the humiliating conviction of Nac. Hence it is that the vo

quity calumniate not only the of religion, but religion itself. new, like the Jews who denominated Che Baptift a morofe fanatic, they dethe restraints which Christianity im, evca on the evil inclinations of men as a of intolerable bondage. They declaim ult the Gospel as a system of hardship and rigours as making no allowance for buman infirmities; as prohibiting the indulgence of innocent defires, and the enjoyment of the ease and confolations of ocial life. If they are not thus open in their cenfures, they betray their fecret thoughts by invectives against every one who delineates the corruption of human nature, the guilt and confequences of fin, and the import and extent of human duty, faithfully and zealously according to the Scriptures and by their own reprefentations of religion as neither unfolding those views of the depravity and helpleffness of man, nor urging those demands of conftant watchfulness and ftedfaft purity, which the perfons whom they deride as righteous overmuch discover in every page of the Word of God. At other times, as

the

the enemies of Chrift reviled him as addicted to finful indulgences, they mifrepresent some of the leading doctrines of the Gospel as virtually affording encouragement to immorality: and with fingular eagerness fet themselves in array against the fundamental principle that man is to be justified in no respect or degree by works of his own, but entirely by faith in Christ, as though it rendered good works unneceffary, and fubverted and swept away the ground-work of holiness. It is thus that, by multifarious and contradictory flanders, wicked men labour to render true religion abfurd, contemptible, and odious, in order to provide an apology for their own difobedience and unbelief. If you difcover in your own bofom those difpofitions, which you perceive to have always prevailed in the breafts of the wicked; are you not con ftrained to infer that your mind exhibits a fubftantial resemblance to theirs? If you difcern a lurking inclination to be diffatisfied with the doctrines and precepts of the Bible; if you detect a fecret pleasure in raifing or hearing objections against parts of the Scriptures; if you perceive yourself gladly snatching at pretexts for depreciating the principles and censuring E 4

the

the conduct of religious men; is it not evident that you have not a warm and cordial love for religion? Your heart is not right with God. Delude not yourselves by whif pering to your confciences that, although muft admit the truth and the relevancy you of the preceding obfervations, you occafionally make respectful mention of reli gion, and pay a decent regard to her ordi nances and to many of her injunctions. The Scribes and Pharifees talked, according to their own views of the subject, largely of religion; and in fome points were punctilious obfervers of the law. But you know that their religion was not the religion of the Scriptures. You know that in body and foul they were devoted to wickedness. See that your religion be the religion of Chrift Jefus. See that you love that religion. If you do not feel pain when it is contemptuously treated, if you are not grieved when its followers are calumniated; in the bottom of your heart you love it

not.

Secondly If, through the influence of divine grace, you have been brought to the love of religion, wonder not, nor be difcouraged, when you hear the truths of the gospel flandered, or yourself made the

theme

theme of eyil fpeaking for their fake. Thus it always has been; and thus, until Chrif tianity shall have established a more general dominion over the hearts of those who avow themselves her fubjects, it always will be. Evil men, confcious that their neighbour is a far more religious character than themselves, will feel his fuperiority as a reproach, and will affuredly be on the watch to contrive opportunities of degrading him in public esteem, of fixing some name of obloquy upon him, "and of difparaging thofe views of religion which have conducted him to excellence in holiness. If you are a zealous fervant of God, prepare to behold many of your pureft intentions mifconftrued'; prepare to hear yourself reproved and vilified for actions, which, according to a more equitable interpretation, would have been deemed worthy of praife. Prepare yourself to hear principles ascribed to you, the reverse of those which you hold, the reverse of those which you publicly maintain. Prepare to hear epithets and appellations borrowed from obnoxious fects; fects, it may bé, from whofe errors you may have been the inftrument in the hand of God of rescuing pr guarding weaker brethren; prepare to

hear them borrowed for the purpose of fixing the odium of thofe errors upon yourself. What is the leffon which this expectation should teach you? It should teach you how great is the folly of folici tude for the applaufe of men. When you deserve it not, it may be copiously poured out upon you; when you have the fairest claim to it, you may be repelled with cenfure and contempt. We unto you, faid our Lord to his disciples, when all men speak well of you: for fo did their fathers unto the false prophets. If you are praised by the world, is it not because you are conformed to the evil principles and practices of the world? Is it not because you live to the world, not unto Chrift? The world will love its own, Men will praife thee, faith David, when thou doft well to thyself †. If you are successful in your worldly plans ; if you give the reins to vanity and pleafure; if you devote your riches to fplendid and luxurious enjoyment; then it is that the world will flatter you and proclaim you happy. Live to the world, and the world will applaud you.

and an evil world cannot

*Luke, vi. 26.

Live to Chrift, but revile and

Pfalm xlix. 18. condemn