at his public devotions, as well as at his other public appearances. And after his mind had taken a religious turn, he was still willing to serve both his God and his king; but he was not willing to oppose sinful customs. This threw him into great embarrassment. Though he could lavish his treasure on the prophet, and though he could expose his life in the field of battle, yet he could not summon sufficient resolution and courage to attack those reigning customs, which he verily believed to be wrong. He felt as though he must renounce the service of the God of Israel, unless the God of Israel would allow him to tolerate, and in some measure comply with the sinful customs of his country. "The Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. I beg, I entreat that I may be excused from opposing sinful customs. I know their strength. I know the danger of attacking them. I may lose my office, and what I still more dread, I shall certainly lose the love and respect of my fellow men. I must be excused from this hazardous, and I fear fruitless attempt. Require me to do any thing else, and I will cheerfully do it, at the risk of my fortune or my life; but in this thing pardon and excuse thy servant." So Naaman felt. And he felt just as other men feel. Hence the general observation is this:

Every body desires to be excused from opposing sinful

customs.

I shall show, first, that every body desires to be excused from this; and then, that nobody can be excused from it.

I. I am to show, that every body desires to be excused from opposing sinful customs.

This truth needs but a very little proof. It carries its own evidence to every one, who has attended to the exercises of his own mind. Though men may differ in their opinions about some customs, yet there are many customs, which all believe to be sinful. All therefore have had an opportunity of knowing their own minds upon this subject. And were all to speak the real language of the heart, they would unanimously say, that they have often felt a strong reluctance to opposing sinful customs. "As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man." All feel as Naaman felt, unwilling to combat sinful customs, and wish to be excused from the disagreeable task. This will more fully appear, if we consider,

1. That every body is apt to neglect opposing sinful customs. Men will often and readily oppose sinful actions. But do we find them equally ready and forward to oppose sinful customs? Are they not very apt to connive at practices which custom has long sanctioned? Even those who are very careful to avoid all appearances of evil themselves, are very negli

gent as to opposing sinful customs in others. But why are men so generally and almost universally negligent in this particular? Can it arise from any thing but a strong desire in every one, to be excused from opposing sinful customs?

2. Men are unwilling to unite in opposing sinful customs. This is sometimes proposed; but how generally is the proposal rejected! We have actually made the experiment. A few have had virtue and resolution enough to overcome the natural reluctance to such a hazardous undertaking. They have invited others to unite their exertions in opposing sinful customs; but the greater part have declined. And should the same proposal be made through the land, it is more than probable that a very great majority would desire to be excused, and refuse to join in such an important and benevolent design. This is another evidence, that every body naturally desires to be excused from opposing sinful customs. I may add,

3. Those who have resolved and engaged to oppose sinful customs are extremely prone to come short of fulfilling their resolutions and engagements. Though they are really sincere in their resolutions and attempts, yet upon trial, they find a strong desire to be excused in this, in that, and the other instance. To will is present, but how to perform they find not. It requires more self-denial and fortitude, to oppose customs which have been long established, than any can imagine, before they have made the attempt. Hence the best of men, and the boldest reformers, have neglected to perform this arduous and disagreeable task.

Asa was a good man, and a great reformer; but there were some sinful customs in his day, which were so formidable, that he dared not oppose them. "And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father. And he took away the Sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his father had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burned it by the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed." We have the same account of his son. "And Jehosaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father, he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: Nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places." There were two sorts of high places in Israel. One sort was devoted to the service of the true God, and the other sort was devoted to the service of idols. The high places devoted to the service of the true God

were allowed before the temple was built; but after that was built, Jerusalem was the only place where men ought to worship. And though the reformers destroyed the high places devoted to the service of idols, yet they were afraid to destroy the high places devoted to the service of the true God. The people had been so long and so generally accustomed to meet in these before they were forbidden, that after they were forbidden they still persisted in their old custom. And this old and venerable custom the boldest reformers wanted resolution and fortitude to oppose.

The bold and zealous Peter was afraid to oppose a custom which was once lawful, but had become sinful. It was once lawful for the Jews to abstain from eating with the Gentiles; but after the gospel was published, this bar of separation was taken down, and the believing Jews had no right to follow this custom any longer. But Peter, through fear of reproach, followed this sinful example, for which Paul sharply rebuked him. So he tells us in the 2d of Galatians. "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed: for before that certain came from James he did eat with the Gentiles; but when they were come he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation." So formidable are long-established customs, that the most bold and zealous reformers are afraid to oppose them. And this shows in the clearest manner that every body desires to be excused from opposing sinful customs. But I proceed to show, as proposed,

II. That nobody can be excused from it.

This

Naaman desired to be excused, but there is no evidence that God excused him. I know the prophet said unto him, “Go in peace." But he did not ask the prophet to excuse him. He addressed his petition to God, who alone had a right to excuse him. "The Lord pardon thy servant in this thing." request probably struck the prophet very disagreeably, and therefore he said ironically, "Go in peace. If it seem evil to serve the God of Israel, and oppose ceremonies and customs, which dishonor his name, go worship in the house of Rimmon, or wheresoever you please. I have no more to say to you. You cannot serve God and mammon. And if you will not renounce mammon you must renounce God, who never will indulge you in conniving at sinful customs." This leads me

to observe,

1. That God will excuse none from opposing sinful customs. Though he knows that all wish to be excused, yet their wishes will not move him to excuse them from a plain duty. They

.

evidently ought to honor and glorify their Maker, and of consequence to oppose and restrain whatever tends to his dishonor. But sinful customs certainly tend to dishonor God, and wound his cause and interest in the world. And besides, God has

clearly revealed his mind on this subject. He has expressly

said to every person, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." He has expressly said, "Be not conformed to this world." He has expressly said, "The friendship of the world is enmity with God." He has expressly said, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." And again he has expressly said, "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy brother, and not suffer sin upon him." After God has laid such solemn injunctions on men to avoid and oppose sinful customs, they must be guilty of the greatest presumption, to imagine that the Lord will pardon or excuse them, if they neglect their duty in this thing.

2. Christ will not excuse any from opposing sinful customs. He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, and changeth not. He came into the world to condemn sin in the flesh. When he was in the world he loved righteousness and hated iniquity. And while he lived among sinful customs, he uniformly and strenuously opposed them. He began his ministry by preaching against what had been said and done by them of old time. He attacked without fear or favor the reigning sinful customs of the Jewish nation. They had a sinful custom of putting away their wives without any just cause; this he condemned and opposed. They had a sinful custom of swearing by the earth, by heaven, and by Jerusalem; this he condemned and opposed. They had a sinful custom of calling. hard names; this he condemned and opposed. They had a sinful custom of abusing their aged parents, by taking what ought to be expended for their support, and dedicating it to religious uses; this he condemned and opposed. They had a sinful custom of profaning the temple, by buying and selling in it; this he condemned and destroyed. And they had a sinful custom of treating all other nations with neglect and contempt; this he condemned and reproved, by the parable of the Jew and Samaritan. In short, it appears to have been a peculiar object with Christ to oppose all sinful customs. And if this was his own feeling and practice, we may presume that he will never excuse any from this most reasonable and important duty.

3. Those who follow sinful customs will not excuse any from opposing them. The time is coming when their consciences will be awakened, and they will see things in a true light.

And whenever this time comes, whether before, at, or after death, they will not excuse those who neglected to restrain and reclaim them. Of this they have often given abundant evidence. How many unhappy creatures at the gallows have condemned those who neglected to oppose their wicked practices. How many vicious persons, on their death-beds, have bitterly upbraided their ministers, their parents, and their friends, for winking at their vices, and neglecting to oppose their sinful customs. And all who are now pursuing evil courses will, sooner or later, upbraid those who neglect to oppose and restrain their vices. Though at present, they love and caress those who indulge and countenance them in their evil ways, yet when they come to have just views of things, they will see the sin and folly of others, as well as their own presumption and guilt. And as they will not be able to excuse themselves, so they will not be able to excuse those who had excused them. But of all men, they will become the bitterest accusers and upbraiders of all who neglect the duty of opposing sinful customs.

It must be observed in the last place,

4. That none can excuse themselves from opposing sinful customs. It is a duty, a plain duty, which approves itself to every one's conscience. All know that they ought to oppose whatever opposes the glory of God, the good of society, and the eternal happiness of mankind. And all know that sinful customs have this malignant and destructive tendency. One sinner destroyeth much good. Evil pursueth sinners. He that pursueth evil, pursueth it to his own death. The wages of sin is death. Sinful customs have destroyed their thousands and ten thousands. To prevent such dreadful evils, must be the duty of every person, so far as his power and influence extend. Nor will any one's conscience excuse him, if he neglects this plain and important duty. Though men desire to be excused; though they devise arguments of excuse; and though the arguments they devise in their own defence may lead others to excuse them; yet nothing will effectually excuse them before their own enlightened consciences. For, "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." And says Solomon, "if thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, behold, we knew it not: Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall he not render to every man according to his works?" Thus it appears that none can be excused from opposing sinful customs. God will not excuse them, nor Christ, nor sinners, nor their own consciences. It only re