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bear; they are fearful of entering upon any truly religious conversation, or of manifesting any particular regard for divine things; only lest by incurring the suspicion of enthusiasm, they should suffer shame for Jesus' sake. All these holy and appropriate duties are most undeniably and very generally neglected by nominal Christians.

Thirdly I proceed to remark, that there prevails, even in the church of Christ, an almost universal indifference to his righteous cause. It is the purpose of our gracious Lord, that his name should be known, and that his church should be established, in every part of the earth. And for the fulfilment of this purpose, he calls upon all his people to contribute their assistance, some in one way and some in another, in proportion to the ability they possess and the opportunities afforded them. To this great end, the prayers, the study, and the labour of Christians, are to be constantly directed: and nothing is to be esteemed of consequence compared with this grand design. But, alas! most men care for their own things, and not for the things of Christ. If his cause prevail in the world, it

excites in them no extraordinary joy; if it decline, they express no regret. Like the Laodiceans of old, they have arrived at a state of the most perfect indifference on this subject or rather like the inflexible Gallio, they care for none of these things.

On these grounds, my brethren, there is but too much reason to question the sincerity of your christian profession-the deplorable ignorance to be found among you respecting the gospel dispensation—your shameful neglect of christian duties—and your manifest indifference to the christian

cause.

Now the disciple can aspire to no higher honour than that of becoming like his Lord. And hence the extraordinary anxiety, so manifest among the pupils of the ancient masters, to form themselves upon the model of their respective teachers; adopting their customs and emulating their virtues, submitting to their control, and making it their principal boast to be numbered among their scholars. But how far may we look among the nominal disciples of Christ, without discovering a single individual of this character! How few who bear the christian name

are disposed to learn humility and meekness of their reputed Master! How small a minority of these are observed to take his yoke upon them, to submit to his authority, and to glory in his cross! And if haply there appear at any time among us a few of this character, are they not rather pointed out as proper subjects of ridicule than held up as examples worthy of our imitation ?

It will be in vain here to plead, that you pretend not to any high degrees of sanctity and devotion: since, by adopting such a plea, you would convict yourselves of the most odious dissimulation and hypocrisy. Have you not been baptized in the name of Christ? And have you not, after the lapse of a considerable interval, and in the most public manner, confirmed the vows you then made? Do you not, occasionally at least, mix in our sacred assemblies? And, while you are here, do you not take a part in some of the most spiritual and fervent supplications that were ever presented to Almighty God? Nay, have you not sometimes introduced new members to our church; and even taken upon you to act as their surety? And, in addition to all this, have you not some

times been found kneeling at our holy altar, expressing the most heart-felt sorrow for sin, offering up the most earnest petitions for future grace, and publicly declaring yourselves the sincere worshippers and devoted servants of the Lord Jesus Christ? Tell me then, brethren, I beseech you, have you really meant nothing at all by all these sacred ceremonies? Was there no truth in your solemn declarations? no meaning in your prayers? no gratitude in your praises? no mixture of sincerity in anything you have said or done beneath this consecrated roof? Have you always been in the habit of appearing here with a lie upon your tongue? And have all your external forms of adoration in this place amounted to nothing beyond a plausible mockery of God?

If these things be so, what views do you entertain of your own character; or what claim can you have upon the respect and confidence of the society in which you live? If you have been insincere through the whole of your religious course; it is not to be doubted, that the same insincerity has mingled with all your transactions among men: since he who is thus influenced to act

the hypocrite before God, can give no assurance of his honest intentions towards his brother. It must necessarily be supposed, that such a man will trifle with the most important concerns both of civil and domestic life, except where his own interests engage him to be serious; and that he will be faithful and honest no further than the fear of discovery and disgrace oblige him to be so. To such suspicions as these you must unavoidably subject yourselves, by pleading, that you never intended to rank yourselves in the number of Christ's zealous disciples. But, my brethren, if ye do not profess to follow Christ faithfully, what is it that ye mean to profess? Do ye propose yourselves to the world as the determined enemies of truth and righteousness; as despisers of all revealed religion; without God and without hope in the world? One of these two characters ye must necessarily acknowledge, since there is no middle state to be found: ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Seeing then, my brethren, that, without all controversy, I am this day addressing a company of Christ's professed follovers, I think it necessary to remind you that, in

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