"his faints: Let Ifrael rejoice in him that made " and redeemed him; let the children of Zion "be joyful in their King."-Thefe reflections are just and natural: but as I must not stay to enlarge upon all the ufes that might be made of this fubject, I fhall at prefent confine myself to what appears most important and feafonable; namely, a few advices to Chriftians in general, and more especially to those who have newly entered upon a religious course.-And,

ift, I would forewarn you of the oppofition you are likely to meet with in your way heavenward. You have begun a warfare; and "every "battle of the warrior is with confufed noise, "and garments rolled in blood." Corruption will, no doubt, affail you from within; but I am to warn you of danger from another quarter. We read, that when Jefus was born, "Herod "the King was troubled, and all Jerufalem with "him." In like manner, when Chrift is formed in any heart, all hell is in an uproar, and the malignant brood of the old ferpent upon earth will not fail to spit out their venom against that perfon as lavishly, as they can. The wicked among whom you live will mock and ridicule you; and it is probable that your former companions in fin will taunt you with paft and pardoned faults (for pardoned they are if you have come to Chrift), and will exert their utmost ftrength and cunning to mar your confidence, if they cannot carry you back into the fame excefs of riot with themfelves: nay, with hellish fpite, they may even forge lies to blacken your character, that they may not feem to have fuffered any

lofs

lofs by your revolt from their party. All this you have reafon to expect; and I fpeak of it beforehand, that when it happens, you may not be surprised or difcouraged, as though fome ftrange and unusual thing had befallen you. It is, and always hath been, the lot of God's children; and when you fuffer in this manner, you have the honour to fuffer in the beft of caufes, and with the beft of company. "Marvel not,

my brethren, if the world hate you;" it hated your Lord before it hated you, and the fervant is not greater than his master. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, and because Chrift hath called you out of the world, upon thefe accounts the world hateth you. Rejoice, "therefore, and be exceeding glad; for great is CC your reward in heaven."

2dly, Maintain a conftant fenfe of your own weaknefs. Remember that caution of the Apoftle, "Be not high-minded, but fear." You can only work to purpofe when you work upon a prefent ftrength: the grace you receive to-day will need a fresh fupply of grace to revive and actuate it to-morrow; for Chrift always difpenfeth his peculiar gifts in fuch a way, as to remind his people of their conftant dependence upon him, and to render them diligent in the use of all the means he hath appointed for promoting the divine life in their fouls.-At the fame time,

3dly, Think honourably of your Lord, in whofe fervice you are engaged. Believe it, whatever Satan may fuggeft to the contrary, that his heart is kind, and his hand liberal. It is of the

highest

highest importance to have just conceptions of Christ, and to know what mercy and ftrength are laid up for us in him. Look not so much to your enemies, as to the Captain of your falvation: fet his promifes against their threatening, his omnipotent grace against their impotent malice. Be ye therefore bold and very courageous; victory is infured to you; it is already fown in that new nature you have got; and ere long the Prince of Peace, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, shall bruife Satan underneath your feet, and put that triumphant feng into your mouths, "Now "is come falvation, and ftrength, and the king"dom of our God, and the power of his Christ; "for the accufer of our brethren is caft down, "which accufed them before our God day and night."

4thly, Remember, that all this fufficient grace is only to be obtained by prayer and fupplication: "For this," faith God, "will I be inquired "of by the houfe of Ifrael to do it for them." Paul, you fee, befought the Lord thrice before he received the answer in my text. Prayer keeps the communication open between the head and the members; it is the meffenger that goes from earth to heaven, and returns with all neceffary bleffings from thence. Beware, then, of neglecting this neceffary duty. Pray in faith,-pray in the name of Chrift,-pray without ceafing, and beg of Chrift to teach you to pray aright, that you may ask and receive, and then your joy fhall

be full.

Now, brethren, I commend you to God, "and "to the word of his grace, which is able to

"build you up, and to give you an inheritance. among all them which are fanctified." And to him who is able to keep us from falling, whofe grace is fufficient for all his people, at all times, and in all circumstances, to the only wife God, and our Saviour, be glory and honour, dominion and power, for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON

1

SERMON

X.

1 THESSALONIANS ii. 4.

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even fo we speak not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

WHEN we compare ourselves with the pri

mitive Chriftians, we are obliged to confess that, in every respect, we fall greatly fhort of their attainments. We feem to be creatures of a lower rank, incapable of reaching the fame degree of perfection with them: And indeed it is to be fufpected, that through a falfe and vicious modefty, we look upon thefe ancient worthies as examples which, though we ought to imitate, we can never hope to equal. Hence we rest fatisfied with any diftant refemblance we can attain, thinking that if we are not altogether unlike to them, it is all that a modern Chriftian can expect.

This is a grofs and most pernicious mistake, The gate of heaven is no wider now than it was feventeen hundred years ago. The law of God extends as far as it did when the Apostles lived; and I know of no indulgence granted to us which did not exift in the earliest times of Chriftianity. The church of Rome indeed hath taught, that fome eminent Chriftians have done more than was ftrictly neceffary for their own falva