cordially enlarge their views to the extent of their duty, to the unequivocal import of the vows which are upon them, cease not to labour from houfe to houfe; and privately to imprefs on each individual, as prudence and opportunity may allow, the injunction, the warning, or the encouragement, of which he more efpecially ftands in need. Thus, to all throughout the Christian world is the Gofpel of falvation fent. How is it received? As it was among the Jews at Rome: Some believe the things which are spoken; and fome believe them not. If there be any difference between the two cafes, it is this, Among the Jewish nation, collectively confidered, there was, on the one hand, more open unbelief; and, on the other, more fincerity in Chriftian profeffion, than exifts at prefent. They who did not believe that Jefus Chrift came from God, feeling no worldly motive to induce them to diffemble their unbelief, avowed it, and acted upon it. They who were convinced of the truth of the Gofpel, and embraced the Chriftian faith, having no worldly motive to lead them to profefs a religion which was every where spoken against and perfecuted, ufually became Chriftians under the influence influence of decided piety. But in thefe days, when to be a declared unbeliever, is commonly regarded as difgraceful; there are to be found within the pale of the Chriftian church many perfons who have no ftedfaft belief in the Gofpel. And as in thefe more mild and enlightened countries, no danger hangs over the head of any man in confequence of his being outwardly a difciple of Chrift; there is feen, among profeffed Chriftians a far greater proportion of the carelefs and the lukewarm than was to be difcerned by the Apostles among their converts. Now let it be always and ftedfastly remembered, that the Scriptures univerfally reprefent as unbelievers not only thofe whofe blindness and impiety treat the Chriftian revelation as a falfehood, as a cunningly devifed fable, as an invention of men: but thofe alfo who hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs; thofe who believe abftractedly, but not practically; those who believe, and do not obey; those who believe with the understanding, but believe not with the heart unto juftification*. `A dead faith is no faith. It has no claim through Chrift to the rewards of faith. It may become even more finful and danRom. i. 18.- -X. IO. gerous unbelief. To fin against gerous than open knowledge may be, under poffible circumftances, more flagitious than to offend through wilful ignorance. Not to believe in Chrift may fometimes be owing chiefly to guilty unconcern. To believe that he came from God, and defpife his commandments, must be, in the language of the Pfalmift, the great offence, must be presumptuous fin. Why are the Gentiles pronounced to have been Atheists, without God in the world? Because though they knew God, they glorified him not as God. He may be the worft of Atheifts, who acknowledges that there is a God, and will not obey him, He who outwardly confeffes Chrift, and practically denies Him, may be the worst of unbelievers. Confider the characteristic features of the two claffes, into which the multitudes to whom the Gofpel is now preached are di-, vided. Some believe the things which are fpoken, and fome believe them not. I. Advert primarily to those who believe, When you caft your eyes upon the mafs of profeffed Chriftians, you obferve among them a fet of men manifeftly feparated and * Eph. ii. 12. Αθώοι εν τω κόσμω. diftin diftinguished from the crowd. You fee them separated from the pollutions by which they are furrounded; and diftinguished by views and principles different from those which govern the world that lieth in wickednefs. Thefe are they which believe. Approach them more nearly, and examine them clofely. Infpect their conduct; contemplate their objects; investi gate their motives. What is the refult of your obfervation and inquiry? You perceive these perfons more affiduous than others in frequenting public worship; not like others, glad to catch at excufes, and to fabricate pretences for being abfent; but contriving leisure, and fubmitting to worldly inconvenience, and even lofs, that their attendance on the Houfe of God may not be interrupted. You perceive them fcrupulously regular in presenting themselves at the facramental table. You perceive them dedicating those parts of the fabbath, which are unoccupied by publie devotion, not to idleness, not to trifles, not to the adjustment of domestic concerns, but to pious meditation, to religious reading, to edifying discourse, to works of mercy; not paring off corners and pilfering away fragments for fecular employments; not fluctu ating with an internal ftruggle between confcience and Mammon; not weary and impatient like the Jews, who turned again and again their eyes to the dial, and exclaimed, "When will the Sabbath be gone, "that we may fet forth wheat* ?" not shortening the morning by ftudied laziness; not purloining the afternoon for feftivities of the table; nor, under the scanty semblance of devotion, proftituting the evening to mufical recreation;) but faithfully conceding the whole period of facred reft to fuch occu pations as befit the day which God has hallowed unto himself; fuch occupations as comport with a special preparation for eternity; fuch occupations as are confiftent with the tranquillity, leifure, and edification of their households; fuch occupations as are adapted to caufe the day to be a bleffing to their fouls. In the midft of this their Christian strictnefs, you behold no oftentation, no fuperftition, no fournefs, no gloom. You fee fomething in their manner and deportment which fhews that this fervice is not a matter of form, but that it comes from the heart: that the man does not render it by conftraint, but that he would be unhappy if he did not * Amos, viii. 5. render |