revealed it in order to make sin terrible, that sin may produce flight, and that flight may induce you to enter the refuge of hope that is set before you in the Gospel.

Let us, thirdly, contemplate THE OBJECTS AGAINST WHICH THIS WRATH IS REVEALED. It is against "all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men."

It is against ungodliness. Ungodliness comprehends all the sins against the first table of the law. Ungodliness consists in a disregard of God: the ungodly do not fear him; the ungodly do not love him; the ungodly do not worship him; the ungodly do not confide in him. God is not in all their thoughts they practically say unto him, "Depart from us; we desire not the knowledge of thy ways."

you

If any of think you may be very godly characters, notwithstanding all this, provided that you are moral, you are under a most dreadful mistake. Be assured, religion is nothing without godliness. What is the duty-what can be the duty you owe to any or all of your fellow creatures compared with that which you owe to Him who is your Maker, your Preserver, your Benefactor, your Governor, your Saviour? The servant that regards every one but his master-the child that is dutiful to every one but his father-the wife that is faithful to every one but her husband-these would be very inadequate images to hold forth the condition of the man who professes to pay a proper regard to other beings, while he lives without God and without hope in the world.

On the other hand, though righteousness is nothing without godliness, godliness is nothing without righteousness. Though there may be morality without religion, there cannot be religion without morality. We are therefore reminded that this wrath is revealed against unrighteousness. Unrighteousness comprehends all the sins against the second table of the law. Unrighteousness is injustice in your regards and in your dealings with your fellow creatures. “ What," you say, "not paying them when they labour for us, and in not paying when we purchase from them?" Yes, nothing less than this. "Let no man," says

the Apostle, "go beyond and defraud his brother." But this does not go far enough. You may be unrighteous, and yet keep within the bounds of the law and civil decency, when yet you are unrighteous in other respects and instances; unrighteousness if you render not to all their due, fear to whom fear, tribute to whom tribute; unrighteous if you do not afford relief to those who are in distress, when you have it in your power to do it. "Withhold not," says Solomon, "good from them to whom it is due." Observe, they have claims upon you; and says the Apostle John, "Whosoever hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassions from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" It is impossible, if we regard the commands of God, and the design of Providence, and the claims of our common nature upon us.

And this is not all: it is revealed against all ungodliness, and all unrighteousness-the concealed and the open, the refined and the gross. You are for ever laying down rules which God does not sanction, and distinguishing between things which have no difference in his sight. You do not worship a graven image, but then you take the name of your God in vain: did not he who gave

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the second commandment give also the third? You do not swear; O no, you tremble at the thought: but then you profane God's holy day. "O no," you say; we should deem it very sinful indeed to employ a carpenter or a mason:" but you employ others. You would not for the world steal-not you: but you can surround the tea-table with a number of gospel-gossips, and bear false witness against your neighbour by the hour. You would not murder; but you covet: and is not this equally forbidden? What pickings and choosings are here! And do you imagine that God has left matters to your option in such a case as this? No; you are to regard all these without partiality.

There are three passages of Scripture which you would do well when you go home to reflect upon. One is the language of the Apostle John, when he says, "All unrighteousness is sin." Mind that. Another is the language of James, when he says, "He that saith, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." And the other is the language of David in Psalm cxix. "Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments."

We were, fourthly, to remark, THE CLASS OF VICTIMS PECULIARLY OBNOXIOUS TO IT. For, says the Apostle, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." What men? "Who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Not that this is added by way of exclusion, as if these only would be punished; but in the way of enhancement and aggravation. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the ungodly, and all the unrighteous, but more intensely burns (this is the meaning of the Apostle) against those who act against their knowledge, having a convinced judgment, but being wedded to a wicked life.

Now let us enter into this: for, my brethren, there is far more of this to be found than is commonly imagined. The heathen themselves never lived up to the light they possessed, never practised what they knew. This is the charge directly brought home against them by the Apostle in this chapter: "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shown it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools; and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and to creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness." It was not otherwise also with the Jews: they never practised what they knew. This is the charge the Apostle brings against them in the next chapter: "Behold thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that teachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?"

Are we to go on? There is not a man in any country under heaven, or pertaining to any religious sect, that lives up to his own principles: he does many things which he knows to be wrong, and he omits many things which he knows to be right. The plea of ignorance therefore can only be admitted in the case of idiots, and no others: all the rest are of those, as Job says, who "rebel against the light," (and you will observe that this knowledge is attainable-ignorance is criminal,) not only rebelling against that which they might know, but against that which they do know. The original is—and so it is strongly rendered, "who imprison the truth in unrighteousness:" that is, the truth would speak in them, and struggles to be heard; but it is confined, imprisoned. Fashion, the god of this world, the love of fame, the love of money, the love of pleasure, these are the jail wardens; these are the jailers; these confine the truth in prison. Saul knew it belonged not to him to offer sacrifice; his conscience told him, therefore, that it was a sin: he struggled hard but yielded. "I forced myself"-(mark the expression: there was difficulty in the case before he could succeed. Sinner, you understand such a force as this.) "I forced myself, therefore, and offered a burnt-offering." Herod knew John; he revered him; he considered him a just man; he knew that the murder of him would be the most unjust thing; his conscience told him so; and he was very sorry when the desire of Herodias was expressed: but he overcame it, though he struggled hard: "For the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison." Thus a regard for his own word overpowered the word of God. It was the same with Pilate: Pilate was persuaded of our Saviour's innocence, and the persuasion was increased by the dream which his wife had in the morning; and when she informed him of it he found a struggle within him; but he forced himself, and condemned Him whom he knew to be innocent. And thus it is now with-O how many in the presence of God! They know such and such things to be sins, and yet they practise them; they know such and such things to be duties, and yet they neglect them: they are convinced, but not converted; they are wise, but not wise unto salvation.

What then, in the first place, shall we say to the state of many-what shall we say of the state of those of you (for I do not preach concerning others, but address those immediately before me)—what are we to think of the state of those born in a land of light, who have attended at the family altar, and who have from children known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make them wise unto salvation? With what accusing and condemning consciences you have forced yourselves on, you and God only know. You have often, perhaps, wished that you knew less. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Suppose a man had two servants, and one of them ran against him in a dark passage, and the other came in the light and struck him in the face; would he regard these alike? O no, says our Saviour-" The servant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

I have read of a captain who, when he found his men begin to waver, threw himself on the ground, and exclaimed, “Well, if you will flee, you shall tread me under foot." Conscience has done the very same with regard to some of you: conscience has addressed you; conscience has said, "I will be trampled upon before you shall proceed;" and trampled upon it you have. Yea, Christ himself has done this; he has thrown himself down for you to trample upon. What otherwise can be the meaning of that language-" He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unworthy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for such.

Therefore, secondly, let me beseech you to practise what you know. O how much depends upon this! To what purpose should God afford you more light than you have, when you neglect the light you already possess? It is kind in God to withhold it; it is merciful in God to withhold it. While you retain your present indisposition to use and improve it, God, by giving you more, would only be adding to your sins, and increasing your condemnation. O let truth no longer be imprisoned in your bosoms: let conscience go free. Do you believe that covetousness is a sin? I know that you do. Let the conviction go free; let it influence you, and be ready to distribute, and willing to communicate. Do you believe that it is your duty to perform family worship? I know that you do. Then let conscience.go free. Give scope to the conviction, and immediately establish the worship of God in your family: let not fear or shame restrain you; and say with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." If you believe it your duty to make a profession of religion, and to join the Church of God (and I know you believe it), why, then, go immediately and give up yourselves, not only "to the Lord," but "to his people," and be concerned to walk in all the ordinances of the Lord blameless. Then you will live peaceably; you will have peace within, which is much better than peace without whereas now your convictions and your dispositions are perpetually fighting; you are all confusion and distraction within; you are condemned already, and hell is begun within you. If you should escape for the present, conviction and uneasiness may very easily be produced, as you pass on through life and should you hide your cares under the delusion, should you have no bands in your death, and your strength be firm, and should you fall asleep like a beast, it will only be to awaken in the midst of lamentation and woe.

Finally, is there nothing else revealed from heaven but the wrath of God? We deserve nothing else; but is there no way of escape from it? O, we have a revelation of mercy and of grace too. O, we are informed that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." We are told that Jesus delivers us from the wrath to come. We are informed of a free, full, and everlasting salvation. O that you were wise! O that you made the disposition of the Apostle your own, in this case; and, instead of following lying vanities, and forsaking your own mercies, you could be prevailed on immediately to say, "That I may win Christ, and be found in him"-as Noah was in the ark, and as the man-slayer was in the City of Refuge! Then there would be no con

demnation to which you would be exposed. Then, "being justified by his blood," you would be "saved from wrath to come:" not from affliction, but wrath; not from death, but wrath; from wrath-wrath in affliction, wrath in death. You would be completely and for ever saved: and you know (for this is the grand decision of the Faithful and True Witness) "He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son of God shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

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