wonderful patience and forbearance of God! The barren fig-tree is spared year after year, and many a remonstrance is uttered, before the fatal blow is struck to cut it down, and consign it to the fire. The stubborn rebel is often admonished ere he meets the stern arrest of justice; and the guilty soul is often respited before the sentence is carried into execution. How shall we interpret this procedure of the great Ruler and Sovereign of the universe? I leave others to enter into any nice distinctions and refinements, on points of thorny controversy, which they choose. It seems to me, that this procedure of the great Judge in the mysterious ways of providence is a bright display of mercy, blended even with the tokens of his displeasure. Such doctrine may not quite agree with the sentiments of those who have formed their theological system in the narrow mould of their own mind, and refuse to admit any idea which seems to oppose it. "But to the law and to the tesmony if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” The following passage from the prophecy of Ezekiel bears directly on the point in hand: "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore will I judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions: so iniquity shall not be your ruin," Ezek. xviii. 23-30.

Men may misrepresent the dispensations of God, and affirm that they are wanting in equity and justice; but a charge so impious and revolting is entirely unfounded. It is of the Lord's mercies

that we are not consumed, and because his compassions fail not; they are new every morning, and mingle with all the changing scenes and circumstances of life. Say not this is a doctrine exclusively confined to the Old Testament; for the assertion, by whomsoever made, is not true. The Son of God, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, reproved the church in Thyatira for suffering Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce his servants to commit fornication, and to eat things offered in sacrifice to idols. Hear his voice, blending love with severity: "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he who searcheth the reins and heart; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." From the moment such threatenings are issued and published, to the day and hour in which they are accomplished, every respite is to be regarded as a boon and a favour. Each interval between successive warnings and judgments is a space given for repentance. But the final term of forbearance is not far distant; and with some of you it may be now the very last reprieve. The thought is truly awful; and I pray God that it may strike you like a thunderbolt. 'What!' you exclaim, ' is our brief hour-glass of life nearly run out? Are we standing on the slippery and fearful brink of eternity? Perhaps two or three steps will bring us to the door of that dungeon which is the abode of everlasting despair! Surely it is high time to awake out of sleep!' It is so; there is not a day, an hour, a moment to be lost. O that you were wise, that you understood this, and would consider your latter end! But a momentary thrill of fear will avail nothing. Lord God of truth, let thy word fix a deep and lasting impression on the heart!

II. I observe, that it proves a state of most dreadful depravity, when men take occasion, from the very compassions and mercies of God, to harden themselves in sin.

Let us examine the case of Pharaoh, as it is here set before us. God commanded him to let Israel go free, and threatened, if he refused, to bring destruction upon him. Plague after plague was sent; but the tyrant continued obstinately to hold fast his captives, and even to aggravate their miseries, by adding insult to oppression. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Intreat the Lord that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people, and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the

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Lord. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee, and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? And he said, To-morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word that thou mayest know, that there is none like unto the Lord our God." Thus we see that Pharaoh, under the terrible visitation of a pressing judgment, relented, and made a fair promise to those whom he held in thraldom. It was, however, fear and not humane feeling; it was his conscience, and not his will, that moved him on the occasion. As soon as he had gained a short respite, he violated the promise he had just before given. It is said in our text, that he "hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto the Lord's servants." While noticing this expression, so often repeated in the history before us, to describe the haughty and presumptuous spirit of the king of Egypt, it may be proper to advert to another passage in chap. iv. 21. "And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go." Some may ask, Is there not here a contradiction? or at any rate a great difficulty? I reply, it is merely an apparent contradiction; a difficulty soon removed. We must take Scripture in its connexion, and compare one part with another. When God says, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart," the meaning is, that he would suffer him to harden his own heart; for the sacred writings, in acknowledgment of the universal superintendence of Providence, ascribe all events to God, even those which fall out in a natural way, through the intervention of second causes. So we read in the New Testament, that to those who perversely reject the truth, God sends strong delusions, that they may believe a lie; that is, they are left to follow their own infatuated course. It is part of the punishment of the wicked, to entangle themselves in the net they weave, and plunge into the pit their hands have digged. St. Paul tells us, that those heathens who did not like to retain God in their knowledge, were justly given over to a reprobate mind. We are sure that Jehovah, whose name is Love, whose nature is spotless holiness, can never, by any positive influence, mislead or harden any of his creatures, no more than the sun can be the cause of darkness. "He is a rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment; a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he." There is nothing in this language, or in any part of Scripture, rightly interpreted, which lends the least support of, or countenance to, fatalism. To move men to sin, and then punish them for it, would be the grossest injustice

and cruelty. Such a thought is not to be for an instant entertained, concerning that Being, "whose tender mercies are over all his works." "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

But, to return to the main subject. There are many around us who resemble Pharaoh in the leading features of his character and conduct. When the strokes of God's hand bring heavy affliction upon them, they are greatly agitated and alarmed. Perhaps death enters their families, and disease confines them to their beds. The retrospect of the past, and the anticipation of the future, are exceedingly appalling. In these gloomy circumstances they begin to confess their follies and sins, and promise to forsake them. They send, in haste, for a serious neighbour, or a faithful minister, and assume an air of gravity. They pour out prayers, and tears, and make many vows. We look on, and wait awhile, to see what will be the issue of this mental movement. Alas! in a few months, or weeks, or it may be days, we behold them return with avidity and eagerness to their old course. The hand which pressed upon them being withdrawn, and the storm which dismayed them being blown over, they now laugh at their late anxiety, and call it weakness. In vain are they reminded, by some relative or some friend, of those solemn truths and realities, which they are desirous to forget; their professions and promises, their prayers and vows, are all given to the winds. And what is the usual consequence? Growing stupidity, and settled obduracy. Even the judgments of the Most High produce less and less effect on such persons, till, in the end, they are past feeling.

common.

I grant that, at the first view, it would seem impossible that creatures, possessed of reason and understanding, should, in the manner above described, abuse and pervert the dispensations of Divine providence and grace. A little attention, however, to facts, and the records of history, will convince us, that nothing is more "Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the Majesty of the Lord. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people," Isa. xxvi. 10, 11. Are there not many of you, to whom God has shewn great favour, in the precious blessings which appertain to your lot? and yet you have neither been won by the Divine mercy, nor awed by the

Divine majesty. The strokes of chastisement and calamity are attributed by you to fortune, to fate, or to any thing, rather than the hand which actually inflicted them. Nor does this apply to a few solitary individuals, viewed as monsters by the rest of the species; it is a prevailing propensity. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil," Eccl. viii. 11. The wonderful compassion of God is turned into an argument against his truth and justice. It is falsely presumed, that the stroke which is long delayed will never fall. Such conduct betrays a mixture of vile ingratitude and daring presumption, for which language cannot furnish an appropriate name. "Thinkest thou this, O man, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who shall render to every man according to his deeds," Rom. ii. 3-6. Let me beg you, my hearers, seriously to ponder and weigh the solemn words you have just heard: you are the subjects of the Divine forbearance and compassion. He who gave you being is constantly giving you warnings and calls, and waiting to be gracious to you. The goodness of God is designed to lead you to repentance; but if you either do not know, or will not consider this, then the most lovely and attractive of all the Divine perfections is shamefully abused and contemned by you. But can you hope to escape? Ask yourselves, how? Is it possible to evade the eye of Omniscence, or resist the hand of Omnipotence? How can you escape who neglect the great salvation proclaimed in the gospel? Where can you find an asylum for your souls, when the only Refuge which God has prepared, is scorned and set at nought? He that despised Moses' law died without mercy, under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace? Believe me, there is a day of retribution; and while you pervert the riches of goodness and mercy, you are heaping up sorrow and woe against that day.

III. I observe, that God perfectly knows all the deeds of wicked men before they are done, and all their designs before they are conceived.