they would gradually prevail against all opposition."

III. What has been said seems to suggest the propriety of a word of advice to all sorts of those who profess and call themselves Christians.

And, first, if you have felt in your souls that ye are healed of the plague of sin-that is, if the Spirit of God hath so obtained the mastery, that sin, though not rooted out, is subdued and mortified; then "be not high-minded, but fear;" go on to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation," waiting upon God; take heed lest ye fall.

Be watchful for your own sakes: for though infidel cavils and false reasonings should not be able to prevail anything against the inward witness to the truth which ye possess, sin (and ye are still liable to sin) will assuredly shake its testimony; at least, you must expect to lose your own consolations. Distress and darkness will seize upon you, and so obscure your prospects, that you will not be able to read your title to happiness in Christ. You will be tempted to think that your labour in the Lord hath all been vain, and that you have been deceiving your own hearts all along, when you thought your sins had

been forgiven you; and if you should be left to sin grievously, as some eminent servants of God have been left, it will be well if you stop even here.

When sin separates between the disciple and his Master, that disciple hath sometimes been driven to doubt, not only whether he be a disciple, but even whether the Bible itself be true.

He cannot now argue from his own experience his fall hath so obscured that consolatory evidence, and there is no saying through what a land of darkness he may be made to travel, before the Sun of Righteousness shall arise again with healing on his wings. Therefore I say, for your own sake, be watchful.

And for your brethren's sake be watchful. "Dead flies," says Solomon, "cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour."* He means that any known sin, though it be comparatively but a small sin, counteracts the blessed effects which the bright example of an habitually godly liver would otherwise produce; and thus the weak are offended, and the profligate are emboldened in their iniquity, and both suffer loss, as does, at the same time, the good cause of piety. For if the eminent holiness of people professing godli

Eccles. x. 1.

ness be (as assuredly it is) not only an ornament of their profession, but an evidence to the truth of it; then the inconsistencies of such persons will so far diminish the power of that evidence, that the excellency of religion will not be so forced upon the observation of careless men as it was wont to be; and they will never be constrained to 66 report that God is in you of a

truth."

Therefore, lastly, be watchful for Christ's sake. If ye love him, ye must love his cause, and pray fervently for the enlargement of his kingdom upon earth. But, saith he himself, "Ye are the salt of the earth; if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted ?" *

But unhappily all are not able to vouch for the truth of Scripture from personal experience. They have no witness in themselves. You have, however, other witnesses, and therefore you believe. Multitudes assert their belief of Scripture, and you take their word for it. If you do

it is so far well done. When the Jews saw the miracles which Jesus did, they cried out, "Of a truth, this is He which should come into the world." And if you, hearing the miracles well authenticated, do the same, it is well. But suppose you could prove beyond dispute, and to the silencing of all objectors, (as hath often been

done even now, (by men of sound understanding, without any piety at all,) that the Bible is the word of God. What could that do for you, except you had good ground to hope that you had yourselves that special reliance upon Christ, that practical living faith to which all the promises are made? And how can you know this?—Assuredly not at all, till such time as you are converted and "are become as little children;" till such time as your hearts are changed, and you are become a people zealous of good works." In other words, not at all, till you shall know whom you have trusted, by having in yourselves a witness of experience that he is faithful and just "to cleanse you from all unrighteousness." A man may prove Christianity to be true without this inward testimony, but without this I defy him to prove himself to be a Christian.

Pray, therefore, for a faith which may affect your hearts, otherwise, with all your religious knowledge, your case will exactly resemble that awful one which St. Paul supposes, when speaking of himself he says, "I I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."*

* 1 Cor. ix. 27.

VOL. III.

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18

SERMON II.

THE SORROW OF THE GODLY FOR THE SIN OF THEIR BRETHREN.

PSALM CXIX. 136.

"Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law."

"FOOLS," says Solomon, "make a mock at sin." In their estimation, it is a very trifling matter. They live in much careless commission of it themselves, and when they see their neighbour guilty of it, instead of pitying, or praying for him, or admonishing him, they can jest or laugh at what he does, or, at least, they look upon his conduct with utter unconcern. But they know not what they do. Men of wit, as possibly they may be; men of skill in worldly business; it is, nevertheless, only because they are fools, — fools in a degree so gross and awful, that they neither fear God nor regard man-It is because such