with his real circumstances in general, and with those who enjoy gospel light in particular, and you will readily discover the obligations of gratitude lying on the latter especially. In consequence of redemption, pardon is offered, which, without this, could not have been done. Sinners now, though prisoners to the justice of God, "are prisoners of hope." "What

then shall we render to God for all his benefits?"

3. Is the gospel a great privilege, then learn the great guilt of those who enjoy and yet despise it. -Who they are who despise the gospel has been shown already; they are such as have it, and profess to believe it, and yet do not use all proper means to understand it who though they admit its truth and divinity, yet refuse to comply with its precepts. In a word, all impenitent sinners, under the light of the gospel, are rejecters and despisers of it. And is there not reason to conclude, that there are many such characters among us? Are there not some, who do not even give their assent to the truth of the scriptures, and who consider any profane history more worthy of their attention and belief? Are there not others who, though they acknowledge the truth of the sacred books of scripture, have never given their attention to the subject? That there are many such characters in this land of gospel light is beyond all question. They are to be met with in every congregation; men who can give no good reason why they are professed christians rather than Jews, mahomedans or pagans; and who amidst abun dance of light, can give but little better, account of the christian system than children. Are there not

T

others who, though they have paid such attention to the gospel as to embrace it on rational evidence, yet refuse to comply with its important requirements, faith, repentance and an holy life? Are there. not many such characters in this place? I would be understood to mean those who pay little at tention to the bible; and who manifest but little con

.

formity to it in their lives. How many among us, though not absolutely ignorant of the principles of christianity, yet whose knowledge is no way answerable to the means they have enjoyed, who really know but little about God and the things of his kingdom, compared with what they might have known, had they diligently improved their means of knowledge? The thinness of our publick assemblies, especially when any excuse can be found from cold or foul weather, proves that God's word and ordinances are not respected here as they ought to be, and as in fact they are, by people who consider them à privilege. It is with peculiar pain, that I reflect upon the apparent carelessness and increasing inattention of people to the Sabbath and worship of God, especially in this place. It is a reflection which must affect every sober mind, that this evil, should it increase a little longer, will put an end to the publick worship of God, and leave this house totally deserted; and God will write Loammi upon you, the melancholly memorial of departed glory. This is what I expect during my life, or soon after my decease. Such treatment of the gospel is attended with great guilt. It is manifest that such people undervalue and despise one of the greatest privileges

1

God ever bestowed on a people; and with this sin God will not long bear. "He will remove your candlestick out of its place" soon "except ye repent." Lightly to esteem these things is lightly to esteem infinite wisdom, love and mercy. Such conduct displays a temper full of baseness, and vile ingratitude. It discovers a want of a proper sense of our infinite obligations to God for providing a Saviour to redeem us from hell. It discovers the want of all right affection of heart to Jesus Christ. It also discovers a disregard to our own interest, for this conduct is the direct road to perdition. There are many ways to ruin, but the most direct and certain way is to despise Christ, and the way of salvation revealed in the gospel. This is the way in which all are travelling who neglect the word and worship of God, and live stupidly and wickedly amidst all the advantages offered them of becoming "wise unto salvation." Is not a man's, is not a people's guilt in proportion to the light which he or they oppose, and under which they sin? Is not this reasonable "that to whom much is given, much will be required?" There is no spot in the creation, where sin is so aggravated, where sinners are so inexcusable, as where the gospel shines, and is slighted. As wicked as hell is, it was never committed there. And does not this sin uncommonly prevail in this place? What will be its consequences? I mean not in a future, but in the present life. Our

4. Inference will answer this question. God will deprive us of gospel privileges. Is not our danger great? We have shown in the course of this subject, that they,

who abuse gospel privileges, are in great danger of losing them. And that this is an evil which prevails among us, is too evident to be denied. Our danger therefore is but too manifest to the eye of reason. We are verily guilty in this matter, and that to a great degree. We deserve the punishment threatened in the text. God has threatened it, and there is nothing to secure us more than others. The gospel secures the penitent and obedient, but none others. And it has been shown, that the loss of gospel privileges is the natural and even necessary consequence of neglecting and abusing them. Even did this neglect and abuse imply no moral evil, were it attended with no guilt; were it no token of divine disapprobation, this consequence would follow. The neglect of any privilege soon ends in its loss.

But we have seen, that

this is a crime, and a sin of the deepest stain, which God will punish. Has it not been shown, that leaving a people to spiritual blindness, and ignorance is an awful judgment, and the heaviest, that God ever sends on a people in this world? And we know that this judgment has been sent on many nations in past ages, who enjoyed, but abused these privileges; and by their loss have suffered a greater calamity than the evils of war, famine and pestilence. And what reasons can be assigned, why we shall not suffer the same privation, the same judgment? If our crimes are of the same nature, and as aggravated as theirs, on whom this judgment has been inflicted, why may it not be expected ?-No sufficient reason, I presume, can be given why it may not. It is no argument that the threatening does not

reach us, because we live under a different dispensation. God is always the same, and religion is in all ages and places essentially the same. Sin is always the same in its nature, and must therefore expose the sinner, in every age, to the anger of God; and expose him in proportion to the aggravation of his crimes, which will ever bear proportion to the light against which he has sinned.

The gospel dispensation differs from the Jewish; but the difference does not consist in this, that ours is a dispensation of grace, and theirs is not. Nor does the christian dispensation afford the sinner any security in sin, nor tend to encourage it any more than the Jewish. But the essential difference between the two is this; the gospel affords much greater light to discover the nature of duty, and our obligations to perform it; and also the nature and consequences of sin, than the former dispensation did. And while it more clearly discovers our duty, and obligations, it is the occasion, consequently of increasing greatly our guilt in case its light be resisted. "If while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid." "And if they who despised Moses' law, died without mercy, under two or three witnesses, of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?" and if it be a certain fact, that God, and his word are treated with indifference and neglect by us, our living under the gospel dispensation is so far from affording us any security, that our guilt and danger are greatly enhanced on this very account.