them a fet of men manifeftly separated and distinguished from the crowd. You fee them separated from the pollutions by which they are furrounded; and distinguifhed by views and principles different from thofe which govern the world that lieth in wickedness. These are they which believe. Approach them more nearly, and examine them closely. Infpect their conduct; contemplate their objects; inveftigate their motives. What is the result of your observation and inquiry? You perceive these perfons more affiduous than others in frequenting public worship; not like others, glad to catch at excuses, and to fabricate pretences for being abfent; but contriving leifure, and fubmitting to worldly inconvenience, and even loss, that their attendance on the Houfe of God may not be interrupted. You perceive them scrupulously regular in prefenting themselves at the facramental table. You perceive them dedicating those parts of the fabbath, which are unoccupied by public devotion, not to idlenefs, not to trifles, not to the adjustment of domeftic concerns, but to pious meditation, to religious reading, to edifying difcourfe, to works of mercy; not cribbing off corners and portions for fecular employ employments; not fluctuating with an internal ftruggle between confcience and Mammon; not weary and impatient like the Jews, who turned again and again their eyes to the dial, and exclaimed, "When will the Sabbath be gone, that we may fet * forth wheat* ? not purloining the afternoon for feftivities of the table; nor, under the fcanty femblance of devotion, proftituting the evening to musical recreation ; but faithfully conceding the whole pericd of facred reft to fuch occupations as befit the day which God has hallowed unto himfelf; fuch occupations as comport with a fpecial preparation for eternity; fuch occupations as are confiftent with the tranquillity, leifure, and edification of their households; fuch occupations as are adapted to cause the day to be a bleffing to their fouls. In the midst of this their christian strictness, you behold no oftentation, no fuperftition, no fourness, no gloom. You fee fomething in their manner and deportment which fhews that this fervice is not a matter of form, but that it comes from the heart: that the man does not render it by constraint, but that he would be unhappy if he did not Amos, viii. 5. render renderit. You daily perceive them in pri vate cultivating an intercourfe with God in prayer: and by devout ftudy and fubfequent reflection, gaining more and more knowledge of the divine will, and of the method of falvation. In the common dealings of life, you see them bringing religion into practice; confcientiously making it their object to be upright, punctual, moderate, and benevolent in all their tranfactions; pursuing their wordly callings with diligence, but purfuing them on Chriftian principles, and with Christian compofure; not flothful in business, yet in their business, and by their business, ferving the Lord; not elated by fuccefs, not repining under disappointment; not grafping, not avaricious, not envious, not full of care, but ftriving calmly and fteadily to perform their duty, and cheerfully leaving the event in the hands of God. In their families you behold them quiet, confiderate, affectionate, patterns of kind tempers, abounding in kind actions; fetting their faces against folly, against vanity, against the appearance of evil; against pernicious cuftoms, however popular, however widely diffused; and taking pains day by day to train their household in the nurture and admoni. admonition of the Lord. Univerfally you difcern that their defire is to do all to the glory of God, that God may in all things be glorified through Jefus Chrift; to crucify the flesh with its affections and lufts; to feek not their own things, but the things which are Jefus Christ's; to live not unto themselves, but unto Chrift who died for them; to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things, and to omit no means and opportunities which can discreetly be embraced of ftriving to attract others to the knowledge and love of genuine religion. When they converfe in the retired circle of their friends on facred fubjects; you read in their countenances the interest which pervades the heart. You behold them labouring to grow in grace: not stationary in religion, but making a progrefs; laying up more and more treasure in heaven; preffing forward towards the mark; advancing onward towards perfection. For these men are not perfect: they are still frail and finful. You behold among them many humbling instances of infirmity, many fins of furprise, many proofs of the power of temptation, many tokens and effects of inherent corruption. But they do not allow themfelves in fin: they They abhor it; they fight against it; they fuffer it not to obtain the dominion over them; they oppofe it in the armour of God, in the ftrength of his grace: they bitterly repent when they have fallen into tranfgreffion: they fervently fue for pardon through the great atonement: they derive from their fall additional motives to felf-abafement, watchfulness, and prayer. Why is it that this clafs of profeffed Chriftians exemplify the picture which has been drawn? Why is it that they are real Christains? Because they have believed. Why is it that they have believed? Because they have inclined their ear unto the things which were fpoken. They have not refifted the Holy Ghoft. They have bowed to the influence of divine grace. Therefore God hath taken away the heart of stone, and given to them a heart of flesh; a heart foftened, purified, and fanctified; a heart replete with spiritual understanding, and fpiritual defires. Therefore they are converted from darkness to light. Therefore God hath healed them. II. Let us turn our thoughts to those who believe not. VOL. II.: D I mean |