ready to comply with her iniquitous projects. The first proposer of a crime is, doubtless, the most culpable; but he, who cheerfully joins as an accomplice, shall bear his own sin. Nay, even he, who only approves the wickedness of another, and is willing to reap the advantage, is chargeable with a degree of guilt, which admits of no excuse.

And what is the fruit of unjust gain? Does it give peace to the possessors, or answer their expectations? What was Ahab the better for his much-coveted vineyard? If he were deaf to the reproofs of conscience, he was made to hear the sentence of God from the mouth of Elijah, who arrested him upon the very spot, and in the act of seizing the paternal estate of Naboth. The appearance of the prophet upon such an occasion, excited in him the most painful feelings, and quite confounded him. Being instantly struck with terror, as if he read his doom in the countenance of the man of God, he cried out, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?' Alas; what could he look for, but an enemy, in the messenger of Jehovah? Elijah charged upon him the impious transaction of Naboth's murder; and predicted, that he, and his queen, and all his family, would shortly be cut off by violence.

6

How certainly does misery attend the commission of iniquity! And how vain are the hopes, which sinners entertain, of secrecy or impunity! Be sure, your sin will find you out.' God is privy to all your purposes; and, sooner or later, will overwhelm you with consternation at the sight of your own wickedness. It will be well, if the denunciations of vengeance drive you to repentance, that you may avoid the indignation, which is ready to fall upon you.

Was Ahab, then, a penitent? We might have supposed so, at the first appearance. When he heard his awful condemnation, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.' Doubtless he was alarmed; and by such a conduct, he made an open confession of his sin. But, whatever horrors of mind he felt, he experienced no real contrition, no abiding change; as the sequel of the history will prove. Yet even this external humiliation procured him some temporal advantages. The Lord expressed a favourable notice of it, and declared, that the judgements should be awhile delayed. The offender was re

prieved; but not pardoned. A further trial was granted him; but the forbearance of God produced not its proper effects.

How astonishing is the divine patience towards those who remain impenitent! The Lord will regard the beginning, or even the outward signs, of conversion, rather than appear unwilling to receive a returning sinner. Where professions of sorrow are made, he is often pleased to stay or to withdraw his hand from taking vengeance. Let us, therefore, bow at his footstool, and confess our guilt before him. But be not deceived; he is not mocked.' No fair show in the sight of men can impose upon him. You may be terrified at death; and, under the dread of damnation, may cry for mercy. You may assume the garb and the language of penitents, and yet continue in love and in league with sin. Are there not those, who lately expressed great distress, and an earnest desire of amendment in the time of sickness? And now when they are restored to health, and again put to the trial, is not the warning forgotten? Are not all their resolutions broken? They do not, at least with the same fervour, implore forgiveness; but, like Ahab, when they feel the rod removed, return to their former obduracy. What, then, will be the issue? What, indeed, can be expected? Let us attend to the close of this wicked life, which exhibits the dissembler dying at last in the contempt of God, and by his righteous judgement.

In conjunction with Jehoshaphat, who had formed an alliance with him, he prepared for war against Syria. [1 Kings xxii. 2, &c.] At the instance of Jehoshaphat, he pretended to consult the Lord; but he called only for his idolatrous priests, whose approbation was easily obtained. Their compliant answers, however, did not satisfy Jehoshaphat, who wished for a prophet of Jehovah; and then Ahab observed, that there was a man of that character, Micaiah, whom he hated for his tremendous denunciations. We do not wonder at such a declaration. The ministers of God cannot expect the love and favour of those, whom they are constrained to warn and reprove. The preachers of the gospel must proclaim the terrors of the Lord without reserve; and it is probable, that, on this ground, many of their hearers will quarrel with them. It is true, sinners, they cannot prophesy good concerning you, but evil.' And should you therefore hate

them, as Ahab did Micaiah? Rather, hate and renounce your iniquity; and they will bring you a different message.

We admire the courage and fidelity of Micaiah, who, at the hazard of his life, rebuked the king of Israel, and foretold his speedy destruction in the proposed expeditions against the Syrians. Provoked by this bold address, the haughty prince cast him into prison, and, as in defiance of Jehovah and his prophet, rushed into the battle. Such an avowed opposition to the voice of God and his ministers is indeed an awful sign. We fear for those who will not listen to admonitions. For he that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.' [Proverbs xxix. 1.]

Ahab had, probably, become more obdurate through his late reprieve, and promised himself a longer reign in his sins: and yet, as if he had some dread of the threatened danger, he disguised himself in the habit of a private soldier, and put on a coat of mail. But, though concealed from the observation of his enemies, the hand of God found him out. He was wounded by an arrow, shot at a venture,' but directed by unerring wisdom; and wounded in the very part, where alone he was vulnerable, between the joints of the harness.' He felt the approach of death, yet gave no signs of repentance, and expired the same evening. According to Elijah's prediction, the dogs licked up his blood; and the whole family was soon afterward extirpated.

What a solemn narrative is this! Let it have its proper effect upon the careless! You flatter yourselves, like Ahab, that the menaces of God will not be fulfilled; you hope to escape his judgement: but, with all your contrivances, you cannot fly from it. A more awful destruction than that of Ahab in the battle, is prepared for you. Still you rush on; and, in spite of every warning, presume that you shall not perish. You are enraged with those, who foretel your ruin: but they must continue to declare, ' O wicked man, thou shalt surely die.' [Ezek. xxxiii. 8.] And soon shall the rightaiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well-drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark.' [Wisd. v. 21.] Some, we trust, from an apprehension of danger, and a belief of the gospel, are seeking, by humiliation and prayer, to

obtain deliverance.

Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prisoners

Turn ye to the

of hope;' [Zech. ix. 12.] Christ will graciously receive you, and secure you from the storms of impending wrath. If you fly to him for refuge, you shall never be confounded. When the destroying angel shall go forth you shall have a mark in your foreheads, which will effectually preserve you and you shall enter into the joy of your Lord for ever.

[ROBINSON, of Leicester.]

SERMON CI.

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

CO-OPERATION WITH GRACE.

1 COR. XV. 10.- -By the grace of God, I am what I am: and this grace which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain: but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

[Text taken from the Epistle for the Day.]

OPINIONS have been divided in the Christian church, concerning the extent, influence, and efficacy of divine grace, and the power and liberty of the human will. Some have asserted, that, in the present degenerate state of human nature, it is not possible for us, by our own exertions, to act any effectual part in the work of our salvation: that divine grace does all, and we can do nothing for ourselves: that the Spirit of God moves the springs of action in us by a secret, unfelt, but a powerful and irresistible hand: that he acts upon the mind, not indeed like an impetuous torrent, violently and visibly bearing down our liberty of will; but as a smooth and gentle stream, which, with an effectual, though imperceptible force, carries us along with it that all our virtues and good actions, derive, consequently, their whole merits from his agency, and are the produce of his operations.

But, according to this opinion, we are mere machines or instruments in the hands of a superior agent; our best performances, consequently, can have no moral value, nor be entitled to approbation or reward. For what reward, what approbation, can we claim for actions which are not ours, but wrought and produced in us by a superior direction.

On the contrary, others, by asserting the unrestricted, uninfluenced freedom of the will, and our entire and absolute ability of choosing good or evil, have been thought to derogate from the power and efficacy of a divine grace. For certain it is, that nature, unaided by grace, is not of itself sufficient to holiness. The corruption of our nature is a bias that inclines us to vice: a principle above nature is requisite to counteract this propension, and draw us to virtue.

The scripture accordingly informs us, that we are not sufficient of ourselves, but that our sufficiency is of God; that without him we can do nothing; that it is he that worketh in us both to will and to do. This corruption and depravation of human nature is not a discovery that we owe to revelation : it was always the general sense of mankind; the best and wisest of the heathens have observed, acknowledged, and lamented it; we all but too much feel it in ourselves, and may observe it in others.

But notwithstanding, it is admitted that our sufficiency is of God, and that it is he that worketh in us both to will and to do; yet we are not to be merely passive under the divine influences: some part must belong to ourselves in the work of our salvation. Why else are we exhorted not to receive the grace of God in vain? why forbidden to quench or grieve the Holy Spirit? Why commanded to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? And to what end are all the precepts and exhortations of the scriptures? There is therefore, doubtless, required a joint efficiency and co-operation of the divine assistance, and our own agency, to the accomplishment of our salvation.

This idea is expressed in the words of the text: the apostle does not say, that he was able, of himself, to achieve the labours of salvation, but gratefully acknowledges the communication of divine grace. Nor does St. Paul say, that this spiritual communication absolved him from co-operation, but that it operated as a powerful motive for his labouring more abundantly.

I shall, in this discourse, consider the extent of divine grace and human liberty, and point out the distinct province of each; and show in what respects our good actions are to be attributed to the Supreme Being, and how far they are to be ascribed to ourselves.

In the following respects, then, our actions may be ascribed