been at all disobedient and ungrateful. But if to this be added, that this great God, who needs not our fervices or happinefs, who hath been a witness to our ingratitude and rebellions, and always had it in his power to punish us as we have deferved, hath borne long with us, and continued his defigns of our everlasting happiness: not only granting us great advantages for the firft practice of our duty, but prolonging them, though abufed-hath alfo tried gentler corrections to bring us to confideration, and multiplied favours to excite our ingenuityhath made it impoflible to be fatisfied in a vicious course, that the prefent uneafinefs might determine us to quit it, and when milder methods have proved ineffectual, hath chaftifed us feverely, that he might prevent our final ruin-and when all thefe methods have been defeated by our perverfenefs, continues to invite our return to the ways of holiness and of happiness everlasting-O Sirs, when you seriously think that this great and holy God, from whom you have deserved the heaviest evils and utter deftruction, hath fo long manifested,

and still maintains a tender concern for your happiness; can you be longer ungrateful and disobedient? Shall God have been at all this expence to fecure your everlasting welfare; and will not you yourselves regard it? After he hath conferred such favours, will you refuse him this return, a compliance with his defign of your eternal happiness? Surely if you retain the leaft ingenuity, gratitude, or even wife regard to your own intereft, you will immediately break off an intemperate, lewd, profane or unrighteous course, fearing to delay a moment longer, leaft fuch inexcufable ingratitude and obftinate wickedness should provoke him to cut you down, and caft you into the fire.

And what a dreadful aggravation will it prove of the lofs of heaven, and the punishment of hell, if you bring it upon yourfelves, in oppofition to the continued endeavours of the best of Beings through a great part of your lives, to reclaim you from vice and mifery, and prevail on you to become wife and good, and happy forever?

God

God forbid, that any of you should bring this upon yourselves! Confider therefore feriously, the representation which has been given of the Divine Mercy to finners; and may it determine you to repent immediately! Amen!

SERMON

VIII.

The Goodnefs of God in the Redemption of a finful World by Jefus Chrift.

T

EPHESIANS ii. 5.

By grace are ye faved

HE goodness of God, or his difpofition to make his creatures happy, is vifible in all his works, and conftitutes their principal beauty and glory. The countless numbers of creatures which he hath produced, the various capacities of pleasure and good which he hath given them, and the abundant provifion he hath made for fupplying them all, are an illuftrious difcovery of the boundlefs benevolence of the great Parent of the univerfe; and a demonstration renewed through every age, that his benevolence is inexhauftible and everlasting.