a question which is addressed to our own reason and conscience, and which furnishes its own reply. It is, as if the Apostle had said unto us, "Weigh well the wickedness "of these persons. Consider what they are "doing, and what they deserve. Compare "these things with what is written in Scrip"ture; and then judge how great will be "the punishment, which at length will as"suredly overtake them." To assist you then in coming to a right judgement on this important subject, I shall endeavour to set before you two things:

I. The Sin here specified.

II. Its great and aggravated Guilt.

I. The Sin here specified is not obeying the Gospel of God. The Gospel of God is that gracious message which God hath sent to us by his Son Jesus Christ. To obey the Gospel is to receive this message as coming from God; to comply with the terms, and to follow the directions contained in it. On the other hand, not to obey the Gospel, is to do the very reverse of this. It is to treat the message with indifference and neglect; to reject the terms, and refuse compliance with the directions which it sets before us. This then is the Sin here specified. But to give you clearer notions of this Sin, I will describe to you some different sorts of persons, who are guilty of it.

Among these, in the first place, are to be ranked all who are living in an irreligious, ungodly manner, careless of their souls, and of eternity, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and walking after the course of this present evil world. It requires not much reasoning to prove, that such persons are guilty of the Sin in the text. The Gospel of God calls on them to repent, and to bring forth fruits meet for repentance. It directs them to turn from their sins, to deny their lusts, and to overcome the world. While therefore they continue to act in direct opposition to these. injunctions, while their hearts remain hard and sensual, while they serve sin, and follow the multitude to do evil, it is plain beyond a doubt, that they are not obeying the Gospel of God. Let me then admonish all whose consciences tell them that they are persons of this description, seriously to reflect on the matter. You have an intolerable load of sin upon your souls, of numberless transgressions daily committed throughout your life against the holy law of God: but in addition to every other sin, you are chargeable with this Sin also. You do not obey the Gospel of God. How great and aggravated is the guilt of this sin, I shall show hereafter. But in the meantime I would strive to fix it in your minds, that this guilt, what

ever it may be proved to be, is yours. You are at present one of the persons spoken of in the text and so long as you continue one of these, their end, whatever it may be, will undoubtedly be yours.

A second description of persons, who are chargeable with the Sin in the text, are those, who, while they call themselves Christians, yet do not make Jesus Christ and Him crucified the only ground of their reconciliation with God, and of their title to eternal life. They do not take Him as their righteousness; through whose death and obedience alone they look for the pardon of sin and peace with God. They have still some confidence in the flesh. They are still trusting to something in themselves, in their own works or doings, for their acceptance with God. If Christ be the foundation, He is not the one only foundation of all their hopes. Or if they seek to be justified by Him, it is not by faith only that they seek it. But acting thus, they do not obey the Gospel of God. They do not comply with the terms, nor follow the directions of it. The very first and chief thing which the Gospel enjoins, is Faith in Christ. It offers us pardon on no other terms but on believing in Him, and receiving Him as the Lord our Righteousness. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." "He that be

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lieveth shall be saved." "The Righteousness of God," (by which alone the sinner can be justified,)" is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." "We are saved by grace through faith." "Christ is of God made unto us Righteousness;" and so we are "made the Righteousness of God in Him.” Believing in Christ, we are justified from all things." This is God's way of saving sinners. He "justifies them freely by His grace through the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom He hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood for the remission of sins." -How came it to pass that the Jews, who followed after righteousness, did not attain to it? For this very reason; they did not seek it in God's way. They "sought it not by Faith, but by the works of the Law."What was the reason for which St. Paul so severely rebuked the Galatians, telling them that they were fallen from grace, and had been removed into another Gospel, or rather into no Gospel at all? It was this: they had left off seeking to be justified by Faith in Christ, and were seeking justification by the works of the Law. Hence it was that he broke forth into that earnest exclamation, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth ?" *

* Gal. iii. 1.

text.

Justification by Faith only in the merits of Christ is so essential a part of the Faith, as it is in Jesus, that to seek Justification in any other way is not to obey the truth; and consequently to be guilty of the sin in the Would that this point were deeply considered by all who call themselves Christians! It is to be feared that numbers, who claim this title, are greatly deceiving themselves. See, my brethren, that it be not your case. See, that while you pretend to receive the Gospel, you are not virtually rejecting it that while you profess the hope of being saved by Christ, you are not in fact seeking to be justified by the works of the Law. Remember that if you thus seek it. "Christ is become of no effect unto you." You only "frustrate" (you only make void) "the grace of God." Whatever you may think, in reality you do not obey the Gospel; and must have your end with the unbelieving and the disobedient.

There is a third sort of persons yet to be noticed, who are equally guilty of not obeying the Gospel of God. They are such as make a show of Religion, and yet do not bring forth the fruits of it. They profess to believe in Jesus Christ; but yet are not careful to maintain good works. They hope to be saved by Him; but they have no de*Gal. ii. 21. - v. 4.