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him in his departure from the reputable part of society, and an association in vice completes. the first part of his melancholy story. Grown

bolder in sin, the slow arts of stealing do not answer all the purposes of his extravagance, and therefore robbery upon a larger scale is adopted as a speedier method of supplying his wants. Men of greater refinement, indeed, in the ways of the world, instead of open robbery make use of the secret and insidious arts of fraud. There is an aggravation in this offence, from which the others are free. It is generally an abuse of confidence; and offenders in this way, must have laid aside the love of their friends and benefactors, as well as of God and their neighbour, before they can practice these arts of deceit. At this time, that remorse' which must hitherto have accompanied them notwithstanding all their efforts to cast it off, begins to lose its effect; and their God, who by various means, and at different times, endeavoured to reclaim them," gives them over to a reprobate mind." Rom. i. 28. Now, the most horrid thoughts succeed; and it is no wonder that they who have lost the feelings of men, should now for the sake of that plunder, which they are détermined to possess, sacrifice the lives of all that oppose them.

If now my words have made any impressions upon your hearts, if you see clearly that every greater crime hath arisen from the unrestrained indulgence of smaller offences, and that licenF 6

tious

tious companions at first tempted, then encou raged you to continue in sin; let it be your particular care, at this time, to make all the amends your situation affords, and to seek by repentance the returning favour of your God. However the adversary of the world, and enemy of souls, may have drawn you forward by a treacherous promise of success, it is certain that he hath now forsaken you. The confinement of this prison is a sufficient evidence, that you must bear your own offences, those offences that have placed you in it. Then let it be the beginning of happiness to you all. Despise the evil companions of your former days, and be not ashamed to shew yourselves the servants of him, whose service alone is perfect freedom.

That kind of shame, which prevents a man from doing good, or changing vicious courses for the paths of duty and obedience, for fear of encountering the raillery and contempt of the profligate, is unbecoming the character of a man, and highly improper for a professor of Christianity. In short, we should be ashamed of nothing but sin.. Yet, strange as this conduct is, we often see men ashamed to be surprized in the commission of a good action, who are not ashamed of offending God, or reviling his religion. Let not this false shame, then, deprive you of the opportunity of repentance, and of acquiring a knowledge of that Saviour, who, in the end, will be your surest, safest friend. His life was given as an example for you to follow:

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his death was a ransom for your sins. Be not ashamed of such a Saviour. If you are, remember the consequence which he himself foretels-"whoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Mark viii. 38.

Let me, then, leave off with the exhortation with which I begun-" Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."-" Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men; avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away." Prov. iv. 14, 15. "Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding; for I give you good doctrine, forsake you not iny law. For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments and live." Prov. iv. 1-4. "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole as those that go down into the pit: we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: cast in thy lot among us, let us all have one purse. My son, walk not thou in the way with them, refrain thy foot from their path, for their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed

blood."

blood." Prov. i. 10-16.-" Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Cor. vi. 17, 19.

SERMON X.

ON INDUSTRY.

2 THESS. III. 8, 9.

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and trouble night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow.

WE may consider this example of St. Paul as a precept, first of industry in our worldly callings, secondly of industry in our religious con-cerns. Each of these duties I shall now endeavour to recommend, beginning with industry in our worldly callings.

Industry in our worldly callings is necessary, because it is impossible to neglect it and to be obedient servants of God, as it may appear several ways..

Naked

Naked came we into this world, and destitute of all things which support and preserve life; naked also as to our minds, which at first are a mere blank, and have no knowledge. But the soul and the body are made and designed by their Creator, the one to improve in understanding, the other to increase in strength, and to be employed by the soul in a manner which may conduce to the welfare of both. Thus God by the voice of nature teacheth us that he designed us to be improveable and industrious beings.

To these deductions of reason, the Scriptures agree in many places. They tell us that God put the first man into the garden of Eden, to cultivate and embellish it. Afterwards, upon his transgression, it was told him that his work should be increased, and that in the sweat of his face he should eat his bread. Great travel is created for every man says the author of Ecclesiasticus, and a heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam, from the day that they go out of their mother's womb till the day that they return to the mother of all things. This is very true; and yet so many advantages both to body and mind arise from labour, that it may be made a question whether the toil which God enjoined to Adam after his fall, and to his posterity, was a punishment or a favour. Certain it is that labour, if it was brought into the world by transgression, is one of the best preservatives against it; if it was the child of sin, it is the parent of virtue.

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