election sure." The great work, indeed, of keeping the heart, embraces all the duties which we owe to God, to our brethren, and to ourselves; and how can these be, in any acceptable measure, performed, if we do not exert our utmost vigilance and perseverance, and call humbly upon him for his blessing and his aid?

And as we are required not only to be righteous and holy in ourselves, but to set an example of righteousness and holiness to others, we are not at liberty to affect a singularity and an indifference as to the opinion which the world may entertain of us. As men do form their opinions from the outward appearance, we should take care both to be, and to seem, good men and good christians. We must avoid even the appearance of evil;-to "think of things that are of good report ;"-and to "let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven." As St. Paul recommended abstaining from meats that had been offered to idols, not because it was unlawful when the receiver was not a worshipper of the idol, but because it would give offence to Christians who thought it wrong, so we ought to act-"giving none offence to the church of God,-and not seeking our own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

It is essential to the interests of Christianity, that we should edify one another; because none of us live for ourselves.

If we are entirely regardless of worldly opinion, the next step will be that we shall be regardless of

ourselves. The world will form some opinion of us,

We shall take care to give no

either good or bad. grounds for a bad one. For our good intentions God will bless and reward us, if we have not power to effect them; but not, if we have the power. If our hearts are fixed on Him, without neglecting any earthly duties, he will accept us, though the world may neglect us. And that the temper and thoughts of our hearts may always be acceptable in the sight of God, let us pray for his "holy inspiration that we may think those things that be good, and that by his merciful guiding we may perform the same, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

SERMON XV.

ON BEING ASHAMED OF CHRIST.

ST. LUKE ix. 26.

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

OUR blessed Saviour gives here a strict and impres sive caution to his disciples against inconsistency and hypocrisy in their religious conduct ;-admonishing them, that their eternal perdition would be the certain consequence. He had often explained to them the methods by which they and all other Christians might secure their perfect happiness. He had taught them, not only to believe in him as the incarnate Son of God, and as the only Saviour of mankind, but also, how they might exhibit the unfeigned evidence and proofs of that belief. Their faith would not be sincere, unless they resolutely adhered to his divine precepts,-unless they persevered constantly, without being turned aside by any temptations or any obstacles whatever, in those duties which his holy Gospel pre

scribes. He called their attention principally to the interests of their immortal souls,-teaching them to underrate all bodily sufferings and all worldly inconveniences, in comparison with the care of their salvation. For what, indeed, are bodily sufferings,-what is the loss of health, and even of life itself,-when set in the balance against the loss of God's favour, or against the miseries that attend the practice of sin and depravity? To save a temporal existence by the desertion of our religious duties, is to lose an eternal life of conscious happiness and joy. To lose a temporal existence, from a principle of religion, and from a regard to the everlasting welfare of our souls, is to save that which, above all other things, is incomparably valuable. "Whosoever," says our blessed Lord, "shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels."

It is evident, therefore, that the Christian life requires a diligent and unabating perseverance. Its great and important end, must be kept in view, so as to animate us in every step of our progress, without pause or interruption. Those persons, therefore, who cultivate such habits as the gospel requires,who are convinced of its divine truths, and who regulate their actions accordingly,-will not be liable to those backslidings and errors, or to that want of consistency and of principle, which weaken the minds and ruin the characters of those upon whom religion

does not operate. Is it, however, possible, that a man who believes in Christ, and acknowledges that our welfare and salvation depend on a resolute obedience to his laws,-is it possible that such a one should ever be ashamed of our blessed Saviour and of his doctrines ? Can he ever sink into such debasing langour, through the prevalence of surrounding vices and depraved fashions ?--or make so great a sacrifice to the caprice or folly of other men, whose hearts and minds are less upright than his own? Experience will, indeed, convince us, that such conduct, absurd as it must appear, is so far from being impossible, that it is not unfrequent :-for as there are, even in Christian countries, numbers of human beings who seem to "make a mock at sin," and to "glory in the shame" of it, so there are, on the other hand, but too many who shrink from avowing the good principles they maintain, and this from the weak apprehension of being thought singular or precise,— they yield to the prejudices and vices of the world, at the very time that they are conscious of its being wrong to do so.

The text, indeed, plainly supposes that this would sometimes be the case; for it relates to those who should be ashamed of our blessed Lord and of his words." He has himself given a timely precaution against such unfaithfulness and self-abasement. He denounces against those who profess to be his disciples, but who from a sentiment of false shame, are afraid, in some circumstances, to avow it, a peculiar