I need not exhort you to press forward, for you know that in walking in the Spirit there is a great reward. Rather will I exhort you, in patience to poffefs your fouls yet a little while, and JESUS CHRIST will deliver you from the burden of the flesh, and an abundant entrance fhall be administered to you, into the eternal joy and uninterrupted felicity of his heavenly kingdom.

Which God of his infinite mercy grant, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD: To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, three Perfons and one GOD, be afcribed all honour, power, and glory, for ever and ever.

SERMON

T

ACTS xxvi. 28.

Almost thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriftian.

HESE words contain the ingenuous confeffion of king Agrippa; which having fome reference to, it may not be improper to relate the fubftance of the preceding verses, with which the words are fo closely connected.

The chapter, out of which the text is taken, contains an admirable account which the great St. Paul gave of his wonderful converfion from Judaifm to Chriftianity, when he was called to make his defence before Feftus a Gentile governor, and king Agrippa. Our bleffed LORD had long fince foretold, that when the Son of man fhould be lifted up, "his difciples fhould be brought before kings and rulers, for his name's fake, for a testimony unto them." And very good was the defign of infinite wifdom in thus ordaining it; for Chriftianity being, from the beginning, a doctrine of the Crofs, the princes and rulers of the earth thought themselves too high to be inftructed by fuch mean teachers, or too happy to be difturbed by fuch unwelcome truths; and therefore would have always continued ftrangers to JESUS CHRIST, and him crucified, had not the apostles, by being arraigned before them, gained opportunities of preaching to them " JESUS and the refurrection." St. Paul knew full well that this was the main reafon, why his bleffed Mafter permitted his enemies at this time to arraign him at a public bar; and therefore, in compliance with the divine will, thinks it not fufficient,

fufficient, barely to make his defence, but endeavours at the fame time to convert his judges. And this he did with such demonstration of the fpirit, and of power, that Feftus, unwilling to be convinced by the ftrongest evidence, cries out with a loud voice, “Paul, much learning doth make thee mad." To which the brave apoftle (like a true follower of the holy JESUS) meekly replies, I am not mad, most noble Feftus, but fpeak forth the words of truth and sobernefs." But in all probability, feeing king Agrippa more affected with his difcourfe, and obferving in him an inclination to know the truth, he applies himself more particularly to him. "The king knoweth of these things; before whom also I speak freely; for I am perfuaded that none of these things are hidden from him." And then, that if poffible he might complete his wifhed-for converfion, he with an inimitable strain of oratory, addreffes himself ftill more closely, "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believeft them." "At which the paffions of the king began to work fo ftrongly, that he was obliged in open court, to own himfelf affected by the prifoner's preaching, and ingenuoufly to cry out, "Paul, almoft thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriftian."

Which words, taken with the context, afford us a lively reprefentation of the different reception, which the doctrine of CHRIST's minifters, who come in the power and spirit of St. Paul, meets with now-a-days in the minds of men. For notwithstanding they, like this great apoftle, "fpeak forth the words of truth and fobernefs;" and with fuch energy and power, that all their adverfariès cannot juftly gainfay or refift; yet, too many, with the noble Feftus before-mentioned, being like him, either too proud to be taught, or too fenfual, too careless, or too worldly-minded to live up to the doctrine, in order to excuse themselves, cry out, that "much learning, much study, or, what is more unaccountable, much piety, hath made them mad." And though, blessed be GOD! all do not thus difbelieve our report; yet amongst thofe who gladly receive the word, and confefs that we fpeak the words of truth and fobernefs, there are fo few, who arrive at any higher degree of piety than that of Agrippa, or are any farther perfuaded than to be almoft Chriftians, that I cannot but

think it highly neceffary to warn my dear hearers of the dan

ger

of such a state. And therefore, from the words of the text, fhall endeavour to fhew these three things:

First, What is meant by an almost chriftian.

Secondly, What are the chief reasons, why so many are no more than almoft chriftians.

Thirdly, I fhall confider the ineffectualnefs, danger, abfurdity, and uneafinefs which attends those who are but almost chriftians; and then conclude with a general exhortation, to fet all upon ftriving not only to be almoft, but altogether christians.

I. And, Firfi, I am to confider what is meant by an almost chriftian.

An almost chriftian, if we confider him in respect to his duty to GOD, is one that halts between two opinions; that wavers between CHRIST and the world; that would reconcile GOD and Mammon, light and darkness, CHRIST and Belial. It is true, he has an inclination to religion, but then he is very cautious how he goes too far in it: his falle heart is always crying out, Spare thyfelf, do thyfelf no harm. He prays indeed, that "GOD's will may be done on earth, as it is in heaven." But notwithstanding, he is very partial in his obedience, and fondly hopes that God will not be extreme to mark every thing that he wilfully does amifs; though an inspired apoftle has told him, that " he who offends in one point is guilty of all." But chiefly, he is one that depends much on outward ordinances, and on that account looks upon himfelf as righteous, and defpifes others; though at the fame time he is as great a ftranger to the divine life as any other perfon whatfoever. In fhort, he is fond of the form, but never experiences the power of godliness in his heart. He goes on year after year, attending on the means of grace, but then, like Pharaoh's lean kine, he is never the better, but rather the worse for them.

If you confider him in refpect to his neighbour, he is one that is strictly just to all; but then this does not proceed from any love to GoD or regard to man, but only through a principle of self-love: becaufe he knows difhonefty will spoil his reputation, and confequently hinder his thriving in the world.

He is one that depends much upon being negatively good, and contents himself with the confcioufnefs of having done no one any harm; though he reads in the gofpel, that "the unprofitable fervant was caft into outer darkness," and the barren fig-tree was curfed and dried up from the roots, not for bearing bad, but no fruit.

He is no enemy to charitable contributions in public, if not too frequently recommended: but then he is unacquainted with the kind offices of vifiting the fick and imprisoned, cloathing the naked, and relieving the hungary in a private manner. He thinks that these things belong only to the clergy, though his own falfe heart tells him, that nothing but pride keeps him from exercifing these acts of humility; and that JESUS CHRIST, in the 25th chapter of St. Matthew, condemns perfons to everlafting punifhment, not merely for being fornicators, drunkards, or extortioners, but for neglecting these charitable offices, When the Son of man thall come in his glory, he fhall fet the fheep on his right-hand, and the goats on his left. And then fhall he fay unto them on his left-hand, depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a ftranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and Iye cloathed me not; fick and in prifon, and ye vifited me not. Then fhall they alfo fay, LORD, when faw we thee an hungred, or a-thfirft,, or a ftranger, or naked, or fick, or in prifon, and did not minifter unto thee? Then fhall he anfwer them, Verily I fay unto you, inafmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the leaft of thefe my brethren, ye did it not unto me and these fhall go away into everlasting punishment." I thought proper to give you this whole paffage of feripture at large, because our Saviour lays fuch a particular VOL. VI.

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