is willing to give all who choose it an opportunity of learning, from his conduct, the nature and spirit of that religion he hath embraced. He feels, and practically acknowledgeth, the divine authority of such precepts as these: “Let your moderation be known to all men;" “ Provide things honest in the sight of all men;" and, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." His soul is alarmed with that awful declara. tion of our Saviour, (Luke ix. 26.) “ Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's glory, and of the holy angels." Would we then follow the Lord fully, we must confess bim, openly, and dare to be holy in spite of devils and men. We must “ be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crook. ed and perverse generation,-holding forth the word of life.” Once more, in the

4th place. To follow the Lord fully, is to cleave to him steadfastly when others forsake him; and to persevere in bis service, even when it exposeth us to the world's hatred, and the persecution of wicked and un. reasonable men. It was on account of this brave and honourable singularity that Caleb obtained the title of a man of another spirit. He was one of four, among some hundred thousands, who retained his loyalty to the King of heaven; for besides Moses and Aaron, and his own companion Joshua, it doth not appear that there was one dissenting voice in all the tribes of Israel; the revolt was universal, the whole congregation rebelled against their God. Nay, he was not only singular, but his singularity drew upon him the resentment of his brethren. Orders were given “ to stone him to death;" and

1

1

!

they were on the point of doing it, when “the glory of God appearing in the tabernacle” checked their fury, and protected the life of this illustrious saint. Thus it was that Caleb followed the Lord fully; and thus must we also do if we aspire to his reward. Instead of shrinking at persecution, if that should be our lot, we must rather “rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer shame" in the cause of our Lord; and even esteem it a privilege, “ that to us it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in his name, but likewise to suffer for his sake.”

The amount of all I have said is this: If we would follow the Lord fully, after the pattern in my text, We must acknowledge no other master besides bim; we must obey him in all things; we must do this at all times; and serve “bim with an affectionate and liberal heart; not grudgingly, or as of necessity;" for “the Lord loveth a cheerful giver;"- We must follow him openly, and in the face of the sun; and then we must persevere in our attendance upon him, though no man should join with us; nay, though earth and bell should unite their force, and both rise up in arms to oppose us.

You have now seen the aim of my discourse; and may I not hope to succeed in it? I am asking nothing that is unreasonable, nothing that you yourselves can find any pretence to refuse. All I ask is, in the

1st place, That you should be honest men.

You call yourselves Christians : and what is my request, but that you be Christians indeed? So that in reality it is the cause of your own honour I am pleading

you. A man of spirit and integrity is a character that universally commands esteem ; but it is impossible to support that honourable character by any other means than by following the Lord fully. Enemies you may

with you.

а

have; I ought rather to have said enemies you shall have, some, perhaps, perversely and maliciously, who may slander you as hypocrites : but a steadfast and uniform perseverance in holiness, if it disarm not their malice, will at length confute their reproach. Whereas your swerving from duty, either to gain the favour of men, or to avoid their displeasure, cannot fail to expose you to their contempt and scorn: Reward you they may; but, Oh! how low must you sink in their esteem! And then what a triumph will it give to the wicked, who only wait for your halting? How will it whet their tongues, and give them an edge that shall pierce you to the quick? For this you may lay your account with, that their censures of you shall be far more severe and unmerciful than those they employ against others, who make no profession of religion; nay, their censures shall be more severely felt by yourselves, because you will find something within you that tells you they are just. The har. dened sinner can assume an air of confidence and intrepidity; conscience being seared gives him no disturbance within ; so that his external appearance is all he hath to attend unto : but the sense of having acted wrong, will draw your attention inward, and leave your countenance to express every outward symptom of timidity and self-reproach. Whereas, by following the Lord fully, you shall by degrees acquire a firmness and independevey of spirit, that will enable you at all times to be. bave with a genuine and well-supported dignity. This shall give you an irresistible superiority over the hearts of wicked men, which shall overawe them in secret, and coustr in their homage, in the same proportion that it excites their hatred and envy. Thus we read, that “HeTut leatri Julin," even when be threw him into prison ; and he stared hiin, as St. Mark informs us, purely up

on this account, “because he knew that he was a just and holy man."

2dly. The duty I am recommending is equally necessary to secure the inward peace and tranquillity of your minds: it contributes to your interest no less than to your honour. How miserable is the man who hath war and discord within his own breast! This is worse than death, for that only tears the soul from the body, whereas this tears the health, the life, from the soul itself. Such a person resembles " the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.” Which way so. ever he turns his eyes, the prospect, on all hands, is dark and gloomy. Above, is the throne of an offended God: beneath, is the fire that shall never be quenched; and within, he feels the gnawings of the worm that dieth not: so that the creatures around him are his only resource; and these at best are 6 deceitful brooks;-broken cisterns that can hold po water;" “ miserable comforters," which delude him for a moment, and forsake him at the time when he stands most in need of them. 6. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked;" but “ light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.”—“Great peace," said one who koew it by experience, “great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them;" even the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep their hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.”

My brethren, we shall never taste the comforts of religion till we become thoroughly religious, and follow the Lord with all our heart. A half-religion must always be a joyless thing. Persons of this mixt character must in great measure be strangers to pleasure in any kind. They have just as much religion as maketh sin bitter, and as much sin as renders religion unpleasant: and what an insipid, disagreeable situation must this be! In respect of present enjoyment, the dissolute and unreserved slave of the devil have manifestly the advantage of those half-converted people. They get a full taste, at least, of such dreggy pleasure as sin can afford; but the others cannot even get at that much, and at the same time their dry, constrained formality supplies them with nothing to make up for the want of it. Whereas he who followeth the Lord fully, possesseth a joy infinitely superior to what the creatures can yield; nay, a joy that is altogether independent on the creatures.

Moreover, religion, when it is genuine and cordial, heightens the relish of every lawful comfort. Besides that natural sweetness which God hath put into many of the outward benefits he bestows, the true Christian can look upon them as the gifts of a reconciled Father, and pledges of better things to come. He can say upon the receipt of every mercy,—This is mine, and beaven also: My God hath sent me this token of his love, to support and encourage me in my journey homeward; I shall soon be beyond the need of such inferior blessings, and possess the living fountain from whence those refreshing streams do flow. On the other hand, if his present allowance be scanty, he can say,-My Father knoweth what is good for me better than I do; blessed be his name, who in kindness withholds from me what his wisdom foresees would prove a snare to my soul: He seeks my whole heart, and he is worthy to possess it: It is my business to follow him; and the less I am incumbered, the faster I shall run. When I get home, I shall be comforted and satisfied to the full; famine may dwell in this wilderness, but is altogether unknown in that good land to which I am travelling: “In my Fa. ther's house there is bread enough, and to spare.” To

.