XVI. SER M. behold iniquity; he delights in virtue, and he hates vice with the most perfect hatred; he has strongly commanded the one, and forbidden the other; and has solemnly assured us, that he will reward or punish us according as we are guilty or innocent: this, as we cannot doubt his ability, so neither can we doubt his will to perform; and as he is every where present, a spectator of our most secret actions, we cannot pos sibly form a hope of escaping detection. Now if this be the case, as it certainly is, is it not evident, when we fall into the comǝ mission of any sin, either that the fear of God is removed from before our eyes, or; which amounts to the same, that we do not entertain true notions of him? Is it pos sible, otherwise, that the transient gratification of a moment, the hope of any riches or honours that this world can af ford (which, when acquired, we may be deprived of immediately, and, at the best, must XVI. must surrender so soon) could tempt us SERM. into wickedness? I think it is not possible; I think, if we had constantly before us an inspecting and avenging God, the hater and punisher of all unrighteousness; one who is able to cast both body and soul into hell, and who has solemnly denounced that aw.ul menace against impenitent sinners, I think it must have an effectual influence on our lives and conversations. But, instead of this, we are too apt to thrust away ideas of this kind, too apt to banish them from our hearts, as interrupters and disturbers of our gaiety, or, what has the same effect, to impair and weaken their impression, by encouraging false notions of their object. There is a particular scepticism in too many, with regard to the attributes of God; they doubt whether he possesses some qualities in that extent, in which reason and scripture assure us that he does; they partly XVI. SERM. partly persuade themselves that his presence is not so universal as it is represented, or that he does not condescend to regard so minutely the concerns of such a creature as man; they flatter themselves with hopes, besides, that he will not be so rigidly just as they have been taught to imagine; infinitely powerful, infinitely good, they are willing to allow him; but they persuade themselves, that this latter attribute will restrain him in the exercise of his justice, and reflecting how frail a creature man is, and how apparently great the number of unrepenting sinners, they would fain believe that they shall find safety in consideration of their frailty and their numbers. But if they did not endeavour to deceive themselves, they could never reason in this manner; the omnipresence of God is a te net even of natural religion, which is fully confirmed by revelation: nothing is so secret as to escape his inspection." He is "about "about our path, and about our bed, and SERM. " spieth out all our ways;" nothing is so inconsiderable as to be beneath his regard; it extends even to the hairs of our head, all of which are numbered. Neither let us buoy ourselves up, and impair the influence which the fear of God would otherwise have, by imputing our iniquities to our na tural frailty, when we recollect what aids we are promised, and by what inducements we are incited to overcome it. An allpowerful Being will assist us, and therefore we cannot fail, if our endeavours are sincere, of being victorious, and eternal glory and happiness will be the reward of our conquest: all pleas of difficulty and inability vanish before these considerations. But God is good, you have said, infinitely good, and, therefore, will never doom to endless destruction such a multitude of apparently impenitent sinners as we see around us. Do not rely upon this; you are XVI. XVI. SERM. are a very improper judge of the extent of your neighbour's guilt; it may be attended with extenuating circumstances, which you, who reason in this manner, well know is not the case with your own; he may be in a state of salvation, however it may appear otherwise to you; think not, therefore, to find safety in saying, 'I see all around me as bad as myself,' since you are very probably deceived, and if you are not, it is the height of absurdity to suppose that the vicious will find protection in their numbers. The motives to the fear of God are so strong, that it is, I think, manifest that (unless they drive it assiduously from their minds, or impair its influence by false rea soning on the object of it) men could not be so frequently betrayed into the commission of gross wickedness: but when this is once done, another cause of vice begins to ope rate, the instigation of the devil! When that impregnable shield, a due apprehension of |