fession into which ye were baptized? Was it because of the divine authority upon which your religion rests? This reason surely still holds to make you adhere to it amidst the strongest temptations; for divine authority is always to be obeyed, whatever difficulties lie in the way; nay, though the commands of the highest powers on earth should interfere with it. Was it concern for your eternal salvation, and a conviction that "there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby you can be saved, but the name of Christ ?" and does not this reason bind you as much to cleave to the Lord as to come to him at first? "The Lord is with you while ye be with him; and if ye seek him he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." He that endureth to the end," saith Christ, "shall be saved." "But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Nay, the case of apostates is represented every where in Scripture as inconceivably more dreadful than that of any other sinners. Once more, did you enter upon a religious course of life, because your consciences would not suffer you to be at peace till you had done so? This reason also binds you to persevere as you have begun; for the more faithfully you cleave to the Lord, the more steadfastly you resist temptation, the greater peace and tranquillity you will have in your own minds. Nay, the obstacles which now make your progress difficult and painful, will gradually disappear, and at length you shall find, that "Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and that all her paths are peace." In a word, whatever good reason we had to set out in the Christian course, the same reason will hold for our perseverance in it. If we began it from bad or from worldly motives, our religion is but an empty profession, without any reality. In this case we are not

yet Christians; and therefore the exhortation in the text doth not belong to us. Consider, in the

2d place, That all the bribes which can be offered, in order to seduce you from your adherence to the Lord, are vain, precarious, and unsatisfying. How often have men "made shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience," for a mere shadow of expectation, which was never realized to them? But though you should obtain all that this world can present to you, yet how bitter is that advantage which is purchased at the expense of inward peace and tranquillity? Nay, how vain and precarious are the enjoyments of this world at the best? "Riches often make to themselves wings and flee away;" and then they leave the person much more unhappy than they found him, under the dominion of inflamed appetites, without the proper objects to satisfy them. The joy of the wicked is like the "crackling of thorns under a pot;" vain whilst it lasts, and soon at an end. Balaam loved the reward of unrighteousness, and he obtained it; but what did he reap from it at last? he returned to his own country loaded with riches, but all his enjoyments were embittered by "an evil conscience," and he himself was soon after brought to an untimely end by the victorious arms of the Israelites. So deceitful are the offers with which this world would seduce you from your adherence to the Lord. But in cleaving to the Lord, you can never be disappointed in your expectations; for he hath said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Consider, in the

3d place, What obligations you lie under to this Lord to whom you are exhorted in the text to "cleave with purpose of heart." He it was that befriended you in your greatest necessity, and that brought salvation with his own arm, when there was no other eye to pity you, nor any

other hand that could help you. Think on the greatness of the love of Christ, and on the costly proofs he gave of it, in condescending to become a man, and "a man of sorrows," and at last to die under the bitterest agonies, for the redemption of your souls; and then let gratitude suggest to you what returns may reasonably be expected from creatures so infinitely indebted to him as have been. Did the Lord Jesus, without any imporyou tunity from us, and even contrary to our desires, persist in his gracious design of saving us, till he could say upon the cross, "It is finished?" and shall not we persevere with steadfastness in our duty and allegiance to him? Surely, if his heart clave to us, when we had nothing to merit or invite his love, much more should our hearts cleave to Him, who is not only infinitely amiable in himself, but, which is still more interesting, infinitely kind and gracious to us. Once more, in the

4th place, Consider that this duty, although difficult, is by no means impracticable. Thousands of our bre thren, all men of like passions with ourselves, have persevered to the end in cleaving to the Lord, and are now enjoying the glorious reward of their steadfast adherence to him. All necessary aid is provided for you, and ready to be conveyed to you as often as you shall ask it. For "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted sbove what ye are able to bear, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Indeed, had you no other strength but your own, to exhort you to "cleave unto the Lord," would only be to mock your misery. But help is laid for you on One who is mighty, and is no less willing than powerful, to support you under all your trials. He can perfect strength in your weakness; and whilst you are stretching forth your feeble arms to embrace him, he

will inclose you in the arms of his Omnipotence, and work in you effectually "both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Having thus explained the exhortation in the text, and endeavoured to enforce it by some motives and arguments, I proceed now, as was proposed, in the

Third place, To offer some directions, which, through the blessing of God, may be useful to those who are desirous of complying with this exhortation. And, in the

1st place, Labour to have your minds as richly furnished as possible with true Christian knowledge. Study the nature and the reasons of the religion which you profess, that you may be able to confute gainsayers, or at least to withstand their attempts to seduce and pervert you. Knowledge must lie at the root of our steadfastness; otherwise, let the cause in which we are engaged be ever so good, our adherence to it is nothing else than obstinacy of temper; which can neither please God, nor bring any real advantage to ourselves. In such a case, if a man is in the right, it is merely by accident: he might as readily have been in the wrong; and it is very possible, nay extremely likely, that some new "wind of doctrine" may seduce him, and that he may become as violent in his enmity to the gospel as he was once warm in supporting it. It is true, indeed, there may be a great deal of sound knowledge in the head, where there is no real grace in the heart. A foreigner may learn to speak the language of Zion so well, that it will be difficult to distinguish him from one who is "an Isrealite indeed." But, on the other hand, it is absolutely certain, that grace cannot consist with gross ignorance: For the first operation of the Spirit of God is to open men's eyes, and to turn them from darkness unto light: Consequently, where there is no light, it must be concluded that there

is no grace. Some exceptions there may be; and there have been examples of persons, in whose temper and practice the lineaments of the New Creature could plainly be discerned, who, by reason of their natural dulness, were incapable of acquiring any distinct knowledge of the principles of religion, or at least of expressing what they knew to the satisfaction of others. This rule of judging must not therefore be extended to those whose understandings are visibly weak, and unapt to receive or to retain instruction; for out of the mouths of such babes and sucklings, God may, and often doth, perfect his praise. But when men are quick enough to learn other things, and yet remain ignorant of the great truths of Christianity; when they discover no anxiety, nor use any proper endeavours, to acquire the knowledge of them; this voluntary ignorance, whatever they may pretend, is a plain proof of an unconverted state. Let none who acknowledge and lament their ignorance, and who use the means to have it removed, be discouraged at what I have now said; for they are not the persons concerning whom I speak. But if I could meditate a reproof of more than ordinary sharpness, I would address it to those who, amidst Bibles and Sermons, and other excellent helps for their spiritual improvement, remain stupidly ignorant of the most essential points of Christianity, without any shame and concern. And, alas! what numbers of this description are to be found among us? How many claim the peculiar privileges of Christians, who know little more of Christianity than the name? Nay, is it not to be feared, that many who partake of the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper are so grossly ignorant of the nature of that ordinance, that, with respect to them, the communion-table itself may bear the same inscription which Paul found upon the altar at