and can never turn fin off the throne in the foul. Hence it is that every hypocrite is a flave to fome luft or other; whatever be his attainments, this always remains true of him, Mark, x. 21. This kind of religion is ever like the legs of the lame, unequal.-This will be evident, if we consider,

4. That men are in religion only what they are before God, not what they are before men. When God directs Abraham to a holy walk, he fays, "Walk before me," Gen. xvii. 1. If God did not observe the hearts, the infides of men, the principles of their actions, an outside religion would be fufficient. But what does it avail before the all-feeing God, to cleanse the outfide of the platter, while the infide is full of ravening, whilǝ that is wanting which God chiefly requires and delights in? Pfal. li. 6. how is it poffible that the man fhould be approved of God?—This will be evident, if we confider,

Laftly, That the great difference of accepted and unaccepted performances, difpofitions, &c. does not lie in the letter but in fomething else. Cain and Abel both offered, the one acceptably, the other not, Gen. iv. 3. 4. 5. where lay the difference? The apoftle fhews it, Heb. xi. 4. "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness, that he was righteous, God teftifying of his gifts; and by it he being dead yet fpeaketh." Peter and Judas both mourned, and we need not hefitate to fay, that the mourning of the latter in itself was fully as hearty as that of the former, but they differed in their kind, the one was godly forrow, the other was the forrow of the world. The trial of men's works is not only by what they have wrough, but how they have wrought: John, iii. 21. « But

· he

ke that doth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifeft, that they are wrought in God."

V. I Now come to make fome brief improvement. We infer,

1. What are those Chriftians, who do not fo much as approve themselves to men, by the outfide, and letter of religion. Those surely have nothing of God, and shall never see heaven, if they change not their courfe of life: Matth, v. 20. "Except your righteoufnefs fhall exceed the righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhall in no cafe enter into the kingdom of heaven." How many are there among us this day, whose way of life is a fcandal to Christianity, who are in the church, as boils, botches, and fores, are in the body, ferving for nothing but to grieve the spirits of others who have any concern in them! What fort of Christians are prayerlefs perfons, liars, Sabbathbreakers who loiter away whole Sabbaths, unclean perfons, &c.? 1 Pet iv. 18. " And if the righteous scarcely be faved, where fhall the ungodly and finners appear?" The day will come, when fuch will fee that it had been their happiness to have lived and died among Pagans.-We infer,

2. That those also are a fad fort of Christians, who, if they can approve themselves to men, make it none of their business to approve themselves to God: Rev. iii. 1. "I know thy works, that thou haft a name that thou liveft, and art dead." How many are there, with whom their credit goes farther than their confcience! And therefore, if they can carry their wickednefs, fo as none but God may fee it, they value not his eye on them: Numb. xxxii. 23. "But if you will not do fo, behold you have finned against the Lord; and be fure VOL. II.

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your fin will find you out." This practical atheism will be bitterness in the end, when the day comes, when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by Jefus Christ according to the gofpel, Rom. xi. 16. Ah! how many caft a fair cloak of profeffion over reigning lufts; but behold their end: Pfal. cxxv. 5. "As for fuch as turn afide unto their crooked ways, the Lord fhall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity; but peace fhall be upon Ifrael."

II. I SHALL confider this point more particularly, and fhew, in fome particulars, how far one may go, and yet be an outfide Chriftian, and in what refpects the infide Christian goes beyond him, and thefe jointly, in the following propofitions.

I. THAT he is not a true Christian, who only bears the vifible badges of Christianity, but he who, with the vifible badges, alfo partakes of the invifible grace.

II. That he is not a true Christian, whofe outward man is only cleanfed from the grofs pollutions of the world, but he whofe inward man is also cleanfed.

III. That he is not a true Chriftian, who only performs the duties of external obedience, but he who, with them, joins the duties of internal obedience,

IV. That he is not a true Christian, who has infide religion only in the letter, but he who has it alfo in its fpirituality.-Thefe I shall illustrate -in their order.-I obferve,

I. THAT he is not a true Chriftian, who only bears the vifible badges of Christianity, but he who, with the vifible badges, also partakes of the invifible grace. Mark, xvi. 16." He that believeth,

and

and is baptifed, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." The vifible badges of Christianity are the facraments, baptifm, and the. Lord's Supper; by partaking of these, we are diftinguished from Pagans; but there is an invisible grace, without which these avail nothing to falvation.-For,

I. One may be baptifed in the name of Christ, and yet be no true Chriftian, but even at the last only an outside one; as in our text, "For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcifion which is outward in the flesh.” We find fome have been bred Jews or Pagans, and, by their own free choice, have turned Christians, and received the feal of the covenant, and after all been naught: Acts, viii. 13. 21. "Then Simon himfelf believed also; and when he was baptifed, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs that were done. But Peter faid to him, Thou haft neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the fight of God!" How much more may perfons amongst us be fuch, who were baptifed in their infancy with water, which was not their choice, but a benefit they had by their parent's care, and from Christianity's being the religion of our country! And how little it avails many, and what good they make of it, may be learnt from this, that the impreffions of their baptifmal engagements are fo flight on them, that they never mind them, many baptifed perfons pafs year after year, without preparing themselves for the Lord's table. But he is a true Chriftian, who has the invifible grace fignified by baptifm. See the difference betwixt outfide and infide Christians in this, Matth. iii. II. "I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is greater

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than I, whofe fhoes I am not worthy to bear; he fhall baptife you with the Holy Ghoft, and with fire." Pet. iii. 21. "The like figure whereunto even baptifm doth also now fave us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the anfwer of a good conscience towards God), by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift." The outfide Chriftian may be baptised with water, but the infide is baptifed with the Holy Ghoft, working like fire, burning up the lufts of the flesh. He is born of water, and the Spirit, working like water, to the washing away of the natural filthinefs of the fpirit with which he was born, on whose confcience Chrift's blood is fprinkled, on whose foul Chrift's spirit has favingly operated to his fpiritual cleanfing. In this the infide goes beyond the outfide Chriftian.

2. In like manner, persons may be admitted to the Lord's table, and yet not be true Chriftians. Though this be only the privilege of faints, yet a perfon may be a communicant, who is nothing more than an outside Christian. While others are debarred, they may be admitted to an external partaking of the children's bread, and yet be but dogs in the fight of the heart-fearching God: Luke, xii. 26. «Then fhall ye begin to fay, We have eaten and have drunk in thy prefence, and thou haft taught in our streets." Matth. xxii. 13. "And he faith unto him, Friend, how cameft thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment? and he was fpeechlefs. Then faid the King to the fervants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and caft him into outer darkness, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." A competen

cy of knowledge, with an appearance of seriousnefs, of an holy life, will entitle persons to this privilege before the church, who can judge only

by