On this account the apoftles urge their fellow-chriftians to conftancy in the profeffion of the gospel, viz. left they should lofe their reward, and enhance their future condemnation. Gal. vi. 9. "Let us not "be weary in well-doing: for in due feafon "we shall reap, if we faint not." 2 John 8. "Look to yourselves, that we lose not "thofe things which we have wrought, but "that we receive a full reward."

It was the great maxim of the heathen philofophers of old, as it is with almost all thofe who reject chriflianity at prefent, to think with the wife, and act with the vulgar; but a perfect confiftency of character and profeffion is strictly required of chriftians. In time of perfecution we are allowed, and even commanded, to endeavour to avoid it, by all fair and honeft methods; fo that if we be perfecuted in one city, we may flee to another; but on no confideration whatever are we to make shipwreck of faith and of a good confcience, by denying or concealing our chriftian profeffion. With respect to

this great hour of trial, the declarations of our Lord are most exprefs and folemn.

Having foretold his own fufferings, and feverely rebuked Peter, who could not bear the thought of them, we are told, Mark viii. 34. that he called the people unto "him, with his difciples, and faid unto "them, Whofoever will come after me, let "him deny himself, and take up his cross, "and follow me. Whofoever will fave his "life fhall lofe it; but whofoever fhall

lofe his life for my fake and the gofpel's, "the fame fhall fave it." Matt. x. 32. "Whofoever fhall confefs me before men, "him will I confefs alfo before my Father "who is in heaven. But whofoever fhall

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deny me before men, him will I alfo deny "before my Father who is in heaven.”

Thefe admonitions the apoftles keep in mind in their writings, and therefore the apoftle Paul fays, 2 Tim. ii. 12. "If we "fuffer, we fhall alfo reign with him: if "we deny him, he will alfo deny us." And, acting upon this maxim, thousands of chriftians

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chriftians have chearfully laid down their lives for the profeffion of the chriftian faith.

It is to be obferved, that, in the fcriptures, though the rewards of virtue are only promifed to perfons of a truly virtuous character and conduct, they are promifed to those who fhall fo repent of their fins, as to manifeft a change of character and conduct at any time of the active part of their lives. No perfon, however, has any encouragement from any part of fcripture, to expect that he fhall be entitled to the rewards of the gofpel, who repents fo late, that he has no opportunity of shewing a change of conduct at all,

Befides, few of thofe late profeffions of repentance are fincere, or, if fincere, would have been lafting; and, according to the uniform language of the fcriptures, it is "according to the deeds that men have ac

tually done in this life," that they fhall receive at the hand of God hereafter. 2. Cor. V. 10. "for we must all appear before the "judgment feat of Chrift; that every one

may receive the things done in his body, "according to that he hath done, whether "it be good or bad. Knowing, therefore, "the terror of the Lord, we perfuade men.'

It is alledged, indeed, that our Saviour promised the thief upon the cross, that he should be with him in paradise; but nothing can be inferred from a cafe fo very obfcure as this is; for we know nothing of the previous character of this man, we can guefs but very imperfectly at what is meant by his request, nor do we know precifely the full import of what our Lord did promife him. Befides, this story is only found in one of the evangelifts, viz. Luke, who appears, by many circumftances, to have been the leaft informed of any of them; and Matthew, who was upon the fpot, fays, that both the thieves reviled Chrift, without adding one word in favour of either of them. As, therefore, there is no other fact in the history of the Old or New Teftament, that gives any countenance to expectations of mercy in a proper death-bed repentance, and all the general rules and precepts of the fcripture

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fcripture abfolutely exclude all hope in this cafe, it must be very dangerous to rely upon it; though it is to be feared that many perfons continue to live in a manner which their confcience difapproves, in confequence of deluding themfelves with this miserable fallacy.

I shall conclude this account.of the morality of the fcriptures, with obferving, that it is not delivered fyftematically, and at large, either in the Old or New Teftament; but that it is not on this account the less, but, in fact, the more valuable, because it is delivered in a manner that is both more intelligible, and more forcible. For, being delivered as particular occafions fuggeft, it has neceffarily the advantage of a peculiar emphasis and energy. What precept, for inftance, against pride or hypocrify, in a general fyftem of morals, would have had the force of our Lord's vehement reflections upon the Scribes and Pharifees, and of his affectionate admonitions to his own difciples on thofe fubjects; or what other manner of inftruction would have recommended

a great