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But remember to whom you fay this; a Being, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, and who defireth truth in the inward parts. Thou art not lying unto man, but unto God. I go, Sir! But remember that the vows of God are upon you; that have raised the expectation of your friends and foes; that heaven; earth, and hell are looking for a practice which will verify your pretenfions; and will you tell them all," I am "only-a liar-a hypocrite ?" I go, Sir! But remember that your doom will be determined not by " fair "fpeeches" and a "fhow of godlinefs," but by your actions and your lives. "Not every one that faith "unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom "of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father "which is in heaven." Igo, Sir! But remember nothing is fo dangerous to the foul as falfe dealing with God; that no character is fo rarely converted as a false profeffor; that no state is fo tremendous as the end of an apoftate. I go, Sir! But remember, it is the language of God, "if any man draw back, my "foul fhall have no pleasure in him.” "For it is im"poffible for thofe who were once enlightened, and "have tafted of the heavenly gift, and were made par"takers of the Holy Ghoft, and have tafted of the

good word, and the powers of the world to come, "if they fhall fall away, to renew them again unto re 26 pentance; feeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afrefh, and put him to an open fhame. But, Beloved, we are perfuaded better things of you, and things that accompany falvation, though we thus " speak."

RR.

SERMON XVI.

CHRISTIAN DILIGENCE.

2 PET. i. 5—7:

And befides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness, charity.

My Brethren, it is a very easy and it is a very difficult thing to be a Chriftian. It is a very eafy thing to be a nominal Chriftian; but it is a very difficult thing to be a real one. It is a very easy thing to be a modern Christian; but it is a very difficult thing to be a fcriptural one. Do not imagine that we mean to trifle, or advance a paradox to awaken your attention at the beginning of a difcourfe. We speak "the words of truth and fobernefs." It is undeniable that we have many Christians among us who are strangers even to common decency and morality, “ being abominable, and difobedient, and to every good work reprobate." Others make a much stricter profeffion; but, alas! their Christianity leaves them as it finds them, and in their lives there is very

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little difference difcernible between them and the people of the world. Their tempers are unfubdued; their tongues are unbridled; "they mind earthly "things;" they make no facrifices, no exertions. Their hope is a lifelefs expectation. Their faith is a scheme of doctrine which they have laid asleep in the mind, and which never disturbs or ftimulates them.

But is this the religion of the New Teftament? Search the Scriptures. Obferve the delineations of the Gospel, and compare yourselves with them. In thefe a profeffion is found to mean a practical diffent from the spirit and manners of the world. The hope which maketh not afhamed is held forth as purifying the poffeffor from the love of fin and the dominion of sense; and the faith by which we are justified and faved, is distinguished as a vital and a vigorous principle, drawing after it a train of graces and good works. Witness the language of our apostle. "And

befides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith "virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowl"edge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; ❝ and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, broth❝erly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity." Christians, these words fpecify, I. The additions which you are to make to your faith. And, II. Prescribe the means by which you are to make them.

I. The apoftle does not exhort Chriftians to feek after faith. This he fuppofes them to poffefs already. He addreffes them as believers, and calls upon them to pursue a course worthy of their faith, correfponding with their faith, and to which their faith binds

them.

"Remember Chriftians, the worthy name by "which you are called. Confider the tendency of "the principles you profefs to believe. You have "embraced the Gofpel; it lays an obligation upon

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you to deny all ungodliness and worldly lufts, and "to live foberly, righteously, and godly in the pref"ent world. You fay you have faith; but faith "without works is dead, being alone. Faith refem❝bles a foundation, of high importance in cafe of a building, but useless if no fuperftructure be reared. "It is only a beginning, which is nothing without "progrefs. What are clear notions unless they influ"ence; or proper motives unless they impel? Abra❝ ham had faith, and he offered up Ifaac; Mofes had "faith, and he efteemed the reproach of Christ great"er riches than the treasures of Egypt. Abel and "Noah had faith, but it was belief alive, and in mo"tion; it led the one to facrifice, and the other to build. If you know thefe things, happy are ye if ye do them. You have received the truth, now "walk by it. You are found in doctrine, be fo now "in practice. You are orthodox, now be holy, de"fraud no man, fpeak evil of no man. You have "faith, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, "knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and "to temperance, patience; and to patience, brother"ly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness, charity." Such is the meaning of the apostle; and thus we conceive he would have explained himself, had he been living in our day, and called to addrefs fome of our audiences.

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The first addition which he requires of you as be

lievers is VIRTUE. But it does not here fignify good, nefs in general; it is immediately diftinguished from the various excellencies included in the common acceptation of the word. It therefore expreffes fome particular quality; and by referring to the Greek and Latin writers, we can foon determine what it is. They mean by it Fortitude, Courage. My Brethren, this principle in the whole of your Chriftian course will be found indispensably neceffary. You live in a world unfriendly to religion. You are called to varis ous duties, in the difcharge of which you will meet with oppofitions and difcouragements the most painful and trying. It will be found no eafy thing to deny yourselves, and take up your crofs; to pluck out a right eye, and to cut off a right hand; being both the patients and the agents too. It will be found no very eafy thing to encounter opinion; to incur the frowns of connections, the fcorn of fuperiors, the ridicule of the multitude; to feel yourselves in a small and despised minority; to have your designs fufpected, your actions misrepresented, your very vires transformed into vices, and where you have deferved beft of your fellow-creatures to be moft condemned by them.

Some of thefe difficulties indeed might be avoided if you were only to BE religious and not to APPEAR so. But not to obferve that it is impoffible to conceal religion in numberless inftances when it is fairly reduced to practice, we wish you to remember that you are required to be open and explicit; you are commanded to "let your light fhine before men;" to "confefs with "the mouth," as well as to "believe with the heart;" to "hold faft," not your faith, but the "profeffion of

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