lived in the antediluvian world, would they
have conceived it possible that God would then execute his predicted
threatening? Yet the event took place at the appointed time; the flood
came and swept them all away: and this awful instance of the anger of
God against sin is related in the inspired writings for our instruction.
Still more to rouse us to attention, the record is impressed in
indelible characters on the solid substance of the very globe we
inhabit; which thus, in every country upon earth, furnishes practical
attestations to the truth of the sacred writings, and to the actual
accomplishment of their awful predictions. For myself I must declare,
that I never can read without awe the passage, in which our Saviour is
speaking of the state of the world at the time of this memorable event.
The wickedness of men is represented to have been great and prevalent;
yet not as we are ready to conceive, such as to interrupt the course,
and shake the very frame of society. The general face of things was,
perhaps, not very different from that which is exhibited in many of the
European nations. It was a selfish, a luxurious, an irreligious, and an
inconsiderate world. They were called, but they would not hearken; they
were warned, but they would not believe--"They did eat, they drank, they
married wives, they were given in marriage:" such is the account of one
of the Evangelists; in that of another it is stated nearly in the same
words; "They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
and knew not until the flood came and swept them all away."

Again, we see throughout, in the system which we have been describing a
most inadequate conception of the difficulty of becoming true
Christians; and an utter forgetfulness of its being the great business
of life to secure our admission into Heaven, and to prepare our hearts
for its service and enjoyments. The general notion appears to be, that,
if born in a country of which Christianity is the established religion,
we are born Christians. We do not therefore look out for positive
evidence of our really being of that number; but putting the _onus
probandi_, (if it may be so expressed) on the wrong side, we conceive
ourselves such _of course_, except our title be disproved by positive
evidence to the contrary. And we are so slow in giving ear to what
conscience urges to us on this side; so dexterous in justifying what is
clearly wrong, in palliating what we cannot justif