" which the heavens fhall pass away "with a great noife, and the ele

ments fhall melt with fervent

"heat; the earth alfo, and they "that are therein shall be burnt up."-These are the words of St. Peter; and if any one by this lively description of the horrors of the last day is roused to a sense of the danger he is in thro' a finful course of life; he will certainly have reason to bless God, for appointing eternal torments for the wicked; and for that revelation of them, whereby he is reclaimed from the error of his ways, and is rendered worthy to be a partaker of those joys, which he had otherwise defpifed and forfeited. Seeing that all these

confidereth" what manner of per"fon he ought to be in all holy "conversation and godliness:

Looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, where"in the heavens being on fire fhall "be diffolved, and the elements "fhall melt with fervent heat. "vertheless he, according to the

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promise of God, looketh for new heavens and a new earth, where"in dwelleth righteousness :" And, fully convinced of the goodness of God, both in rewarding the good, and punishing the bad, he will heartily join with David in the words of the text: "O love the

แ

Lord all ye faints! for the Lord preferveth," eternally preferveth "them that are faithful; but plen

"teously rewardeth," with torments in this world and the next,

proud doer."

the

To the eternally wife, juft and merciful God, with the son and Holy

Ghost, be afcribed, &c. Amen!

SERMON XI.

ROM. XV. 4.

Whatfoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we, through patience and comfort of the fcriptures, might have hope.

WH

Hoever is acquainted with the writings of the antient heathens (or gentiles, as the apostle calls them) cannot without great want of humanity but be forry for their difconfolate condition, owing to their ignorance of a future ftate.-Supports under temporal afflictions flowing from their universal belief of a general, and particular providence, 'though founded on erroneous principles

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ciples, they wanted not; and fometimes, under the most trying circumstances, behaved with a degree of valour and magnanimity, little fhort of the fortitude and faith of a chriftian.----But view even their heroes and their sages at the point of death, trembling on the brink, or rashly leaping into the gulph of diffolution; and at the best doubting of a future exiftence; their virtuous and courageous deeds, the more enhance Our concern for them; that fuch exalted fpirits, fhould be denied the cheering prospect of eternity, which is now opened to the humbleft and meaneft christian. There is this ufe, however, to be made of these scriptures or theology of these gentiles or heathens, by which some of them were inspired