will curse each other with bitterness; and rejoice in each other's calamity.

But Christianity plants benevolent principles in the heart of man; and is calculated to unite all the nations of the earth. When we open our souls to receive its healing influences, we become new men; our love is stretched out to every human being, and we rejoice in the happiness of every child of man. Other religions, as they are called, divide and separate men from each other, and destroy the peace and harmony of the great human family.

Influenced by truly Christian principles and feelings, the first Christians felt great joy when they heard of the conversion of Gentile idolaters. No man of sober reflection will venture to say that all the ancient Gentile nations must have been damned if they had not been converted to Christianity; but it may be affirmed, that their state was awfully dangerous, and deplorably wretched and miserable; and that the nations which are now in similar circumstances, are miserable in this world, and are in danger of eternal misery. Allowing this, it will follow, that Christians will ever feel great joy and gladness when those aliens are brought into a safe and happy state; and also because Jesus, whom they love, is honoured, and God, whom they adore, is glorified. But are we converted to God? Are we new creatures? Do we live by the faith of the Son of God? Are we walking humbly with our God? Let us examine ourselves; and let us live and die unto the Lord. Amen.

SERMON LXXXVI.

WE SHOULD BE DECIDED IN RELIGION.

How long hall ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. 1 KINGS Xviii, 21.

Ir is a matter of vital importance to be decided in religious opinions and practices. While we remain in doubt, and waver in our minds, we are utter strangers to settled peace and solid happiness.

In the days of Elijah the prophet, there were many in Israel who were decided worshippers of Baal; while others who were undecided, neither worshipped that idol nor Jehovah. They halted between two opinions; but the prophet required them to decide either for the one or for the other.

Let us examine these two opinions; point out the causes why men halt between these wide extremes; and show the necessity of a speedy decision to follow the Lord our God.

I. EXAMINE THESE TWO OPINIONS.

The first opinion, which allows that the Lord is God, and that he should be followed, is correct. But who is the Lord that we should

obey his voice? He is that self-existent Being who made all things; and who preserves all things by the word of his power. This is finely expressed in a prayer of Nehemiah: "Thou, even thou, art Lord alone: thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee." Ch. ix, 6. And is it not right for us, who dwell in the dust, to follow him?

The conduct of the Lord to the house of Israel, affords incontestable proofs of his eternal power and Godhead. Witness their preservation in Egypt; their miraculous deliverance from that house of bondage; their preservation in the wilderness; their passage through the river Jordan; their conquests in Canaan; and their final settlement in the land of promise. Surely they should have said, THE LORD, HE IS GOD, and we will follow him.

The second opinion, which makes Baal God and Lord, is extremely absurd; and to follow him in idolatrous acts of worship, was the height of human folly. Baal signifies a lord, a master, or a husband. The word might be applied, originally, to the Supreme Ruler; but it was afterwards applied to the sun, or to the solar fire, which was worshipped by many nations in the east.

But what is the sun? He is great and glorious; but he was created by the Lord God omnipotent. He has no life, no intelligence, no mind; and all his power and influence, in the solar system, was given to him by the Maker of all things. He had a beginning, and he will have an end. And what man, who is guided by the unbiassed dictates of reason, would bow down to such a god?

II. THE CAUSES WHY MEN HALT BETWEEN THESE TWO WIDE EXTREMES. The following causes operated powerfully in the hearts of many in the Jewish church, when the prophet demanded a reason why they halted between these two opinions; and if we examine their state with care, we may be able to discover the reasons why we hesitate to follow the Lord.

They were surrounded by idolatrous nations; and many wished to be like their neighbours. This is the case with all who trim between God and the world. The Holy Spirit strives with them, the Ministers of Jesus warn them, and conscience condemns them; but a desire to avoid singularity, and to be like other men, prevents a decided choice of God and religion. But we must renounce all the vanities of the world, before we can receive the Lord as our God, and follow him in the path of duty.

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Many were deceived, in the Jewish church, by men who made their boast of reason and philosophy. Those cunning agents of the devil knew the fallacy of their own arguments in defence of idol-worship; but truth had no weight when it came in contact with their honour. have a similar class of men in our day, whose subtle reasonings excite doubt and hesitation on the subject of religion. Such men as Hobbes, Tindal, Morgan, Voltaire, and Hume, have ruined many unwary and undecided characters.

But the Jews who were led astray by idolatry, neglected the holy

Scriptures; for if they had consulted those sacred writings with obedient hearts, they could not have halted between these two opinions. And may we not attribute the indecision of multitudes in the Christian world to the same cause? They admire reason, but do not bow down to the high authority of Divine Revelation; and while this is the case, they will never decide to follow the Lord.

The Jews, in their undecided state, were under the predominating influence of that natural depravity which is the parent of every vice. And why are we undecided? Have we not an "evil heart of unbelief?" We are awakened; we are alarmed; we resolve; but, after all, we give way to the workings of a corrupt and unsanctified heart; and our goodness is as "the morning cloud, and as the early dew, which goeth away," and leaveth no trace behind.

We may add, that the hesitating Jews were under the influence of the devil. In those days he ruled in the hearts of the disobedient; and he is "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." Eph. ii, 2. When we halt between these two opinions, let us think this is a temptation of the wicked one; and let us, in the strength of the Lord, resist the devil that he may flee from us. By grace we may conquer him, and acquire firmness and stability of mind in the service of the Lord.

III. THE NECESSITY OF A SPEEDY DECISION TO FOLLOW THE LORD OUR GOD.

Indecision in religion, when men have sufficient light to decide, is offensive to God. It proves a want of faith in his Word; a want of love to his cause; and a want of that deference which is due to religion. We cannot excuse our folly by pleading ignorance: Divine light shines round us with great splendour; let us open our eyes that we may see. God speaks to us by his Word and Ministers; let us open our ears that we may hear. But while we shut our eyes, that we may not see, and stop our ears, that we may not hear, we offend our Maker and our Judge. While we are undecided for God and religion, we cannot be happy. Doubt, suspense, and irresolution, are the parents of uneasy and tormenting feelings; and while we remain under the influence of these unhappy dispositions, we neither enjoy the blessings of life, nor the pleasures of religion. Now we resolve to follow the Lord, and then we resolve to follow Baal; and thus we are tossed on the waves of uncertainty, and never find a resting-place. And shall we ever live at this poor dying rate? Shall we never be wise unto salvation?

An undecided temper, either in civil or religious affairs, injures a man's character. Who can place any confidence in such a man? Who can esteem and love him? Who can make him a friend? He is not fit for any place of public trust. There is no dependance to be placed upon him, where firmness and stability are necessary, because he changes like the wind. And shall we indulge this temper in the infinitely important affairs of religion? Then bid adieu to happiness and hope; for these blessings flee from men of an undecided character.

We cannot be useful in the world, while we are undecided in our own minds; for when we halt between two opinions, there is no spring of useful action in the soul. We think of doing good, but when we

are about to enter on a good work we hesitate and draw back. May we now come to a firm and fixed state of mind, that we may be "steadfast, unmoveable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord!" 1 Cor. xv, 58. We have great works before us; let us make up our minds to do them, and under all the difficulties which press upon us, may we be as firm as the anvil to the stroke! When the mind is determined, we shall pursue the path of usefulness with success; and then our lives will not pass away in faint and feeble resolutions.

That we may be aroused from our lethargy, let us seriously reflect that time is on the wing; and that all our opportunities of following the Lord in the way of holiness, will quickly pass away. It is no excuse to say we are unresolved what to do; for irresolution is a sin of which we should repent before the Lord. Much of our life has passed away in this careless indifferency; and shall we never bring things to a point? Shall we remain unresolved till death put an end to our probationary state? It is high time to give our hearts to God. It is high time to be up and doing. If we remain as we are, we must perish; if we fail in our efforts to follow the Lord, we can but perish. Let us follow the example of the four lepers at the gate of Samaria. "They said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die." 2 Kings vii, 3, 4. This decision saved them from death; and if we decide for the Lord, we shall live for ever.

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We are just on the border of eternity. There the state of every man will be fixed and unalterable. Therefore, "whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might: for there is no work, nor device, nor knowJedge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Eccles. ix, 10. What fools and madmen we are, with that awful state before us, to be undecided for the Lord. The grave, whither we go, cannot hide us from his view. We must appear before him; but how shall we appear? What account shall we give of ourselves? Shall we say, we were almost persuaded to serve the Lord? And will that be a sufficient excuse? Why were we not altogether persuaded? Was it a want of light? Was it a want of strength? Let conscience speak; and let us judge ourselves, before we are judged of the Lord.

Indecision produces procrastination. Felix trembled when Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come; but he said, in the true spirit of procrastination, "when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." Acts xxiv, 25. The man who trims between God and the world, says, I will, to-morrow. But "boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Prov. xxvii, 1. He who neglects the present call, may never have another; and he who will not turn to God in this accepted time, may lose the blessing of salvation. The past moment is gone for for ever, and the next may not be ours; this moment only can be seized as our own. We set a bad example to all around us by this unhappy temper. Can we expect our children, or our servants, our relations, or our friends,

to be decided for the Lord, while we hesitate whether we should follow Him or Baal? What a fine example was Joshua to the children of Israel! He directed them to choose whom they would serve; but said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Josh. xxxiv, 15. Religion, or following the Lord, requires the whole heart. It has Deen said, that we cannot make advances in piety and true holiness until we are fully decided; but we may affirm, that no man can enter on this course till he is fixed and resolved. How can he renounce the world, while he halts between two opinions? How can he give up his sins? How can he choose the Lord for his God? And how can he enter on a religious course, while he loves the world, lives in sin, and is not determined that the Lord shall be his God.

It is said of Reuben, "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel." Gen. xlix, 4. The same thing may be said of every fickle, changeable, and unstable man in the world. He cannot excel either in literature, commerce, or religion. We should excel in religious knowledge, experience, and practice; for if we do not attain the excellency of piety and virtue, we shall be mean and contemptible for ever. But by steadfastness of soul in the things of God, we shall surmount every difficulty, pass through every danger, and rise to the highest excellency.

But are we decided? Have we said, "The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey?" Josh. xxiv, 24. This is a happy choice. Let us not waver. The world may present its alluring charms to our view, and the devil may tempt us; but say to both, "Tempt as ye will, my soul repels; to Christ alone resolved to live." Ancient idolaters followed Baal; wicked men follow sin and Satan. Both experience the same results. The followers of Baal perished, and the enemies of God will perish; but all that love him shall be " as the sun when he goeth forth in his might." Judges v, 13. Amen.

SERMON LXXXVII.

THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ISAIAH ix, 6.

THE character of Christ is clearly stated in the holy Scriptures; and Christians of every name should carefully examine those sacred records. They are called by his name; they hope in him for salvation; and they should be able to give a reason of that hope with meekness and fear. Our text is an ancient prediction of Christ's nativity, and a comprehensive outline of his glorious character, both in his humanity and in his