versation, and all his personal kind offices. Of what a load of anxiety and distress, which tends to hasten the dreaded event, would this scheme ease the worthiest and most considerate of human minds?

the best qua

Consider also, how many persons, the best lified to bear their parts with propriety and honour in social life, and to exhibit the finest example of the several relative and domestic duties to others, and who are thereby capable of having their own usefulness greatly extended, are restrained from engaging in social connexions by that peculiar tenderness and humanity, which a liberal education, and a life devoted to the service of a benevolent religion inspires; and also by that very prudence, which would eminenly contribute to their fulfilling the most important duties of it in the most exemplary manner.

So excellent an undertaking will doubtless be its own sufficient reward; and if the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, what good may you not reasonably expect that the devout blessings and fervent prayers of the many excellent persons interested in your present resolutions will procure you, from that God who is able to make all grace abound towards you and to supply all your wants, out of his abundant fulness in Christ Jesus?

Let

Let us then, my brethren, be stedfast and unmov. able in this, as well as always abounding in every good work; for-as-much as we know that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

OF

OF THE

DANGER

OF

BAD HABITS.

289

Ephraim is joined to idols. Let him alone.

HOSEA IV. 17.

EPHRAIM is here put for the whole kingdom

of Israel, of which it was a part; and this awful sentence pronounced upon it was delivered during its declension, and not long before its final dissolution by the kings of Assyria.

Many prophets had God sent to this unhappy. nation, and by repeated messages had he expostulated with them, from time to time, for their crying wickedness and provocations. They had had line upon line, and precept upon precept; but all had been to no purpose. They shewed no sign of.repentance, but held fast their iniquity, and would not let it go 'till the divine patience and forbearance

were

were wearied out.

Mercy could plead for them no longer, their fate was determined; and the execution of the just judgments of God upon them was only delayed, but was sure to take place in the end.

This is the case of a whole nation abandoned of God in this fearful manner. But whatever has been the case of one nation may not only be the case of another nation, but also that of any individual; and it is the possibility of this being the case of our own nation, or of ourselves, that makes it to demand our attention. To the Almighty, with respect to moral government, a nation is as one man, and one man as a whole nation. He punishes vice, and he rewards virtue in both; and whatever is agreeable to wisdom and equity in the case of a nation is likewise agreeable to wisdom and equity with respect to individuals. Supposing, therefore, that the cases are exactly similar, I shall, in discoursing from these words,

First, State the case with as much exactness as I can ;

Secondly, Shew the probability and danger of it with respect to human nature; and

Thirdly, Consider the equity and propriety of it with respect to God, applying the whole doctrine to the cases of individuals.

In the first place, I am to state this case with as much exactness as I can.

In general, when any person is in the condition of Ephraim in my text, so that God shall, as it were, say of him, he is joined to idols, (he is joined to his lusts, and vices,) let him alone, his day of trial and probation may be said to be, to all important purposes, expired. He is no longer a subject of moral government, because he is utterly incapable of amendment, which is the end of all moral discipline; and though, through the goodness of God, which is over all his works, he may live many years longer, yet his final doom is in reality fixed; his sentence is irrevocable, and the execution of it merely deferred.

Not that the reformation of any sinner is ever naturally impossible, or that, if he truly repent, he shall not find favour at the hand of God. For nothing is impossible with God, and a truly humble, penitent, and contrite heart he will never despise, whenever, and wheresoever he finds it. But the change may be morally impossible, or not to be expected according to the usual course of things; and this is sufficient to authorize us to make use of the language.

Supposing a man to have lived so long in the