fane. Indeed, in one form and another, no man has been guiltless of that irreverence towards God, in which the essence of profaneness consists. The evil, therefore, spreads over the world; and, in one form, or another, attaches itself to every child of Adam.

How wonderful a specimen of human corruption is presented in the so general profanation of the Name of God, exhibited in light-minded cursing and swearing! How perfectly at a loss is Reason for a motive to originate, and explain, this conduct! Why should the Name of the Creator be treated with irreverence? Why should not any thing else be uttered by man, if we consider him merely as a rational being, without recurring at all to his moral and accountable character, rather than language of this nature? Certainly, it contributes not, in the least degree, to the advancement of any purpose, cherished by the mind of the profane person; unless that purpose is mere profaneness. I know well, that passion is often pleaded for the use of this language. But why should passion prompt to profaneness? Anger, one would suppose, would naturally vent itself in expressions of resentment against the person, who had provoked us. But this person is always a fellow-creature; a man like ourselves. In what way, or in what degree, is God concerned in this matter? What has the passion, what has the provocation, to do with Him, his name, or his character? Why do we afront and injure him, because a creature, infinitely unlike him, has affronted and injured us? I know that Custom, also, is pleaded, as an extenuation, and perhaps as an explanation, of this crime. But how came such a custom to exist? How came any rational being ever to think of profaning the name of God? How came any other rational being to follow him in this wickedness? Whence was it, that so many millions of those, who ought to be rational beings, have followed them both? What end can it have answered? What honour, gain, or pleasure, can it have furnished? What taste can it have gratified? What desire, what affection, can it have indulged? What end can the profane person have proposed to himself?

Can any explanation be given of this conduct, except that it springs from love to wickedness itself? From a heart fixedly op posed to its Maker; pleased with affronting him; loving to abuse his character, and to malign his glorious agency? A heart in which sin is gratuitous; by which in juster language nothing is gained, much is plainly lost, and every thing is hazarded? What, beside the love of sinning; what, but the peculiar turpitude of the character; can be the source, or the explanation of this conduct?

2dly. These observations teach us the Goodness of God in alarming mankind concerning this sin in so solemn a manner.

The guilt of profaneness cannot be questioned: nor can there be any more question concerning the danger to which the perpe

trator exposes himself. In such a situation, how kindly has the Lawgiver of the universe warned mankind against the perpetration, by announcing to them, in this affecting manner, the evil to which it would expose them. He saw, perfectly, their tendency to this wickedness; and with infinite mercy has been pleased to provide those means for their safety, which are best calculated to insure it.

If a child were advancing towards the brow of a precipice; how kindly would he and his parent regard a friend, who should announce to him his danger, direct him with sure guidance, and influence him with efficacious motives, to avoid it. The threatening, contained in this command, and, together with it, all those which are found in the Scriptures, are calculated for this very purpose. They warn us of approaching guilt: they declare to us approaching danger. Thousands and millions of the human race have been actually saved by them from impending destruction. Terrible are they indeed to obstinate sinners, because they disturb them in their beloved course of sinning, and because they intend not to cease from sin. Still they are not the less mercifully given. They are the very means, by which immense multitudes have been plucked, as brands, out of the burning.

3dly. Let me warn all those who hear me, to shun profaneness. To this end, fix in your minds a solemn and controlling sense of the evil and danger of this sin. Make this sense habitual in such a manner, that it may be always ready to rise up in the mind, and present itself before your eyes. Feel, that you will gain nothing here, and lose every thing hereafter.

Under the influence of these views, keep the evil always at a great distance. Mark the men, who are profane; and avoid their company, as you would avoid the plague. Shun the places where profaneness abounds, or where it may be expected to abound, as you would shun a quicksand. Avoid them; pass not by them; turn from them; pass away. Remember, that these places are the way to hell; going down to the chambers of death.

Unceas

Unceasingly say to yourselves, Thou God seest me. ingly say to yourselves, The Lord will not hoid him guiltless, that taketh his name in vain. Remember, that he is most mercifully disposed to be your Father, and everlasting friend; that he cannot be your friend, unless you regard him with reverence and Godly fear; and that, if He be not your friend, you will throughout eternity be friendless, and helpless, and hopeless. What then will become of you?

Carefully avoid mentioning his great Name on any, except solemn, occasions; and in any manner which is not strictly reverential. Never speak, never think, of God, his Son, his Spirit, his Name, his works, his Word, or his Institutions, without solemnity and Never approach his House, or his Word, without reverence. Prepare yourselves by solemn consideration and humble

awe.

prayer for his Worship. Shun all that language which, though not directly profane, is merely a series of steps towards profaneness; and all those thoughts of sacred things, which are tinctured with levity. At the same time, daily beseech him to preserve you; and let your unceasing prayer be, Set a watch, O Lord! before my mouth: keep the door of my lips.

4thly. Let me solemnly admonish the profane persons, in this assembly, of their guilt and danger.

You, unhappily for yourselves, are those, who take the name of God in vain; and of course are now, or soon will be, subjects of all the guilt and danger, which I have specified. Now, therefore, thus saith the Lord, Consider your ways. Remember what you are doing; against whom your evil tongues are directed; who is the object of your contempt and mockery.

Ask yourselves what you gain; what you expect to gain; what you do not lose. Remember, that you lose your reputation, at least in the minds of all the wise and good, and all the blessings of their company and friendship; that you sacrifice your peace of mind; that you break down all those principles, on which Virtue may be grafted, and, with them, every rational hope of eternal life; that you are rapidly becoming more and more corrupted, day by day; and that, with this deplorable character, you are preparing to go to the judgment. Think what it will be to swear, and curse, to mock God, and insult your Redeemer, through life; to carry your oaths and curses to a dying bed; to enter eternity with blasphemies in your mouths; and to stand before the final bar, when the last sound of profaneness has scarcely died upon your tongues.

If these considerations do not move you; if they do not make you tremble at the thought of what you are doing; if they do not force you to a solemn pause in the career of iniquity; if they do not compel you to retrace your downward steps, and return, while it is in your power, to reformation and safety; I can only say, that you are hurried by an evil spirit to destruction; that you are maniacs in sin, on whom neither reason nor religion has any influence; and that you will soon find yourselves in the eter nal dungeon of darkness and despair.

SERMON CV.

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.-THE PERPETUITY OF THE SABBATH.

EXODUS XX. 8-11.-Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shall not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gales; For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

THE Command, which is given us in this passage of Scripture, requires no explanation. I shall, therefore, proceed immediately to the consideration of the great subject, which it presents to our view, under the following heads:

1. The Perpetual Establishment of the Sabbath: and

II. The Manner, in which it is to be observed.

I. I shall endeavour to prove the Perpetual Establishment of the Sabbath in the Scriptures.

This subject I propose to consider at length; and, in the course of my examination, shall attempt to offer direct proof of its Perpetuity, and then to answer Objections.

In direct proof of the Perpetuity of this institution I allege,

1. The Text.

Now it is

The text is one of the commands of the Moral Law. acknowledged, that the Moral Law is, in the most universal sense, binding on men of every age, and every country. If, then, this command be a part of that Law; all mankind must be under immoveable obligations to obey the injunctions, which it contains.

That it is a part of the Moral Law I argue from the fact, that it is united with the other commands, which are acknowledged to be of this nature. It is twice placed in the midst of the decalogue; in the context, and in the fifth of Deuteronomy. This fact, you will remember, was the result of design, and not of accident: a design, formed and executed by God himself, and not by Moses.

I argue it, also, from the fact, that this command, together with the remaining nine, was spoken with an awful and audible voice from the midst of the thunders, and lightnings, which enveloped Mount Sinai. The splendour and Majesty of this scene were such, that all the people, who were in the camp, trembled. And when they saw the thunderings, and lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they removed, and stood afar off and said unto Moses, Speak thou with us; and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. Even Moses himself exceedingly feared and quaked.

I argue this doctrine also from the fact that this command was written by the finger of God, on one of the two tables of stone, originally prepared by himself, and destined to contain nothing, but this and the other precepts of the Decalogue. It was afterwards written. again by the same hand, after these tables were broken, on one of two similar tables, prepared by Moses. A table of stone, and pillar of stone, were, in ancient times, direct symbols of the perpe tuity of whatever was engraved on them. This very natural symbol God was pleased to adopt in the present case, to show the perpetual obligation of these commands. The remainder of the law, given by Moses, was all written in a book; and was here intentionally, and entirely distinguished, as to its importance, from the Decalogue. The tables of stone on which these commands were written, were fashioned by the hand of God himself. This also, forms a peculiar article of distinction between the Decalogue, and the rest of the Jewish law. Nothing but the Decalogue ever received such an honour, as this. It was written on one of these tables by the finger of God. This also is a distinction peculiar to

the Decalogue.

When Moses, in his zeal to destroy the idolatry of the Israelites, in had broken the two tables of stone, fashioned and written upon this manner; God directed him to make two other tables of stone, like the first. On these he was pleased to write the same commands a second time. In this act he has taught us, that he was pleased to become, a second time, the recorder of these precepts with his own hand, rather than that the entire distinction between these precepts, and others, should be obliterated.

Now

Every part of this solemn transaction, it is to be remembered, was the result of contrivance and design; of contrivance and design, on the part of God himself. Every part of it, therefore, speaks a language, which is to be examined, and interpreted, by us. let me ask, whether this language is not perfectly intelligible, and perfectly unambiguons. Is it not clear beyond every rational debate, that God designed to distinguish these precepts from every other part of the Mosaic law, both as to their superior importance, and their perpetuity? Is it not incredible, that God should mark, in so solemn a manner, this command, together with the remaining nine, unless he intended, that all, to whom these precepts should come, that is, all Jews and Christians, or all who should afterwards read the Scriptures, should regard these Commands as possessing that very importance, which he thus significantly gave them; should consider them as being, in a peculiar sense, his law; and hold them as being perpetually, and universally, obligatory?

It is further to be remembered, that this command is delivered in There is no limitation the same absolute manner, as the other nine. to the phraseology, in which it is contained. Honour thy father and thy mother, is obligatory on all children, to whom this precept shall come. Thou shalt not steal, is a precept, prohibiting the