house is left unto you desolate_, _until ye shall say_, _blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord_. But finally; the Lord has left some individuals to themselves, who have come into a profession, and who have, uncalled, claimed the Lord as theirs; who have been awfully proud, arrogant, lovers of themselves, heady, high minded, and cruelly envious of others; whose hearts were never truly humbled; whose enmity was never slain; whose secret prejudice was never subdued; nor were such taught out of either the Law, the Gospel, or affliction: such may have wonderful talents, but no love of God, of Christ, or the Spirit; no real love to the word of God, the house of God, the people of God, or the operations of the grace of God. Such may make a fair shew in the flesh, for a season; may be useful in some external things to others, as the scaffolding to a building, which will be taken away when the building is compleat; and if not immediately by death, yet will, sooner or later, take offence and stumble at the word, leave their profession, find their gifts wither; hide that talent in a napkin; mount the scorner’s chair; go from bad to worse; stab religion in its vitals, and are by and by, given up to a _fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation_. Such awful characters there have been, and it would be well if the world did not groan with many at the present time. Such cannot be said to fall from grace received, alas, they had none—but only from a presumptuous confidence, a feigned faith, a false zeal, and an hypocritical hope; and surely nobody in their right mind, can call these things Grace, however God makes use of them for a season, and then leaves them to their own heart’s pride and cruelty; and the awful source of such things is, in general, _black despair_. This was partly the sad case of SAUL, which I now present to my friends, that the affecting story may excite fear, and self-examination; gratitude and praise for distinguishing grace and mercy. Doubtless much has been and may be said, in commendation of some actions in Saul’s life, but the review of his religious character is truly sad, nor can any one suppose, for a single moment, he ever possessed the grace of God in truth; for surely that grace saves a soul from the curse of the Law, the guilt of sin, the damnation of hell, and the power of Satan: converting grace saves us from the world, self, and a form of godliness; the grace of faith saves from damning unbelief; the grace of hope from wretched despair; and the grace of love from the carnal enmity of the heart; leads us to love God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit; teaches us to love his word and ways, and to love all that love Jesus, who bear his image, and serve him in godly sincerity. But none of these marks of the elect were found in Saul: not _faith_, because he daily manifested his intention to destroy the promised Messiah, who was David’s offspring, as well as David’s Lord; nor _hope_, for he died in