shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away." So true is the reflection of Solomon, that "a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame."

But this will be more especially the case hereafter. Of the Israel of God we read, that "they shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end;" of Christians, that they shall have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." But this implies the reverse: and we are assured, that the wicked will" rise to shame, and everlasting contempt"-ashamed in themselves; and contemned-by each other, by saints, by angels, and by the Judge himself.

And O! when they see to what disgrace they have wilfully reduced themselves; when they hear all the wickedness of their hearts as well as lives published before an assembled world-what wonder is it that they "call to the mountains and the rocks to fall on them, and hide them"-not only from wrath, but also from confusion of face.

And thus we have, thirdly, reached the conclusion of this dreadful course, which is-death; "For the end of these things is death." And by death the apostle includes much more than the dissolution of the body. This, indeed, was the produce of sin: "By one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death hath passed upon all men, because all have sinned." But, besides the universal and unavoidable law of mortality which sin has established, there are many instances recorded in the Scripture, of God's inflicting death immediately upon sinners, in a way of judgment. Lot's wife, Nadab and Abihu, Ananias and Sapphira, are proof that even in this sense," the end of these things is death."

And if we had an inspired history of present times, and could trace up to their proper causes those effects which are now confounded in the common course of things, we should perhaps find the destruction of many a transgressor originating in the same way. And what assurance have you that the next time you take his name in vain, or make a lie, you shall not be instantly sent from the place of sinning to the place of suffering?

Death, also, sometimes attends sin, not only as an immediate judgment from God, but as a natural consequence of vice. It is said, that "bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days." How many criminals come to an untimely end at the gallows! How frequently do persons, by anger, intemperance, and such courses, hasten on dissolution, and become self-murderers! Many might have lived longer, had they lived better; and have enjoyed a good old age, had it not been for a profligate youth: but now, if they drag on a miserable existence at all, they are "filled with the sins of their youth, which lie down with them in the grave." An old divine says, "The board has killed more than the sword." And a physician of great repute, has given it as his opinion, that scarcely one in a thousand dies a natural death.

But what the apostle principally intends, isnot the corruption of the body in the grave, but the destruction of body and soul in hell. It is what the Scripture calls the second death. It is what our Saviour means, when he says, “He that believeth not, shall be damned." It is not an extinction of being, but of happiness and of hope. Such is the end of sin. And it is a dreadful end; it is a righteous end; it is a certain end.

It is a dreadful end. Nothing that we can here feel or fear, deserves to be compared with it. Think of the degree, and the duration of this misery. Reflect upon those intimations of it which we find in the Scripture. Think of being "bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.' Think of a place, "where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Think of the sentence, "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Surely there is enough in one of these representations to freeze a man with horror, and to keep him from sin all his life long! "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!"

It is a righteous end. And, hence, the wicked themselves will be speechless: not one of them will be able to complain, " I do not deserve this: he deals very hardly with me." Had not this

doom been as just as it is dreadful, God, with whom there is no unrighteousness, would never have assigned it as the portion of sin. It is not possible for us to know all the demerit of sin; because we know not fully the excellencies it has insulted, the obligations it has violated, the effects it has produced in the creation of God. But there is one who is infinitely wise; let us rest satisfied with the judgment of the Judge. And one thing we may observe, if the greatness of the penalty confounds us, viz. that in proportion as beings are holy, sin appears to them evil: thus, sin appears much more evil to a saint than to a sinner; by the same rule, it appears more evil to an angel than to a saint; and infinitely more evil to God than to an angel.

Finally. It is a certain end. From what quarter can you derive a hope to escape? The power of God enables him to inflict this misery. "Hast thou an arm like God, or canst thou thunder with a voice like him ?" The holiness of God excites him to inflict this misery. He is "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.-The wicked shall not stand in his sight, he hateth all workers of iniquity." The truth of God binds him to inflict this misery. The word is gone out of his mouth, and shall not return."The Scripture cannot be broken;" and there" the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. The wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God. Upon the wicked, God shall rain down snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.'

He, therefore, that expects any other end of his pride, his avarice, his swearing, his sabbath-breaking, his disobedience, than death, is sporting himself with his own deceivings; and is even aggravating his doom by presumption and unbelief: "And it shall come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven." And is it possible for you to lie down to sleep, when you know that God is bound to punish you; and under an oath to destroy you?

What use should we make of this subject?

First, remember the particulars of this discourse; seriously reflect upon them, and resolve to have "no more fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Ask yourselves "Since I went astray, what have I got but shame; and what can I get but death?" With this beat off all the solicitations of sin-"Away -what can you offer me? Do you think I am in love with disgrace, or in want of hell?" Surely the workers of iniquity have no knowledge; surely the heart of the sons of men is full of madness-or they could not be induced to continue a moment longer in a course so unprofitable, so scandalous, so fatal-especially since there is such an encouragement afforded to all who are willing to leave it: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Secondly. Let those who are delivered from this condition be thankful. "By nature children of wrath, even as others; sometimes foolish and disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in envy and malice, hateful, and hating one another-such-such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God." And you are saying, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Admire and