is its fearful consequence? It is hardening the heart; each act makes it harder. It is getting further from GOD. It is crucifying CHRIST, It is injuring religion. It is destroying thousands. It is procuring yourselves the awful doom of those who "knew their LORD'S will and did it not."

Those like Saul-you who have no religionwho profess no religion; remember whom I mean; I do not mean you all who come to church and make an outward show: I do not mean you all who profess to be what is usually called religious persons. Let me remind you nothing will do in the stead of religion. No natural qualities. Do not trust your good nature, or your generosity, or your calmness, or your resignation: all these virtues may be by nature only. Many of these had Saul; but he was not religious, far from it. It is wonderful how soon we may be made to think we are religious, we may have so many natural good qualities that every one may declare we are so, and contrive to make us think so. We may be so steady, so quiet, so devotional, so kind, that we deem ourselves secure. But remember, "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of GOD!"

THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED, BETWEEN HIM THAT SERVETH GOD AND HIM THAT SERVETH HIM NOT."

1. I WILL consider the case of three wicked persons, whose lives and characters are especially placed before us in Holy Scripture. We may conceive, that no persons have had especial titles given them by GoD, expressing His favour or displeasure, or their lives accurately described for us more than others, but from its being intended that we should consider those persons' cases more attentively, and as of greater importance.

How much is it the practice in Holy Scripture, to mean much more by expressions than would at first sight appear, and to hide greater truth under words which need close attention. We see how this was the case in typical histories, as in the travelling in the wilderness, the history of Isaac, the sufferings of Joseph. We are struck with this peculiarly in our LORD's Parables.

For example:

(1.) In the parable of the ten talents, we find him, with one talent, hiding it in the earth. Of course the first meaning of this is, that all who have advantages and opportunities, who hide them and neglect them, will have to answer for it. But the very expression and simile has a deeper meaning still. He hid it in the earth, showing us that the lower world,—the objects of sense which are earthy-draw off the soul from GOD.

(2.) There is the good Samaritan; the Samaritan being the stranger drawing nearer than the priest, and so showing how the Gentiles would receive the Gospel more obediently than the Jews; this bears a striking resemblance to the one Samaritan only returning to give glory to God out of the ten lepers: to the great faith

of the Syrophenician woman, and of the Roman centurion, over the Jews who came to Him: to Simon of Cyrene bearing His cross; and other cases all tending to one great lesson; that the Gentiles though called last would often be first chosen.

(3.) In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the killing the fatted calf; and in that of the marriage-feast, the fatlings being killed; show forth by type the offering of the LAMB of GOD, CHRIST offered for the sacrifice.

(4.) Then also in His miracles; in the three different states of the three dead He raised; in the miracle on the blind man, the name of the pool; and in many others, there is a deep hidden meaning, which we should look for; and this principle runs through Scripture, making Scripture "one whole."

2. But of the three characters I purposed speaking of. Jeroboam, Saul, and Ahab seem the three persons whose lives are given at great length in Scripture, and to whom especial titles are given, marking them out as especially sinful.

a. Jeroboam is scarcely ever mentioned save as he "who made Israel to sin." Saul's and Ahab's characters are drawn out with an exact