violation of those sacred duties which bind them to their God, of that justice and charity which they owe to man, and of that sobriety and purity which they should cherish in their conduct and their hearts. Not only sinners of this prominent and marked character, but they also, who, whatever may be the comparative innocence of their lives, have not yet secured their Christian privileges, pledged to them in baptism, by fulfilling its sacred obligations, nor made their peace with God by unfeigned repentance and lively faith; who, while they cultivate integrity, and justice, and kindness, in their intercourse with their fellow men, and abstain from the gross indulgences that would corrupt their own hearts, live in the habitual neglect of the service and homage which they owe to their Almighty Maker, Benefactor, and Saviour. To impenitent sinners, to unrenewed and unholy men of every description, the voice of God's judgment is directed -"Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways, lest iniquity prove your ruin."* Every violation of the laws of God which we commit, is preparing for us, if not in the present world remorse of conscience, assuredly in that which is to come, the worm that never dies, and the fire that never will be quenched. For every sinful gratification, for every profanation of the holy name of our God, for every violation of his laws, he will bring us into judgment. And does that awful event, which will bring us with all our sins and iniquities into the presence of the Almighty Sovereign and Judge of the world, and whose tremendous and eternal vengeance we have justly provoked, impress us with no terrors? My brethren, * Ezek, xviii. 30. · we may be free from gross and enormous transgressions, and from any violations of the laws of justice, charity, and purity, but the sins of omission, as it regards the homage and obedience due to the Almighty Being who made and rules us, our merciful and gracious Protector and Father, the Fountain of all our blessings, the Author and Finisher of our redemption, will be charged upon us at the great day of account. Until we are reconciled unto God through repentance and faith in the merits of his Son Jesus Christ, and transformed by the renewing of our minds, walk in newness of life, we are in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity. 2. There are also insincere professors of religion, to whom this injunction of the prophet, to "cry aloud, and spare not, to show them their transgressions and their sins," will apply. The profession of religion is sometimes assumed from some motive of worldly reputation, interest, or advancement, under the cloak of sanctity, to deceive the world, while, in secret, unhallowed passions and sensual and selfish aims are pursued and gratified. There are some who, like the pharisee of old," make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, while within they are full of extortion and excess."* Against such as these did the Lord direct, by his prophet, the voice of judgment Cry aloud, spare not." To the guilt of transgression against their Almighty Maker-of sinful passions cherished and indulged-they add the deeper guilt of attempting not only to deceive their fellow-men, but to impose upon the all-seeing God. But assuredly the period is approaching, when that Matt. xxiii. 25. sovereign and just God, whom they are mocking and insulting by the pretences of piety and devotion, will come and assign them their just portion for ever in that place where there is only "weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth;" for "the hope of the hypocrite shall perish."* 3. There are also superficial professors of religion, who are the just objects of this injunction of God to the prophet. They who consider religion as consisting merely in decency of conduct, in an attendance one day in the week on public worship, and in professions of attachment to the cause of piety and virtue; who are punctual in observing the indispensable forms of religion, but are not attentive to the spiritual import and tendency of these institutions, nor diligent in making them instrumental to their growth in piety and virtue, and to their advancement in that "holiness, without which no man can see the Lord." They have not laid the foundation of their religion in that "renewing of the mind" by the Holy Spirit which their baptism denoted and enforced, and for which it pledged the necessary grace and the most powerful motives, and which alone can make us real, consistent Christians, and by assimilating us to the image of God in his purity and holiness, qualify us for the enjoyment of his presence. They are strangers to the quickening, transforming, invigorating power of faith as the principle of the Christian life, that faith which is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," which constantly brings to our minds, as the objects of our supreme love, confi * Job viii. 13. + Heb. xii. 14. Heb. xi. 1. dence, desire, and pursuit, the glorious realities of a spiritual and eternal world-our gracious and all-powerful God and Saviour, his all-prevailing merits and grace, the perfection and the bliss of his heavenly kingdom. Satisfied with a certain routine of public observances, they neglect those no less indispensable private means of grace, those high sources of consolation in the Christian lifesecret and fervent meditation and prayer. Ah! my brethren, how far short of the claims of the Gospel is this superficial piety! how inadequate to the righteous demands of our God and Saviour! how delusive as a preparation for heaven! All these considerations unite in demanding that we be transformed by the renewing of our minds; that we be sanctified in soul and body; that the lives which we live in the flesh, be lives of faith on the Son of God, in whom, though now we see him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; and that, looking supremely, not at the things which are seen and temporal, but at the things which are not seen and eternal, we earnestly and constantly press for the mark of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus. Let us not then deceive ourselves with a form of godliness while we are destitute of its power, nor draw near to God with our lips with an external, superficial service, while our hearts are far from him. 4. There are professing Christians of a different description, to whom the injunction of God to the prophet to "cry aloud, spare not," should be directed. They who place their religion in the sallies of irregular zeal, and not in the sober and uniform dispositions and virtues of the Christian spirit and character, who, instead of being occupied with their own demerit and unworthiness, and with the humble publican," smiting their breast and saying, God be merciful to me a sinner,"* indulge the censorious spirit of the self-righteous pharisee, and in the elation of spiritual pride and arrogance, say to their brother, "Stand off from me, for I am holier than thou :"+ they who, while they are loud in their professions of ardent love to God and zeal for his glory, are unmindful of the command, that "he who loveth God should love his brother also,"‡ and should uniformly display the virtues of humility, of mildness, of tenderness and benevolence. There are those who, in the fervours of an unhallowed enthusiasm, will neglect or undervalue the ministry and ordinances of Christ's church, which God has made the means of his grace and the pledges of his mercy, and yet lay claim to extraordinary inspirations of his Spirit. But God has commanded us to walk blameless in all his statutes and ordinances: he has gathered us into a church, that thus, as members of the mystical body of his Son, we may be united in the exercise of a living faith to its divine Head. The fruits of the Spirit are not pride, arrogance, censoriousness; but humility, meekness, love. It is the declaration of Christ-" Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven."§ Let us take heed therefore, if we are thus deceiving ourselves, lest, at the solemn day of account, the Almighty Saviour and Judge confound our boastful pretensions with the sentence * Luke xviii. 13. † Isa. lxv. 5. VOL. III. 19 |