wildest nonsense: because, of all things in the world, there is nothing so distressing, or shocking, as a prostitution of religion. There has been evidently one thing lacking SINCERITY:-simplicity-singleness of hearta good character--consistency-honesty; and if these be wanting, away with all religious talk and mere cant! -a profane swearer is not more offensive than such a man, nor more hurtful to Christianity. I have known others who could say but little-perhaps not very clearly discerning the things which they have spoken of who spoke very humbly: I have seen them mean much, in their conduct, spirit, and transactions: and to such I would hold out the strongest encouragements. I would say to them-How depressed and distressed soever you may be-though, as it were, under a sentence of death-yet can you, like Hezekiah, turn your eyes to Jesus Christ the King of Glory? Can you say, as he said, "Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me!"-put underneath me thy everlasting arms : let me be clothed in thy righteousness, and accepted in thy sight! Let such, in the midst of all the dark prospects which may seem to surround, and almost to overwhelm them, causing them to conclude with Hezekiah—“ I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul;"-let them read on: "O Lord, by these things men live:" What! By humbling dispensations? by depression? by being broken to pieces? by being, as it were, torn asunder, and having all their worldly hopes cut off? "O Lord, by these things men live: and in all these things is the life of my spirit:" observe--" the life of my spirit:" God means to build the soul by frequently breaking to pieces the body: God means to build up the man in his spiritual state, by breaking his animal one to pieces. So wilt thou recover me, and make me to live:" by which it appears, that Hezekiah

got something more than a deliverance from death: he had the stroke sanctified: he was made to live in a superior and better way.

Instructed, therefore, by your painful dispensations, set out in the year upon which we are about to enter by praying that God would sanctify every stroke of his rod, and cause every affliction to prove a remedy for greater evils than temporal death: so shall you end the year with thanksgiving. That you may thus prosper in soul and body, may God of his infinite mercy grant, for Christ's sake!

THE DEATH-BED OF BEN-HADAD.

And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?—2 KINGS, viii. 7, 8. [1797.]

THE history of fallen man, as set forth in the Scripture, is found like Ezekiel's roll, "written within and without, lamentations, and mourning, and woe." God has established a sure connection between sin and sorrow. The only alleviation in this case is, "The daystar from on high hath visited us."

While considering this history, we shall see, both in the message sent by Ben-hadad, and in the character of Hazael as depicted by the prophet Elisha, something of what is in man, and what God knows him to be. It is well for us, that he only knoweth our hearts who can bear with them.

I propose first, to make some remarks on the death

bed of Ben-hadad; and afterwards to call your atten tion to the exceeding deceitfulness of the heart, and the nature of temptation, as illustrated in Hazael. Let us notice,

I. THE DEATH-BED OF BEN-HADAD.

"Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?" There is no more affecting sight upon the face of the earth, than the death-bed of an unconverted sinner! A man standing upon the shore of eternity-within one step of it-without the least knowledge of what he has to step upon when he enters it! Death is to be found in every house; but how few are found prepared for it!--This man made no inquiry of the Prophet till he could make no use of the answer given. Sinners, when they come to die, are like drowning men catching at twigs. Such is the folly of putting off inquiry as to where they shall find ground on which to set the sole of their foot, till they come to die!

"Go, meet the man of God, and inquire:" but for what?-Where I shall find pardon? Where I shall find a better righteousness than my own? No such thing! "Go, and inquire, whether I shall recover of this disease!" just as though he should inquire something of a fortune-teller. Such is the picture of this man !

But let us apply this to our own case: you, and I, shall soon come to our last extremity. Many who live a life of indifference to religion will at last send for a Minister, hoping he will say something that may quiet their consciences. You, that are putting off religion to a dying hour, may think to turn to God when you are unable to turn in your beds. But this is absolute

madness. "Now, is the accepted time; now, is the day of salvation." Your prayer should now be-O Lord, prepare me for that hour: help me to flee for refuge to the hope set before me: open mine eyes to the true light which now shineth; let my path be as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day! Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you."

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There are a set of poor unthinking creatures, who while they are in health laugh at religion, and those who profess it; but the time will come when death will convince them of their folly and madness and there are many who say with Balaam, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his;" but we should take care to have truth on our side in time. If we learn the blessedness of true religion by living the life of the righteous, then we shall know what satisfaction it will afford when we come to die. There is not a poor wretch now in the bottomless pit but is convinced of truth: there is a time coming when every ungodly worldling will be convinced of truth: but that is not enough: we must receive the truth now we must have that true wisdom which consists in knowing our opportunity, and the danger of neglecting it. He that would rise when the world. is in ruins, must now seek an interest in him who is the Saviour of sinners. The danger of procrastination, and of our becoming hardened in sin, may be further impressed upon our minds when we consider,

II. THE EXCEEDING DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART, AND THE NATURE OF TEMPTATION, AS ILLUSTRATED IN HAZAEL.

Read the verses following the text, to the 16th.

Here is a very striking picture. The man of God "settled his countenance steadfastly upon Hazael until he was ashamed and the man of God wept." Exalted to the spirit of prophecy, he saw all that was coming on. "And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel:" I see, and know, the lengths of wickedness to which thou shalt go. What is most remarkable in this passage is the surprise expressed by Hazael. "And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Hazael, no doubt, spoke as he felt he was satisfied in himself: but he did not know himself, nor the nature of temptation.

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But has not the Scripture informed man of this? Has it not said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked?" Whenever we see sin overspreading the face of the earth, it is because out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Matt. xv. 19. See also James i. 13, 17. These facts should raise a strong suspicion in our minds, and show what we are capable of, if permitted to fall under temptation. One of our reformers, when he saw a man going to execution, said, "There goes John Bradford but for the grace of God !"

Much is implied in the prophet's answer, "Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel" q. d. there is an evil in thy heart which a new situation will bring into exercise. We do not know our own hearts. That is God's prerogative. See Rev. ii. 23: "And all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and the heart." A Saviour who could not search the heart would not be a fit Saviour for sinners: and they who know any thing of