the Lord's day in this town. I am informed, it was not thus some years ago; but the increase of every kind of wickedness (as will generally be the case where the Gospel is known and despised) seems breaking in upon us like a flood. It is with some a day " of buying and selling, of slaying oxen and kil. "ling sheep;" Isa. xxii. 13. others associate for drink and vain conversation, to the scandal of the town, the grief of all serious persons, and no less in defiance to the laws of the land, than to the commandments of God. If I could have suppressed these enormities, I would. But as I have not been able to obtain assistance and concurrence sufficient to put the statutes in force, I can only give notice as a minister and a watchman, that "for these things the "wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedi"ence;" Ephes. v. 6. If you, my reader, are concerned in these practices, let me entreat you to consider what you are doing. Why will you "provoke the Lord to jealousy?" 1 Cor. x. 22. Are you stronger than he? If your whole dependence was upon what we call a great man, you durst not wilfully and publicly disobey him: and can you think it safe to trifle with the great God? Do you not know that your life, your health, the peace of your family, and the success of your industry, all depend upon him? Are you not afraid, lest by openly affronting his Majesty in profaning the day he has commanded to be kept holy, you should provoke him to send a curse upon all your concerns, and to blast your endeavours in the course of the week? Haggai i. 6-9. Every rebellion against God makes our state more desperate, sin being progressive. Have you never read, or heard or seen, that the contempt of the sabbath (like a breach in the bank of a river) opens the way for a long train of evils to follow? How many have made a confession to this purpose at the gallows? And how many families may be found that are as full of misery, dissention, and confusion throughout the week, as they are destitute of the fear and worship of God on the Lord's day? Alas! I shall tremble for you if you do not lay this admonition to heart: I shall fear lest you provoke the Lord to give you up to a reprobate mind, or lest, in the course of his providence, he should set some mark upon you, to teach others by your example, that it is a dreadful thing to sin against the light, Rom. ii. 4. But though his patience should bear with you to the last, and you to the last should despise it, yet death will finally summon you to judgment, unless by his grace you are brought to repentance: though you may say, "Peace, peace to your" self, sudden destruction will then come upon you, " and you shall not be able to escape," 1 Thess. v. 3

If you are one of those who do not wholly neglect the public worship of God, but accustom yourself to attend only once in the day, give me leave to ask you, or rather to desire you would ask your own conscience, whether you have a sufficient excuse for not attending twice? I know the circumstances of many families, such as sickness, young children, &c. will necessarily confine some people at home. But a due allowance for these impediments, will by no means account for the great difference between our congregations in the morning and in the afternoon of the same day. Now, if you have not a lawful hindrance to plead, consider whether the same reasons that require your presence at the public worship once, are not equally strong for your being there both parts of the day. Why do you go at all? Is it not to join with others in paying homage to the great God? But by doing this once only, where opportunity and the example of others invite you twice, you contradict yourself; and act as if you thought it was sometimes your duty to join in worship, and sometimes not worth your while. Or do you go with a hope of receiving good for your souls? Why then should you at any time be willing to stay away? Perhaps the opportunity you miss might have been made peculiarly useful to you. At least the Lord may justly punish your frequent neglect, by withholding his blessing when you do attend. And this may be one reason why you have heard so long to so little purpose.

IV. It is with grief I observe how generally the word of God is disregarded amongst us, though few can plead ignorance of his will. The Scripture denounces a woe against them "who are mighty to " drink strong drink," Isa. v. 22. and against "him " who urges strong drink upon his neighbour to put "him to shame," Hab. ii. 15. The Scripture declares, " Every one that sweareth shall be cut off "with a curse," Zech. v. 3. Exod. xx. 7. These threatenings are frequently repeated in the ears of those who have not entirely cast off the very form of religion. Yet I fear intemperance, riot, and profaneness, visibly gain strength from year to year. If you will go on in those practices- yet remember I this day take God and your consciences to witness, that "I am pure of your blood," Acts xx. 26. As I have forewarned you before, so I tell you again, the wrath of God hangs over you. "Except you " repent you will surely perish;" Luke xiii. 3, 5. and it will be a great aggravation if you perish with your eyes open. Think, I beseech you, before it is too late, of that awful passage-" If there be a" mong you a root that beareth gall and wormwood, " and it come to pass when he heareth the words of "this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, say"ing, I shall have peace though I walk in the ima"ginations of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst; "the Lord will not spare him, but the anger of the "Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that " man, and all the curses that are written in "this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord " shall blot out his name from under heaven," Deut. xxix. 18, 19.

There is one sin too frequent in the parish, which upon this occasion I think it especially necessary to mention. St. Paul assures us (agreeable to many other passages of Scripture, that "whoremongers " and adulterers God will judge," Heb. xiii. 4. Adultery, which implies a breach of the marriage contract, is so dreadful, so irreparable an evil, and as such condemned even by the heathens who know not God, that I would hope none of you are chargeable with it! If you are, however you may conceal your wickedness from your fellow-creatures, you cannot hide it from God; his eye is upon you, and his justice will surely overtake you. Indeed, if he is pleased to give you faith in the name of Jesus, and a sincere repentance of your crimes, there is yet hope; for "the blood of Christ cleanseth from "all sin;" 1 John i. 7. otherwise I testify to you from this Word, you shall surely perish. He who said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," Exod. xx. 14. will not hold you guiltless in the day of his wrath. But the apostle joins whoredom with adultery, and has expressly inserted fornication in the black list of those sins which will certainly exclude from a place in the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. vi. 9. Gal. v. 19. If you have been guilty, may the Lord fix a sense of your sin upon your conscience while you are reading, that you may not think it a light matter, but may instantly humble yourselves before him, and flee to the refuge provided for helpless sinners in the Gospel! Heb. vi. 18. If by his restraining grace and providence you have been hitherto preserved from this iniquity, you have reason to praise him. And O pray to him (I speak more especially to young persons) that you may be enabled to abstain from fleshly lusts which " war against the soul," 1 Pet. ii. 11. It is your

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duty and interest to flee from this hateful evil, and to watch against the temptations which lead to it, as you would avoid a pestilence. By complying with it, you hazard all your peace and comfort in this life, as well as sin against the great God. If a criminal intercourse between single persons does not issue in marriage, a long train of mischiefs is the usual consequence; shame, remorse, misery, and very often total ruin, especially on the woman's part. And even if the parties are afterwards married, though the frequency of such cases may lessen the scandal in the sight of men, the sin committed against God remains the same. And an occasion is opened for such reflections and suspicions, as frequently embitter the peace and destroy the confidence and affection in which they might otherwise have lived.

V. I observe likewise with concern, a spirit of open impiety and infidelity spreading amongst some persons. They are bold to "proclaim their sin as Sodom';" Isa. iii. 9. they cannot be content with the practice of wickedness, or with tempting others to partake of their evil deeds, but they are prompted to scoff at the truths of the Gospel, and to ridicule and revile those who will not "run with them into the same excess of " riot," 1 Pet. iv. 4. If any one, of this unhappy turn, should read this paper, I would take the opportunity to tell you, that I pity you, and pray for you. I well know the gall and wormwood, Lam. iii. 19. of your state, for it was once my own. I cannot be surprised at any thing you say or do. You sin against the light, and this makes you desperate : " It is hard "to kick against the pricks," Acts ix. 5. I can tell from my own past experience, that your heart and your language do not always agree. You are sometimes constrained to reverence the people you affect to despise; and often, when you boast of jollity and pleasure, you feel something within that makes you wish you could change conditions with a