thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes-that is, go on in the ways of thine own passions and opinions-but know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment. Eccl. xi. 9.

That God will judge men hereafter, we have no doubt that he often judges them here, cannot be denied: and though all the laws of infinite justice, by which rewards and punishments are administered in this world and the next, are such as we can neither find out nor understand, still the reason is sufficiently clear, why good men are often punished in this world, and bad men are not.

It was observed above, that God can punish and forgive at the same time; because punishment from him, when it falls upon good men, is not the punishment of wrath and vengeance, but that of love and correction; it is therefore a sign that he forgives, and it ought to be so understood. It may seem a strange doctrine, that God should punish while he forgives; but it is certainly true. When Nathan said to David, the sword shall never depart from thy house; he said at the same time, the Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. God therefore forgives while he punishes, and pu

nishes because he forgives. It may possibly be a privilege of the godly to suffer under him; and every wise Christian will pray, as many have been known to do, that they may have all their punisment in this world. If they are the sons of God, they must be corrected when they offend for what wise father is there who doth not correct his own children? It is a sign that they belong to God; who speaking to his people Israel, saith, You only have I known of all the families of the Earth, therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. What a comfort is it under every affliction for a Christian to know, that his sufferings mark him for a child of God, under the care of the Almighty! He has little to fear, in life or in death.

On the other hand, when we see the wicked not only unpunished, but even prosperous, it is no sign that they are in a safe way, but the contrary; they are neglected and left to their own ways, because they are bastards and not sons: they escape in this world, because they are reserved for the punishment of another, and miserable will they be when the day of their vi sitation shall come! We see one in the gospel, possessed for a time of his good things, and faring sumptuously every day but how soon

does

does he lift up his eyes in torment! This is the end of such a man, be he never so easy and prosperous in his life. The sentence may be speedily executed upon him, and often is. He has no security against it, and he has reason to fear it every day: but however slow it may be in in its approach, it is sure to come at last. Cloud after cloud may pass over him; but one will come, a black and a dark one, from whence the storm will break upon his head. How foolish and mad are all the ungodly speeches, by which he and his empty companions set judgment at defiance. Alas, poor sinner! whilst thou art boasting that no harm shall happen to thee, the judge is standing at the door, ready to enter, and condemn thee to everlasting torment.

I speak not to them who sin of malignity and unbelief, for they come not for instruction; but if there be any here, whose hearts are set to do evil, from carelessness and inconsideration; O, let them awake, and consider these things: let them judge themselves here, and pray that God also may touch their hearts, and take them under his correction in the time present, that their souls may be saved in the day of the Lord!

SERMON

SERMON VIII.

The Man Born Blind.

JOHN ix. 1.

AND AS JESUS PASSED BY, HE SAW A MAN WHICH WAS BLIND FROM HIS BIRTH.

THESE words are introductory to an history

so curious in the subject of it, and so remarkable in all its circumstances, that there is nothing of the kind, which can be more worthy of our meditation.

We have here the story of a man blind from his birth; on whose case a question is raised; how and for what reason Providence had ordered such a thing?

Next we have the cure of this man, with the manner of it, and the moral of it: the explanation of which would, of itself, furnish matter enough for a sermon.

After

After this we have a particular account of the effect wrought upon the Pharisees; where we see how truth operates upon those that will not receive it.

Then there is the condition and disposition of those that do receive it; which we see in the account of the man himself.

And last of all, the Judgment of Jesus Christ upon both parties-" For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see, and they which see might be made blind."

These things let us examine in their order: and first, the case; which, it seems, had occasioned some speculation among the disciples. They had reasoned thus; "As the misery of man is punishment, and as all punishment is for some offence, where could the offence be, of which a man brought the punishment into the world with him? so they asked their Master, who did sin, the man or his parents? They enquire curiously about the cause or beginning of the fact; but our Saviour answers in few words with respect to the end of it: they speak of the evil that was in it; hẹ of the good that would come out of it; that the thing was not designed as a punishment for the sin of any person, but as a case that would afford an opportunity for the works of God to

be