branch that is to be caft into the fire (c) ? What is the conclufion to be deduced from these paffages? A conclufion fupported by many pofitive texts no lefs than by the decided tenor of holy writ; that grace received may. be loft: that grace abused will be withdrawn : that a man may fall from grace: that the most righteous man may plunge himself into everlasting damnation. Is thy name written in the book of life? Be it fo. Beware left it be blotted out (d). Be not high-minded therefore, but fear. Behold with astonishment and gratitude the goodness of God in making thee a partaker of his grace: towards thee, goodness. Goodness that fhall enfure to thee falvation? On one condition-if thou continue in his goodness: other wife, thou alfo fhalt be cut off (e).

Grieve not then the Holy Spirit of God, ye who at present stand fast in grace: provoke not your Saviour to take his holy Spirit from you. Abide in your Lord; and he will abide in you. Continue branches of the true vine; and you fhall receive abundant nurture. Perfevere in prayer: flee from temptation: abstain from all appearance of evil. Examine your life and conversation by the stan(c) John, xv. 4. 6. (d) Rev. iii. 5. (e) Rom.xi. 20. 22.

dard

dard of the gospel. Probe your heart to the bottom. Compare yourself with yourself. Learn whether you grow in grace; whether you make a vifible advance, a regular progress, in the course of Christian attainments. If you find yourself now on the fame spot, at which you had long fince arrived; where in the mean time has been your exer-. tion? Where has been your folicitude? Where your remembrance of God? Where your love for your Redeemer? Where your reverence for the Spirit of fanctification? However fair may be the bloffom, however promifing the early fruit: if that fruit, unrefponfive to, fhowers and dews and fummer-funs, advance not towards maturity; it proves itfelf to be the production of a withering branch, a branch in danger of being cut off and caft into the fire. But if it be indeed undeniable that you have ceafed to prefs forward towards the mark of your high calling in Chrift Jefus: do you flatter yourfelf with the hope that you have remained ftationary? On the abrupt and flippery afcent, which leads from earth to heaven,. do you hope that, while you have remitted your exertions to climb the fteep, you have preferved yourself from fliding backward? The lofs of the fruits of many former, many labo

Be

rious efforts, is, I fear, only one among the deprivations and disadvantages which you have to deplore. You have returned towards the world which you had forfaken. You have habituated yourself to floth and unconcern. You have supplied encouragement to your fpiritual enemies. You have manifested indifference towards the Spirit of grace. watchful then, and frengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. Remember how thou haft received, and heard: and hold fast, and repent. Remember from whence thou art fallen; and repent, and do thy first works: and I will not blot out thy name, faith thy Lord, out of the book of life (f).

(f) Rev. ii. 5. iii. 2, 3.5.

1807

SERMON VI.

On the Marks which distinguish a real Christian.

GAL. V. 24.

They that are Chrift's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lufts.

UNCERTAINTY is the characteristic of earthly purfuits. All is vague, ambiguous, insecure, transitory, unfatisfactory. The fower knows not whether harveft will reward his labours. The merchant cannot pronounce whether his veffel will return with the expected cargo. The mariner, gazing on the blue vapours of the horizon, doubts whether the object to which he directs his courfe be a mountain or a cloud. Man walketh in a vain fhadow; and difquieteth himself in vain.

Not fo with refpect to the concerns of eternity. There every thing is determinate and immutable. Heaven and hell ftand revealed before man. The rewards provided for the fervants of Chrift, the punishments in ftore for those who disregard his offers of mercy, are established for everlasting in the word of truth ; are fo clearly displayed, that he who runneth may read and understand. Their voice is gone out into all lands; and their found unto the ends of the world. Is additional illumination needed? The gospel fupplies it. To enlighten the blind, to shame the felf-deceiver; to cheer the righteous on his way; to awe the guilty into contrition; the faithful and the wicked are discriminated by marks, which ignorance cannot mistake nor craftiness elude.

In various paffages of Scripture those perfons in all countries to whom the Christian religion has been preached, for at prefent it is unneceffary to speak of heathen nations, are divided into two claffes: into thofe that are Chrift's, and those that are not Chrift's. These two bodies of men are alfo delineated under other reprefentations, which bear the fame import with the preceding defcription. Thus thofe that are Chrift's are

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