ation amongst us now of God's justice and righteousness, though it
be frequently spoken of? And what advantage shall we have if ye do not
consider them? O how hard is it to persuade men's hearts of this, that God
is just, and will by no means acquit the guilty? There are so many
delusions drunk in in men's hearts, contrary to his truth. "Let no man
deceive you," "be not deceived" with vain words, "know ye not," saith our
apostle. These are strange prefaces. Would ye not think the point of truth
subtile that there needed so much prefacing unto it? and yet what is it?
Even that which all men grant,--God's wrath comes on the children of
disobedience, but, alas! few men consider, but deceive themselves with
dreams of escaping it. Though men know it, yet they know it not, for they
walk as if they knew no such thing.

Always however this is of little moment to affect our spirits now, yet in
the day that God shall set your iniquities before your face, and set his
justice also before your eyes. O how sad and serious a thing will it be
then! If these two verses were engraven on our hearts,--God's justice and
holiness, our corruption and vileness,--I think there would be other
thoughts among us than there are.

Sermon IV.

Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not
the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked
generation."

We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves
as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen
such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so
rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free
his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice.
His people are called to a conformity with himself, "Be ye holy, for I am
holy," (Lev. chap. xix. and xx.) and to a deformity and separation from
the rest of the world in their conversation, from whom God had separated
them in profession and privileges, Lev. xviii. 24. But behold what
unlikeness there is between God and his people. If ye were to paint out to
the life a heathen people, you needed no other image or pattern to copy at
but this same description of this people. It is this that makes Moses in
the preface turn to the heavens and earth, and call them to hear his song,
and Isaiah begins his preaching thus, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O
earth, &c." A strange thing it must be, that s