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is there that they quarrel with more bitterly than with his word? In fine, how can we expect to please any number of our fellow-creatures, when we cannot even please ourselves constantly? And for the truth of this, I appeal to your own experience. You must be singular indeed, if you never fall out with yourselves; I mean singularly inattentive (to give it no harsher name), for with the best, 1 am sure, there is too often just cause for it. If then we are not able to preserve our own esteem, at all times, how can we expect to preserve the approbation of ⚫ other men?

And now what is your judgment upon the whole?. Is not man-pleasing both a mean and fruitless attempt? Is it wise to have for your aim a thing so disquieting, and so very precarious? Is it not by far the wiser course. to seek the approbation of God, who trieth your hearts, whom you please most effectually when you pursue your own best interest? He is not variable in his affections, like

Whom he loves he loves unto the end." Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from his love, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."..

Let me then address you in the words of this same apostle on another occasion, "Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the servants of men." Remember what our Lord said to his disciples while he was on earth, "One is your Master, even Christ." To him you owe all your homage: him only you are bound to please. And is not his favour a sufficient portion? Did he suffer, and bleed, and die, that your hearts might be his, and will you refuse him that which he hath so dearly bought? Where can you find a better Master, or one that you can be so certain of pleasing, if you apply yourselves to it? He requires no contradictory or impracticable services. He hath left you in no uncertainty about your duty. You need not say, "Wherewith shall we come before the

Lord ?" He hath "shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what he requires of you," even in his written word, which he hath given to be "a lamp to your feet, and a light unto your paths." He makes also the most gracious allowances for your infirmities. The willing mind is accepted by him; and although through weakness you fall short of your own good purposes, yet he will say to you as he did to David, when he purposed to build him an house, "It was well that it was in thine heart."

Who then would not apply himself to gain the approbation of such a Master? This aim, well established, would be a constant principle of holy obedience, and make us to abound in all those fruits of righteousness, which are through Christ to the praise and glory of God. Let this henceforth then be our sole ambition, to approve ourselves to him, by whose sentence our final condition must be determined. And let it be our constant request at the throne of grace, that God, by his almighty Spirit, may exalt our souls above every mean and sordid view, and enable us always so to speak and act, "not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts."-Then the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus: and amidst all the changing scenes of life, we shall have this for our rejoicing, even the testimony of a good conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.

SERMON II.

ACTS xi. 23.

And exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

Ir is not easy to conceive a more complete or amiable

character than that which is given of Barnabas in the following verse: "He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." And as a good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things; so this faithful minister of Christ, who had been sent by the church in Jerusalem, to visit the new converts at Antioch, having seen those real effects of the grace of God among them, of which he had formerly heard the agree able report, was filled with joy; and, like a true “son of consolation," which his name signifies, he " exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord."-My design in discoursing from these words, is,

1st, To explain the exhortation contained in them; 2dly, To enforce it by some motives and arguments. And, 3dly, To offer some directions, which, through the blessing of God, may be useful to those who are desirous of complying with it.

I BEGIN with explaining the exhortation contained in the text. And,

1st, It is obvious that it supposeth those to whom it is

directed, to be already entered upon a religious course of life. Barnabas addressed his discourse to persons who were real converts to Christianity. It appears from the 21st and 22d verses, that the tidings which had come to Jerusalem concerning them, expressly affirmed, that "a great number had believed and turned unto the Lord;" and Barnabas, soon after his arrival at Antioch, received full conviction that this report was true: for he "saw the grace of God and was glad." The form of his exhortation indeed sufficiently distinguisheth the character of those to whom it was addressed; for such as had never been joined to the Lord could not, with any propriety, be exhorted to cleave or to adhere to him. And as this exhortation, when addressed to us, supposeth that we have already chosen the ways of God: so it implies also, that our choice is the fruit of mature and solid consideration. "This purpose of heart," with which we are to "cleave unto the Lord," is not a blind and obstinate bigotry, which pusheth men headlong in a way which they know not. Persons of this character may have a fair shew in the time of prosperity, but when they are brought to the trial of adversity, they will relinquish against reason what they began without it, and will turn as violent in opposing religion, as ever they seemed zealous in promoting it.

In the

2d place, The exhortation in my text requires the habitual exercise of all the graces of the Christian life; the constant performance of every commanded duty. It is not enough that we draw near to the Lord on some stated occasions, or have some transient flashes of devotion, like the Israelites of old, concerning whom it is said, (Hosea vi. 4.) that their goodness, like "the morning cloud and early dew," appeared for a little, and then "vanished" away. We must cleave to the Lord at all times; devotion must be the prevailing temper of our minds; and our habitual practice must correspond to it. It must he our fixed design, and sincere resolution, to keep all

God's commandments, at all times, and in all places and circumstances.

Some there are who lay down resolutions for the performance of certain duties, with a designed exception of others: Or perhaps they purpose to perform all the branches of duty for a particular season, with a secret reserve, that when that time shall be elapsed, they will then return to their former course of life. But all such resolutions are an abomination to God, as being hypocritical and insincere; and plainly shew that the first step in religion is not yet taken. For at the least, it is essential to the character of a true Christian, that there be a fixed and peremptory design to adhere to all duty, at all times. Grievous failures and sins there may be, even where there are such honest and upright purposes; but if these are wanting, our profession of religion must be altogether vain. In the

3d place, The exhortation in my text requires, that we make an open and honest profession of our adherence to the Lord.—And I mention this, not only because of the importance of the thing itself, but also on account of the shameful and pernicious failure even of some good people in this matter. Instead of confessing Christ boldly before men, they take as wide steps as their conscience will allow them, to speak the language, and to act the manners of a corrupt generation, from the dread of appearing singular, or of incurring the charge of ostentation or hypocrisy. But this method of concealing, or rather indeed of giving away part of our religion, to se~ cure the reputation of the rest, is neither honest nor wise. Honest it cannot be; for it is just as fraudulent to impose upon men, by seeming worse than we are, as by seeming better: And surely it is not wise; for if we resolve to have the appearance of no more religion than corrupt minds will allow to be sincere, I am afraid we must give it up altogether, and preserve the opinion of our honesty, by appearing to have no religion at all. Hy

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