trodden under foot of men," to be overwhelmed with everlasting contempt. If ye had never known the Lord, there might have been hope,-if ye had never been "found in him :" but what can you now say to that, his solemn declaration, just parallel to what he hath here spoken,-" Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he [the Father] taketh away. He that abideth in me, and I in him, bringeth forth much fruit." " If a man abide not in me, [or do not bring forth fruit,] he is cast out as a branch, and withered; and men gather them [not to plant them again, but]-to cast them into the fire." (John xv. 2, 5, 6.)

9. Toward those who have never tasted of the good word, God is indeed pitiful and of tender mercy. But justice takes place with regard to those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, and have afterwards turned back "from the holy commandment [then] delivered to them." "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened ;" (Heb. vi. 4, &c. ;) in whose hearts God had once shined, to enlighten them with the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ; "who have tasted of the heavenly gift," of redemption in his blood, the forgiveness of sins; "and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost," of lowliness, of meekness, and of the love of God and man shed abroad in their hearts, by the Holy Ghost which was given unto them; and "have fallen away; "-xx Tagaπεσovтas,-(here is not a supposition, but a flat declaration of matter of fact,) "to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

-και

But that none may misunderstand these awful words, it should be carefully observed, 1. Who they are, that are here spoken of; namely, they, and they only, who were once thus enlightened; they only, "who did taste of" that "heavenly gift, and were" thus "made partakers of the Holy Ghost." So that all who have not experienced these things, are wholly unconcerned in this scripture. 2. What that falling away is, which is here here spoken of: It is an absolute, total apostasy. A believer may fall, and not fall away. He may fall and rise again. And if he should fall, even into sin, yet this case, dreadful as it is, is not desperate. For "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins." But let him above all things beware, lest his "heart be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin; lest he should sink lower and lower, till he wholly fall away,

till be become as salt that hath lost its savour: for if we t sin wilfully, after we have received the experimental “EDIKཅ ོ་ ledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for suns ; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery tion, which shail devour the adversaries."

II. 1. But although we may not wholly separate corselves from mankind, although it be granted we ought to season them with the religion which God has wrought in our hearts, yet may not this be done insensibly? May we not convey this into others in a secret, and almost imperceptible manner, so that scarce any one shall be able to observe how or when it is done?—even as salt conveys its own savour into that which is seasoned thereby, without any noise, and without being able to any outward observation. And if so, although we do not go out of the world, yet we may lie hid in it. We may thus far keep our religion to ourselves; and not offend those whom we cannot help.'

2. Of this plausible reasoning of flesh and blood, our Lord was well aware also. And he has given a full answer to it in those words which come now to be considered; in explaining which, I shall endeavour to show, as I proposed to do in the Second place, That so long as true Religion abides in our hearts, it is impossible to conceal it, as well as absolutely contrary to the design of its great Author.

And, first, It is impossible for any that have it, to conceal the Religion of Jesus Christ. This our Lord makes plain beyond all contradiction, by a two-fold comparison: "Ye are the light of the world: A city set upon a hill cannot be hid." Ye Christians are "the light of the world," with regard both to your tempers and actions. Your holiness makes you as conspicuous, as the sun in the midst of heaven. As ye cannot go out of the world, so neither can ye stay in it without appearing to all mankind. Ye may not flee from men; and while ye are among them, it is impossible to hide your lowliness and meckness, and those other dispositions whereby ye aspire to be perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Love cannot be hid any more than light; and least of all, when it shines forth in action, when ye exercise yourselves in the labour of love, in beneficence of every kind. As well may men think to hide a city, as to hide a Christian; yea, as well may they conceal a city set upon a hill, as a holy, zealous, active lover of God and man.

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3. It is true, men who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil, will take all possible pains to prove, that the light which is in you, is darkness. They will say evil, all manner of evil, falsely, of the good which is in you; they will lay to your charge that which is farthest from your thoughts, which is the very reverse of all you are, and all you do. And your patient continuing in well doing, your meek suffering all things for the Lord's sake, your calm, humble joy in the midst of persecution, your unwearied labour to overcome evil with good, will make you still more visible and conspicuous than ye were before,

4. So impossible it is, to keep our religion from being seen, unless we cast it away; so vain is thethought of hiding the light, unless by putting it out! Sure it is, that a secret, unobserved religion, cannot be the religion of Jesus Christ, Whatever religión can be concealed, is not Christianity. If a Christian could be hid, he could not be compared to a city set upon a hill; to the light of the world, the sun shining from heaven, and seen by all the world below. Never, therefore, let it enter into the heart of him whom God hath renewed in the spirit of his mind, to hide that light, to keep his religion to himself; especially considering it is not only impossible to conceal true Christianity, but likewise absolutely contrary to the design of the great Author of it.

5. This plainly appears from the following words: "Neither do men light a candle to put it under a bushel." As if he had said, As men do not light a candle, only to cover and conceal it, so neither does God enlighten any soul with his glorious knowledge and love, to have it covered or concealed, either by prudence, falsely so called, or shame, or voluntary humility; to have it hid either in a desert, or in the world; either by avoiding men, or in conversing with them. "But they put it on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house: " In like manner, it is the design of God that every Christian should be in an open point of view; that he may give light to all around, that he may visibly express the religion of Jesus Christ.

6. Thus hath God in all ages spoken to the world, not only by precept, but by example also. He hath "not left himself without witness," in any nation where the sound of the Gospel hath gone forth, without a few who have testified his truth, by their lives as well as their words. These have been, "as lights shining in a dark place." And from time to time they have

been the means of enlightening some, of preserving a remnant, a little seed which was "counted unto the Lord for a generation." They have led a few poor sheep out of the darkness of the world, and guided their fect into the way of peace.

7. One might imagine that, where both Scripture and the reason of things speak so clearly and expressly, there could not be much advanced on the other side, at least not with any appearance of truth. But they who imagine thus, know little of the depths of Satan. After all that Scripture and reason have said, so exceeding plausible are the pretences for solitary religion, for a Christian's going out of the world, or at least hiding himself in it, that we need all the wisdom of God to see through the snare, and all the power of God to escape it; so many and strong are the objections which have been brought, against being social, open, active Christians.

III. 1. To answer these, was the Third thing which I proposed. And, first, it has been often objected, That religion does not lie in outward things, but in the heart, the inmost soul; that it is the union of the soul with God, the life of God in the soul of man; that outside religion is nothing worth; seeing God" delighteth not in burnt-offerings," in outward services, but a pure and holy heart is the "sacrifice he will not despise."

I answer, it is most true, that the root of religion lies in the heart, in the inmost soul; that this is the union of the soul with God, the life of God in the soul of man. But if this root be really in the heart, it cannot but put forth branches. And these are the several instances of outward obedience, which partake of the same nature with the root; and, consequently, are not only marks or signs, but substantial parts of religion.

It is also true, that bare outside religion, which has no root in the heart, is nothing worth; that God delighteth not in such outward services, no more than in Jewish burnt-offerings; and that a pure and holy heart is a sacrifice with which he is always well pleased. But he is also well pleased with all that outward service which arises from the heart; with the sacrifice of our prayers, (whether public or private,) of our praises and thanksgivings; with the sacrifice of our goods, humbly devoted to him, and employed wholly to his glory; and with that of our bodies, which he peculiarly claims, which the Apostle beseeches us, "by the mercies of God, to present unto him, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God."

2. A second objection, nearly related to this, is, That Love is all in all; that it is "the fulfilling of the law," "the end of the commandment," of every commandment of God; that all we do, and all we suffer, if we have not charity or love, profiteth us nothing; and therefore the Apostle directs us, to "follow after charity," and terms this "the more excellent way.'

I answer, it is granted, that the love of God and man, arising from faith unfeigned, is all in all, the fulfilling of the law, the end of every commandment of God. It is true, that without this, whatever we do, whatever we suffer, profits us nothing. But it does not follow, that love is all in such a sense as to supersede either faith or good works. It is "the fulfilling of the law," not by releasing us from, but by constraining us to obey it. It is "the end of the commandment," as every commandment leads to and centres in it. It is allowed, that whatever we do or suffer, without love, profits us nothing: But withal, whatever we do or suffer in love, though it were only the suffering reproach for Christ, or the giving a cup of cold water in his name, it shall in no wise lose its reward.

3. But does not the Apostle direct us to "follow after charity?" And does he not term it," a more excellent way ?"' -He does direct us to "follow after charity;" but not after that alone. His words are, "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts." (1 Cor. xiv. 1.) Yea, "follow after charity; and desire to spend and be spent for your brethren. "Follow after charity;" and, as you have opportunity, do good to all

men.

In the same verse wherein he terms this, the way of love, a more excellent way," he directs the Corinthians to desire other gifts besides it; yea, to desire them earnestly. "Covet earnestly," saith he, "the best gifts; and yet I shew unto you a more excellent way." (1 Cor. xii. 31.) More excellent than what? Than the Gifts of healing, of speaking with tongues, and of interpreting, mentioned in the preceding verse; but not more excellent than the way of Obedience. Of this the Apostle is not speaking; neither is he speaking of outward religion at all: So that this text is quite wide of the present question.

But suppose the Apostle had been speaking of outward, as well as inward religion, and comparing them together; suppose in the comparison he had given the preference ever so much to