wifdom and strength to guide and affift them, and for righteousness to entitle them to eternal life; you fpeak, as it were, to the dead. They flight thofe admonitions as needlefs, or beneath them. They that are whole, that think themfelves whole and in health, will not apply to the phyfician. In a word, a proud, conceited finner, who fancies himself to be fomething, when he is nothing, neither prizes the grace of God revealed in the gospel, nor has any true zeal for the interefts of his kingdom, but flatters himfelf in his own eyes; and God is not in all his thoughts.

3. It flows alfo from want of ferious confideration. Men do not attend to fubjects of the greatest importance, and therefore, are not fully perfuaded, nor have they lively views, of the excellence of that fal vation which God reveals to us in the gofpel. They do not confider the miferies that are prepared for carelefs finners, who defpife the offers of mercy and reconciliation through Jefus Chrift; nor do they remember, that falvation is the one thing needful, the good part that shall never be taken away; and that they are called to work out their own falvation with fear and trembling. If thofe important truths received from mankind the attention which they deferve, they would go far to fubdue a carelefs and indifferent fpirit. But, notwithstanding thofe plain intimations, many indulge a vain hope, that it is an eafy thing to be faved, and that religion is a work of no great difficulty. They confider not, that the Spirit of God, in the facred fcriptures, gives a different account of this matter. There, we are exprefsly told, "that "ftrait is the gate, and narrow the way, that lead"eth unto life, and few there be that find it; that "we must labour, nay, ftrive, to enter in; that the "kingdom of heaven fuffereth violence, and the "violent must take it by force that even the righte "ous themfelves fhall fcarcely, and with difficulty, "be faved: Where, then, fhall the ungodly, and

"the

"the finner, appear?" Surely, if men would but feriously confider these things, if they firmly believed them, they would be fervent and diligent in ferving the Lord.

4. Another cause of indifference in religion, is, the love of ease, and carnal floth and fecurity. There are too many profeffing Chriftians, who, in matters of religion, are like the fluggard in the book of Proverbs. The language of their hearts is, "Yet a little "fleep, yet a little flumber, yet a little folding of the "hands to fleep." They indulge themselves in floth and laziness, and put off the working out of their falvation from one day to another, ftill refolving; but never fetting actually about it. They are like the door on its hinges, that makes no progreffive motion; or, if they make any attempts, they are faint and ineffectual. Their goodness, at beft, is but like the morning-cloud, and the early dew, that foon pass away. How many are there, even under a Chriftian profeffion, who fpend their days in going round the fame unhappy circle of finning and repenting, and repenting and finning; who being thus unftable as water, cannot excel, nor poffefs any true zeal for the glory of God, or their own falvation. Nay, are there not fome who were formerly fervent in fpirit, and zealous for religion; but now, bewitched with the charms of eafe and indolence, are become dull, and lifelefs, and indifferent. Let fuch perfons ferioufly confider what our Lord fays to the church of Ephefus; "Nevertheless, I have fomewhat against thee, because thou haft left thy first love: remem"ber, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the firft works; or elfe I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (@).”

་་

5. and laftly, Indifference fometimes proceeds from the company with which we affociate, and the unhapPy influence of their pérnicious example. For, if

(a) Rev. in 4, 5.

they

they be of a carelefs and indifferent fpirit with re fpect to religion, we are too apt to contract the fame temper and difpofition. "Be not deceived," fays the apostle Paul, "evil communications corrupt good man. ners." To the truth of this obfervation, your own experience will bear witnefs. Tell me, ye that fre quent the company of fuch as are carelefs and unconcerned about religion, efpecially if, at the fame time, they be profane and vicious in their converfation; Do ye not find, by hearing fin frequently mocked at, and religion turned into ridicule, that your abhorrence of the former is apt to wear off, and your regard for the latter is gradually diminished; in fome inftances, perhaps, almoft extinguished? Nay, I would afk you, who are the children of God; Do ye not fometimes find it difficult, to preferve a fpiritual and ferious frame, in the company even of fober men, when the converfation turns upon the things of this world? How great then must your danger be, how much more difficult to preserve your relifh for the duties of religion, and your zeal for the interests of Christ's kingdom, if you venture into the paths of the ungodly, and fit with the workers of iniquity! Hence is that needful caution of the apoftle Peter: "Be"ware," fays he, "left being led away with the errors of the wicked, ye fall from your own fted"faftnefs (m)."

Thus, I have endeavoured to point out to you, fome of the chief caufes that concur in producing an indifferent spirit in matters of religion; that criminal disease of the foul, at which our Lord expreffes fuch high difpleasure in the text; and for which, he threatens the church of Laodicea with utter rejection: "So then," fays he, "because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." And this brings me,

) 2 Pet. iii. 17.

III.

III. and lastly, To explain to you, the import of the dreadful threatening in the text, as an argument to excite your attention, and engage you to warmth and activity in ferving the Lord.

1. This threatening demonftrates, that fuch perfons are the objects of his difguft and averfion. He is, as it were, fick of them; he cannot bear them, and loathes their indifference; nay, he reckons a careless profeffor of his religion, to be worse than an infidel; for, fuch as know not God, nor the method of falvation through Chrift, are not fo guilty in finning against him, as those who know his will, and do it not. This is what our Saviour himfelf exprefsly tells us, and, at the same time, fubjoins the reafon and juftice of this proceeding: "That fervant," fays he, "who "knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, "neither did according to his will, fhall be beaten "with many stripes:. But he that knew it not, and "did commit things worthy of ftripes, fhall be "beaten with few fripes: For unto whomfoever "much is given, of him fhall much be required "and to whom men have committed much, of him "will they afk the more (i)." Pity and compaffion is due to thofe, who walk in the darkness of idolatry, because they know not the way to happiness. But fuch as profefs Chriftianity, and yet are carelefs and unconcerned about it, are moft justly the objects of Chrift's abhorrence; becaufe, under the mafk and cover of a religious profeffion, they are either afraid of keeping his commandments, or betray the interefts of his kingdom. A prince exercifes more clemency to an open and avowed enemy, than to a fubject who has rebelled against his government. Thus we find our Lord does not condemn Pilate with such severity, as the difciple who betrayed him: For he faid to the former, "He that delivered me unto thee, hath the (6 greater fin." But he faid to Judas, "Wo to that 66 man,

T

Luke xii. 47, 48.

"man by whom the Son of man is betrayed: good

were it for that man if he had never been born." In a word, a carelefs profeffor of religion, may call his indifference, charity, meeknefs, moderation, or what foft name fhall be moft agreeable to him; but it is a temper more hateful to God, and deserves heavier condemnation, than that of the heathen or infidel, because it is not only bafer in itself, but gives an example, of pernicious consequence to religion.

2. and laftly, Indifferent profeffors of religion, are not only the objects of Chrift's diflike and averfion, but he will exclude them from his presence, and refuse them the marks of his friendship. This is also plainly implied in the dreadful threatening in the text. He, who is the only Fountain of happiness, in whofe favour there is life, and whofe loving-kindness is better than life, will for ever exclude them from his blifsful prefence and love. And were this all, this alone would be a very grievous punishment. But he will also throw them into that place of horror, which is appointed to receive all the impurities of the earth, even the bottomlefs pit, that lake that burns with fire and brimftone, where the wicked are tormented day and night. Accordingly, we find this is the doom pronounced by our Saviour on the flothful, unprofitable fervant : "Caft him," fays he, " into outer darkness; there "fhall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."A terrible, but at the fame time righteous punishment, which fhould fill us with horror, and make us guard against that indifference in religion by which it may be incurred.

Let us then ferioufly examine ourselves, whether ahis be our real character, or, whether, on the other hand, we have a true zeal and fervor of spirit in ferving the Lord. It is not enough that you profess much love to Chrift, that you call him Lord, Lord, and make high pretenfions to zeal for his glory. Nay, it is not enough, that you perform the external

duties