crimes. Judas was at firft a Thief, at last he betrayed his Master, and then hanged himself. So furely does one vice make way for another, if not in time prévented: which should be a warning to fuch as live, or fuffer their Children to live, in a course of Sin without advice or correction. Remember well the advice of Solomon, "The rod and reproof give wifdom; but a child left to himself bringeth his parents to Shame." Let them learn from your Example to fhun, to hate a Vice, which is fo dangerous and fo fhameful. But above all, let them know that it is a fin that will ruin their Souls. It is true, it is a fad thing to be exposed to fhame, to come to an untimely end, but it is much more dreadful to be fhut out of Heaven. 2 To conclude: Without the Grace of God all your Endeavours will be to no purpofe; therefore do not fail to pray conftantly for your children, that the fear of God may ever be with them, to keep them from every evil way. Amen. In the Year 1746, a young woman was murdered in the Isle of Man by a perfon by whom he was pregnant, and for which he was condemned and executed. On this melancholy occafion the good Bishop fent a circular Letter, of which the following is a part, to his Clergy: WE having at this time a mournful Inftance before us of an unhappy man under the righteous Sentence of condemnation for the dreadful Sin of Murder attended with uncommon circumftances of the most barbarous cru. elty; elty; let us confider, I beseech you, what God will expect, efpecially of us his minifters, upon this Occafion; what good we may probably do, and what future evils we may hope through the Grace of God to prevent, by plainly and affectionately laying before our people the true caufes which lead to fuch dreadful Sins. The Apostle tells us that when men will not retain God in their knowledge, but have caft off the fear of God, God will give them up to a reprobate mind, or a mind void of judgment, fo as to commit all Iniquity with Greediness. This was the cafe of this unhappy man; he had grieved the holy Spirit of God, by which he had been fanctified at Baptifm; he caft off the fear of God and grieved his holy Spirit till he was left to himself, and to that evil fpirit, who goes about feeking whom he may ruin, finding them from under under God's efpecial protection; and we see how it ended. And this, or fome fuch fad confequence, will be the cafe of every Sinner, who cafting off the fear of God continues to live in any known fin whatever. If people will take themfelves from under God's protection, by leaving off to pray daily to God,if they fall into a careless and idle way of living, run into loofe and wicked company, hear profane people make a mock of fin; if they fall into an habit of profaning the Lord's day, by idleness, finful diverfions or neglecting the public worship of God; these things will certainly grieve the holy Spirit of God, by which alone we can be kept from of fin and damnation. ways the We have here therefore a good occafion of admonishing Young People, People, whether men or women, to take care of the beginnings of fin. No body is exceeding wicked all at once; the devil is too cunning to ftartle men with temptations to great and frightful crimes at firft; but if he can tempt them to leave off their prayers, to take God's name in vain, to drink, to fwear, to hear filthy difcourse, to speak of the vices of others with pleasure, &c. he will foon tempt them to Crimes of a damning nature. Little did thefe unhappy people think what it would end in when they gave themselves up to a liberty of uncleannefs and whoredom; fins, God knows, too, too common amongst us, too lightly spoken and thought of, too often made a jeft of; and yet we fee it ended molt dreadfully.. This fad Inftance, my brethren, with your plain and wholefome advice |