xviii. 30,

Repent, and turn yourselves from all your Ezek. tranfgreffions, fo iniquity shall not be your sc. ruin: It is the very application, with which Almighty God concludes a long Apology for that conduct, which we find liable, it seems, to fo many objections: but to this conclufion, at least, we can have none; or none that we will avow. Such offers of mercy, as they are plain to be understood, fo they muft of neceffity be approved by us. It remains, that we thankfully embrace them. Caft away from you all your tranfgreffions whereby ye have tranfgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new fpirit; for why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael!

Lastly, let us look with reverence on that obvious but awful difpenfation, by which the behaviour of every individual is connected with the welfare, or the fufferings of fo many perfons befides himfelf: As a bad man is a publick calamity, which yet under the direction of the Father

C4

ther of all, will terminate we hope in good: fo a pious and eminently worthy person is an univerfal bleffing; reaping the fruit of his virtues in his own happiness, spreading the voice of joy and health throughout the dwellings of the righteous, and entailing the divine bleffing on those that come after him to the Jatest generations.

SER.

SERMON IV.

SECOND COMMANDMENT. PART III.

JOB xl. 3, 4.

THEN JOB ANSWERED THE LORD, AND SAID, BEHOLD, I AM VILE; WHAT SHALL I ANSWER THEE? I WILL LAY MINE HAND UPON MY MOUTH.

BELL

EING called upon to give an account of certain fums of 'money belonging to the publick, the Roman General, you know, returned for answer, It was on this day I conquered Hannibal.

Almost

Almost after the fame manner, if we might prefume to draw fuch parallels, when Almighty God is reprefented here in the book of Job, as defcending from Heaven to put an end to the long debate concerning the equity of his providence, he regards neither arguments nor answers; condemns. his defenders, offers nothing for himself; but when you expect his reasons, has recourfe to his authority: and for a reply to all complaints of his Job xl. 9. injustice, The Lord anfwered unto Job out of the whirlwind, and faid, Haft thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

Job xlii. 2, 3, &c.

The pious patriarch feems alfo to be fenfible of the weight of this argument; and, however bold and clamorous before, is convinced at last by fuch decifive reafoning: I know, that thou canst do every thing; therefore have I uttered that I underfood not mine eye feeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. What

What pretenfions indeed can man poffibly have to expoftulate with his Creator? Where is the wrong, if he who made us all, take away the life of any, guilty or innocent, whenever he pleases?

But we are told, that he has promised not to act in a manner fo arbitrary. And one of the moît remarkable paffages of Scripture to this purpose, is that in the prophet Ezekiel: Behold, all fouls are Ezek. mine; as the foul of the father, fo alfo the foul of the fon is mine: the foul that finneth, it fhall die. The fon fhall not bear the iniquity of the father; neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the fon.

It is afked, How is this confiftent. with the fanction annexed to the second commandment? And does it not amount to an abrogation, or at least to a fufpenfion, of it?

Abrogation! and Sufpenfion! alas! fuch

language,

xviii.4,20.