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them eyes to see, nor hearts to conceive, that exceeding recompence of your reward. They are termed for their impiety towards God, mockers ; and for the impurity of their life and conversation, Walkers after their own ungodly lusts.

Men separate themselves either by heresy, schism, or apostacy. If they lose the bond of faith, which most justly may it be considered that they do, who perversely oppugn any principal or fundamental point of Christian doctrine, this is to separate themselves by heresy. If they break the bond of unity, by which the body of the Church is knit in one, (as they do who wilfully forsake all external communion with saints in those holy ordinances which are purely and orderly established in the Church) this is to separate themselves by schism. If they willingly cast off, and utterly forsake both the profession of Christ and communion with Christians, (taking their leave of all religion) this is to separate themselves by plain apostacy.

Now, since by examples such as these, not only the hearts of Infidels were hardened against the truth, but the minds of weak brethren also troubled; the Holy Ghost has given sentence on these transgressors, that they are sensual, having not the Spirit. What though they seemed to be pillars and principal upholders of our faith! What is that to us, who know that angels have fallen from heaven?

Greatly does it behove you, therefore, to examine

yourselves, and to try whether you are bond or free. We cannot examine the hearts of others; we may our own. That we have passed from death unto life, we know, says St. John, because we love the brethren. And know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? I trust, beloved, that we are not reprobates, because the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is in us.

They who fall away from the grace of God, and separate themselves unto perdition; they are fleshly and sensual, they have not God's Holy Spirit. But unto you, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the SPIRIT of his Son into your hearts, to the end that ye might know that Christ has built you upon a rock immoveable; that he has registered your names in the book of life; that he has bound himself in a sure and everlasting covenant to be your God, and the God of your children after you; that he has suffered as much, and prayed as heartily for you, as for Peter, O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and WILL declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. And, oh! may the Lord of his infinite mercy, give us hearts fully fraught with the trea

sure of this blessed assurance of faith, even unto the end!

The more immediate consideration of the latter part of the text, I shall reserve for the afternoon,

SERMON VI,

FROM HOOKER.

PART II.

JUDE 17-21.

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal

the

life.

HAVING already enlarged upon the three former verses, concerning mockers which should come in the last time; I shall now direct your attention to the words of exhortation with which the text concludes.

And first, we cannot but perceive how careful is the Lord, how anxiously provident of all his children, how desirous to see them grow up to a manly stature in Christ, how loath to have them any way misled, either by the examples of the wicked, the allurements of the world, the lusts of the flesh, or any other means that are likely to deceive them and estrange their hearts from God. He has graven us upon the palms of his hands; he has made us as a signet on his finger. In sentences, not only of mercy, but of judgment, has he remembered us. He never denounces judgments against the wicked, but he makes some proviso for his children; Touch not mine anointed; and do my Prophets no harm: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

The exhortations which God puts so frequently into the mouths of the Prophets and Apostles of Jesus Christ, are most convincing proofs that he is not unmindful of our condition. Can a mother forget her child? If haply there be found a mother so unnatural as to forget the fruit of her own womb; yet do God's judgments plainly declare to us that He cannot forget the man whose heart he has framed and fashioned anew in simplicity and truth to serve and fear him..

See we not the care and solicitude of God for Lot and for his family, lest the fiery destruction of the wicked should overtake him? The angels in

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