will choose to make an exception against me, alone.'

Brethren, is this source of sophistry closed in regard to you? If I may venture to speak so, did the logic of your passions expire when Judas died? Which of us is not, so to speak, two different, yea opposite men according to the agitation of our spirits, and the dominion of our passions? Let any one of us be consulted concerning a crime which we have no interest in committing or palliating, and we shall talk of nothing but equity, rectitude, and religion; but let us be questioned concerning the same crime when we have some interest in the commission of it, and behold! another language, another morality, another religion, or to say all in one word, behold another man.

Christians blush! Here the comparison of Judas with some Christians is greatly to the disadvantage of the latter. I am aware, that the confession of Judas was not sanctified by faith, and that the restitution proceeded more from despair than true repentance; however, he did repent, he did say, 'I have sinned,' and he did restore the thirty pieces of silver, which he had so basely acquired.

But where are the Christians who repent of the extortions of which their avarice has caused them to be guilty? Where are Christians saying, I have sinned? Particularly, where are those Christians, who have made restitution? It is said there are some. I believe so, because credible people affirm it. But I declare solemnly, I have never seen one, and yet I have seen many people, whose hands were defiled with the accursed thing, whose magnificence and pomp were the fruit of the cursed thing. Extortioners of this kind have I never seen, I have never seen one of them repenting, and saying, indeed I have sinned, and thus and thus have I done.' I have never seen one, who has not invented as many pretexts to keep his ill-gotten wealth as he had invented to get it. In one word, I never saw one who understood, or was willing to learn the elements of Christian morality on the doctrine of restitution. How rare soever the conversion of sinners of other kinds may be, thanks to divine mercy, we have sometimes seen edifying ex

To come to the point, under what pretext does not avarice conceal itself? How many forms does it take to disguise itself from the man who is guilty of it, and who will be drenched in the guilt of it till the day he dies! Sometimes it is prudence, which requires him to provide not only for his present wants, but for such as he may have in future. Sometimes it is charity, which requires him not to give society examples of prodigality and parade. Sometimes it is parental love, obliging him to save something for his children. Sometimes it is circumspection, which requires him not to supply people who make an ill use of what they get. Sometimes it is necessity, which obliges him to repel artifice by artifice. Some-amples of such conversions. We have seen times it is good conscience, which convinces him, good man, that he has already exceeded in compassion and alms-giving, and done too much. Sometimes it is equity, for justice requires that every one should enjoy the fruit of his own labours, and those of his ancestors. Sometimes it is incompetence, perhaps indeed a little part of my wealth may be subject to some scruples, for who can assure himself that every farthing of his fortune has been acquired with the most strict regard to evangelical rectitude, but then I cannot tell to whom this restitution should be made, and till that is made, justice is not satisfied, there is no room for generosity. Sometimes..... what am I about? who can make a complete list of all the pretences with which a miser disguises himself in his own eyes, and imagines he can disguise himself in the eyes of others!

voluptuous people groan at the recollection of their former debaucheries, efface the dissipations of their youth by the penitential grief, and pious actions of their mature age, and affix that body in a mortal illness to the cross of Christ, which, during health and strength they had devoted to luxury. We have seen assassins ready, if it were possible, to replace the blood they had shed with their own. We have seen vindictive people embrace inveterate enemies, and cover them with affectionate tears. But among that great number of dying people, who, we know with the utmost certainty, had become rich by oblique means; among the great number of soldiers and officers, who had robbed, plundered, and sacked; among the great number of merchants and tradesmen who had been guilty of falsehood, deceit, cheating, and perjury, and who by such 5. Finally, let us consider the confession means had acquired a splendid fortune; among which the truth forced from Judas, in spite of all this great number, we have never seen one his reigning passion, and in the same article, who had the resolution to assemble his family let us observe the remorse inspired by his pas-round his dying bed, and take his leave of sion, and the reparation his remorse compelled them in this manner: My dear children, I him to make. Presently I see the unhappy have been a scandal to you through life, I will Judas recover himself from his infatuation. now edify you by my death. I am determinPresently he sees through the pretexts, which ed in these last moments of my life to give glofor a while disguised his passion, and concealed ry to God by acknowledging my past transthe horror of the crime he was going to com-gressions. The greatest part of my fortune mit. Presently I hear him say, 'I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood,' Matt. xxvii. 4. See, he hates the abominable thirty pieces of silver, the charm of which had allured him to commit the blackest crime, and to plunge himself into the deepest wo; see, he casts down the pieces of silver at the feet of those of whom he received them.

was acquired by artful and wicked means. These elegant apartments are furnished with my oaths and perjuries. This strong and wellfinished house is founded on my treachery. My sumptuous and fashionable equipage is the produce of my extortions. But I repent now of my sins. I make restitution to church and state, to the public and individuals. I choose

rather to bequeath poverty to you, than to leave you a patrimony under a curse. You will gain more by the example I give you of repentance, than you will by all my unjust acquisitions.' An age, a whole century, does it furnish one such example?

Such is the face of mankind! Such the condition of the church! And what dreadful discoveries should we now make, could we look into futurity as easily as we can examine the present and the past! When Jesus Christ, that good master, uttered this painful prophecy to his family sitting round him, Verily I say unto you, one of you shall betray me,' all his disciples were exceeding sorrowful, and every one said unto him, Lord, is it I? How many subjects for grief would rise to view, should God draw aside the veil that hides the destiny of all this assembly, and show us the bottomless abyss into which the love of money will plunge many who are present.

body, and told him, 'add heap to heap, accumulate riches upon riches, extend the bounds of your possessions, conquer the whole world, in a few days, such a spot as this will be all you will have.' I take this spear, my bre thren, I mark out this space among you, in a few days you will be worth no more than this. Go to the tomb of the avaricious man, go down and see his coffin and his shroud, in four days these will be all you will have.

I conclude, and I only add one word of Jesus Christ. Our divine Saviour describes a man revolving in his mind great projects, thinking of nothing but pulling down and rebuilding, dying the same night, void, destitute, miserable, and terrified at seeing all his fancied projects of felicity vanish; on which our Lord makes this reflection, so is every one who layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God,' Luke xii. 21. My God! how poor is he, though among piles of gold and silLet us prevent this great evil. Let us pu- ver, amidst all riches and plenty, who is not rify the spring from whence our actions and rich towards God! On the contrary, how entheir consequences flow. Let us examine this viable is the condition of a man hungry, indiidol, to which we sacrifice our all. Judge of gent, and wrapped in rags, if he be rich tothe value of the riches in pursuit of which we wards God! Rich men! This is the only way are so eager, by the brevity of life. The best to sanctify your riches. Be rich towards God. course of moral instruction against the pas- Ye poor people, this is all you want to support sions, is death. The grave is a discoverer of you under poverty, and to enable you to trithe absurdity of sin of every kind. There the umph even in your indigence. May we be ambitious may learn the folly of ambition. all rich towards God! Let us all accumulate There the vain may learn the vanity of all hu- a treasure of good works, it is the most subman things. There the voluptuous may read stantial wealth, and that only which will yield a mortifying lesson on the absurdity of sensual a bountiful harvest at last. There be many pleasure. But this school, fruitful in instruc- that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, tions that concern all the passions, is profusely lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon eloquent against avarice. I recollect an anec- us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more dote of Constantine the Great. In order to than in the time that their corn and their wine reclaim a miser, he took a lance and marked increased,' Ps. iv. 6, 7. Amen. out a space of ground of the size of a human

SERMON LXVIII.

THE CAUSE OF THE DESTRUCTION OF IMPENITENT SINNERS.

HOSEA xiii. 9.

O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help.

THESE words are so concise in the Hebrew | text that no distinct idea can be affixed to them, unless we supply something. All expositors allow this. The only question is, what word ought to be supplied to express the prophet's meaning.

Some supply, thine idols, or thy calves, have destroyed thee:' and by these they understand the images which Jeroboam placed at Samaria to prevent the ten tribes, who had revolted under his direction from the government of Rehoboam, from returning to that prince, as probably they might have been tempted to do, had they gone to worship the true God at Jerusalem. ૨

Others supply, thy king hath destroyed thee, O Israel,' meaning Jeroboam, who had led the people of Israel into idolatry.

But not to trouble you with a list of the various opinions of expositors, I shall content myself with observing that which I think best founded, that is, the sense given by the ancient Latin version, Thy destruction is of thyself, O Israel, or, Thou art the author of thine own ruin. This translation which supplies less to the original, is also perfectly agreeable to the idiom of the Hebrew language. With this the version of our churches agrees, thou hast destroyed thyself, or thou art destroyed,' which is much the same, because others cannot de

stroy us unless we contribute by our negli- far advanced in age; the elder had always livgence to our own destruction. This transla-ed in a habit of obedience to God: the second, tion too is connected with what precedes, and what follows, and in general with the chief design of our prophet.

on the contrary, in a course of disobedience and sin; and the third was an infant, incapable of distinguishing good from evil. These This chief design is very observable in most three brothers appeared before the tribunal of chapters of this prophecy. It is evident, the God; the first was received into paradise, the prophet intended to convince the Israelites, second was condemned to hell, the third was that God had discovered in all his dispensa- sent to a middle place, where there was neither tions, a desire to fix them in his service, to lead pleasure nor pain, because he had not done them to felicity by the path of virtue, and that either good or evil. When this youngest heard they ought to blame none but themselves if his sentence, and the reasons on which the judgments from heaven should overwhelm Supreme Judge grounded it, sorry to be exthem, giving them up to the Assyrians in this cluded from paradise, he exclaimed, Ah, Lord! life, and to punishment after death. This de- hadst thou preserved my life as thou didst sign seems to me most fully discovered in the that of my good brother, how much better latter part of this chapter, a few verses after would it have been for me? I should have the text, I will ransom them from the power lived as he did, and then I should have enof the grave; I will redeem them from death. joyed as he does the happiness of eternal gloO death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, Iry! My child, replied God to him, I knew will be thy destruction.' You know, my thee, and I knew hadst thou lived longer thou brethren, St. Paul informs us that this pro-wouldst have lived like thy wicked brother, mise will not be accomplished till after the general resurrection; Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' But, adds our prophet, Samaria shall become desolate, for she hath rebelled against her God.' The text is therefore connected with the foregoing and following words according to this translation, O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.'

I class the text then among those passages of Scripture in which God condescends to exonerate his conduct in regard to sinners by declaring, that they ought to take the whole blame of their own destruction on themselves: and in this point of view I am going to consider it. The difficulties of this subject chiefly proceed from three causes, either from our notion of the nature of God-or the nature of religion or the nature of man. We will examine these difficulties, and endeavour to remove them in the remaining part of this dis

course.

and like him wouldst have rendered thyself deserving of the punishment of hell. The condemned brother hearing this discourse of God, exclaimed, Ah Lord! why didst thou not then confer the same favour upon me as upon my younger brother, by depriving me of a life which I have so wickedly misspent as to bring myself under a sentence of condemnation? I preserved thy life, said God, to give thee an opportunity of saving thyself. The younger brother, hearing this reply, exclaimed again, Ah! why then, my God, didst thou not preserve my life also, that I might have had an opportunity of saving myself? God, to put an end to complaining and disputing, replied, because my decree had determined otherwise.**

should imitate this cautious reserve; but as Were I to follow my own inclination, I silence on this subject is sometimes an occa sion of imaginary triumph to the enemies of religion, and as it sometimes causes scruples in weak consciences, I think it absolutely neces objection; and to prove, at least, that though sary to say something towards removing this we are incapable of fully satisfying ourselves on this subject, yet there is nothing in this incompetency favourable to the insults of infidels, or the doubts and fears of the scrupt

I. 'O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.' The first difficulties that seem to belong to this truth, are taken from the nature of God, who, having created nothing of which he had not an idea before, and having realized no idea, all the consequences of which he had not fore-lous. seen, is the author not only of every being that exists, but also of every thing that results from their existence, and seems for this very reason the only cause of the miseries of his

creatures.

not possibly imagine any more than two ways Now, my brethren, it seems to me, we can to satisfy ourselves on this subject: the one is to obtain a complete idea of the decrees of the disposition of sinners as to make it evident God, and to compare them so exactly with by this comparison, that sinners are not under a necessity of committing such crimes as cause their eternal destruction. The second is, to refer the subject to the determination of a be ing of the most unsuspected knowledge and veracity, whose testimony we may persuade ourselves is unexceptionable, and whose decla

It is much to be wished, my brethren, that mankind were so apprised of the narrow limits of their own understanding, as not to plunge themselves into some deep subjects which they are incapable of fathoming, and so as to attribute to their natural incapacity, their incompetency to answer some objections against the perfections of God. Some pagans have been more aware of this than many Chris-ration is an infallible oracle. tians; and the Persians, followers of Mohammed, have endeavoured to make their disci-To be able to demonstrate, by an exact comples comprehend it by an ingenious fable.

There were, say they, three brethren, who all died at the same time; the two first were

The first of these ways is impracticable.

parison of the decrees of God with the nature

* Voyag. de M. Chardin, tom. vii. p. 33.

of man, that sinners are not necessitated to commit such crimes as cause their eternal destruction, is, in my opinion, a work more than human. Many have attempted it, but though we cannot refuse the praise due to their piety, yet, it should seem, we owe this testimony to truth, that they have not removed all the objections to which the subject is liable.

against the testimony, or to desire more light into this subject at present? Now, my brethren, we pretend that God has given this answer, and in a manner infinitely more clear than we have stated it.

allow him to call men out of bondage, while he himself confined them in chains?

He has given this answer in those pathetical expostulations, in those powerful applications, and in those exhortations, which he employs I say more, I venture to predict, without to reclaim the greatest sinners. Now if the pretending to be a prophet, that all future ef- decrees of God forced sinners, if they did vioforts will be equally unsuccessful. The rea-lence to their liberty, would the equity of God son is, because it is an attempt to infer consequences from principles unknown. Who can boast of knowing the whole arrangement, all the extent, and all the combinations of the decrees of God? The depth of these decrees, the obscure manner in which the Scripture expresses them, and if I may be allowed to say so, the darkness in which attempts to elucidate them have involved them, place them infinitely beyond our reach. As this method has been impracticable to this day, probably it will continue so to the end of the world.

Let us try the second. The question is, whether, allowing the decrees of God, God does any violence to sinners, compelling them to commit sin? Has not this question been fully answered by a Being, whose decisions are infallible oracles, and of whose testimony we cannot possibly form any reasonable doubt? Yes, my brethren, we know such a Being; we know a Being infinitely capable of deciding this question, and who has actually decided it. This Being is God himself.

God has given this answer by tender complaints connerning the depravity of mankind; yea, by tears of love shed for their miseries. O that my people had hearkened unto me! O that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!' Ps. lxxxi. 14, Luke xix. 42. Now if the decrees of God force sinners, if they offer violence to their liberty, I am not afraid to say, this sort of language would be a sport unworthy of the divine majesty.

He has given this answer by express assurances, that he would have all men to be saved; that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live ;' that he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Now if the decrees of God force sinners, and do violence to their liberty, contrary propositions are true; it would be proper to say, God will not have all men to be saved, he will not have the sinner come to repentance, he is determined the sinner shall die.

He has published this answer by giving us high ideas of his mercy; when he prolongs the time of his patience and long-suffering, he calls it 'riches of goodness, forbearance, and long suffering.' Now if the decrees of God force sinners, if they offer violence to their liberty, God would not be more merciful, if he grants fourscore years to a wicked man to repent in, than if he took him away suddenly on the commission of his first sin.

To explain our meaning, and to show the connexion of the answer with the question, I will suppose you to put up this petition to God.-Does the eternal destination, which thou hast made of my soul before I had a being, force my will? do what they call predestination and reprobation in the schools destroy this proposition, that if I perish, my destruction proceeds alone from myself? My God, remove this difficulty, and lay open to me this important truth. I suppose, my brethren, you have presented this question, and that God answers in the following manner: The frailty of your minds renders this matter incomprehensible to you. It is impossible for men finite as you are to comprehend the whole extent of my decrees, and to see in a clear and distinct manner the influence they have on the destiny of man: But I who formed them perfectly understand them. I am truth itself, as I am wisdom. I do declare to you then, that none of my decrees offer violence to my creatures, and that your destruction can proceed from none but yourselves. As to the rest, you shall one day perfectly understand what you As the first way of removing our difficul now understand only in part, and then you ties is absolutely impossible, the second is fulshall see with your own eyes what you now ly open. God has not thought proper to give see only with mine. Cease then to anticipate us a distinct idea of the connexion between a period, which my wisdom defers, and laying his decrees and the liberty of sinners: but he aside this speculation attend you to practice, has openly declared that they do not clash tofully persuaded that you are placed between reward and punishment, and may have a part in which you please. Is it not true, my brethren, that if God had answered in this manner, it would be carrying, I do not say rashness, but insolence to the highest degree to object

He has given this answer expressly in the text, and in many other parallel passages, where he clearly tells us, that after what he has done to save us, there are no difficulties insurmountable in our salvation, except such as we choose to put there. For if the divine decrees force men to sin, and offer violence to their liberty, the proposition in the text would be utterly false, and the prophet could not say on the part of God, O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself.’

gether. Let us make no more vain efforts to explain mysteries, a clear demonstration of which God has reserved for another life: but let us attend to that law, which he has required us to obey in the present state.

But men will run counter to the declara

gent; a pastor vigilant, and a flock teachable, Religion clearly requires us to exercise moderation in prosperity, and patience in adversity. Religion clearly requires us to be wholly attentive to the divine majesty, when we are at the foot of his throne, and never to lose sight of him after our devotions are finished. Religion clearly requires us to perform all the duties of our calling through the whole course of life, and wholly to renounce the world when we come to die. Except some extraordinary cases, (and would to God, my brethren, we had arrived at such a degree of perfection as rendered it necessary for us to examine what conduct we ought to observe in some circum

tions of God in Scripture. Things that are revealed, which belong unto us and our children for ever,' we leave, and we lay our rash hands on 'secret things, which belong unto the Lord our God.' We lay aside charity, moderation, mutual patience, duties clearly revealed, powerfully pressed home, and repeated with the utmost fervour, and we set ourselves the task of removing insuperable difficulties, to read and turn over the book of God's decrees. We regulate and arrange the decrees of God, we elevate our pretended discoveries into articles essential to salvation and religion, and at length we generate doubts and fears, which distress us on a death-bed, and oblige us to undergo the intolerable punish-stances, which the law seems not to have fully ment of trying to reconcile doctrines, the clearing of which is beyond the capacity of all mankind.

explained!) I say, except such cases, all others are regulated in a manner so clear, distinct, and intelligible, that we not only cannot invent any difficulties, but that, except a few idiots, nobody has ever pretended to invent any.

2. The next character of Christian morality is dignity of principle. Why did God give us laws? Because he loves us, and because he would have us to love him. Why does he require us to bear the cross? Because he loves us, because he would have us love him, and because infatuation with creatures is incompatible with this twofold love. Why does he require us to deny ourselves? Because he loves

No, no: it was not thy decree, O my God, that dug hell, and kindled the 'devouring fire,' the smoke of which ascendeth up for ever and ever!' In vain the sinner searches in a decree of reprobation for what comes only from his own depravity. Thou dost not say to thy creatures, yield, yield miserable wretches to my sovereign will, which first impels you to sin, in order to compel you to suffer that punishment, which I have decreed for you from all eternity. Thou reachest out thy charitable arms, thou appliest to us motives the most proper to affect intelligent minds. Thou open-us, and because he would have us love him, est the gates of heaven to us, and if we be lost amidst so many means of being saved, 'to thee belongeth righteousness, and to us shame and confusion of face. O Israel, thou hast destoyed thyself.'

II. You will see the evidence of this proposition much better, my brethren, if you attend to the discussion of the second class of difficulties, to which the subject is liable. They are taken from the nature of religion. There are men so stupid, or rather so wicked, as to consider religion, that rich present which God in his great love made mankind, as a fatal present given in anger. The duties required seem to them vast valleys to fill up, and huge mountains to level, and attributing insuperable difficulties to religion, which are creatures only of their own cowardice and malice, they cannot comprehend how men can be punished for not performing such impossible conditions. Let us examine this religion; nothing more is necessary to remove this odious objection.

because it is impossible for him to love us and yet to permit our ill-directed self-love to hurry us blindly into a gulf of misery, because it is impossible if we love him to love ourselves in a manner so inglorious to him. How pleasant is it to submit to bonds, which the love of God imposes on us! How delightful is it to yield to obligations, when the love of God supports us under the weight of them!

3. The third character of Christian morality is the justice of its dominions. All its claims are founded on reason and equity. Examine the laws of religion one by one, and you will find they all bear this character. Does religion prescribe humility? It does; but what is this humility? Is it a virtue that shocks reason, and degrades the dignity of human nature? By no means, the gospel proposes to elevate us to the highest dignity that we are capable of attaining. But what then does it mean by requiring us to be humble? It means, that we should not estimate ourselves by such titles 1. Observe the first character of evangelical and riches, such dignities and exterior things, morality, how clearly it is revealed. Let here- as we have in common with men like Caligula, sy attack the truths of our mysteries. If de- Nero, Heliogabalus, and other monsters of namonstrative arguments cannot be produced, ture, scourges of society. Does religion reprobable ones may; if the doctrines cannot be quire mortification? It does, it even describes expunged from the letter of Scripture, at least it by the most painful emblems. It requires they may be disguised; if they cannot be ren- us to cut off a right hand, to pluck out a right dered contemptible, they may for a while be eye, to tear asunder all the ties of flesh and made difficult to understand: but propositions blood, nature and self-love. But what does it that concern moral virtues are placed in a light mean by prescribing such mortification as this? so clear, that, far from extinguishing it, no- Must we literally hate ourselves, and must we thing can diminish its brightness. Religion take as much pains hereafter to make ourselves clearly requires a magistrate to be equitable miserable as we have taken hitherto to make and a subject obedient; a father tender, and a ourselves happy? No, my brethren, on the son dutiful; a husband affectionate, and a wife contrary, no doctrine has ever carried self-love, faithful; a master gentle, and a servant dili-properly explained, so far. The Christian