strong; strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. It is the moral weakness of Christians to do their duty, that makes them most sensible how very imperfect they are in their attainments in grace. How often do they find their heart at their left hand, when they need it at their right hand! How often are they embarrassed with doubts respecting duty! How often do they shrink from difficult and self-denying duties! How often does their good heart fail them, and their bad heart lead them to negligence and disobedience! Such unhappy and painful effects of their weakness in grace, excites them to read, to pray, and use all the means of growing in grace. Read the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm, in which David prays, in every varied form, for quickening, enlightening, strengthening, and consoling grace. Christ's disciples realized the weakness of their faith, and prayed him to increase it. Good men are not satisfied with the bare performance of mere external service, and therefore feel the need of internal grace to perform every duty. 7. If a good heart fits men for every duty, then those who are destitute of it continually live in darkness. Their evil heart prevents them from desiring to know and from understanding their duty, in a vast many cases. They are gener ally involved in moral darkness. Hence Solomon says, "The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." But when they are not involved in darkness, their evil heart is fully set in them to do evil, and disobey every divine command. This is certainly a very deplorable situation. But who are in this situation? Let all examine; for all may know. Those whose heart is at their right hand, have found the benefit of it, in discovering duty, and in rendering duty easy and pleasant. Those who are involved in ignorance and disobedience, may know that their heart never has been at their right hand. But is this a calamitous state? No. Every one may come out of it, if he chooses. Let all choose whom they will serve. Here consider how little good you have done; how much evil you have done; and how much good you may yet do, to your selves and to others. SERMON XXIII. DECEPTION OF BEING ALMOST WILLING TO BE A CHRISTIAN. PREACHED MAY 2, 1819. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. PAUL had been tried before Festus, and had appealed from him to Cæsar at Rome. But while he waited for a passage from Cæsarea to Rome, Agrippa and Bernice came to Cæsarea to pay Festus a visit. Festus acquainted Agrippa with the case of Paul. This excited Agrippa's curiosity to see him and hear him. plead his own cause. Festus very willingly gratified Agrippa, and the next day they both appeared in the place of hearing, and Paul was brought before them. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Paul very thankfully acknowledged the indulgence, knowing it would give him. a fair opportunity of speaking not only for himself, but for Christ. And in order to defend himself, he gives a particular account of his views, his sentiments, and his conduct before his conversion. He relates the means and manner of his conversion as he was going to Damascus. He shows that his embracing and preaching Christianity was perfectly consistent with the writings of Moses and the prophets, which the Jews acknowl edged to be divine. And here he makes a sudden digression, and directly appeals to Agrippa. "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Agrippa felt the force of Paul's argument in favor of Christianity, drawn from the writings of the prophets, which it seems he knew and believed. He frankly owned his conviction, and probably thought, that he was almost willing to be a Christian. From this we may conclude, That some persons really think that they are almost, though not altogether, willing to become Christians. I shall, I. Show that some persons form this opinion of themselves. II. Show why they form this opinion of themselves. And, III. That they have no just ground to form this opinion of themselves. I. I am to show, that there are some persons, who really think, that they are almost, though not altogether willing to become Christians. Though this may seem a singular opinion, yet perhaps many entertain it, and may be made sensible, that they do entertain it, if they will seriously consider the following observations. 1. There are some persons who really think that they have, at present, very little aversion to becoming Christians. They have often thought of the matter seriously, and with little, or no reluctance. They have felt no sensible opposition to the doctrines, or duties of Christianity. And though they have heard others speak of their disaffection to God, and to the way of salvation by Christ, yet they have wondered what they meant; for they have never felt any enmity to God, nor any heart-risings against the terms of salvation proposed in the gospel. It is true, indeed, they have never found themselves altogether ready to attend to their spiritual concerns, as the one thing needful. They have never found themselves under a pressing necessity of reading the Bible, in order to know their duty, nor of calling upon God for any temporal or spiritual good. And, as they have formed no resolution to read, or pray, or perform any other religious duties, they have felt no sensible opposition to any thing of a religious nature, which they apprehend does not immediately concern them. They know nothing in Christianity, so far as they have attended to it, which they would not willingly comply with, if they saw it to be necessary. They have neglected religion, not from any peculiar aversion to it, but merely from a disposition to pursue other things, which have appeared more agreeable and more important in their view. Were the question put to one and another, are you unwilling to become Christians? they would probably reply, that they are not conscious that they ever were unwilling, but have always thought, that it was a very good thing to become Christians; and they now know no doctrine or duty of the gospel, to which they feel any peculiar aversion. Agrippa appears to have had just such views and feelings as those; and those who have such views and feelings, it is natural to suppose, really think that they are almost willing to become Christians. 2. There are some persons, who really think that they are quite willing to become Christians, in some future time. Though they are sensible that they are unwilling at present, to embrace the gospel, yet they really think that they are willing to become religious, when some future, favorable opportunity presents. There are many young persons, many in the meridian of life, and some who are far advanced in years, who belong to this amiable class of sinners. They expect, and hope the time is actually coming, when they shall become what they believe it is of great importance to become, that is, truly relig ious. They are so fully persuaded of being so well disposed, that it is extremely difficult to convince them of the contrary. They rely upon such a future favorable season, and upon such a yielding disposition, with peculiar satisfaction and confidence. They live waiting for some awakening providence, or some alarming discourse, or some special out-pouring of the Spirit, when they imagine that they shall be actually willing to attend to the concerns of their souls, and make their peace with God, whom they have revered, but have not loved. It is not because they have been entirely thoughtless about their future and eternal state, that they have neglected religion, but only because they have never found a convenient season to turn off their attention from temporal, to eternal things. But if their temporal concerns and external circumstances would only allow them leisure to turn their attention to divine objects, they have Lo doubt but they should be willing to embrace the gospel, and beoque real Christians. They anticipate no difficulty from their hearts, though they are not so good as they ought to be. They have always found God to be good to them, and they have nothing to blame themselves for, but ingratitude for his favors. As for any sensible enmity or opposition to his character, his law, or government, they have never felt any, and they hope they never shall. Such persons must think, that they are almost, though not altogether willing to become Christians. I may add, 3. That there is another class of sinners, who think that they are almost willing to become Christians. They are such as have taken a great deal of pains to become religious, and are ready to imagine that they are not far from the kingdom of God. They have been in some measure awakened to attend to their sinful and perishing state. They have renounced many of the vanities of the world; they have forsaken all vain and vicious company; have read and conversed about religion; have externally observed the duties of the Sabbath; and resolved to pursue what they deem to be the likeliest way to salvation. They see no insurmountable difficulties in the way of becoming truly pious. They mean well and resolve well; and though they would not pretend that they are altogether willing and determined to live a strictly and uniformly religious life, yet they are resolved to perform some religious, and all moral duties, and conform to Christianity, as nearly as they can without professing it, and binding themselves to promote it. They are almost willing to be Christians, or rather, they are quite willing to be almost Christians. Though there be some shades of difference in these three classes of sinners which have been mentioned, yet they all widely differ not only from real Christians, but from those who have seen the plague of their own hearts, and have found by painful experience, that they are not almost willing, but altogether unwilling to become Christians; and are fully convinced that it still depends, notwithstanding all their arduous efforts, upon the sovereign will of God, whether they ever shall be willing to be saved upon the terms of the gospel. I now proceed to show, II. What it is that makes any persons think that they are almost, though not altogether willing to become Christians. And here it is to be observed, 1. That some think so, because they suppose that they understand the doctrines and duties of religion almost as well as Christians do. This seems to be the ground upon which Agrippa thought he was almost persuaded to become a Christian. He had read and believed the prophets; and he had heard |