XV.

The kingdom of heaven is like a net which was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind. — Matt. xiii. 47.

JUST such a gathering will there be at the last great day the net will be spread abroad, and a final separation made. The name of Christian will then be a name of great consequence: and many will endeavour to shield themselves under it. Let us examine their several pretensions:The first is the nominal Christian. He has nothing to say, but that he was born in a Christian country, and was baptized in the name of Christ. Of the faith of a Christian, he knows little; and of the practice, still less.

The moral man comes next. He professes the Testament to be a most excellent system of morals; but he expunges from it the divinity of Christ his atonement for sin - the assistance of the Holy Spirit; and, in short, all the comfortable doctrines of Christianity: Why he acknow

ledges

ledges his Testament to be good authority in one case, and not in another, is a question which may probably give him some difficulty in answering hereafter. It may, however, rather be doubted, whether his contempt for the doctrines of Christianity may not somewhat interfere with his exactness in the practice of it.

Let us next take a view of the self-righteous

man.

He acknowledges all the doctrines of Christianity; but he thinks he has not much occasion for them. Christ died, he allows, for sinners; but he does not conceive himself in that class. The little errors of his life are lost in the multitude of his virtues, and he has no fear of appearing in the presence of God, clothed merely on his own righteousness. It is well for him, if he do not find his mistake hereafter. --How far God's mercy may extend to such presumption, is not for us to say; but we have no Gospel ground to hope for God's mercy, unless we believe and trust in the merits of that Redeemer, through whom alone it is promised.

The innocent man is questioned next. He has no objection to Christianity: indeed, he hardly ever thought about it. In a general view, however, he conceives the Gospel to be a law against wickedness;

wickedness; and as such, chiefly, he receives it. He has the guilt of no great sin upon his conscience. He troubles not himself with motives, and what he calls, the refinements of religion; but hopes a life free from great wickedness will carry him to heaven.

The real Christian is the reverse of all these. Through faith in Christ, and a firm belief of all the doctrines of Christianity, he converts his moral virtues into Christian doctrines; and though he may hope, that in some of his works he may please God, yet he presumes not on any of them, acknowledging with contrition that he has no hopes of salvation through his own righteousness, but merely through the merits of his Redeemer. Of course, therefore, he thinks an innocent life is not all that is required; but endeavours to recommend himself to God, by devotion and prayer by heavenly affections, and works of charity.

If a set discourse should be taken from this hint, it might conclude with an exhortation to a congregation, to examine themselves by the several characters set before them; from which they might be instructed, on proper motives, to imitate the best.

XVI.

Cease to do evil; learn to do well. — Isa. i. 16.

We have here the whole duty of man in two

sentences. We are first to cleanse the heart from wickedness, and then to adorn it with virtues. The ground must be prepared, before the seed can be sown. But there is a manifold difference between these two operations; and the prophet seems to mark it. By the powers of nature, he seems to suppose we may cease to do evil. Conscience, in many cases, is a law unto itself; and, if it be attended to, will curb many of the great excesses of vice. We know it may, from the practice of several heathen worthies.

But though nature may, in a good degree, prevent our doing evil, something more is required to teach us to do well-something, as the prophet says, which we are to learn. Here the Gospel comes in: it teaches us to spiritualize our affections, and to regulate all our actions by its holy precepts.

XVII.

Happy is he who condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. Rom. xiv. 22.

FEW men are so wicked as not to make some excuse to their own consciences for their transgressions of duty. Though they are not so weak as to suppose their excuses are a cover for sin; yet an excuse serves to let their minds quietly down, as it were, to the transgression. This is what is generally meant by allowing a transgression. We do not approve it; but by some sophistry we have argued ourselves into the allowance of it. Now this is the very thing against which the Apostle warns us. Knowing how apt human nature is to quibble itself into improper allowances, we are instructed not to suffer any action, which our conscience does not fairly allow. The condemnation of conscience is the avowal of guilt.