Imatges de pàgina
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They revile its doctrines, they slander its professors. This is the treatment, with which, in a greater or a less degree, real godliness has always met from an ungodly world, and with which, in a greater or a less degree, it must always meet from the world, so long as the world continues to be ungodly, and to lie in wickedness.

Ye, then, who may be suffering from the enmity of the world for conscience sake; ye who may be reviled and despised, because ye are faithfully serving the Lord Christ, be not surprised," as though some strange thing had happened unto you;" for "the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren, which are in the world."

Bear in

mind, that if you are of the true circumcision, who, as St. Paul describes them, "worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh *;" you may, indeed, have no praise of men, but you have something which infinitely surpasses all their praise, -the praise of God. God now sees and approves you, and hereafter will appear in your favour. He may suffer you for a season to endure reproach, but in due time He will roll it all away, and will cause your righteousness to shine forth as the sun. Let it be now your care to persevere unto the end, and to approve your heart before God. * Philip. iii. 3.

Preferring His praise to that of men, seeking the honour which cometh from Him only, walk humbly and uprightly in His sight. Seek to grow in faith and in holiness. Aim to be more simply dependent on the merits and promises of Jesus Christ. Look more stedfastly to His fulness for a supply of all your wants. Be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.

Confess

Him with your lips and in your lives before the world. And in that day, when He shall come in glory to make up his jewels, "to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe," He will confess you before His holy angels, and before His Father, which is in Heaven.

But on the other hand, what in that day will be the state of those, who shall be found guilty of having despised and rejected the remedy provided for them in the Gospel; of those, who still remaining uncircumcised in heart, have always resisted the Holy Ghost, and notwithstanding their pretensions and privileges, as Children of the Kingdom now, shall then be found to have neither lot nor portion among the true Israel of God:- of those, who have been Christians in nothing but in name; who partaking of the outward sign of the covenant, have been destitute of the inward grace; who have been baptized with water, but not baptized with the Holy

Ghost; who have eaten of the sacramental bread, but have not fed on Christ in their hearts by faith with thanksgiving :-of those, who, consulting only their own corrupt and carnal inclinations, have framed to themselves a religion suited to their own taste and pride, and prejudices, and have called it Christianity; a religion which consists in the shadow without the substance, in the body without the spirit, in the form without the power of godliness; which substitutes ceremonial observances, and outward distinctions, in the place of vital faith, and practical godliness; a religion, which allows its followers to be selfish, and worldly and covetous, to be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, to serve Belial in conjunction with Christ, to honour the creature more than the Creator, to fear man rather than God.- What, I ask, in that day, will be the state of these nominal, external, unsanctified Christians? Where will be their meetness for standing before Christ? Will He own them for his people? Will He see in them the travail of his soul and be satisfied? Will He recognize in them his image, his likeness? Will He say to them, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you?" My brethren, need I to answer these questions? Have you not already answered them yourselves? Does

not your own reason tell you, that such per sons are not true Christians: that whatever they may now think, or say, however they may now boast of their privileges, and may plume themselves upon their fancied distinctions, they will then be treated as workers of iniquity, as enemies of Christ, as despisers of the covenant of Grace; and will be cast into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth?

And while reason tells you these things, what does conscience say? Does it convict you of being in the state of which I speak? Does it secretly say to any one here present, "Thou art the man:"Thou art the person, who hast the form of godliness, but art without the power of it; who professest to know God, but in works deniest Him ; who callest thyself a Christian, but hast no • real interest in Christ; who trustest in thy privileges, but art an enemy to all serious godliness? If there be one, whose conscience speaks thus to him, let me earnestly say to him, Consider your ways. Consider them before it is too late; while yet there is time for repentance; while yet a door of mercy is open. Renounce your wisdom. Mortify your pride. Come as a little child to Christ, and pray to be baptized with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Pray that you may become a new creature, a worshipper of

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God in spirit and in truth. Pray that his kingdom may be set up in your heart; and that being enlightened, converted, and sanctified by his Spirit, you may walk with Him in newness of life.

Do you slight this counsel? Are you offended with this friendly admonition? Wise in your own conceits, are you too proud to be taught? Puffed up with fleshly wisdom, will you still boast of your privileges, and say, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we ?" Is this the case? Then will I conclude with. solemnly addressing you in the words of the prophet, "Lo, thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in thee."

* Jeremiah, viii. 9.

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