the land to stink, after they are dead.,

The very character of these persons will help you to detect their design. Do men gather grapes of thorns? Their spirit and conversation, their obstinacy and malignity, mark the class to which they belong.

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Ask yourself, how you would expect that such men should treat that holy and humbling record, the Bible---that light in the night, which disturbs these robbers-that witness, which convicts them --that law, which condemns them, and calls for their execution-How would you expect such men as these to treat the Scriptures?

Suppose, for a moment, that you yourself became a truly religious man, what would the men of whom I have been speaking say of you? How would they treat your wise and pious resolutions? What construction would they put upon your hopes, your evidences, or your motives? You know, you must know, that what they dislike in the Bible they would dislike in you. They would begin to misrepresent, revile, and sneer: they would treat you as a fool, or a hypocrite. But would this form any solid objection to your real character? Could it be called argument?-Could it be common sense? What then is the opposition which they make to the Scriptures?

To close this digression-if the unbeliever has

genius, he will add brilliancy to his scorning: if he be a scholar, he will conjure up by metaphysics or criticism a lying spirit to deceive such as, like Ahab, wish to be deceived. And, if neither genius nor learning assist, he can at least new shape old objections, though these very objections have repeatedly received a satisfactory reply.

Well would it be, indeed, for those who are caught by such works, if they would reflect, that God also is executing his work; that the deceiver and the deceived are his; and that the most awful judgment which he can inflict here, on such as receive not the love of the truth, is to send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie.

Still we seem as those that mock! But, bear with me, Brethren, while I point out to you the real mocker. It is not the Minister, who watches for your souls, and would rouse you to action; but it is one, who, like a strong man armed, would keep his house and goods in peace. He is the mocker, who is still found repeating his ancient falsehood, Ye shall not surely die. But, be not deceived: God is not to be mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 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.

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Up, therefore, get ye out of this state. It is God, who calls you now, as He once did the sons of Lot. Had they attended to his warning, they

would have been brought out by the same hand, which rescued their father. But they scorned the warning; and were therefore left without excuse. Such is your case. God hath sent you a message this morning: he hath promised his gracious assistance, if you ask it; and therefore leaves you without excuse, if you neglect it: and how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation!

2. One only perished on the plain before Sodom: but I fear the number of those is not small, whose cases resemble hers. Such, then, AS ARE TEMPTED TO LOOK BACK, I address as a second class of hearers.

You, to whom I now speak, have, perhaps, not only long attended our ministry, but profess also to honour the Gospel which we preach. You are shocked to hear it despised, and lament that it should be so often misrepresented. "God forbid," say you, "that I should ever be found sitting with the scorner; that I should be negligent in ordinances, or erroneous in doctrines. I have seen the benefit of true religion in others; and have felt something of its power myself. Its importance cannot be urged too strongly; for what would it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

Your experience goes, perhaps, still further than this. You could tell of your having joined prayers to your endeavours. You could speak of the conflicts which you have felt between sin

and conscience;-of the efforts which you have made to break with the world, and escape to the mountain; that you actually set out; that you once outran others.

But say, how is it now? If you once ran well, has nothing hindered you? Are you not looking back to the city, whence you set out? Has not some temptation made real, vital, practical religion seem a task? Has not the love of this world left only the mere form of godliness, after it has eaten out the power of it?

How many-I speak it with sorrow-how many have I noticed, who, while puffed up with the change of OPINION, were yet careless about a change of heart-eager to follow a new preacher; .but thoughtless of a new state of life!-ready to dispute about free-will or free-grace; but deplorably unmindful that the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

But if, after men have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. They have not only looked back, but stand, as it were, already a pillar of salt to the wise, and a stumbling-block to the foolish. May every one of you, my Dear Hearers, be delivered from so fatal an error! Look not behind thee,