tomb. Your relish for the delights of sense, for the active scenes and gay amusements of life is greatly impaired and almost at an end. Oh, fly to the nobler pleasures and hopes of religion, as the only substitute for these perishing joys. Make a seasonable retreat from the cares and gratifications of the world; let your last days be chiefly devoted to religious improvement, to a growing preparation for heaven; and be careful to leave your aged, dying advice to your children and the rising age, in favour of the sweetness and excellence of religion: "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste; so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to thy soul: When thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off."

Let me next remind you, my brethren, who are in the meridian of life, that as yours is the very age of manly wisdom, it becomes you to shew your superior judgment by obeying the counsel of Solomon in the text. Remember, among all your busy cares and pursuits, that "the merchandise of wisdom is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold." If you acquire it, it will draw down the divine benediction on your worldly pursuits, and give a tenfold value to your other gains and enjoyments. But if you neglect it, your greatest worldly acquisitions will leave you destitute of true satisfaction in this life, and give a keen edge to your poverty and misery in the next.

As to you, children and youth, since every pulse, every sense calls loud for pleasure, let me entreat you to seek it in early religion. Now, my young friends, is the seed time of life; if you now sow to the spirit, you shall reap a proportional harvest, either in a life of solid, serene satisfaction here, or at least, in rivers of immortal pleasures hereafter. Religion, far from diminishing, will improve

all the charms and innocent delights of your sprightly

age.

Finally, Let those who are destitute of this wisdom, earnestly seek it. "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hidden treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." And let those, who have it, feel and exhibit the pleasures of it, manifest a noble contempt of sensual and vicious delights, a cheerful resignation, when stripped of earthly comforts; and look, and long, and ripen for that world, where their graces and joys shall be mature and perfect.

The Want of a practical Regard to religious Truth, the Cause of dangerous speculative Errors.

2 THESSALONIANS ii. 10, 11, and 12.

Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

THE apostle, in this chapter, predicts a grand aposta

sy in the Christian church; which, from small beginnings, should grow up to a monstrous height, so as to form an unparalleled system of religious tyranny, fraud, and corruption.

The description given of this apostate antichristian power, of its rise, its rule, its subjects, and its fall, so exactly and exclusively agree to the papal usurpation or the bishop of Rome, that little reasonable doubt can remain, that this power is "the man of sin," the "son of perdition," whom the spirit of prophesy here characterizes and devotes to destruction. The text describes the persons, who voluntarily submit to this corrupt power, and shall perish with it. They are such, as never cordially love the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness; and hence were easily seduced from those sound doctrines, which they always secretly disliked, into such false principles as suited their depraved inclinations and practice. Hence God, by a righteous judicial act, gives them up to delusion and wickedness, and thus seals their endless destruction.

Though the words before us primarily refer to the willing subjects of antichrist, they will fairly admit of a much larger application, and may be reduced to the following general proposition; viz. that the want of a sincere practical regard to religious truth has both a natural and moral tendency to lead men into the most dangerous speculative errors.

The great sin, for which the persons in the text are so severely condemned, is designated by their not receiving the love of the truth. This designation applies, in a greater or less degree, to all, who profess or enjoy the Christian religion, but whose hearts are not reconciled to its its pure, self denying doctrines and laws. Their understandings, perhaps, are constrained by evidence to admit these doctrines, as true; but their wills and affections rise up against them, as severe, as inimical to their favourite pursuits and gratifications. Their haughty and sensual, their sordid or revengeful spirits disrelish and spurn a system of religion and morals, so holy and humble, so generous and forgiving, so meek and peaceable, as that of the gospel; a system, which not only forbids and seeks to exterminate their dearest lusts, but threatens all the votaries of these idols with everlasting punishment. As the thief or midnight assassin abhors the light of day, not because light is in itself odious to him, but because he views it as menacing him with public detection and ignominious punishment; so the sinner hates the light of gospel truth, because it exposes, and affixes disgrace and ruin to persons of his dark, iniquitous character. His enmity to religious truth is therefore rather consequential, than direct; that is, he opposes it not as truth, but as a mortal foe to his comfort and security in a sinful course. There is such a natural correspondence between the human understanding and truth, that the mind of man

The Want of a practical Regard to religious Truth, the Cause of dangerous speculative Errors.

2 THESSALONIANS ii. 10, 11, and 12.

Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

THE apostle, in this chapter, predicts a grand aposta

sy in the Christian church; which, from small beginnings, should grow up to a monstrous height, so as to form an unparalleled system of religious tyranny, fraud, and corruption.

The description given of this apostate antichristian power, of its rise, its rule, its subjects, and its fall, so exactly and exclusively agree to the papal usurpation or the bishop of Rome, that little reasonable doubt can remain, that this power is "the man of sin," the "son of perdition," whom the spirit of prophesy here characterizes and devotes to destruction. The text describes the persons, who voluntarily submit to this corrupt power, and shall perish with it. They are such, as never cordially love the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness; and hence were easily seduced from those sound doctrines, which they always secretly disliked, into such false principles as suited their depraved inclinations and practice. Hence God, by a righteous judicial act, gives them up to delusion and wickedness, and thus seals their endless destruction.