P

endure to the end fhall be faved, and to them SE & M.
alone who remain faithful unto death, the IX.
crown of life is promifed. Now, the only
poffible fecurity of this ftedfaftnefs, is love
to Chrift, and to religion and virtue above
all. Without it; whenever the intereft of
any prevailing object of affection comes in
competition with our duty, we shall defert
it, and cleave to the more beloved idol. St.
Paul tells us, 2 Tim. iy. 10. That "Demas

forfook him, having loved this prefent
"world." And, indeed, according to the
account which the apostle John gives us of
the love of the world, that it comprehends
the" luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and
"the pride of life," or the pleasures of the
external fenfes, riches, and honour, to it
muft be attributed the numerous herefies
and apoftacies of the primitive times; efpe-
cially if we add to it, cowardice, which is
an undue

than Chrine of life, or loving it more

and our duty.

I fhall only add, that a ftedfaft, and univerfal obedience to him, is imported in our being worthy of Chrift, or his fincere difciples. The very notion of a chriftian is one who keeps the commandments of Chrift, Without

I John ii. 16,

い

SERM. Without that, the name is a meer infigniIX. ficancy; or rather, it is hypocrify. Now this obedience is the genuine infeparable fruit of prevailing love to him; it is the teft, to which our profeffed affectionate regards. to him, are to be brought, that we may judge with certainty, whether they are fincere, or not. If ye love me, fays our Saviour himself, John xiv. 15. keep my com"mandments." And verfe 21. "He that

" bath my commandments, and keepeth them, "be it is that loveth me." Nor is there any thing else, which in reason can be fuppofed, to preserve us in a fteddy, and univerfal obedience to his laws. Other principles and motives may produce a temporary and external conformity, or rather appearance of conformity to them: But in many inftances, and thofe of the greatest moment, their influence will fail. If the demands of a perfon, or object, more beloved than Chrift, interfere with his precepts, the ftronger affection will carry the mind, and thereby govern the practice. And the deliberate offence in that one point is an effential breach, forfeiting the chriftian character, and hopes: So that the keeping of the whole law, that is, all the reft of it, paffes

for nothing, according to St. James's ac- SERM.. count, chap. ii. 10.

Thus it appears, that a fuperior love to Chrift, loving him more than father, or mother, brethren or fifters, any worldly, intereft, and even life itself; that this, I fay, is abfolutely neceffary to our being worthy of Chrift, or his fincere and accept

ed difciples.

"

It remains now that we make fome application of this fubject: Which may be the better done, because our Saviour himfelf has gone before us, in applying it, to one of the highest and most difficult points, in the practice of religion, that is, to the cafe of fuffering perfecution. It must be acknowleged a very fevere trial to be in a ftate of enmity with one's nearest relations, and for a man to have his foes, those of his own boufe, continually treating him ill, and ready to betray him, and deliver him up to the most grievous fufferings. This is the cafe fuppofed: And how fhall a chriftian. support himself in it? There is no principle. that will bear him out, but a superior affection to Chrift: And this, if it be strong enough, will do it effectually. It is true, the friendship of relations is very defirable;

as

IX.

જે

SERM. as fufferings by their hands are peculiarly IX. bitter. But that friendship is not to be purchased, nor the fufferings avoided at fo great an expence, as abandoning the cause of religion: And whofoever will act that part, let him not pretend, that he loves: Chrift. His practice is an irrefragable dej monstration of the contrary. If the frowns of a father, the hatred of a brother, and the danger of his life, are prevented at the expence of an indignity to Chrift, can he deny, that he loves them more than him? Men may attribute their fainting in the time of trial, and relinquishing their duty through fear of perfecution to a pitiable. weakness, while they flatter themselves, they have still a fincere affection to the good n cause they defert: But according to the judgment of our Saviour, it must be other-{\ wife. And we may every one be convinced of it, if we deliberately attend to the reason of the cafe. For can there be any fincere affection to God, to our Saviour, and to his cause of pure religion and virtue, if it be not a prevailing affection, stronger than any other, which oppofes it in the heart? But that it is not fo, by the fuppo fition is manifeft. Who can fay he has a greater

greater regard to Chrift, than to his life, SERM. and to men, if to fave it, he denies him- IX. before them?

*But, we may apply this also to other, and more ordinary purposes in the practice of religion. If the commanding love of Chrift be a fufficient defence against the strongest temptations, it may well fupport the mind againft leffer ones. And indeed tho' the greatest things in religion may be effected by the force of this principle, the least and the easiest cannot be done without it. There are other trials of integrity and virtue, befides perfecution, arifing from the common relations, and affairs in life: And the friendfhip of this world too commonly betrays men into enmity against God. Our affection to our friends and worldly interests may mislead us, by flattery, as well as terror: and their infinuating fmiles may prove a fnare as well as their frowns. If a chriftian then shall be in fuch an unhappy fituation even in his own houfe, as to be follicited to fin, by his most intimate friends; if their example, or perfuafions allure him to that which is evil; let him remember that firft and moft indifpenfable law of his religion, to love his God, and his Saviour, more than VOL. I. "Father