the kingdom of God, seriously to consider your state, while you have time for repentance and acknowledgment of the truth.

If it is the case, as I have too much reason to fear, that some of you are so tied and bound by the chain of your sins, that you cannot and will not move one finger, or stir one step to lay hold of this kingdom; why is it? It may be you despise and blaspheme the adorable name and person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and impiously take from him his glory and infinite Deity, who said, “I and my Father are one." "All things that the Father hath are mine." "As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will." Neither did Jesus refuse the adoration and worship of Thomas, when, after hesitating a little, and doubting whether the person that stood before him was really the same Jesus who had died upon the cross and was buried, Thomas answered and said, My Lord, and my God; and before the rulers of the Jews and the chief priests, he asserted so plainly his divinity, and the glory and majesty of his future coming and kingdom, that the High Priest "rent his clothes, saying, he hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?

behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy:" Or it may be, having bitter envying and strife in your hearts against that blessed truth of our most holy religion, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer; and the issue of it, even the life of God in the soul of man, with all its precious fruits of righteousness, and goodness, and truth; you reject the doctrine of the Spirit's teaching and influence; and do not care to enquire whether this may not be that sin against the Holy Ghost which will not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come: Or it may be, you perversely say, that there can be no resurrection of the dead, and that the bodies of all men, good and bad, which sleep in the dust of the earth, shall always remain there; whereas the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, of which we have the plainest proof, is a pledge and assurance of our resurrection; every grain of wheat, moreover, falling into the ground, and anon bursting into life again, and coming up, and budding, and bringing forth fruit in its season, teaches us that God can as easily give life to our dead bodies, and make the flesh to come upon them, and the breath to enter into them again in that day, of which He hath said, that in it all that are in their graves shall come

forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation: Or it may be, you proudly stand upon your own merits, and claim to be admitted into heaven as the proper reward and desert of your righteousness and works; which works, you ought to know, even all your best works cannot purge away your sins, nor endure the severity of God's judgment: Or it may be, you are living entirely to yourselves, careful only about your own gains and pleasures; and if you are fed and clothed yourselves, it matters not to you who is hungry, or naked, or sick: though of all that we have nothing is ours beyond what is necessary to supply us and our children with the moderate indulgences and comforts of that station in which God hath placed us; the rest is His poor people's, to whom He has commanded us freely to give it: Or it may be you are giving yourselves up wholly to company and cards, and to the dance, and the song, and to feasting and revelling; being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; which is to live without God, and to resist, as far as you can, the purpose of God in bringing you into the world: Or it may be you are indulging some secret sin; an adulterous connection, or the deadly sin of

Y

fornication, or some other lust, which shuns the light, and to gratify which you shut to the door, that the eye of man may not see you; forgetting that the eye of God sees you as well when you are in your secret chamber, as when you are abroad in the street; as well by night as by day; for the darkness hideth not from Him, the darkness and the light to Him are both alike.

These sentiments and practices, viewed through the medium of Scripture, instead of through the medium of our preconceived notions, and corrupt appetites and inclinations, appear to be such as cannot be indulged without certain ruin to your souls. I should not, therefore, be an honest and faithful servant of God; I should not act according to the dictates of my own conscience; on the contrary, I should be guilty of a shameful neglect and violation of my ordination vow; your blood would be upon me; and I should justly draw down on myself your eternal reproaches and curses, if I did not declare and testify to you all, high and low, rich and poor together, that except you renounce all these sinful lusts of the flesh and of the mind, you cannot see the kingdom and salvation of God, but must perish, miserably perish, under his hand.

I must, however, detain you no longer: I will

therefore bid you all farewell. My dearly beloved Parishioners, the gentry, the tradespeople, the mechanics, the labourers in the field, men-servants and women-servants, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

And you, my dear little children of the Free School, though I mention you last, have not the least, nor the lowest place in my good wishes, and fervent prayers for the welfare of my people. My last word to you is, Fear God and keep his commandments: Trust in and cleave to that blessed Saviour, who died for you, and is gone before to prepare a place for you, that you may be with him where he is: Honour and obey the Master and Mistress your Patrons have kindly allowed me to put over you, to teach you and direct you in that way which leads to the kingdom of God and everlasting life. I pray God to give your Teachers grace to do their duty towards you, by instructing you according to his word and truth, and by setting you a good example. My little children, farewell. I hope that you will so live and die, that I may meet you again in the kingdom and before the throne of my God.