maintaining friendship with God. All this, however, is practically contradicted, when they indulge the practice of iniquity. The enemies of religion will make no allowance for the imperfections and temptations of believers, and do not consider that many profess it who never experience its power; but charge all the irregularities of its professors upon the cause which they profess; as if the religion of Jesus opened the avenues to licentiousness, or as if its principles and spirit were too feeble to prevent it. Hence they are not ashamed to pronounce Christianity, a cunningly devised fable, and a mere imposition upon mankind. But as the believer feels its power, and experiences its consolations; as he believes its truth, and approves of its principles and precepts, he ought to consider himself as set for the defence of it, by studying such a deportment as will recommend its excellence, seeing it teaches to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, and righteously, and godly in the world. This is indeed his fixed desire, it is his daily study, though he never can accomplish it according to his wish. He disapproves of and condemns every part of his conduct which is contrary to the spirit and design of the gospel, and brings the charge of inconsistency and impropriety against himself. ،، We know," said Paul," that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin." Rom. vii. 14. Though he did not, like Ahab, sell himself to work wickedness, yet he charges sin upon himself, as a thing contrary to the law, which he confessed to be "holy, and just, and good." "That," says he, "which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If, then, I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good." verses 15, 16. When speaking of the Jews, who made a flaming profession

of piety, but acted very differently; who professed to value religion, but contradicted it in practice, he expostulated with them thus; "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law. Thou that makest thy boast, of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you." Rom. ii. 17, 18, 23, 24. The believer is created in Christ Jesus unto good works; he is a branch of God's planting, the work of his hands, that he may be glorified. His dispositions are so formed as to prompt him to do this. But this lies chiefly in walking with him, like Enoch and Abraham, in the way of holiness; walking in the truth by bringing forth those fruits which it is designed to produce, and which it will infallibly pro duce wherever its power is felt. While he then profes ses the gospel, as being the doctrine according to god. liness, and while he shows, by a holy deportment that it actually has such a tendency, he glorifies God, and recommends the profession of Christianity to others.

I SHALL now subjoin a few remarks as an improvement of the subject.

1. THE sins of believers are not inconsistent with supreme love to God, nor do they infer their attachment to sin. They indeed prove that depravity is not yet wholly eradicated from their souls, and that their love to God is not yet perfect. The work of grace is begun ' in them, the old man is crucified, but has not yet expired. The dominion of sin is subdued, and an opposite principle of holiness maintains the supreme place in the heart. Sin, therefore, shall not have dominion over them: for they are not under the law, but under grace.

They have experienced the day of divine power, graci ously exerted, and their wills are made obedient to the will of God; on this account sin is not the object of ⚫ their choice and delight. Paul calls it the evil which he would not, though, through the working of corrup tion, he was drawn into it. In all believers, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, so that they cannot do the things which they would. Sin is sometimes more prevalent, and works more powerfully in them; but even then their love to God may be strong, and they may make an effectual opposition to it. It is the sovereign pleasure of God for wise reasons, that sin should not be destroyed in his people at once, but gradually. In this way they have to struggle with it, and to mortify it: they also learn much better how evil and bitter a thing it is: grace is displayed in a singular manner in opposing it, and in still maintaining the supreme influence in the heart. The new creature which is formed in the believer loves God supremely, loves him in opposition to sin, and loves him constantly: This love may be weaker and stronger at different times, yet still it is genuine. On the other hand, the old man, the mere child of Adam, relishes sin only. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, and the fleshly mind is enmity against God. These two act in continual opposition to each other, but the new creature will finally prevail. The existence and operation of these two opposite principles in Paul made him say; " So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."

2. THIS Subject discovers the infatuation of men in general with respect to sin. It is evident from the general tenor of their conduct that they are not afraid of it. Often without any necessity they expose themselves

to a variety of temptations and allurements, by which they are drawn into it. To many the indulgence of criminal passions is the highest enjoyments to which they aspire. They are utter strangers to the pleasures of religion, because their hearts are still under the pow er of implacable enmity against God. They consider it as no evil to follow the dictates and propensities of their natures, not considering that they are depraved, and that all sin lies radically here. To act from such principles is brutal; it is even worse, for the brutal creation, not being formed after the image of God, do not, in following the impulse of their natures, trample upon reason, nor treat religion with contempt; but this is done by every man who is led by the depraved inclinations of his heart. To be hurried on by the violence of animal passions, is a state of the most abject slavery to which a rational being can be subjected. Such a situation is truly most critical and dangerous. The passions are blind and furious; they cannot judge of the evil or danger of any measure, whilst they are clamorous and impatient of restraint. If once they are allowed loose reins, neither the voice of reason, conscience, or religion can be heard; rather they find means to warp the understanding, and to silence the feeble voice of natural conscience. In such a case the sinner is, like a vessel at sea, deprived of her rudder and without a pilot, driven at random by the impetuous hurricane, and every moment ready to be swallowed up by the merciless ocean. By acting such a part they prove themselves to be " the children of disobedience;" and while they fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind, show that they are children of wrath and heirs of hell. They are the servants of corruption, overcome and enslaved by their passions, and their latter

end will be worse than their beginning. The Apostle tells such that, "If they live after the flesh, they shall die;" and that, “If they sow to the flesh, they shall of the flesh reap corruption." They are entire strangers to those dignified, improving, and permanent pleasures, which believers derive from the practice of religion, those pleasures which they enjoy in crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts; because they have no high/er birth than that of the flesh, whereas believers are born of water and of the Spirit, and, on that account walk in the Spirit, and do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. These infatuated sinners, "while they walk in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries, think it strange that the saints do not run to the same excess of riot with them." Their infatuation lies, in subjecting their reason to their animal passions, in preferring the debasing pleasures of sin, to the exalted enjoyments of religion, in following the depraved dictates of their own minds, rather than the wholesome laws of Christ, and in pursuing that way of living which treasures up to them, wrath against the day of wrath, while they undervalue the means of their salvation. But they must give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead; and may be assured that they shall for ever reap what they thus sow.

LET me then exhort you, Christians, to whom sin has been embittered, who abominate its pleasures; who have been washed from your sins in the blood of the Lamb, and who relish the pleasures of religion, to avoid association with such characters. The generation abounds with them. They are increasing unto more ungodliness; and their words and practices will eat as doth a gangrene. Meanwhile, they are objects of