The badness of wicked men seldom shows itself more openly, than on occasion of the falls of good men. "They eat up the sin of my people as they eat up bread." It is quite a gratification to them, though their malice often makes them overshoot their mark, and charge the people of God wrongfully, even when there is too much room for just censure. They cannot confine their reproach as to what is really amiss. David, however, would not avenge himself, either in the day of his distress, nor yet when he was restored to his kingdom. 2 Sam. xix. 22. But when he was called to resign his throne to his son, who was young and tender, prudence, and love to his country, urged him to give Solomon a caution respecting men who were likely to excite disaffection to his government, and endanger the peace of the state. Solomon made a very fair proposal to Shimei, who gave his promise, and pledged his oath to stand to it; but ere long violated both, and brought ruin on his own head.

This striking expression will naturally lead our meditations to consider,

FIRST, The office and power of conscience.

The expression in the text accords with a remark of Bernard's. Conscience is "Cordis scientia, cor enim et se novit, et multa alia; cum se novit appellatur conscientia; cum præter se alia, nominatur scientia." Solomon appeals here to Shimei's conscience.

The Apostle speaks (Tit. i. 15.) of sinners having their mind and conscience defiled; and doubtless the power of conscience is greatly impaired by sin. But, though bad men have no sense of the primary beauty of holiness, yet there is a secondary sort of beauty in true rectitude, to which they cannot be altogether insensible. They must see an inconsistency between their treatment of others, and the treatment they could wish to receive. They must admit a sort of proportion between actions and their rewards. The worst of liars would wish others to tell him the truth. No monster of cruelty would like to be treated cruelly himself. So the conscience of Adonibezek testified God's justice. Judg. i. 7. The most dishonest would not be willing to be cheated. No shameful debauchee would like another profligate to deal with his

family, as he would deal with his neighbour's. Every man can see the evil of ingratitude towards himself, in one whom he has greatly befriended. No man thinks the second great commandment too strict, as the rule of the conduct of others with respect to him. Nor can any man, who allows the existence of a first cause, use his reason at all, and yet utterly deny his obligations to his Maker and Benefactor.

Yet, in the time of health and prosperity, men frequently contrive to still the voice of conscience, though actually chargeable with atrocious crimes. But when calamity overtakes them, it often alters the case. So Joseph's brethren, after more than twenty years. Gen. xlii. 21. "We are verily guilty concerning our brother."

And God, without the aid of any external calamity, can easily fasten a sense of guilt on the conscience. If he does not do it before, he may do it on a dying-bed; and to such a degree that the pains of hell shall sieze the soul, even before it leaves the body.

And assuredly, if you die in your sins, this will prove at last, that worm which shall never die. In the world of woe, conscience will never cease upbraiding the ungodly; they will have no respite from its clamours, nor will they be able to stifle or to disregard it. Besides, as the name itself seems to import, others will unite in its verdict. Others along with it, know what it testifies to be true. Men know a great deal. Evil spirits, with whom sinners must spend a sad eternity, know a great deal more. He who once helped you to palliate your sins, will then unmercifully aggravate them. Holy angels have also been invisible witnesses to much of your wickedness, which you concealed from human eyes. And God himself saw it all: not only the most secret acts, but the most secret thoughts of your heart; secret motives, secret mixtures, secret defects. He can, in this life, rouse conscience to set all your sins before you, with all their aggravations; and he will assuredly do so in a future state, if you die impenitent and unpardoned. One whose memory never fails, will refresh yours, and call all your sins to your remembrance then; and you will have no possible means to prevent reflection,

Let

or to divert your mind from the melancholy subject. us then consider,

SECONDLY, The improvement we ought to make of the subject.

Let me earnestly beseech and charge my dear hearers, to treat conscience, not as an enemy, but as a friend. "He that will not hearken to the warnings of conscience here, must feel the woundings of conscience hereafter." "It is a most

desirable thing, (said Bernard,) to feel the worm of conscience, while it is possible for its wounds to be healed. Let it bite now, that it may by degrees give over biting at all." It is a sad thing to imprison it now, that it may prey on your vitals for ever, in that world where their worm dieth not, nor shall the fire be quenched. Pray that God would enlighten conscience thoroughly, and make it faithful, that it may tell you of every thing that is contrary to duty, whether towards God or man. Employ it as the candle of the Lord, to ransack all the inmost recesses of the soul, and detect every evil thing.

men.

If conscience were well instructed, and faithful, it would tell every man of many more evils than are known to his fellowYet the hearts of some are so hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin, that they make light of crimes which are generally known and condemned by men, if no penalty or loss follows. And sometimes men pride themselves in concealing from their fellow creatures, the sins which they secretly indulge. But thou knowest all the wickedness to which thine heart is privy;" and what is now recollected without concern, or even with inward glee, will be remembered hereafter with excruciating remorse.

Some sins, which are abominable in the sight of God, may not be very odious in the account of men: yea, it is possible, some may even be applauded and admired. But all will be bitterness in the end, unless they are sincerely repented of, forsaken, and mortified; as well as truly pardoned, through the sacrifice of Christ.

Were it not for his gospel, indeed, you might allege, that to employ conscience to detect every evil of your heart and your life, would be only to torment yourself before the time.

For nothing can be more burdensome, nothing more miserable, than a conscience terrified by the law of God, and a view of the evil of sin. One sin, viewed in a just light, would be enough to destroy all hope of acceptance with God, on the ground of your own righteousness. But if innumerable iniquities stare you in the face, they should only hasten your flight to the hope set before you in the gospel; and enhance your sense of obligation to Him who died, "the just for the unjust;" and cause you more exclusively to make mention of his righteousness, as the ground of your justification; and excite you with equal earnestness to pray for internal sanctification, and constant aid in mortifying every sin, and attending to every duty.

Go home, then, my dear friends, and call conscience to an account, or suffer it to call you to account, as in the presence of the all-seeing God. Can you recollect no past evils, to which others could testify, as well as conscience? Many doubtless were living, who could remember Shimei's wickedness to David. Can you recollect no evils, to which conscience can testify, though hardly any mortal was acquainted with them? You very carefully concealed them from men, from your parents, &c. though not from your Judge. Let conscience tell you of the evils you planned and premeditated, though providence prevented you from perpetrating them. Has not your heart "been privy" to vile affections, to bitter passions, to unjust designs, to secret pride, to malice, to revenge, and covetousness? to atheistic, ungodly thoughts? to murmuring, repining, and discontent? Will it charge none with hypocrisy, with being destitute of any regard to God's glory, with enmity against his law, with disaffection to his gospel, with neglect of Christ?

Verily, the Lord will return all your wickedness on your own head, unless you flee to him, who bore his people's sins, in his own body on the tree, and made reconciliation for transgressors.

X.

THE HISTORY OF JEROBOAM AND THE TWO

PROPHETS.

1 KINGS. xiii.

And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense, &c.

WHATSOEVER things were written aforetime, were written for our instruction and admonition. The history of the sacred scriptures abundantly illustrates the doctrines of scripture, and especially the doctrine of human depravity, and the doctrine of divine providence. The whole history of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is of this kind. And the remarkable events contained in this chapter, are well worthy of our attention. I propose,

FIRST, To make a few remarks on the account of Jeroboam, the first king of the ten tribes, who cast off their allegiance to the house of David.

His history, when we consider his circumstances and conduct, is a striking instance of human depravity. The God of Israel, by the mouth of his servant Ahijah, had foretold his unexpected exaltation, assigning Solomon's idolatry as the cause of the divine displeasure, and promising Jeroboam a sure house, if he continued obedient to him. xi. 38. And this prediction was punctually fulfilled. How ungrateful, then, was the conduct of Jeroboam! What an evil heart of unbelief did he discover, that he could not trust him to preserve the throne to him, who had thus raised him to it. xii. 26, &c. What a stupid kind of idolatry did he introduce; which probably he learnt in Egypt; but which he knew had been highly displeasing to God, when the Israelites compelled Aaron to make a calf at Horeb, and when they were so severely punished. What daring presumption did he discover! And how great was his hardness of heart, that he should persist in his evil courses, and not be brought to repentance by solemn warnings, judgment, nor mercy nor by subsequent events narrated in this chapter;