deemer, are so precious, that he gave himself up to death for their salvation. It is to despise the spirit of grace, which has often strove with you, to awaken you from stupidity, recover you from unbelief, and draw you to the Saviour.

Judge now, what must be the consequence of this contempt. Know ye, that your judgment lingers not. The Lord will soon arise, that he may do his work, his strange work; and may finish his act, his strange act. He will sweep away your refuge of lies, and destroy all your hiding places. Now, therefore, be ye not mockers, lest this which is spoken, come upon you.

Enquire whether you are not to be numbered among those who are called despisers. You do not, perhaps, directly disbelieve, or professedly reject any essential doctrine of the gospel; much less the gospel itself. You receive and acknowledge it as true. But does this employ your thoughts, engage your attention, influence your heart, and govern your conduct? Is it your great concern to secure the salvation, which it reveals ; and your serious enquiry, whether you have any lot or part in this matter; Do you give all diligence to make your calling and election. sure? Are you willing to renounce every thing, which appears inconsistent with your eternal hopes? Do you love the word, worship and ordinances of God, and delight to attend upon them as the means of salvation?Must not many confess, that they come short of this character? Yea, that their character is the reverse of this ?Let me particularly expostulate with the young. Are there not among you, some who think little about religion, and the vast concerns of eternity, and who devote themselves wholly to the pleasures, amusements and vanities of the world ?-Some, who spend few of their private hours in conversing with the scrip

tures, maintain no secret communion with God, and pay no reverence to the worship of the sanctuary ?Some, who can stand out a whole prayer, or sit out a whole sermon, and yet scarcely know what has been spoken; and are more inattentive, when the concerns of their salvation are urged, than if they were hearing a novel or romance ?Some, who seldom look into themselves to learn the state of their souls, rarely ask advice on their spiritual concerns, and love no conversation less, than that which turns on serious subjects ?-Do we see you, my young hearers, giving yourselves up to Jesus your Lord, and making an open profession of his gospel? Do we see you flocking into his church, and gathering around his table? Do we see you animating and encouraging one another to picty and good works ?Can it be said, that among you, even among you, there are none who despise the Saviour?

Will a gracious God pour his spirit upon our seed, and his blessing upon our offspring, that they may spring up as grass under the vernal showers, and as willows by the water courses? Then shall we hear one saying, I am the Lord's, and another calling himself by the name of Jacob: We shal! see them subscribing with their hands to the Lord, and enrolling themselves among his people: We shall behold them flying unto Jesus as a cloud, and gathering into his house, as doves to their windows.

The gospel is too great, too precious to be despised. It contains the words of eternal life: Hear it, and know it for your good.

Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, lest, while ye look for light he turn it into darkness and the shadow of death.

SERMON VIII.

Leper.

II. KINGS, v. 18.

And his servants came near and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had oid thee do some great thing, Wouldst thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean?

NAAMAN, the chief commander of the

"

Syrian army, a man of great reputation in his country, and in high estimation with his king, was grievously afflicted with the leprosy a disease, which seemed in its nature to be incurable, and which by its progress in the present case, threatened speedy death. On the advice of a Hebrew girl, who was a servant in his family, the Syrian general took a journey into the land of Israel, hoping, from her information, to receive a cure by the power and prayers of the prophet Elisha. He came, with horses and chariots and a train of attendants, to the prophet's house, and waited at the gate, until his VOL. II. N

person and business were made known, expecting that the man of God would soon appear, and with great solemnity perform the cure. But the prophet only sent to him a servant, with this simple prescription, "Go, wash seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." The general thinking his dignity contemned, and his misfortune insulted by a ridiculous prescription, indignantly replied, "Behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me, and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?--May I not wash in them and be clean ?" So he turned and went away in a rage." His servants, reluctant to think that their hopes should be frustrated by his passionate resolution, expostulated with him, in the words, which have just been read. "My father, if the prophet had bidden thee do some great thing, Wouldst thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean ?" • Their judicious expostulation recalled his reason. He applied the remedy, and obtained a cure. He immediately returned to the prophet, acknowledged the Supreme God, and professed his resolution to worship, from that time, no other deity,but the God of Israel.

This story will afford us several useful instructions. I. We see the dangerous consequences of a hasty judgment in matters of importance.

This had like to have proved fatal to Naaman. It has often proved fatal to others. He conducted with much discretion, until he had heard the prophet's advice. At this critical moment his prudence deserted him. He turned away in anger; and, if his passion had continued, he would have been a leper to the day of his death. From his rashness

and precipitance, let others learn wisdom and caution.

"Judge not according to the appearance," says our divine Lord, "but judge righteous judgment.

Let this rule guide your enquiries concerning the doctrines of religion. Reject not a doctrine, because it contradicts an opinion, which once you have formed, or opposes a design which now you are pursuing; but examine it coolly, and decide upon it impartially. If it appears, to be a doctrine agreeable to reason, founded in scripture, and tending to virtue, admit it as divine, however diverse it may be from your former conceptions, or present inclinations.

When you meet with an unexpected reproof, suffer not your resentments to rise; but hear it calmly and apply it seriously. If you are not too good to offend, think not yourself too great to be admonished. "Let the righteous smite you; it will be a kindness: Let him reprove you; it will be an excellent oil, which shall not break your head." If you proudly presume that you have done no wrong, or, rashly deem him your enemy who reminds you of the wrong you have done, you are hardly capable of amendment. "Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit ;-there is more hope of a fool, than of him."

In the progress of the religious life, difficulties, unforeseen and unthought of, will probably occur. But how great soever they may be, hold on your way with constancy. You have felt a conviction of the importance of religion, and formed a resolution in its favour. You now attend on the appointed means of grace-you'refrain from some of your past guilty practices-you seek God's mercy with an earnestness, which is new and unexperienced. Hopeful beginnings these. "Then shall you know, follow on to know the Lord." When the

if

you