minds. There remaineth but one ftep more for them to take, viz.

(8.) Not to be content with being wicked themfelves, but to use all their art and influence to make others fo too. This is to be zealous in finning, and induftriously to promote the intereft of the infernal caufe. How often do we find thofe who have no fear of God before their own eyes, ufe their utmost endeavours to extinguifh it in others, to laugh down the qualms of their confciences, and break any reluctance they may feem to have at running to the fame excefs of riot with themfelves? Some are fo eminent this way that they refemble the Pharifees who 'compaffed fea and land to make one profelyte," and when they had made him, they made him 'two

fold more the child of hell than themfelves.' So will zealots in vice, compafs fea and land to make a profelyte to the devil. It is hard to tell to what we fhould attribute this extraordinary conduct. Is it that they are really perfuaded they have made a wife choice, and out of their great generofity and affection to their brethren are willing to make them partners of their joy? This I am afraid will hardly be believed by any reasonable man. It is more probable, that as they refemble in many other refpects their father the devil, fo they refemble him alfo in malice, going about like roaring lions, feeking

whom they may devour.' They already begin to feel their mifery by fin, and defire to bring as many as poffible into the fame condition, as a wretched (and indeed mistaken) fource of confolation in their future wo.

And now to close the scene, those who have thus far hardened themselves fhall be given up of God to judicial blindness of mind, and hardness of heart. When this fentence takes place, they are incapable of mercy, and marked out as veffels of wrath, fitted to destruction. That God fometimes, in his righteous judgment, lays the finner under this awful fentence, is evident from the following paffages of fcrip. ture, Ifa, vi. 10. Make the heart of this people fat, ' and make their cars heavy, and fhut their eyes: left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. John xii. 39, 40. Therefore they 'could not believe, because that Efaias faid again, he hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they fhould not fee with their eyes, ⚫ nor understand with their heart, and be converted, ⚫ and I should heal them. Rom. i. 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do 'thofe things which are not convenient.' 2 Theff. ii. 11, 12. And for this caufe God fhall fend them ftrong delufions, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleafure in unrighteoufnefs.' This is always a confequence of their former obftinacy. As they defpife and trample upon his mercy, he gives them over to themfelves and the mafters they have chofen; he finishes the day of his patience and longfuffering, and devotes them to the judgment they deferve.

And now, my brethren, view (and view it with

terror!) the dreadful confequence of the deceitfulnefs of fin, and by what fatal steps it leads on to that hardness of heart which is a fure prelude of eternal mifery. Who that ventures upon the practice of fin, ever intends to go fo far? They mean only to take a fhort trial of the pleafures of vice; but it gains upon them infenfibly, and fixes its hold ftill fafter and fafter, till they are its abfolute flaves. I fhall conclude this illuftration of the deceitfulness of fin with obferving, that there is an exact correspondence between the progrefs of a faint in holinefs and meetnefs for heaven, and the progrefs of a wicked man in fin, and his growing fitness and preparation for hell. A new convert finds it hard at first to separate kimfelf from his fins, and confine himself within the bounds of duty: he has fome relenting thought towards his lufts, as old companions from which he is to part for ever. Juft fo a young and unexperienced finner finds fome reluctance at fin, fome uneafinefs from the challenges of confcience, and painful forebodings of his unknown future fate.-A good man after walking fome time in the paths of virtue finds the way become fmoother and eafier, and ferves God with greater conftancy, and with greater pleasure. Juft fo the finner finds it more eafy, through time, to violate his confcience, does it more frequently, and with lefs remorfe.-A good man foon affociates himself with the excellent ones of the earth, he is inftructed by their converfation, emboldened by their example, and affifted by their prayers. Juft fo the finner foon finds, or is found out by thofe who are like him in inclination; they join in confederacy,

adopt each others principles, and follow each others practice. A good man in time is thoroughly confirmed, becomes poffeft of a prevailing love to God and holiness; fo that it is his very nature, his delight, as well as duty. Juft fo the finner, in process of time, is governed by his lufts; they acquire that authority over him that they do not folicit but demand indulgence. A good man is fortified in his choice, and defpifes the fmiles and frowns of a corrupt world. Juft fo the finner lays afide fhame, and fays, nay but I will do that which hath proceeded out of my mouth. A good man is filled with concern for the interest of religion. Juft fo the finner efpoufes the cause of prophanity, will plead it in his converfation, and ftrengthen it with his fubftance-In fine, a good man is at laft raised above the world, his heart is in heaven, and he longs to be carried there. Juft fo the finner fills up the measure of his iniquity; the infernal paffions take poffeffion of the whole man, he wearies of the earth for the few good men that are in it, and is fully prepared for the language of blafphemy and despair.

II. I proceed now to the fecond general head, which was to confider, the duty which is founded by the apostle on the deceitfulness of fin, viz. mutual exhortation, Exhort one another daily, while it is called, to day: This I fhall do by fome reflexions on the three following particulars, 1ft, The perfons who are obliged to exhort others. 2dly, The feafon in which this duty is to be performed. And, 3dly, The

L

manner in which it is to be performed, if we hope to do it with fuccefs.

1. As to the perfons who are obliged to exhort others. It seems in this paffage to be laid upon Chriftians in general, without any exception, exhort one another; and there is little doubt that it may and ought to be understood in the greatest latitude. This is perfectly confonant to the fpirit of true religion, to our relation one to another, and to the constant language both of the Old and New Teftament. The two great branches of practical religion, the heads of the two tables of the moral law, are love to God and love to man; and as our love to man ought to take its rife from our love to God, so there can be no expreffion of it more natural, of more neceffary, than an endeavour to warn them of the deceitful nature and dangerous confequences of fin. This is a duty which is founded with the highest propriety on the deceitfulness of fin. For as it deludes the finner himself often in an infenfible manner, others may be supposed to obferve his condition, and to fee the impofition more clearly, and are therefore obliged, by the dictates both of humanity and piety, to awaken him as it were from his lethargy, and admonish him of his danger. Oh, my brethren! confider how clear and unquestionable this duty appears in common matters. Suppofe any man were to obferve an apartment on fire, and know of several perfons fleeping over it, or near it, in fecurity, when a few moments delay would wrap them in the flames, what a monster of injustice and barbarity would he be reckoned, if he did not give them immediate no