૯૯ of fanctity. The chriftian is more concerned to be good, than to appear fo. His religion is commonly attended with diffidence and felf fufpicion; he hides his feelings, and makes many anxious inquiries before he can venture to say, come unto me, all ye that “fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my foul." Baxter, fpeaking of Lord Chief Juftice Hale, tells us he had once entertained fears left he had been too little for the experimental part of religion, fuch as prayer, and meditation, and spiritual warfare; because he had feldom mentioned fuch fubjects in relation to his own feelings; but he found afterwards that this reluctance arose from his averseness to hypocrify, of which in his day he had seen so many inftances. It is our duty to make a profeffion of religion, and unite ourselves with fome body of chriftians, to walk in the faith and order of the gospel. But we should do wrong to condemn all those who decline it. Many are held back for a confiderable time by painful apprehenfions. Jealous over their own hearts, and concerned left they should be found deceivers, they dare not come forward, and venture on fo ferious an act, as by a public furrender to join themselves to the church of the living God; and it is to be lamented, that in many cafes this timidity is increased by the fevere, unfcriptural methods of admitting people to the table of communion. In the great day, when the fecrets of all hearts are made manifeft, we shall see many a fecret, filent, unobserved follower of Chrift exalted at the right hand; while many a noify profeffor of religion will be thruft down to hell, for want of that truth and fincerity which are effentially neceffary to the chriftian character, and to gospel worship. To this we may add another fear. We fee it exemplified in Nicodemus, who came to Jefus by night for fear of the Jews. Had many feen him at the commencement of his religious courfe, they would have condemned him; nevertheless he gave at laft the clearest proof of his attachment, by coming forward when his own difciples forfook him, and acknowledging a fuffering Redeemer; and there may be many in fimilar circumftances: repreffed and concealed for a time by their fituations and connections. I do not praise them in this. It is their duty unqueftionably to “go forth to him without the camp bear"ing his reproach." I only state a fact which has an influence on our fubject. III. THE MANNER in which some of the people of God are CALLED BY DIVINE GRACE, renders them lefs. obfervable. I hope I need not prove, that in order to the existence of genuine religion in the foul, there is abfolutely neceffary a change which will embody the various reprefentations given of it in the fcriptures. Except ye be converted, and become as little chil"dren, ye shall in no cafe enter into the kingdom of "heaven." "Ye must be born again." "If any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, and behold all things are become new. In fuch awful and decifive terms do the facred penmen fpeak of the renovation of our natures, as effential to our happiness and our hope; and this change in all the fubjects of divine grace is equally cr وو C real, but not equally perceptible, either to themselves or others. When a man is fuddenly stopped in his mad career, and turned from a notorious and profligate course of life; when the drunkard becomes fober, the swearer learns to fear an oath, and the fabbath breaker goes with the multitude to keep holy day; all must take knowledge of him; the effect is ftriking, the world wonders, and the church exclaims, "who "hath begotten me thefe! thefe, where had they "been !" But the work is not always fo distinguishable. When the subject of it is moral; bleffed with a pious education; trained up under the means of grace; the change is much lefs visible. He avoids the fame vices as before; performs the fame duties as before, only from other principles and motives, with other views and difpofitions; but these fall not under our obfervation. Many are too prone to look for a converfion, always uniform, not only in its effects, but in its operation, and too much bordering on the miraculous. The foul must be exceedingly terrified with fear; then overwhelmed with anguifh; then plunged into defpair; then fuddenly filled with hope, and peace, and joy; and the person must be able to determine the day on which, and the fermon, or the providence by which the change was wrought. But this is by no means neceffarily, or generally the cafe. There is a variety in the temperaments and habits of men, and in the methods employed to bring them to repentance. And we fhould remember that there are "differences of ad"ministration, but the fame Lord;" that often he prefers to the earthquake, the wind and the fire; the fmall still voice; that he can draw by the cords of love, and the bands of a man; that he can work as effectually by flow, as by inftantaneous exertion; and that he can change the foul in a manner fo gradual and mild, as to be scarcely difcernible to any, but the glorious Author. And here, my brethren, we are furnished with evidence from analogy. In nature, fome of God's works infenfibly iffue in others; and it is impoffible for us to draw the line of distinction. "The path of "the juft is as the fhining light, which shineth more " and more unto the perfect day." But who can afcertain which ray begins, or which ends the dawn? If you are unable to trace the procefs of the divine life, judge by the refult. When you perceive the effects of converfion, never question the cause. And if perplexed by a number of circumftantial inquiries, be fatisfied if you are able to fay, "one thing I know, "that whereas I was once blind now I fee." IV. THE DIFFERENCE OF OPINION which prevails among christians, has frequently occafioned a diminution of their number. Indeed the readieft way in the world. to thin heaven and replenish the regions of hell, is to call in the spirit of bigotry. This will immediately ar-, raign, and condemn, and execute all that do not bow down and worship the image of our idolatry. Poffeffing exclufive prerogative, it rejects every other claim; "ftand by, I am founder' than thou." "The temple "of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of "the Lord are we !" How many of the dead has this intolerance fentenced to eternal mifery, who will fhine forever as ftars in the kingdom of our Father! How many living characters does it reprobate as enemies to the cross of Chrift, who are placing in it all their glory. No wonder if under the influence of this confuming zeal, we form leffening views of the number of the faved. "I only am left." Yes, they are few indeed, if none belong to them that do not belong to your party ; that do not fee with your eyes; that do not believe election with you, or universal redemption with you; that do not worship under a steeple with you, or in a meeting with that are not dipped with you, or fprinkled with you. But hereafter we fhall find that the righteous were not fo circumfcribed, when we shall fee "many coming from the east, and from the weft, "from the north, and from the fouth, to fit down “with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of "heaven." you; Do I plead for an exceffive candour? The candour which regards all fentiments alike, and confiders no error as destructive, is no virtue. It is the offspring of ignorance, of infenfibility, and of cold indifference. The blind do not perceive the difference of colours; the dead never difpute; ice, as it congeals, aggregates all bodies within its reach, however heterogeneous their quality. Every virtue has certain bounds, and when it exceeds them, it becomes a vice; for the last step of a virtue, and the firft ftep of a vice, are contiguous. But furely it is no wildnefs of candour, that leads us to give the liberty we take; that fuffers a man to think for himfelf unawed; and that concludes he may be a follower of God, though he follow not with us. Why fhould we hesitate to confider a man a christian, when we fee him abhorring and forfaking fin; hungering |