tend, or whatever air of cheerfulness they may assume, it is utterly impossible that they, whose sole object is to gratify their passions without the least regard to the feelings of others; who are corrupting all around them by their conversation and their example, or spreading ruin, misery, and desolation over the world by their inordinate ambition; who not only live in a constant violation of the commands of their Maker, but perhaps even deny his existence, renounce his authority, and treat every thing serious and religious with derision and contempt: it is, I say, utterly impossible that these men, whatever external magnificence or gaiety may surround them, can enjoy that peace and comfort and content of mind, which alone constitutes real and substantial happiness, and without which every thing else is insipid and unsatisfactory. A secret consciousness that they are acting wrong, that they are degrading and debasing their nature, and wasting their time in mean, unworthy, and mischievous pursuits; frequent pangs of remorse for the irreparable injuries they have done to those whom they have betrayed or oppressed, and whose peace and comfort they have for ever destroyed; a dread of that Almighty Being whom they have resisted and insulted; a fear of death, and an apprehension of that punishment hereafter, which, though they affect to disbelieve and despise, they cannot help knowing to be possible, and feeling that they deserve; all these reflections, which, in spite of their utmost efforts to stifle them, will very often force themselves upon their minds, are sufficient to counteract every other advantage they possess, and to embitter every enjoyment of their lives. All shall look outwardly gay and happy, and all within shall be joyless and gloomy. They shall seem to have every thing they wish, and in fact, have nothing that affords them any genuine satisfaction, or preserves them from the internal wretchedness that perpetually haunts them. "God (as the Psalmist expresses it) gives them their hearts desire, and sends leanness withal into their souls ;"* that is, a total incapacity of deriving any true comfort from the blessings they possess.

I am not here drawing imaginary pictures of misery, or describing situations which have never existed; I could refer you to well-known examples, which could amply confirm the truth of my assertions, and would clearly show that the prosperity of the wicked is no proof of their happiness; that external calamities and corporeal pains, acute sufferings, disease, or death, are not the only instruments of vengeance which the Almighty

*Psalm. cvi. 15.

has in his hand for the correction of sinners; but that he has other engines of punishment far more terrible than these; that he can plant daggers in the breast of the most triumphant libertine; and that even when their worldly blessings are exalted, his secret dart can pierce their souls, and wring them with tortures sharper than a two-edged sword, yet invisible to every mortal eye. *

It appears, therefore, that sinners are in fact much oftener and much more severely punished than we are aware; that God is even now exercising a moral government over the world; that he is filling them with the fruits of their own devices, and chastening them in a variety of ways, not always discernible by us; admonishing some by gentle corrections to sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto them; but crushing some by severer strokes, "that others may hear and fear, and do no more any such wickedness."t

Still, however, it must be owned, that punishment does not always overtake the offender either speedily or immediately; and therefore I proceed to show, that when this is the case, there are sufficient reasons for the delay.

It is obvious that every scheme which comprehends a great variety of intentions and views, cannot permit all of them to be accomplished at once, but some things, by no means to be omitted entirely, must however be postponed. Now such a complicated system is that of the government of the world, in which God may have many designs altogether unknown to us; and of those which we know best, we are far from being judges which it is right for him to prefer, whenever they happen to interfere. Offenders, whom we are impatient to see punished as they deserve, he may see it expedient, for various reasons, to spare. One of these reasons is given in the parable before us. When the servants of the householder represented to him that there was a great number of tares intermixed and growing up with the wheat, and asked whether they should not go and

"As malefactors, when they 'go to punishment, carry their own cross, so wickedness generally carries its own torment along with it, and is a most skilful artificer of its own misery, filling the mind with terror, remorse, and the most agonizing reflection." Plut. Ed. Xyland. v, 2. p. 554. A.

† Deut. xiii. 11.

"It is as absurd for us to blame the gods for not punishing the wicked at the time and in the manner which we think the fittest, as it would be for an ignorant clown to censure a physician for not administering the most efficacious medicines to his patient at those times which he, the said clown, judges to be the most proper." Plut. v. 2. p.

549. F.

root them up his answer was, nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat also with them. The meaning is, that in the present imperfect scene of things, the virtuous and the wicked are so intermingled and so connected with each other, that it is frequently impossible to punish the guilty without involving the innocent in their sufferings. In the case of sinful nations, or any large bodies of men, this is very apparent. It may happen that a very considerable part of a great community may be guilty of the most enormous crimes, of oppression, injustice, ambition, cruelty, murder and impiety, and we are apt to call out for immediate and exemplary vengeance on such wretches as these. But if this vengeance was to be executed in all its extent, if this people was to be extirpated by fire and sword, or to be destroyed by famine, by pestilence, or earthquake, it is evident that great numbers of innocent persons must perish in this general wreck, and that the wheat would be rooted up with the tares. Instead therefore of censuring the dispensations of the Almighty in these instances, we ought to praise and adore him for exercising his mercy when we should have no compassion, and for sparing the wicked lest he should destroy the righteous.

But though this reasoning may be allowed in the case of guilty nations, yet it may be thought not to hold good with respect to individuals. It may be alleged, that single offenders at least may be cut off, without doing any injury to the innocent or virtuous. But is this a fact which can at all times be safely assumed? Is the criminal, whom you wish to see chastised, a perfectly unconnected, solitary, and isolated being? Has he no wife or children, no relations, no dependents, no persons of any description, that look up to him for protection, support, or assistance? If he has, are you sure that all these persons are as worthless and as deserving of correction as himself? May they not, on the contrary, be as eminent in virtue as he is in wickedness; or at the least, may they not be exempt from many of those flagrant sins that call for immediate and exemplary punishment? If so, would you have these innocent, and perhaps excellent persons, involved in the ruin of the great delinquent, on whom they entirely depend? Would you have the righteous governor of the universe make no distinction in the infliction of his punishments? Should we not rather adopt the pathetic language of Abraham, when he is pleading with the Almighty for Sodom and Gomorrah?" Wilt thou slay the righteous with the wicked? That be far from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?""* You

* Gen. xviii. 25.

see then that there may be the best and most substantial reasons for delaying the punishment of the wicked, both with respect to nations and individuals; and that when we are rashly calling out for immediate vengeance, the Judge of all the earth is full of tenderness and pity, and sees the best reasons for respiting even the most notorious offenders.

But besides this, there are other reasons for God's forbearance towards sinners. They are sometimes, as the prophet expresses it, the rod of his anger. *He makes use of them as instruments to chastise each other, or to correct the faults of those who are much better than themselves. And it frequently happens that their punishment is only delayed till they have completely finished the work for which they were raised up, and that then they are made to justify the dispensations of the Almighty by the awful spectacle of a conspicuous and terrifying fall.

To instance only the case of one notorious offender. That miscreant Judas Iscariot, long before he betrayed his master, gave proofs of a most depraved and corrupt disposition. He was entrusted with the little stock that belonged in common to our Lord, and the apostles; he kept the bag, and he robbed it. This flagrant breach of trust certainly deserved the severest punishment; and no doubt the disciples secretly murmured in their hearts, and condemned their divine Master for too great lenity towards so vile a wretch. But they knew not what he knew, that he was reserved for an important, though nefarious purpose, and was to be the instrument of betraying the Saviour of the world into the hands of his murderers, a deed for which his former crimes showed him to be perfectly well qualified. When this work of darkness was done, his doom was sealed, his punishment instantly followed; and, what increased its bitterness, it was inflicted with his own hand.

There is still another very important consideration, which may frequently occasion a delay in punishing even grievous offenders; and that is, the goodness and long-suffering of God, who is not willing that any should perish, but that all should have time for repentance.

He who looks into the hearts of men, may see various reasons for sparing those whom we would consign to immediate destruction. He may discern some good qualities in them which are unknown to us, some good dispositions and good principles, which have entirely escaped our observation. He may perceive that they have been betrayed into the crimes they have

* Isaiah, x. 5.

committed, more by unfortunate circumstances, by error of judgment, by mistaken zeal, by wrong education, by the solicitation and the influence of worthless companions, than by an incurable and inveterate depravity of heart. He may see, that amidst a multitude of vile weeds, there are still some seeds of virtue remaining in their breasts, which, if duly cherished and fostered, and cultivated with care and tenderness, may produce most valuable fruits of righteousness. "He is unwilling therefore to break the bruised reed, or to quench the smoking flax."* He is unwilling to destroy what may still possibly be restored; he is unwilling to extinguish, by severity, the faintest sparks of latent goodness. He sees, in short, that if they have time for reflection, if they have space for repentance, they will repent, and he graciously gives them a respite for that purpose.†

And shall we repine or murmur at this forbearance, this indulgence of God towards sinners? Are we not ourselves all of us sinners, miserable sinners: and do we think that God treats us with too much indulgence? Is there any one here present who would be content that God should immediately, and without mercy, inflict on him the utmost punishment which his sins justly deserve? What, alas! would become of the very best of us, if this was the case; and who could abide these judgments of the Lord? And how then can we refuse to others that mercy of which we stand so much in need ourselves?

It is evident and we see it every day, that men who once were profligate have in time become eminently virtuous; and what pity would it have been if extreme or untimely severity had either suddenly cut them off, or hardened them in their wickedness! Great minds are sometimes apt to fly out into excesses at their first outset, but afterwards, upon reflection, and with proper culture, rise up to the practice of the noblest virtues. And it is mercy worthy of God to exercise, and which

Matth. xii. 20.

"Those offenders whom the Deity knows to be absolutely incurable, he destroys; but to those in whom he discovers some good dispositions, and a probability of reformation, he gives time for amendment. Thus by immediate punishment he corrects a few, but by sometimes delaying it he recovers and reforms many." Plut. v. 2. p. 551. C. D. To this may be added another fine observation of the same author: "that God is sometimes slow in punishing the wicked, in order to teach us mortals a lesson of moderation; to repress that vehemence and precipitation with which we are sometimes impelled to avenge ourselves on those that offend us in the first heat of our passion immediately and immoderately; and to induce us to imitate that mildness, patience, and forbearance, which He is often so merciful as to exercise towards those that have incurred his displeasure." P. 550. F.