good wine, of which they might drink without reftraint. By fuch an immoderate use of ftrong drink as is inconfiftent with their profeflion and office, they give bad example, they abuse the bleffings of Divine providence, they injure their health, they fquander away their time, and are rendered incapable of attending to the duties of their facred function.And to-morrow shall be as this day, &c. Notwithstanding they know not what shall be on the morrow, or what a day may bring forth, they promise themfelves the continuance and increase of the good things of this prefent life. The words are expreffive of an indolent, diffipated temper, indifferent to the practice of those spiritual exercises incumbent on the paftors of the Church of God, and plainly fhew that fenfual indulgences are infinuating and pernicious, efpecially to thofe invefted with the character of watchmen.

The fulfilment of this prophecy, refpecting the profligacy of the clergy, commenced early in the Chriftian Church, and became very confpicuous in the third century. A celebrated hiftorian, treating of that period, fays, That the form of ecclefiaftical government, which by imperceptible fteps varied 'from the primitive rule, was foon followed by a train

of vices, which difhonoured the character and autho'rity of thofe, to whom the adminiftration of the 'Church was committed. For though feveral yet • continued to exhibit to the world illuftrious ex'amples of primitive piety and Chriftian virtue, yet many were funk in luxury and voluptuoufness, puffed up with vanity, arrogance, and ambition, poffeffed with a fpirit of contention and difcord, and addicted to many other vices that caft an un'deferved reproach upon the holy religion of which they were the unworthy profeffors and minifters *'And after having traced through following ages the growing corruptions of the minifters of the Church,

he

• Mofheim's Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, tranflated by Dr. M'Laine, Vol. I. page 216.

he thus writes, when giving an account of the fixteenth century: The greatest part of the bishops and canons paffed their days in diffolute mirth and luxury, and fquandered away, in the gratification of 'their lufts and paffions, the wealth that had been 'fet apart for religious and charitable purposes *.— And I may add, upon evidence that cannot be controverted, that this prediction hath been lamentably verified in fubfequent periods of the Church.

Ibid. Vol. III. page 292-2d edition.

PRELI

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

AVING defcribed the odious character of the

HA

paftors and teachers of the Church, from whom corruption frequently proceeds to the people in general, our prophet delineates, in the section of his difcourfe now to be confidered, the degenerate, deplorable state of the whole collective body at the time to which he looked forward. He begins with condoling the miserable ftupor and infenfibility that had feized upon all ranks, and arrived at fuch an alarming height, that, without uneafiness or concern, they obferved righteous and good men removed from approaching calamities to the enjoyment of undisturbed tranquillity and repose, ver. 1, 2.Jehovah is then introduced, calling before his tribunal the apoftate Church, who are sharply reproved for having cruelly harraffed and perfecuted his upright fervants, the valiant confeffors of the truth, ver. 3, 4He charges them with having perpetrated the enormous crimes of idolatry, fuperftition, and murder of the innocent, whofe blood they had fhed without provocation; and on these accounts denounces Divine judgments, ver. 5-13.-The amendment and reformation of the Church from this vicious state is next foretold; and the ministers of the word are excited to engage in effecting this great work which is affigned to them, ver. 14.-After which the chapter concludes, by exhibiting the riches of Divine grace, manifefted in granting to the penitent and broken-hearted, who truly repent, and humbly accept of the mercy of God, the forgiveness of fins, admiffion into favour, and the confequent enjoyment of that facred peace, from which the wicked are excluded, ver. 15-21.

THE

CHAP. LVII.

HE righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none confidering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

These words, which may be confidered as introductory to what follows, contain a mournful complaint, that there were very few who applied their minds to confider the immature and violent death of remaining good men, and who viewed this difpenfation of providence as a fad prefage of approaching judgments. The righteous here spoken of are those who have attained this character by faith in the great Meffiah, the Lord our righteousness, in whom all the feed of Ifrael are juftified, and glory, who is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth.-Having the precious feeds of righteousness fown in their hearts, they cherish every divine grace, they practife every amiable virtue; fuch as piety toward God, juftice and beneficence to their brethren of mankind, diligently endeavouring, from unfeigned love to God and their neighbour, to abound in the fruits of holiness and righteoufnefs, which are by Jefus Chrift to the glory of God.-Merciful men are next mentioned. Being full of mercy, they are replete with its precious fruits. Having put on bowels of mercy, they feel tender fympathy with the diftreffed; they are affectionately concerned to fuccour them under all their afflictions, whether proceeding from foul or body. Beholding, with real compaffion, their fellow mortals labouring under dangerous fpiritual diftempers, and laying up in ftore wrath against the day of wrath, grieved with the difmal profpect, they do what lies in their power, that they may be delivered by him who is able to fave to the uttermoft. From

love to God, and a sense of his authority, they feed the hungry, they clothe the naked, and vifit the deftitute, especially among the difciples of Jefus Chrift, on whom they confer fubftantial fruits of unfeigned affection. They diftribute to the neceffities of those who are in ftraitened circumftances, and fhew mercy with chearfulness, aiming, as they are required, to be merciful as their Father in heaven is merciful. How valuable, how useful are fuch people! what a bleffing to all around them, and what an immenfe lofs is their departure to the fociety where with they are connected, when

They perish, and are taken away, through neceffity and want, through the malignity and barbarity of their pefecutors, through the falfe accufations of their adversaries, and the iniquitous fentences of their judges. They are taken from off the earth, in fome inftances, by alarming strokes of divine Providence ; in others, by the wicked hands of men, who have accounted them unfit to live in fociety. Those who have escaped fuch tragical exits, who have not fuffered the trials of fcourgings, of imprisonments, of tortures, whereof the writer of the epiftle to the Hebrews fpeaks, chap. xi. 36, 38. have decayed and died, according to the course of nature, and perished from among the children of men. They are then loft to those with whom they formerly had been converfant, even as wisdom is faid to perish from the ancient, when they cease to enjoy the benefit of it. In whatever way they are removed from the places of their refidence, whether by extraordinary calamities, by violence, by contagion, difeafe, or decay, the focieties to which they proved effential bleflings must fuftain an immenfe lofs, by being deprived of their examples, their counfels, prayers, and reproofs, their good converfation, and beneficent cares and labours. How deplorable the state of the Church, whenNo man layeth to heart fuch afflictive difpenfations! Such was the lamentable infenfibility of those who furvived at the period referred to, that, far from being

fuitably