of the judgment day! O, sinner, fly to Christ. He is your only hope; and fly, without delay. Death may be near! Eternity may be just at the door! and, therefore, what thou doest, do quickly,

"Sinner, perhaps this very day,

Thy last accepted time may be;
O shouldst thou grieve him now away,
Then hope may never beam on thee!"

SERMON VI.

THE CHARACTER AND REWARD OF THE EARTHLY

MINDED.

PROV. iii. 35.-Shame shall be the promotion of fools.

THE proverbs of Solomon are full of instruction; the language may sometimes appear harsh and abrupt, but the meaning is so much the more striking and impressive. This is the case with the passage at present under consideration. "Shame shall be the promotion of fools." Here, you will observe, the wise man calls persons of a certain description fools; and let it be remembered, he did not mean those void of reason, who are fools in a natural sense; but those, who, in matters of religion, act as if

they were void of reason, and therefore may be called fools in a scriptural sense. The main difference between the one and the other seems to be this: The one acts in opposition to sound reason, through lack of a good understanding; the other through lack of a right disposition. It is no uncommon thing for persons of a certain description, proud of their own supposed wisdom, to look rather contemptuously upon the people of God, and to esteem them as poor, weak-minded, deluded ones; and, sometimes, 'they even hesitate not to pronounce them fools. This day, I trust, the tables will be turned, and this reproach will be rolled away. Our purpose at this time, is, by simple, common sense, and scriptural argument, to establish this proposition, that all unconverted persons-that all who, taken up with the things of this world, neglect the higher interests of eternity, that they are justly chargeable with folly, supreme folly. And this, I think will appear in the two following particulars: First, in the choice which they make; and Secondly, in the conduct which. they pursue.

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I. In the choice which they make. We very frequently, and very correctly, form an idea of a person's wisdom, or folly, from what he chooses and most values. If, for example, a person should prefer an object of real and great value, to one of little or no value; as far as the case goes we form a favourable opinion of that

person's wisdom. But suppose the case be exactly the reverse. Suppose this man should prefer rags to robes, pebbles to jewels, the shadow to the substance, and counterfeit to genuine bank bills, would you pronounce him wise? I think not. And suppose, when this person is remonstrated with, in regard to the folly of his choice, he should continue, perseveringly to make the same foolish choice, would you not be strongly tempted to pronounce him a fool? Now why should not the principle hold, just as well in spiritual as in temporal things? I think it does. And now what do sinners choose? They make many a foolish choice; I will state a few by way of specimen.

First-The sinner prefers the favour of man to the favour of God. That he does so is manifest, because, whilst he is tremblingly alive to his character, as it stands in the eyes of his fellow creatures, he usually cares very little how his character stands in the eyes of his Maker. It is well known that the sinner will go to much greater lengths to please man than to please God. Nay, he will frequently do what he knows full well is displeasing to God, and that for the express purpose of securing the favour of a fellow creature! Now, what does this prove? Most assuredly, that he sets a greater value upon the favour of man than upon the favour of God. And now, which is worth the most? With regard to the favour of

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man, if of the right kind, certainly it is of some value; and I am free to say with the poet, "Poor is the friendless master of a world!" But after all, it is well known that the favour of man is oftentimes deceitful. O how frequently do we find that they of whose favour and friendship we thought ourselves perfectly sure, strangely cool off! We cannot imagine what has wrought the change, but with regard to the fact, that they are no longer our friends, that is but too clear; and, in the moment of excitement, we are ready to say, in the language of Scripture, "Cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man." But suppose this friend is a fast and faithful friend, we may be in a thousand different circumstances in which his friendship could avail us nothing. We may be laid upon a bed of sickness and languishing, and he know nothing at all about the matter. He may be far distant; mountains may tower, or oceans roll between us; or, say he is near at hand, standing at our side, and witnessing our distress, his tears may trickle down his cheeks, and all the tenderest sympathies of his heart may be excited; nay, he may even be willing to, share our sorrows with us, but in spite of all his flowing tears, and the tender sympathies of his affectionate heart, we suffer, we agonize, we die, and there is only a new display of the impotency of human friendship. Such is the favour of man, fre

quently fickle, and not to be relied upon; and even when of the best stamp, oftentimes of no substantial value; and yet, the sinner prefers the favour of man-to what? Angels in heaven, would ye believe it?-the sinner prefers the favour of man to the favour of God! I have told you what the favour of man is worth; and now, what is the value of the favour of God? O ye children of the heavenly king! ye precious sons and daughters of Zion, what do you say? I am sure the language of the Psalmist is your language, "Thy favour, O God, is life; thy loving kindness is better than life." Yes, if I should pour down at your feet all the silver and the gold in the world, and offer that in exchange for the favour of God, would you take it? Would you not rather be ready to say, "Go and offer a monarch a bubble for his crown, and if he accepts, yet will not I." The favour of God! Go and ask that young convert, who, for the first time in his life, has tasted that the Lord is good and gracious-that young convert whose countenance is dressed in smiles, and whose heart is now filled with a peace and joy unknown before-ask that young convert what he thinks of the favour of God. "O!" says he, "I never knew what real happiness was until I had a sweet sense of God's forgiving love. Truly his favour is life, and his loving kindness better than life." The favour of God!