been fo utterly difmayed at the approach of death, as to fink into the most abject superstition and unmanly complaints. It is not that enterprizing spirit which carries a man fo fuccessfully through this world, that will avail him in his entrance on the next. Nothing can then fupport him amidst the terrors of diffolution, and the pangs of parting with all that is dear and near to him, but the reflection on a well-fpent life; and as we shall stand in need of every poffible increase, of comfort, we ought to sweeten this reflection all we can, by beginning early to remember God. For we must not imagine, what fome are willing to perfuade themselves, that a late repentance will have the fame effect upon our minds in our last moments, as a life that needed no repentance. They who think fo, fhow themfelves to be utter ftrangers to the real fituation of a dying man. They know not the terror and amazement, the fears and apprehenfions, of a foul that stands trembling on the brink of eternity, and whofe falvation depends on a late repentance. He fears, he knows not what, about the fincerity of that repentance; he fears his contrition may not have been deep enough,

his amendment not complete; that some crimes may not have appeared to him in their full guilt and basenefs, and fome may have entirely escaped his fearch. He enhances every real danger, and creates to himself a thousand more; and whatever may be the efficacy of that repentance, with regard to his future condition, it cannot in his present yield him that comfortable hope, that humble confidence in the merits of his Redeemer, which is abfolutely neceffary to the quiet of the mind, in fo interesting a point. This can only be the result of a life, in which, upon the most impartial review, there appears nothing to lament but those frailties and infirmities which man cannot but fometimes fall into, and which God, through the mediation and death of Christ, has moft graciously promised to forgive. And in this review, the further we can cast our eyes backwards on our fincere, though imperfect endeavours after holiness, and the nearer we can trace up the beginning of our religious obedience to the beginning of life, the more pleasing will be the retrospect, the more unallayed our fatisfaction. Every impulse of paffion we have fubdued, every tempVOL. II.

tation

tation we have refifted or efcaped, every evil thought we have reftrained, and every good one we have encouraged, will then each rife up to befriend us, and fpeak peace to our affrighted fouls. And though the religious young man may now, perhaps, complain of the difficulties he hath to ftruggle with, yet let him remember, that the bitterer his prefent fenfations are, the more joyful will be his reflections at that momentous period. It is then in fhort, and only then, we fee the true difference between him that ferveth God in his youth, and him that ferveth him not; and whoever compares their different circumftances and behaviour on that trying occafion, will moft fincerely wish" that he may die "the death of the righteous, and that his latter "end may be like his." But let us remember, that it is not a mere inactive wish alone that can procure us this inestimable bleffing; let us remember, that if we would die the death of the righteous, we must ferioufly refolve from our youth up, to live his life, and that it will be in vain to pray that our latter end may be like his, unless our early years be like his also.

SERMON

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SERMON IX.

1 KINGS Xviii. 21.

AND ELIJAH CAME UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE, AND SAID, HOW LONG HALT YE BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS? IF THE LORD BE GOD, FOLLOW HIM; BUT IF BAAL, THEN FOLLOW HIM.

Notw

Otwithstanding the many express commands given to the Jews to worship the one only true God, and the many admirable provifions made in their law to preferve them from the adoration of any other; yet it is notorious, that from the time of their leaving Egypt, down to the Babylonish captivity, they were frequently falling into idolatry. It must be observed, however, that this idolatry of theirs, wicked and inexcufable as it undoubtedly was, did not confist in abfolutely

folutely renouncing the worship of the true God, but in joining with it the worship of falfe gods. This they did in imitation of the heathen nations around them, who, like all other pagans, though they had each their peculiar tutelary deities, yet made no fcruple of affociating thofe of any other people along with them. In conformity to which accommodating temper, the Jews themselves probably confidering the God of Ifrael as their national God, imagined that their allegiance to him was not violated by admitting other local deities to a share in his worship. It was this abfurd and impious custom of joining the adoration of idols to that of the true God, against which we find fo many precepts and exhortations in the Old Teftament directed, and fuch fevere punishments denounced. And in oppofition to this ftrange practice it was, that Elijah propofes to the idolatrous Ahab and his people, an effectual method of deciding which was the true God, Jehovah or Baal; and he introduces his propofal with that spirited expoftulation, contained in the words of the text. "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him;

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