"

"It is impoffible (that is, exceeding difficult at leaft) for those that have been once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and the powers of the world to come, if they fhould fall away, to be renewed again unto repentance.' But notwithstanding the gospel is fo fevere against apoftates, yet many that begun well, through a fickleness of temper, (O that none of us here present may ever be fuch) have been by this means of the number of those that turn back unto perdition. And this is the fifth, and the laft reafon I fhall give, why fo many are only almoft, and not altogether chriftians.

III. Proceed we now to the third general thing propofed, namely, to confider the folly of being no more than an almost chriftian.

1. And the first proof I fhall give of the folly of fuch a proceeding is, that it is ineffectual to falvation. It is true, fuch men are almost good; but almoft to hit the mark, is really to mifs it. GOD requires us to love him with all our hearts, with all our fouls, and with all our ftrength." He loves us too well to admit any rival; because, so far as our hearts are empty of GoD, fo far muft they be unhappy. The devil, indeed, like the false mother that came before Solomon, would have our hearts divided, as he would have had the child; but Gop, like the true mother, will have all or none. "My Son, give me thy heart," thy whole heart, is the general call to all; and if this be not done, we never can expect the divine mercy.

a

Perfons may play the hypocrite; but GOD at the great day will strike them dead, (as he did Ananias and Sapphira by the mouth of his fervant Peter) for pretending to offer him all their hearts, when they keep back from him the greatest part. They may perhaps impofe upon their fellow-creatures for while; but he that enabled Elijah to cry out, "Come in thou wife of Jeroboam," when the came disguised to enquire about her fick fon, will alfo difcover them through their moft artful diffimulations; and if their hearts are not wholly with him, appoint them their portion with hypocrites and unbelievers.

2. But, fecondly, What renders an half-way-piety more inexcufable is, that it is not only infufficient to our own falvation, but also very prejudicial to that of others.

An almost chriftian is one of the most hurtful creatures in the world he is a wolf in fheep's cloathing: he is one of thofe falfe prophets, our bleffed LORD bids us beware of in his fermon on the mount, who would perfuade men, that the way to heaven is broader than it really is; and thereby, as it was obferved before, enter not into the kingdom of GOD themselves, and those that are entering in they hinder.” Thefe, these are the men that turn the world into a lukewarm Laodicean fpirit; that hang out false lights, and so shipwreck unthinking benighted fouls in their voyage to the haven of eternity. These are they who are greater enemies to the cross of CHRIST, than infidels themselves: for of an unbeliever every one will be aware; but an almost christian, through his fubtle hypocrify, draws away many after him; and therefore must expect to receive the greater damnation.

3. But, thirdly, As it is moft prejudicial to ourselves and hurtful to others, fo it is the greatest instance of ingratitude we can express towards our LORD and Mafter JESUS CHRIST. For did he come down from heaven, and fhed his precious blood, to purchase these hearts of ours, and fhall we only give him half of them? O how can we fay we love him, when our hearts are not wholly with him? How can we call him our Saviour, when we will not endeavour fincerely to approve ourselves to him, and fo let him fee the travail of his foul, and be fatisfied!

Had any of us purchased a flave at a most expenfive rate, and who was before involved in the utmost miseries and torments, and fo muft have continued for ever, had we shut up our bowels of compaffion from him; and was this flave afterwards to grow rebellious, or deny giving us but half his fervice how, how fhould we exclaim against his bafe ingratitude! And yet this bafe ungrateful flave thou art, O man, who acknowledgeft thyfelf to be redeemed from infinite unavoidable mifery and punishment by the death of JESUS CHRIST, and

yet

yet wilt not give thyfelf wholly to him. But fhall we deal with GoD our Maker in a manner we would not be dealt with by a man like ourselves? GOD forbid! No. Suffer me, therefore,

To add a word or two of exhortation to you, to excite you to be not only almoft, but altogether chriftians. O let us fcorn all base and treacherous treatment of our King and Saviour, of our Gop and Creator. Let us not take fome pains all our lives to go to heaven, and yet plunge ourselves into hell at last, Let us give to GOD our whole hearts, and no longer halt between two opinions: if the world be God, let us ferve that; if pleasure be a GOD, let us ferve that; but if the LORD he be GOD, let us, O let us ferve him alone. Alas! why, why should we ftand out any longer? Why fhould we be fo in love with flavery, as not wholly to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil, which, like fo many fpiritual chains, bind down our fouls, and hinder them from flying up to GOD. Alas! what are we afraid of? Is not Gop able to reward our entire obedience? If he is, as the almost chriftian's lame way of ferving him, feems to grant, why then will we not serve him entirely? For the same reafon we do fo much, why do we not do more? Or do you think that being only half religious will make you happy, but that going farther, will render you miserable and uneafy? Alas! this, my brethren, is delufion all over: for what is it but this half piety, this wavering between GOD and the world, that makes so many, that are feemingly well difpofed, fuch utter strangers to the comforts of religion? They chufe juft fo much of religion as will disturb them in their lufts, and follow their lufts fo far as to deprive themselves of the comforts of religion. Whereas on the contrary, would they fincerely leave all in affection, and give their hearts wholly to GOD, they would then (and they cannot till then) experience the unfpeakable pleasure of having a mind at unity with itself, and enjoy fuch a peace of GOD, which even in this life paffes all understanding, and which they were entire ftrangers to before. It is true, if we will devote ourfelves entirely to God, we must meet with contempt; but then it is because contempt is neceffary to heal our pride. We must

I

renounce

renounce fome fenfual pleasures, but then it is because those unfit us for fpiritual ones, which are infinitely better. We muft renounce the love of the world; but then it is that we may be filled with the love of GOD: and when that has once enlarged our hearts, we fhall, like Jacob when he served for his beloved Rachel, think nothing too difficult to undergo, no hardships too tedious to endure, becaufe of the love we shall then have for our dear Redeemer Thus eafy, thus delightful will be the ways of GOD even in this life; but when once we throw off thefe bodies, and our fouls are filled with all the fulnefs of GOD, O! what heart can conceive, what tongue can exprefs, with what unspeakable joy and confolation fhall we then look back on our paft fincere and hearty fervices. Think you then, my dear hearers, we fhall repent we had done too much; or rather think you not, we shall be afhamed that we did no more; and blush we were so backward to give up all to GOD; when he intended hereafter to give us himself?

Let me therefore, to conclude, exhort you, my brethren, to have always before you the unfpeakable happiness of enjoying GoD.. And think withal, that every degree of holinefs you neglect, every act of piety you omit, is a jewel taken out of your crown, a degree of bleffed nefs loft in the vision of GOD. O do but always think and act thus, and you will no longer be labouring to compound matters between GoD and the world; but, on the contrary, be daily endeavouring to give up yourselves more and more unto him; you will be always watching, always praying, always afpiring after farther degrees of purity and love, and confequently always preparing yourselves for a fuller fight and enjoyment of that GOD, in whofe prefence there is fulness of joy, and at whose right-hand there are pleasures for ever more. Amen! Amen!

SERMON

SERMON XLIV. XLIV.

CHRIST the Believer's Wisdom, Righteousnefs, Sanctification, and Redemption.

I COR. i. 30.

But of him are ye in CHRIST JESUS, who of GOD is made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, fan&tification, and redemption.

Ο

F all the verfes in the book of GOD, this which I have now read to you, is, I believe, one of the most comprehenfive: What glad tidings does it bring to believers ! what precious privileges are they herein invested with! how are they here led to the fountain of them all, I mean, the love, the everlasting love of God the Father! "Of him are ye in CHRIST JESUS, who of GOD is made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, fanctification, and redemption."

Without referring you to the context, I fhall from the words,

First, Point out to you the fountain, from which all those bleffings flow, that the elect of GOD partake of in JESUS CHRIST," who of GOD is made unto us." And,

Secondly, I fhall confider what thefe bleffings are, "wifdom, righteoufnefs, fanctification, and redemption."

First, I would point out to you the fountain from which all thofe bleffings flow, that the elect of GoD partake of in JESUS," who of GOD is made unto us," the Father, he it is who is fpoken of here. Not as though JESUS CHRIST was pot GoD alfo; but God the Father is the fountain of the