If all who as

tures, who thoroughly embrace it. sume the character were Christians indeed, they would live soberly, righteously, and godly, in the present world. Consequently the miscarriages of professors must be owing to their want of religion: they have neither rise nor encouragement from religion itself. Unfair and inconclusive as this sort of reasoning is, yet we find that it is as common as it is false. My text exposes the mistake, and accounts for the fallacy, when it tells us, that many who profess religion, are mere professors.

2. Let what has been said, caution us against resting in ar. empty profession of Christianity, however specious or plausible it may be. In respect of the divine acceptance, circumcision availeth not any thing, neither uncircumcision, but the new creature. All the blessings of the everlasting covenant are suspended upon our believing in Christ, accepting him as he has freely offered himself in the gospel, conforming to his commands, which are holy, just, and good. God never told us, we should have an interest in the contents of this covenant, if we did but profess all this to the world. And what though we should be sainted by short sighted creatures like ourselves, while God cannot be deceived, and will not be mocked? It will be but a little time, and the mask shall be taken off. At the tribunal of Christ every creature shall be manifested, naked, and opened; and how shocking the thought of our being convicted of imposture there? While others

build upon hay and stubble, and entertain hopes which will end in confusion, may we build upon a rock, that our house may stand, and our confidence have great recompence of reward.

3. Bless God, Christian, who has made you a sound believer, while there are so many cheats in the professing world. In resigning yourselves to be taught, pardoned, ruled, sanctified,and saved by him, you have abundantly approved your wisdom. As you are upon a better foundation than others, and have more substantial encouragements than they, see that your righteousness exceeds theirs. Labor to grow in grace; "and out of the good treasure of your heart, to bring forth good fruit." Then upon his saying, in the language of the promise, Behold I come quickly! you will be able to echo back again, in the language of faith and hope, Amen, even so come Lord Jesus.

SERMON II.

INFIRMITIES CONSISTENT WITH THE THE TRUTH OF GRACE

We have showed in the foregoing discourse, that a profession of Christianity may be separated from real vital religion; and exposed their folly, who content themselves with a name to live while they are dead, or rest in an empty, powerless form of godliness. These heads take in what was intended by the first proposition laid down from the text. We proceed to the

II. Which was this, viz. that the truth of Grace does not infer an absolute freedom from infirmities.

This observation is founded upon that part of the parable which informs us that "while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." The charge is drawn up in common against the wise and the foolish virgins; they all slumbered and slept.

It is alike easy in regard of the divine power, to form the new creature at once with the same perfection it shall attain to in heaven, as to work us up to that perfection by degrees. When he implants the principle of a spiritual life, he could

It is

in the same instant give us the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; Eph. iv. 13. plain he can, because he actually does all this "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye;" the work of sanctification being completed in the very article of dissolution, for every child of God. But however possible this is in respect of God's power, yet it is consistent with the perfection of his nature, and answers more valuable ends, that we should grow "gradually into an holy temple to the Lord;" and our goodness be as "the morning light, which shines more and more unto the perfect day." By disposing things into this order, God provides for his glory without the least hazard to our safety, What an honor is reflected particularly upon the wisdom, the power, the goodness, and the faithfulmess of God, in that so small a spark is kept alive in the floods of temptation from without, and corruption from within? That it outlives all opposition? "The smoking flax is not quenched, nor the bruised reed broken, until judgment is brought forth to victory." Matt. xii. 20. Though the grace of God, where it is communicated in truth, is an "incorruptible seed, which liveth and abideth for ever;" though "many waters" cannot extinguish this celestial fire, "nor the floods drown it;" yet since we are sanctified but in part, the presence of corruption is consistent with the truth of grace.

Our Lord pronounces of such, whom he allows. to have been wise virgins (wise to salvation) that

even they had their slumbering and sleeping seasons. If this could not have consisted with real Christianity, is it to be supposed that he would have treated these as his children, and welcomed them to heaven, as we know he did? This would be to give holy things to dogs, and to break through those fixed rules, by which such favors as these are suspended, upon our being made partakers of a divine nature.

It is probable that this particular circumstance, is left upon record, though not as an encouragement to security, yet as a preservative against despair. That a consciousness of our own weakness might not hurry us into a harsh judgment of our spiritual state, though it should be improved as a motive to our walking humbly with God.

I have said thus much, if possible, to disabuse those timorous Christians, whom Satan deceives to their hurt, when he teaches them to infer their being hypocrites and castaways, from their not having already attained, and their not being already perfect. They falsely argue from the remaining presence of sin, to the absence of the grace of God; whereas the most that can be fairly concluded from this state of things, is this, viz. That our grace is weak, when our corruptions are strong. Such hearty lamentations on the account of sin, and earnest desires of complete sanctification, are convincing proofs of our having grace in truth. Strong cries are as certain a sign of life as laughter and joy.