unbelievers to the truth and importance of religion. Though they all deny its importance in practice, and many of them deny its truth in words, yet there are times, when, notwithstanding all their prejudices and all their enmity against it, they de clare in its favour, and fhew a defire to obtain a hare in its hopes and comforts. This teftimony is of real weight; it deferves much credit.

It is a teftimony grounded on experience, They have made trial of irreligion, and they find, that this will not give them hope and comfort in the time, when they are most needed.

It is a teftimony against themselves and fure, ly it must be a strong conviction, which constrains them to condemn their former avowed fentiments, and their past manner of life.

It is a teftimony given at a time, when they are most likely to judge rightly and to speak honeftly, It is given in a time of affliction, and in the near view of another world. If ever they will think foberly and justly on fuch a fubject, it must be now. The croud of worldly business, the diftraction of earthly cares, the profpect of temporal honours and riches, the feductions of ir religious company, the fafcination of fenfual pleasures are now over and likely to return no more. The lufts and paffions, which used to hur ry them along in their favorite purfuits, and blind them to the dangers before them, have now fub. fided. Pride, ambition, avarice and carnality have ceased to operate; for their objects are thrown out of fight, New fcenes open to their view. They are no more to return to this world; they are foon to enter on another. They ftand be tween both, and look back on the one which they have paffed, and forward on that which is before them. They see a mighty difference between them.

They feel, that to prepare them for the future world, other and better tempers are receffary, than those which they have indulged here. They are convinced, that the paffions, which have governed them, must be inconfiftent with enjoyment in a world, where these paffions will find no correfpondent objects. They know their destiny will foon be fixed, and this is no time to trifle. In fuch a fituation, it may be prefumed, they will judge more impartially, than in the bustle of worldly scenes.

If men, who have despised religion in health and profperity, do generally, or at leaft frequently, defire and feek its comforts, when they come into the fituation now described, we must believe it to be true and important. If there were comfort to be found elfe where, men, who have lived in oppofition to religion, would not refort to it in this extremity. The controverfy between Chriftians and infidels; between the godly and the profane concerning religion, is only in this life. It is terminated at death. The latter, in the near view of this momentous change, give up the difpute, and, in their judgment, come over to the fide of the former, and wifh to find comfort in that, in which others have found it already. "Death is an honeft hour, and faithful to its truft."

There is, in the nature of man, a principle, which condemns his enmity to religion. Where is the man, but who would choose, that his children should be pious? Where is the man, who would prefer to put his fon or his daughter under the care of an infidel or libertine for an education? Where is the man, who was ever heard to glory in the wickedness, diffipation and licentioufnefs of those, who were to inherit his substance, and to continue the remembrance of his name? Where

is the man, who, if he thought himself dying, would not recommend to his children a religious and blameless life? And where is the man, who, if he had loft a virtuous fon, would not take comfort in the character which he sustained, and in the hopes which he left?-The confciences of men witness within them, that religion is a reality; not a fiction-a folemn truth; not a trifle.

2. We fee the wisdom of an early and immediate attention to religion.

If even ungodly men defire, at least, to lay hold on the horns of the altar, and, when they see that they muft die, wish to die there, then let every one fly to the altar now, and lay hold on the hope of mercy, which is there held up to him.

How much foever you defpife religion now, the time is coming, when you will with for a fhare in its comforts. You perhaps can live indifferent to religion; but do you really think, you can die fo? If others have been convinced of its importance, when they were dying, fo probably will you; therefore attend to it now. You may then feel this conviction, and yet die in your guilt. It is not every kind of conviction, that produces repentance, and enfures perdon. And no conviction, is more doubtful in its iffue, than that which is awakened by the immediate apprehenfion of death. With this conviction defpair often mingles to defeat its efficacy. The teftimony of dying inners to the truth and importance of religion, fhould call your attention to it in this calm feafon, when you are beft able to understand the nature of it, and to prove by correfpondent fruits the fincerity of your choice.

You have a better altar at which you may take refuge, than that to which Joab made his flight. That yielded no protection to the prefumptuous Q

VOL. V.

finner. Joab fled thither; but ftill he muft die. For you there is an altar, to which you can fly and find fafety. The blood which Chrift fhed on the cross, applied by faith, will cleanfe from all guilt from the guilt of the greatest fins. "Through him all that believe are juftified from all things, from which they could not be juftified by the law of Mofes." He came to fave the chief of finners, and through him " the mercy of God is unto all and upon all that believe, and there is no difference."

Are you convinced of your violation of God's law? Do you hear its threatenings? Do you perceive them pointed against you? Do you feel your infufficiency to expiate your guilt, and evade the divine fentence? What will you do?-Lift up your eyes, and behold the altar, which God has erected behold the facrifice which is offered there It is the facrifice of God's own fon, who bare your fins in his body on the cross, that you might live through him. He through the eternal fpirit offered himself without fpot to God; and his blood can purge your confcience from dead works, and deliver your fouls from the wrath to

come.

;

Listen to the calls of the faviour "Look un to me, and be ye faved. Come to me, and ye fhall find reft to your fouls." Hear the exhortations of his meflengers; "Repent and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out, and times of refreshing fhall come from the prefence of the Lord. Repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance; and ye fhall receive the forgivencfs of fins, and an inheritance among them that are fanctified. Attend to their argument; "God is in Chrift reconciling the world to himfelf not imputing their trefpaffes, and he hath

committed to us the word of reconciliation.

We

are ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God did be feech you by us; we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to God; for he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

You see what a glorious hope is set before you. Arife now, flee to the altar of atonement, and lay hold on eternal life.

3. You are here warned not to take any encouragement in a finful life from the confidence and fecurity, in which fome wicked men feem at prefent to live; for fooner or later, these very men will condemn themselves. Other wicked men have done fo; and fo will they, and fo will you, if you live like them.

When you look round on the world of mankind, you see thousands purfuing a course very different from that, which the gospel prescribes; and you can observe in them nothing, which indicates a diftruft of their own fafety. If you converse with them, you hear many of them juftify their manner of life, and talk in terms of great indifference about a life of ftrict religion. Some of these appear to be men of difcernment in other matters; and you afk," why should they not be capable of judging in matters of religion? If they fufpect no danger in their courfe, why should we?" But this is a prefumptuous way of reafoning and acting. Why judge you not of your felves what is right? Prove all things; hold faft that which is good. Call no man your mafter on earth; for you have a master in heaven. Make not wicked men your guides, for however wife they may be in worldly matters, in the concerns of religion the god of this world has blinded their minds. But if you are difpofed to give