kingdom of God and his righteousness, is one of the very firft precepts of that gofpel which you have embraced. And is it no uneafinefs to your mind, to know that it is the least thing in your thoughts, the very last in your intention? And will you hope to shelter yourself from the wrath of God, by an outward profeffion of christianity? Why, be well affured, that there is no man fo far from falvation, as one who is got into the way of doing what good Chriftians do, without being inwardly converted, who have (as the apostle fpeaks) a form of godliness, but denying the power, not fuffering chriftianity to make them one jot better men.

Christians, therefore, should be very careful to avoid falling into a state fo dangerous. To prevent which, we fhould often and betimes confider, how very difficult it is to get rid of evil habits, when once we have fuffered them to take deep root. A tree, which with one hand may be pulled up be pulled up this year, the next may be grown fo big, that all one's force shall not be able to remove it out of its place. And Chriftians find by fad experience, when once an evil habit of living without God has been fuffered to get ground, it is no very eafy matter to root it up, and mafter it; and yet it must be mastered, or we are for ever undone.Therefore, where Chriftians have been fo un

happy as to fall into a careless way of living, the very best thing they can do is, to repent

forthwith

forthwith, left the work grow too big to be. undertaken, and at last they despair of ever returning to a fober mind.

This is fet forth in a very lively manner by one of the Fathers, in words to this purpose: "An hermit is carried by an angel into a "wood, where he fees an old man cutting "down boughs to make up a burthen; when "it was pretty big, he attempts to carry

it

away; but finding it very heavy, he lays it "down again, cuts more wood, makes the "burthen greater, and then in vain tries to

carry it off. Having done this feveral times, "the hermit in the mean while being afto"nished at the old man's folly, the angel tells

him, this is an exact representation of those "Chriftians, who, being fenfible of the bur"then of their fins, refolve to repent, but foon

cr

grow weary, and inftead of leffening their

burthen, they increase it, ftill refolving to "repent, till the burthen grows too heavy to "be borne, and then in great defpair they die "in their fins unrepented of."

Now this, God knows, is the cafe of too many, who, when they fhould fet about the work of repentance, make it every day more difficult, by deferring it.

Those who have dedicated themfelves to God betimes, and have not yet fallen into a careless way of living, would do well to confider what bitter work they are preparing for themselves,

themselves, when they forget the vows which they have made fo folemnly.

In fhort; without the grace of God, no man can live as becomes a Chriftian. The grace of God can be fecured only by keeping a strict watch upon ourfelves, and increafed, by making ufe of what one has already.They that do so, may depend upon the favour of God; and they will be fure to escape a great deal of trouble and remorfe of confcience in this world, and mifery in the next.

I should now conclude; only I fufpect that a great many Christians may think themselves no way concerned in what I have faid upon this head. Few think themselves in any danger, who are not profligate finners. After all; men may be in great hazard of their falvation, who yet are not taken notice of for fcandalous livers.

Every man may best judge for himself by

fuch marks as thefe:

ft. Every one who holds the truth in unrighteoufnefs, that is, all who do not live up to what they know to be moft pleafing to God;

2dly. All who have no concern for their eternal welfare, after God has made known to us, by his Son, the rewards and punishments of another life;—

3dly. All who have their hearts fo much taken up with the world, that they cannot apply themselves feriously to the care of their fouls;

4thly. All

4thly. All who, though they pretend to ferve God, yet do it with-that indifferency, that God is rather dishonoured than glorified by their service; who give scandal by their irreverence, and behave themselves before their Maker as if he were an idol, who neither heard nor faw the devotions of his worshippers;

In fhort; All who live in a general neglect of their duty, though they are not guilty of fuch grofs fins as make them scandalous:—all thefe, I say, may be affured of it, that they live under God's difpleafure; and their hope of falvation is nothing but a delufion.

And God grant that all who are concerned may think of it, while it is in their power, by the help of God, to prevent the evil confequences of living without any true religion.

On the other hand; All fuch as are convinced, that the defign of christianity is to make men holy, that they may be happy; that Jefus Chrift came indeed to redeem us from the wrath to come, but that he must first redeem us from our vain conversation. Such as know, and in good earneft believe this, and are difpofed to let christianity have this effect upon them, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; fuch as are refolved, by the grace of God, that the time paft of their lives fhall fuffice to have wrought the will of the gentiles, that they will no longer hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs, but will let christianity have its effect upon their lives as

wel

well as upon their faith; fuch as know their own frailty, and come to God for help, and ufe the means of grace which he has appointed for our recovery and falvation, and find the effects of God's grace in the change that is wrought in them for the better:-All fuch have the comfort of knowing, that their religion is what it should be; that they have not only the form of godlinefs, but the power thereof: and that their portion in the world to come shall be much better than if they had continued to have walked (that is, lived) as other gentiles, or as men unconverted do, in the vanity of their minds, following their own corrupt inclications.

From which vanity, and the evil that attends it, the good Lord deliver us all, for Jefus Chrift's fake. To whom, &c.

SERMON