convinced, that man does not "serve Go for nought." Would, my brethren, that you may now be convinced of the same thing! Surely you cannot but see, that if you would most certainly serve and secure your own interest, you must choose God for your master. But further,

2. GOD claims your service on the ground, not only of what he can do, but of what he has done for you. In this respect, his claim to your obedience is still more clear and strong. By every tie of gratitude, you are bound to serve GOD. He made you what you are. Your body is the work of his hands. He breathed into you the breath of life. He gave to you an immortal soul. He has preserved you ever since you were born. The food, by which you have been supported; the raiment, by which you have been clothed; the friends, who have assisted you; the health which you have enjoyed, have been all his gifts. They have been mercies, daily and hourly bestowed on you. Surely you are powerfully called on to devote to the service of GOD all those faculties of soul and body, which, in fact, are not your own, but his. There are, however, other, and still higher grounds, on which he claims your services. He has not only created, not only preserved you;

but

he has also redeemed you. Who can conceive how vast a mercy is expressed by the word Redemption? Call to

mind your state as sinners; the guilt and misery which you have brought upon yourselves. Recollect, that in this wretched state God looks on you with pity, and wishes not your death; that "for the great love wherewith he loveth you," he has planned a way for your salvation. To this end, he has not withheld from you his Son, his only Son, but has given him up for you; has given him up to death, even the death of the cross; that thus, by the ransom of his blood, he might redeem you from eternal misery, and open to you the kingdom of heaven. Nay, that nothing might be wanting to complete your salvation, or to shew forth the riches of his grace, to the unspeakable gift of his Son, he has added also the gift of his Spirit, to dwell in you, to be your Sanctifier, your Comforter, and your never-failing Friend. Hath God done all this for you, and does he not justly claim your services? Is it not the most base ingratitude to refuse to serve Him, who has thus bought you with his own blood, who has ransomed you at such a price? What claim can the world have on you equal to such a claim as this? What has Mammon done to deserve your services?

Instead of furthering your happiness, it has only brought on you trouble and sorrow, sin and shame. Instead of doing any thing to save you from perishing, it has done all in its power to ruin and destroy your soul. Far therefore from being entitled to your favour, it deserves your just abhorrence." Choose you then this day, whom ye will serve." Life and death are set before you. May God give you grace to chuse that better part, which shall never be taken away from you! May every one of you be enabled from the heart to say, 'As for me, I will serve the Lord!'

SERMON IV.

Mortification of Sin a reasonable Duty.

MARK, ix. 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48. If thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend the, cut it off: it is better for the to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched

THE service, which religion requires, is

a reasonable service. It demands of us nothing, but what our own reason, if suffered fairly to judge, must approve; nothing, but what is for our good, and tends to increase our happiness. If some of God's commandments seem to us to be grievous, they only seem, they are not really so.

If

they bid us do any thing, which is now unpleasant to our feelings, it is only to save us in the end from something, which it will be far worse to bear.

There is in the text a striking instance of the truth of this remark. Our SAVIOUR was enforcing a very painful duty; one which he knew that men would be most unwilling to perform. And how did he enforce it? By shewing that it is a profitable duty. It is one which we cannot neglect, without manifest injury to ourselves. Painful as it may be, it will be our interest and happiness to perform it. We surely cannot but listen, with seriousness and attention, to a command, which comes thus recommended to our notice.

In discoursing on it, I shall set before you,
I. The Duty here enjoined.

II. The Argument, by which it is enforced.

I. The Duty here enjoined is thus described in the text. "If thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off; if thine eye of fend thee, pluck it out." So that in explaining the duty it will be necessary to shew, what is the case supposed: what is the state of the member here spoken of: when the hand or the foot may be said to offend. To of fend, in the language of scripture, frequently means to put any thing in the way of a per