are among these means of grace; and he who despises them, does it at the peril of his own soul. If a man die in his sins, with such guides, such checks, such monitors, let him not plead ignorance, nor incapacity. Of that man, God himself may justly enquire thus. "After having granted to all such light, such mercy, such longsuffering, can I have any pleasure that the wicked should die, and not that he should return from his ways and live?"" And he is constrained. to answer, " Thy ways, O Lord, are equal.""It is not thy will, that one of these little ones should perish. It is man who is the promoter of his own ruin." Under such a scheme of mercy, then, none must expect a miracle to stay them in their iniquity; - to give them the warning of Belshazzar.

But there is a truth, a fact, attending sin, which, though not miraculous, yet if ever present to the mind and imagination of the sinner, would effectually restrain him. It is this. Upon every occasion of sin, when his heart is bent upon its idol; when the will leads him headlong to guilt; when his passions are excited, and he has availed himself of the time, and means, and opportunity; when his purpose is concealed from man, and he is delighted with his secrecy, and the darkness or solitariness of his retirement; let him then look up, and mark above him a

beaming eye of vigilance and

vengeance, which surveys his very inmost soul. There it is, bent upon him, watching him, - following him. "The darkness is no darkness to that eye.' It penetrates the strong-holds of sin in the blackness of midnight; brings with it a noonday light into the recesses of villany and debauchery; neither sleeps nor slumbers; and fixes a steadfast, and awfully indignant, look upon the hidden acts of the audacious and disobedient. That eye, my brethren, is the searching Providence of him, to whom "all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are concealed." Its prying glance pursues each of us; sees all the machinations of the wicked mind, the subterfuges of the crafty, and the retired lurking-places of artful hypocrisy and unbelief. It perceives the stratagems, by which you would silence conscience, and retain sin. It is intent upon your inclinations, your thoughts, and projects, every instant of your lives. It superintends you at the feast, and in the hour of mirth. It watches you in your business, and during your devotions. It is about your path, and around your bed. Thus ever present with you, what manner of men should you be, what manner of lives should you lead? If that eye be extreme to mark what is done, or even thought, amiss by you, which of you shall be able to

abide it? Yet in its justice, be it remembered, it does mark every thing; and, but for the merits of Christ operating in your behalf, only upon true repentance, will punish all. Act, then, under this conviction. On all occasions shrink before that all-seeing eye. Check the rising thought, the distant tendency to sin. Eschew evil, and do good. Or, if at any time you shall have engaged in iniquity, look to where it beholds retreat before its gaze,

you,

draw in the hand of guilt, -retrace the steps to ruin, and fall down and kneel before the Lord your Maker, the jealous God, and, by repentance through faith, make your peace with him. So shall you not be guilty of the great offence, and iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Now to Him, who hath blotted out the handwriting that was against us, nailing it to his cross; to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be ascribed, as is most due, all honour, praise, might, majesty, and dominion, now and for ever. Amen.

126

SERMON IX.

ON CHRISTIAN COUrage.

(First Sunday after Trinity. Evening Service.)

JOSHUA, Xxiii. 6.

Be ye, therefore, very courageous to keep and to do, all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom, to the right hand or to the left.

THERE are few finer characters for the consideration of the Christian, in the whole of the Old Testament, than that of Joshua. He was in a manner brought up under Moses, whose attendant and familiar companion he had been, during the forty years of their pilgrimage. In that time, he had no doubt received the greatest benefit, from the lessons and example of so distinguished a guide. For we observe, that he was selected to accompany Moses in the Mount, during his long devotional seclusion of forty days and forty nights. His courage had been already very conspicuous in the discomfiture of

the Amalekites at Rephidim: and we find it no less remarkable in the high and determined spirit, with which he united with Caleb in endeavouring to counteract the effects, which the unfavourable report of the spies, deputed to examine and bring an account of the land of Canaan, had already produced on the Israelites. A still greater trial of his courage, however, awaited him, when, upon the death of Moses, he was chosen to be the general of the Israelites, in their dangerous and difficult enterprise of taking possession of the land of Canaan. It is not my intention to follow him in that great and perilous undertaking. The history of his campaigns and battles, must be consulted by you in that interesting book of Scripture which bears his name. To one thing, however, I wish to call your particular attention. In every event of his life, I wish you more especially to observe that religious courage, that mixture of true devotion with undaunted bravery, which gives his character so great an advantage over the mere animal prowess of so many other renowned heroes. It is his constant regard to the will and commandments of God, his firm reliance upon Him, his fervent piety, and his resolute and unswerving adherence to his duty, that I would now hold up to the imitation of every Christian. He himself had found by