tion, though it may stop a temptation, and hinder the eruption of a lust into the gross act, yet it does not renew the nature, and make us holy and heavenly. There may be a respective dislike of sin with a direct affection to it. Besides, a mere servile fear is repugnant to nature, and will be expelled, if possible. Therefore, that we may "be in the fear of the Lord all the day long," (Prov. xxiii. 17,) we must regard him in his endearing attributes, his love, his goodness and compassion, his rewarding mercy; and this will produce a filial fear of reverence and caution, lest we should offend so gracious a God. As the natural life is preserved by grateful food, not by aloes and wormwood, which are useful medicines; so the spiritual life is maintained by the comfortable apprehensions of God, as the Rewarder of our fidelity in all our trials.

(2.) Strip sin of its disguises, wash off its flattering colours, that you may see its native ugliness.—Joseph's reply to the tempter [was], "How can I do this great wickedness?" Illusion and concupiscence are the inducements to sin: when a lust represents the temptation as very alluring, and hinders the reflection of the mind upon the intrinsic and consequential evil of sin, it is like the putting [of] poison into the glass; but when it has so far corrupted the mind, that sin is esteemed a small evil, poison is thrown into the fountain. If we consider the majesty of the Lawgiver, there is no law small, nor sin small that is the transgression of it. Yet the most are secure in an evil course, by conceits that their sins are small. It is true, there is a vast difference between sins in their nature and circumstances: there are insensible omissions, and accusing acts; but the least is damnable. Besides, the allowance and number of sins, reputed small, will involve under intolerable guilt. What is lighter than a grain of sand? You may blow away a hundred with a breath. And what is heavier than a heap of sand condensed together? It is our wisdom and duty to consider the evil of sin in its essential malignity, which implies no less than that God was neither wise nor good in making his law, and that he is not just and powerful to vindicate it; and, when tempted to any pleasant sin, to consider the due aggravations of it, as Joseph did; which will control the efficacy of the temptation. I shall only add, that when a man has mortified the lusts of the flesh, he has overcome the main part of the infernal army that " against the soul." (1 Peter ii. 11.) Sensual objects do powerfully and pleasantly insinuate into carnal men, and the affections are very unwillingly restrained from them. To undertake the cure of those whose disease is their pleasure, is almost a vain attempt; for they do not judge it an evil to be regarded, and will not accept distasteful remedies.

wars

(3) Fly all tempting occasions of sin.-Joseph would not be alone with his mistress. There is no virtue so confirmed, and in that degree of eminence, but, if one be frequently engaged in vicious society, it is in danger of being eclipsed and controlled by the opposite vice. If the ermines will associate with the swine, they must lie in the mire; if the sheep with wolves, they must learn to bite and

devour; if doves with vultures, they must learn to live on the prey. Our surest guard is to keep at a distance from all engaging snares. He that from carelessness or confidence ventures into temptations, makes himself an easy prey to the tempter. And let us daily pray for the divine assistance to keep us from the evil of the world; without which all our resolutions will be as ineffectual as ropes of sand to bind us to our duty.

--

5. The consideration of the evil of sin is a powerful motive to our solemn and speedy repentance. The remembrance of our original and actual sins will convince us, that we are born for repentance. There are innumerable silent sins that are unobserved, and do not alarm the conscience; and although a true saint will neither hide any sin, nor suffer sin to hide itself in his breast, yet the most holy men in the world have great reason, with the Psalmist, to say, with melting affections, "Who can understand his errors? O cleanse thou me from secret faults;' (Psalm xix. 12;) discover them to me by the light of the word, and cover them in the blood of the Redeemer." There are sins of infirmity and daily incursion, from which none can be perfectly freed in this mortal state; these should excite our watchfulness, and be lamented with true tears. There are crying sins, of a crimson guilt, which are to be confessed with heart-breaking sorrow, confounding shame, and implacable antipathy against them, and to be forsaken for ever. Of these, some are of a deep dye in their nature, and some from the circumstances in committing them.

(1.) Some are of a heinous nature, and more directly and expressly renounce our duty, and more immediately obstruct our communion with God, as a mud wall intercepts the light of the sun from shining upon us.

(2.) Some derive a greater guilt from the circumstances in the commission. Such are,

(i.) Sins against knowledge.-For according to the ingrediency of the will in sin, the guilt arises. Now when conscience interposes between the carnal heart and the temptation, and represents the evil of sin, and deters from compliance, and yet men will venture to break the divine law, this exceedingly aggravates the offence; for such sins are committed with a fuller consent, and are justly called "rebellion against the light." And the clearer the light is, the more it will increase the disconsolate, fearful darkness in hell.

(ii.) Sins committed against the love as well as the law of God are exceedingly aggravated. To pervert the benefits we receive from God to his dishonour, to turn them into occasions of sin which were designed to endear obedience to us, to sin licentiously and securely in hopes of an easy pardon at last, is intensive of our guilt in a high degree. This is to poison the antidote, and make it deadly. There is a sacrifice to reconcile offended Justice; but if men obstinately continue in sin, and abuse the grace of the gospel, there is no sacrifice to appease exasperated Mercy.

(iii.) Sins committed against solemn promises and engagements to forsake them, have a deeper dye.-For perfidiousness is joined with

In

this disobedience. The divine law strictly binds us to our duty, antecedently to our consent; but when we promise to obey it, we increase our obligations, and by sinning break double chains. short, any habitual allowed sin induces a heavy guilt; for it argues a deeper root and foundation of sin in the heart, a stronger inclination to it, from whence the repeated acts proceed, which are new provocations to the pure eyes of God. Accordingly, in repenting reflections, our sorrow should be most afflicting, our humiliation deeper, our selfcondemnation most severe, for those sins which have been most dishonourable to God, and defiling to us. Not that we can make any satisfaction for our sins, though we should fill the air with our sighs, and heaven with our tears; but it becomes us to have our sorrows enlarged in some proportion to our unworthiness. And this mournful disposition prepares us for the grace of God. The law does not allow repentance, but exacts entire obedience: it is the privilege of the gospel that repenting sinners are assured of forgiveness. Without this qualification, it is inconsistent with the majesty, purity, and justice of God, to extend pardoning mercy to sinners; for they will never value, nor humbly and ardently seek for, mercy, till they feel the woful effects of sin in their conscience. Only the stung Israelite would look to the brasen serpent: (Num. xxi. 9 :) and this is requisite to prevent our relapsing into sin; for, the dominion of sin being founded in the love of pleasure, the proper means to extinguish it is by a bitter repentance; the heart is first broken for sin, and then from it.

To conclude: let us renew our repentance every day; let not the wounds of our spirits putrefy. Let not the sun go down upon God's wrath. (Eph. iv. 26.) Let us always renew the applications of Christ's blood that alone can cleanse us from sin.

SERMON XII.

BY THE REV. GEORGE HAMOND, A.M.

HOW MAY PRIVATE CHRISTIANS BE MOST HELPFUL TO PROMOTE

THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE GOSPEL ?

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without.-Colossians iv. 5.

THE case or question which comes to be spoken unto this morning is, How may private Christians be most helpful to promote the entertainment of the gospel?

Ye have heard the question; and, as I conceive, a due attendance unto the words read may lead us far toward the resolution of it: "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without." And for that reason was this text chosen. I design not, therefore, to frame a set discourse upon it, but only to lay it as a ground-work to support that which I have to offer toward the answering of the question propounded.

We have before us then a serious exhortation: "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without." And therein we may observe,

1. The persons to whom the apostle doth direct it.-And they are private Christians. This is apparent, (1.) In that here is no intimation given that he intended any other. Not one of those characters are set upon them whereby the pastors or guides of the church use to be distinguished from the community of believers. (2.) The duties which he exhorts them unto may undoubtedly, and ought to, be performed by private Christians : as, to "continue" instant "in prayer," and to "watch in the same with thanksgiving." (Verse 2.) To pray in special for the apostle himself, that he might receive divine assistance, and be blessed with success in the ministry of the gospel. (Verses 3, 4.) To "walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." (Verse 5.) That their "speech be alway with grace." (Verse 6.) With all which the same persons are charged. Now, to "walk in wisdom toward them that are without," is a duty of a great latitude. And if it comprehend the promoting of their conversion and salvation, as certainly it doth, (having an aptitude, tendency, and efficacy to help it on,) then must private Christians take themselves to be concerned therein; for to them is this exhortation directed. And so we have gained a very considerable point.

That we may, from this text, charge the duty upon the consciences of private Christians, in the name and authority of Jesus Christ,

2. We have an account of the persons with respect to whom, in a special manner, private Christians are counselled to “walk wisely.”And they are described by this periphrasis: "Them that are without;"

that is, such as had not as yet entertained the gospel, nor professed subjection to it, but still continued in a state of infidelity. This is clear from 1 Cor. v. 12, 13: "What have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth." The sum whereof is this: that scandalous Christians are to be corrected by church-censures, when milder remedies prove ineffectual. But those flagitious persons who are out of the pale of the church, are to be left to the judgment of God, and of the civil magistrates. Thus we are advanced one step farther; for we have discovered that those to whom private Christians may be very helpful may be such as are without," that is, Heathen, or infidels; and therefore they must not cast off all care of them.

3. We are to inquire, What is that special work and business in the disposal and management whereof private Christians are charged?— To"walk wisely toward them that are without." I suppose, none are so weak as to surmise, that the apostle's intent and meaning was, to caution them to make sure and advantageous bargains when they traded with infidels, who, being false and crafty, might be likely to over-reach them. This was too low for the apostle's spirit. It was something of a more sublime import and tendency; namely, to admonish and excite private Christians so to demean themselves in all things, that they might beget, even in the Heathen themselves, a due veneration for the gospel, and a love and liking of that holy religion which they professed. And, to enforce this his counsel, the apostle did set them a fair example in his own practice: "Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." (1 Cor. x. 33.) And hence we learn further, that private Christians, in their negotiations with Heathens and infidels, should not mind only the enriching of themselves, but chiefly the promoting of the conversion of those poor miserable souls to the faith of Jesus Christ.

4. In order to the winning over of infidels to Christ, private Christians ought sedulously to endeavour to promote the admission of the gospel among them; (for the gospel is the glorious chariot in which Christ is carried about the world;) and, that it may be entertained among them, to procure the preaching of it to them.-For that is God's method; and the apostle's way of reasoning is clear and strong: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent?" (Rom. x. 14, 15.) Here then are many

things wherein private Christians may be very helpful: as in seeking out and procuring those who may preach the gospel among them; encouraging and supplying those who give up themselves to that blessed work; in disposing those poor creatures, as much as they may, toward the reception of the gospel, and preventing or removing all impediments that might obstruct their entertainment of it. This shows us in what private Christians should desire and endeavour to be helpful; namely, in promoting the entertainment of the gospel.