156 SERMON VIII. MISERY OF THE WICKED. ISA. lvii. 20, 21. "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt: there is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." THE blessings attendant upon religion are glory in the world to come, and peace in this world. "Godliness hath the promise even of the life that now is." * "Peace" (saith our Lord to his disciples) "I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."† Peace of mind that they shall not be made wretched by outward grievances; peace of conscience, that they shall not be terified by fear of wrath; and both of these resulting from a well grounded hope of being at peace with God, and having him for a protector and a + John xiv. 27. * 1 Tim. iv. 8. friend. Therefore, saith Solomon, speaking of religion under the name of wisdom, "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandize of it is better then the merchandize of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies; and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is every one that retaineth her."* Why then are men so hard to be persuaded to make experiment of religion? Why so apt to look upon it as a melancholy bondage? It must be, one would suppose, because the way of the world and the way of sin have, for the present at least, some still higher delights to recommend them, or that at least men think so. This is a point which deserves to be examined; not because it is a doubtful point, for God's word has given a plain decision of it: but we will consider that decision, and show its agreement with all experience, because it is contrary to the world's ordinary way of thinking, if we may judge of men's opinions by their practices. "The wicked" (saith the prophet) "are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt: there is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." In order to the unfolding of the doctrine contained in this passage, I shall consider : I. Who are the wicked. II. What is their condition. I. And first, who are the wicked. Here people are apt to think of the adulterer, and the extortioner, and the blasphemer; and doubtless they are wicked; but the term includes a great many besides them. Mankind will be divided at last, and therefore are divisible now, into two main classes: the righteous are the one class, and they are such as have been born again of the Spirit of God, and have walked by faith in Christ, and in the way of God's commandments. The other class, which are the wicked, are all the rest. But there are varieties in wickedness, springing like many branches from the same bad root-and the wicked do not always know themselves for wicked, and are always slow to acknowledge themselves for such. Therefore God charges his ministers " Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people and their transgressions and their sins ;" therefore for conviction's sake, I must enlarge a little upon this head. Setting aside then the case of those in whom the "works of the flesh" are, beyond contradiction, "manifest,"-taking it for granted that you allow that all are wicked who wilfully persist in any one habit of outward sin-passing by these, I must desire you to take notice of two sorts of men, who, I say are wicked, though very often the world esteems them highly. 1. Such as despise the gospel, and 2. Such as idolize the world. 1. They who despise the gospel, are not merely such (of whom however there are too many) who openly scoff at religion, and revile the truth, but all such as remain in wilful ignorance of the gospel, as if they deemed it not worth their while to be at the trouble of understanding it; and all such, as having some knowledge, suffer. it to be as a dead letter in their minds, which they have no need to act upon. All such likewise are evidently despisers of the gospel as will not make persevering use of the gospel means of grace; such, for instance, as searching the Scriptures, secret and public prayer, *Isa. lviii. 1. and sacraments;-for every one despises the grace itself, the blessings and advantages offered in the gospel,-who neglects the means through which alone they are offered. All who who have no knowledge of their own condition as lost and undone sinners, and who will not inquire into the case when, they are told that it is so, are, and cannot but be, despisers of the gospel, for they can have no reason why they should value it. All who do not exercise faith in the Redeemer, who do not actually and habitually look to him, rely upon him, and pray to him to make atonement for their sins to God, and procure for them the assistance of the Spirit-all these are despisers of the gospel, because they are not seeking that salvation which the gospel was revealed to manifest: and if they be thinking of being saved at all, it is in some unscriptural manner; by their own works, perhaps, or by an unauthorized appeal to God's mercy, without reference to any Mediator or any ransom. And to look for salvation in such a way, is to contradict the gospel, and make the cross of Christ of none effect. Once more Once more; all they despise the gospel, who, in their doings, how`ever outwardly lawful, are not actuated by any regard to God or any desire to glorify HIM-for such have no respect for the end and intention of |