that in his better days he had been in almost all evil, and had hated inftruction and defpifed reproof. The infidels and idolaters, in the days of Jeremiah the prophet, turned their back unto the true God, and would not even acknowledge him as their creator and preserver. They faid to a ftock, Thou art our father; and to a stone, Thou haft brought us forth :" but in the time of their trouble, when all fupport failed them, they would repair to God, and fay, "Arife and fave

us."

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Cafes of the like nature are not unfrequent now. There are many under gospel light, who appear to live regardlefs of religion. If they believe its general truth, yet they feel not its particular and prefent importance. They devote themselves to the pleasures and interefts of the world, and give the momentous concerns of eternity no place in their hearts. They make no profeflion of religion; and the duties of it they practise no farther than their worldly defigns require. They feldom attend on the appointed worship of God's houfe, and perhaps as feldom addrefs their maker in a more private manner. They are pleased with the converfation of thofe, who talk lightly about religion; and they readily embrace the licentious opinions which they hear, because these pacify their troubled confciences, and quiet their guilty fears, in the course which they are pursuing. If they do not openly reject religion, yet they fondly admit doubts of its truth, or, at least, of the truth of its more important doctrines, and never take the trouble to enquire, what religion really is, on what ground it ftands, or what is their own character. Thus they pass carelessly along in the calm feasons of life. But if you were to vifit thefe perfons in a time of sickness, when they had the

fentence of death in them, and even defpaired of life, I am confident, you would find many of them in a different ftate of mind. You would not hear them talk so doubtfully about the truth, or fo lightly about the importance of religion, as they used to do. You would not perceive them seeking comfort in annihilation, or in promiscuous falvation. Their final deftiny now appears too near, and too folemn to be trifled with. They wish for a hope, which can reft on a folid and permanent foundation. How much foever they have despised prayer in time paft, they now direct their thoughts and defires to the mercy of God as their only hope. How indifferently foever they have fpoken of the gofpel, they now fee no where else to go for the words of eternal life. How much foever they may have ridiculed the men of prayer, they now folicit a fhare in the interceffions of fuch men. How much foever they have neglected the altar of God, they now with to lay hold on the horns of it, and, if they muft die, to die there.

This, indeed, is not the cafe of all dying sinners. Some die fuddenly, fome in the diftraction or ftupor of disease, and fome in habitual hardness of heart. But it is the cafe of many; and we rarely meet with a cafe which is the reverfe of it; I mean the cafe of one, who, in the near expectation of death, will difavow all regard to religion, glory in his wickednefs, or place full confidence in his licentious principles. The moft daring infidels, and the most boafting univerfalifts have been known to fhudder at the gates of death, to diftruft their former opinions, and feek refuge in the grace of the gofpel. Even a Voltaire, who in the most audacious manner profaned God's altar in his life, fought to lay hold on the horns of

it at his death. Though he employed his keeneft wit to wound the gospel of Chrift, yet he wished to die a Christian; and, it is faid, would have de clared himself fuch, had he not been diffuaded by the atheists who attended him.

Whether Joab's flight to the altar was accompa nied with a repentance, which entitled him to mercy, we cannot fay; nor can we, in any cafe, determine the refult of death-bed fears, relentings, confeffions and prayers. The terrors of another world, opened to the near view of the guilty, may extort the language of repentance and faith, when there is no hatred of fin and love of truth in the heart. Balaam, who loved the wages of unrightcousness, yet defired to die the death of the righteous. The fcripture often fpeaks of the convict ions and fupplications of dying finners, as being of doubtful iffue. "What is the hope of the hypocrite," fays Job, "when God taketh away his foul? Will God hear his cry, when trouble cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God?" "Bes caufe I have called and ye refufed," fays wifdom, "I alfo will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh. They fhall call, but I will not anfwer, because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord." There is, however, more hope for fuch relenting finners, than for those who die in obftinate infidelity and unfeeling ftupidity. For though remorfe is not repentance, yet there is no repentance without it. If the finner repents at all, he must first be awakened to conviction of, and felf-condemnation for his fins.

The cafe, which we have been confidering, affords as fome useful inftructions.

I. We have here the teftimony of finners and

unbelievers to the truth and importance of religion.

Though they all deny its importance in practice, and many of them deny its truth in words, yet there are times, when, notwithstanding all their prejudices and all their enmity against it, they declare in its favour, and fhew a defire to obtain a share in its hopes and comforts. This teftimony is of real weight; it deferves much credit.

It is a teftimony grounded on experience. They have made trial of irreligion, and they find, that this will not give them hope and comfort in the time, when they are moft needed.

It is a teftimony against themselves; and fureby it must be a ftrong conviction, which constrains them to condemn their former avowed fentiments, and their past manner of life.

It is a teftimony given at a time, when they are most likely to judge rightly and to speak honeftly. It is given in a time of affliction, and in the near view of another world. If ever they will think foberly and justly on fuch a fubject, it must be now. The croud of worldly bufinefs, the diftraction of earthly cares, the profpect of temporal honours and riches, the feductions of ir religious company, the fafcination of fenfual pleafures are now over and likely to return no more. The lufts and paffions, which used to hur ry them along in their favorite pursuits, and blind them to the dangers before them, have now fub. fided. Pride, ambition, avarice and carnality have ceafed to operate; for their objects are thrown out of fight. New fcenes open to their view. They are no more to return to this world; they are foon to enter on another. They ftand be tween both, and look back on the one which they have paffed, and forward on that which is before them. They fee a mighty difference between them.

They feel, that to prepare them for the future world, other and better tempers are receffary, than those which they have indulged here. They are convinced, that the paffions, which have governed them, must be inconfiftent with enjoyment in a world, where these paffions will find no correfpondent objects. They know their deftiny will foon be fixed, and this is no time to trifle. In fuch a fituation, it may be prefumed, they will judge more impartially, than in the bustle of worldly fcenes.

If men, who have defpifed religion in health and profperity, do generally, or at leaft frequently, defire and feek its comforts, when they come into the fituation now defcribed, we must believe it to be true and important. If there were comfort to be found elfe where, men, who have lived in oppofition to religion, would not refort to it in this extremity. The controverfy between Chriftians and infidels; between the godly and the profane concerning religion, is only in this life. It is terminated at death. The latter, in the near view: of this momentous change, give up the difpute, and, in their judgment, come over to the fide of the former, and with to find comfort in that, in which others have found it already. "Death is an honeft hour, and faithful to its truft.".

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There is, in the nature of man, a principle,. which condemns his enmity to religion. Where is the man, but who would choofe, that his children fhould be pious? Where is the man, who would prefer to put his fon or his daughter under the care of an infidel or libertine for an education? Where is the man, who was ever heard to glory in the wickedness, diffipation and licentiousness of thofe, who were to inherit his fubftance, and to continue the remembrance of his name? Where