stroyed for many years by a nation of Republicans; enthusiasts for liberty at home, but subjecting all nations in their progress to robbery and slavery: who, like wolves, by nature quarrelsome and ravenous, were banded together to make a prey of mankind. This was the state of the world before the first advent of Christ, and with his appearance it ended. In the ways of Providence there is an uniformity of conduct; and though we must not presume, where we have no positive direction to guide us, yet is it a very strange incident, that when the second coming of Christ is expected, the most powerful nation in Europe (for such they are) and the most monarchical (for such they were) should turn into the most savage and ravenous republicans, and form a plan, as the Romans did, of invading, overturning and plundering all other nations; this nation in particular, if it should ever be in their power, above all the rest. How this began, we can tell; how it will proceed, and by what farther steps, God only knows but this we are sure of, that however long it may last, it must cease with the coming and kingdom of Christ. In the interval, they may rejoice and be as merry as Ahab was, when he had seized upon the proA A 4 perty

perty of the murdered Naboth: but the fearful question will come at last, hast thou killed, and also taken possession? 1 Kings xxi. 19. Then shall rebellion, and blood-guiltiness, and blasphemy, call upon the mountains to hide them from Him, who will then manifest himself in the two characters, at present the objects of their peculiar hatred and contempt -a Priest and a King. It may be admired as a great exploit, that Christianity, with all its restraints, is driven out: but the world may be assured, this will be no peaceable event. The faith, planted throughout the earth, will never be rooted out without a tremendous shock. When the founder of our religion expired, the earth trembled, the sun was darkened, and all nature felt the stroke; and if his faith is to expire, the catastrophe will shake the world: a circumstance often spoken of in the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament, as preparatory to the great day of the Lord. How much the earth is moved at this time, we feel every day: how much more it may be before the end cometh, it is not for us to judge: but this we know, that all the commotions of the parth will terminate in the fulfilling of the

promises

promises of God, when we shall receive a kingdom which cannot be moved*.

It is either weak and childish, or wicked and profane, to consider this as a frightful subject. We learn many things to prepare us for the part we are to take in this world; but we learn Christianity to prepare us for that other world which it hath promised and shall we be afraid to hear it is at hand? shall we pray daily that the kingdom of God may come; and shall we wish at the same time it may not come? Is not death the end of this world to every man; and is there any man who thinks he shall never see it? Does it come the sooner, because we preach about it? We may make people serious; and that make them sober; and so they may may live the longer; and then death will come the later. So in the other case; the Lord, in his time, must be revealed from heaven, with every circumstance of majesty and terFor he that shall come will come, and he will come in this manner. If we preach about it, we may make men wiser; and that will make the event less terrible; and we shall thereby do them the greatest kindness in the world,

Heb, xii, 28, See also Hagg. ii. 7.

If any man can be brought to such a state of mind, as to hope for and desire that great event, which all the powers of earth and hell can never prevent; then he is a happy man indeed; and not before. Let us therefore all devoutly pray, that when we are told of the Lord's coming, our hearts may be ready to answer-Amen; even so, come Lord Jesus.

SERMON

SERMON XVII.

COD SAW THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS

GREAT IN THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY IMA. GINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY.

GEN. VI. 5.

IN

N the short and comprehensive history of the time before the flood, we are told how sin first arose; how it came to maturity; and how it was punished. The words of this text do not give us a systematical account of it; but we may thence collect, what is the seat of it, and how it operates in the constitution of man: a subject which demands a close and serious scrutiny. For the nature of man is still the same: evil now keeps its place as in the beginning; it arises in the same manner, and gathers strength from the same

causes,

Of