XV.

The kingdom of heaven is like a net, which was caft into the fea, and gathered of every kind.Matt. xiii. 47.

JUST fuch a gathering will there be at the last great day: the net will be spread abroad, and a final feparation made. The name of Christian will then be a name of great consequence; and many will endeavour to fhield themselves under it.-Let us examine their several pretenfions:The first is the nominal christian. He has nothing to say, but that he was born in a christian country, and was baptized in the name of Christ. Of the faith of a Christian, he knows little; and of the practice, still less.

The moral man comes next. He professes the Teftament to be a most excellent system of morals; but he expunges from it the divinity of Chrift-his atonement for fin-the assistance of the Holy Spirit; and, in short, all the comfort. able doctrines of christianity. Why he acknowledges

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ledges his Testament to be good authority in one cafe, and not in another, is a question which may probably give him some difficulty in answering hereafter. It may, however, rather be doubted, whether his contempt for the doctrines of christianity may not fomewhat interfere with his exactness in the practice of it.

man.

Let us next take a view of the self-righteous He acknowledges all the doctrines of christianity; but he thinks he has not much occafion for them. Christ died, he allows, for sinners; but he does not conceive himself in that class. The little errors of his life are loft in the multitude of his virtues; and he has no fear of appearing in the prefence of God, clothed merely in his own righteousness. It is well for him, if he do not find his mistake hereafter.How far God's mercy may extend to fuch presumption, is not for us to say; but we have no gofpel-ground to hope for God's mercy, unless we believe and trust in the merits of that Redeemer, through whom alone it is promifed.

The innocent man is questioned next. He has no objection to christianity: indeed, he hardly ever thought about it. In a general view, however, he conceives the gospel to be a law against wickedness;

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wickedness; and as such, chiefly, he receives it. He has the guilt of no great fin upon his conscience. He troubles not himself with motives, and what he calls, the refinements of religion; but hopes, a life free from great wickedness will carry him to heaven.

The real Christian is the reverse of all these. Through faith in Christ, and a firm belief of all the doctrines of christianity, he converts his moral virtues into christian doctrines; and though he may hope, that in some of his works he may please God, yet he prefumes not on any of them, acknowledging with contrition that he has no hopes of falvation through his own righteousness, but merely through the merits of his Redeemer. Of course, therefore, he thinks an innocent life is not all that is required; but endeavours to recommend himself to God, by devotion and prayer-by heavenly affections, and works of charity.

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If a fet difcourse should be taken from this hint, it might conclude with an exhortation to a congregation, to examine themselves by the several characters set before them; from which they might be instructed, on proper motives, to imitate the best.

XVI.

Cease to do evil; learn to do well. Ifa. i. 16.

We have here the whole duty of man in two

sentences. We are first to cleanse the heart from wickedness, and then to adorn it with virtues. The ground must be prepared, before the feed can be fown.-But there is a manifold difference between these two operations; and the prophet seems to mark it. By the powers of nature, he seems to suppose we may cease to do evil. Confcience, in many cases, is a law unto itfelf; and, if it be attended to, will curb many of the great excesses of vice. We know it may, from the practice of several heathen worthies. -But though nature may, in a good degree, prevent our doing evil, something more is required to teach us to do well-fomething, as the prophet says, which we are to learn. Here the gospel comes in: it teaches us to spiritualize our affections, and to regulate all our actions by its holy precepts.

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XVII.

Happy is he who condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.-Rom. xiv. 22.

FEW men are fo wicked as not to make fome

excuse to their own confciences for their tranfgressions of duty. Though they are not so weak as to suppose their excuses are a cover for fin; yet an excuse serves to let their minds quietly down, as it were, to the tranfgreffion. This is what is generally meant by allowing a tranfgression. We do not approve it; but by fome sophistry we have argued ourselves into the allowance of it.-Now this is the very thing against which the apostle warns us. Knowing how apt human nature is to quibble itself into improper allowances, we are instructed not to suffer any action, which our confcience does not fairly allow. The condemnation of confcience is the avowal of guilt.