in some inconsistent church member, have, by a more pure and lovely manifestation of it, been charmed into admiration, affection, and imitation.

Hence, then, a professor, go where he may, do what he may, and transact with whom he may, is sending out an influence for or against true piety. In his intercourse with men of business, in his conferences with his fellow-townsmen, in his conduct in the social party, in his behaviour to his servants, in his spirit in the pursuits of commerce, and in his temper towards his friends, strangers, or enemies, he is acting out his principles, or opposing them; sustaining or abandoning his character; walking worthy or unworthy of his calling; and raising or sinking the credit of true religion. He is adding to the attractions of the cross, or to its accidental repulsions; is gathering out the stones from the way that leads to it, or making its avenues more difficult. His influence never ceases, and is never confined. He is not, cannot be neutral. Whatever road he takes, whether that of consistency or inconsistency, he must, to a certain extent, draw others with him. His, if he perish, will not be the privilege of perishing alone; nor will it be his lament, if he be saved, that he has had no influence in saving others. Through all time he is exerting influence, and through all eternity he will be calculating its results; it goes forth from him unseen on earth, to be collected in enduring forms of happiness in heaven, or of torment in hell. Professors! never in any place, nor in any company, nor for one hour, forget your influence!!

CHAPTER XII.

CONDUCT OF PROFESSORS TOWARDS UNCONVERTED

RELATIVES.

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"I WILL take you, one of a city and two of a family, and bring you to Zion."--Jer. iii. 14. So spake God to the Jews. One shall be taken and the other left." So spake Jesus to his disciples: and we see both sayings continually verified in the history of the Christian church, and the experience of the Lord's people. How rarely does it happen that a whole family are believers; how commonly is it the case that one or two are called, and the rest left. God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy. Consequently most Christians are placed in near connexion with some who are yet in an unregenerate state, which, of course, greatly increases the difficulty of maintaining a profession with consistency, and yet at the same time increases the obligation to do so. It would be much easier to carry on our religious duties, surrounded by those who would uphold and encourage us by their example, their prayers, their smiles, and their counsel; but, generally speaking, we are called to maintain our principles amidst those by whom they are opposed. Some have unconverted husbands, others wives; some have irreligious children, others parents; some have ungodly brothers, others sisters; some have wicked masters, others servants.

FIRST.-I shall state some general duties, which belong to all alike.

Persons thus situated should be deeply impressed with the conviction that they are placed in circumstances of difficulty, delicacy, and danger, which will require great caution, circumspection, and prudence. You have a most arduous part to act, so as not to lose your own piety on the one hand, nor unnecessarily to disgust your friends with it on the other. You need a "spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and of might, of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, that you may be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord." Not only would every thing sinful do much harm, but every thing impru dent. A want of judgment would be mischievous, as well as a want of integrity. A good action out of season, or out of place, or done in a wrong manner, would be attended with consequences almost as injurious as a bad one. To combine a due regard to our own consistency, with a spirit of prudence towards the prejudices of others, is a most rare accomplishment. Not to allow our firmness to assume the character of obstinacy or uncommanded scrupulosity in one extreme, nor our caution to degenerate into cowardice or compromise in the other, requires no ordinary measure of grace; but God has promised to make his grace sufficient, even for this. The confidence of faith, united with fervent prayer, and the spirit of dependance, will bring to you from above the necessary assistance.

It is of the last importance that you should see and feel your need of unbending firmness in all things required by God. In matters of absolute indifference, or of mere taste and feeling, you should be pliant as an osier, but in matters of principle, inflexible as an oak. It will be the great object of

your unconverted relatives, to subdue your constancy, and to induce you to change your course; and they will seek to accomplish this object, not by asking you to throw off your profession all at once, but by tempting you from time to time, to engage in practices inconsistent with it. They will insinuate that you are unnecessarily rigid, even when tried by your own standard; they will point to some worldly-minded, inconsistent member of your own church, who ventures, without scruple, upon what you refuse to do; they will assure you that it is but that once, or in that one thing, that they ask a concession; they will sometimes affectionately entreat, at others angrily demand; they will ridicule or threaten, as they think they are most likely to succeed; they will promise to conform to some of your religious practices, if you will only conform to some of theirs, to which you object. Against all these attempts to bend your purpose, or shake your constancy, or destroy your consistency, you must be fortified by a holy resoluteness of purpose, and a simple dependance on Divine grace. None of these things move me," must be your determination. One concession would only lead to another, till all is relinquished which your profession implies. A calm, determined firmness at first, will save you from much annoyance and perplexity.

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This unyielding firmness, in reference to what you deem to be your duty, must be maintained, at the same time, with much sweetness of temper, and amiableness of disposition. It must be the inflexibility of principle, sustained by the gentleness of love. A professor who has to hold fast his religion, in opposition to his nearest friends, should be the very model of meekness, kindness, and courtesy in every thing else; this will convince them that

his constancy is the dictate of a tender conscience, and not the caprice of a pugnacious disposition.

There should be the most entire and unvarying consistency, and an untiring perseverance. Take care that there is nothing which may justly lead to a doubt of your sincerity, or that would fasten upon you the charge, or even the suspicion of hypocrisy. This would create inexpressible disgust. The spectators of your conduct must be the vouchers for your sincerity, and be compelled to testify, that you are, at any rate, self-consistent. Their eyes are ever upon you, with a predisposition to criminate you, in matters of obvious, or even doubtful wrong. They try you by your profession; and by what other standard should they try you? I would enforce upon your special attention the consideration, that your religion must not be, nor appear to be, an abstract thing, a habit distinct and separable from your social character, but that which is a part of it, binding all into unity, symmetry, and beauty. It must not float by itself upon the surface, like oil on water, refusing to blend, but must be held in solution, like sugar in the cup, sweetening the whole. You must let it make you conscientious in common things, as well as devotional in sacred ones; you must not only be more righteous than your neighbour, but more meek, gentle, kind, and just. You must not only be fitted, by your piety, for communion with the members of the church, but by your social excellence for intercourse with the members of the family. Any want of consistency, will sharpen the stings and increase the venom with which your unconverted friends will annoy you; while an opposite line of conduct will, in many cases, put an end to hostility, even where it does not conciliate regard.

It is also of great consequence, that you should