things. I answer, sincerity added to a sin does not make it virtue; sincerity added to a heresy does not make it orthodoxy. When one is sincere, we respect the man because he is so; but if he is in error, we do not the less condemn the error, because he is sincere that holds it. The sincerity with which he holds it makes us no less heartily denounce the error that ruins his soul. I have not a doubt that there are sincere Jews, sincere and enthusiastic Romanists, sincere Socinians and skeptics—I have no doubt of it. Their sincerity must make me treat them with respect, their error remains to be judged by him in whose word it is clearly and unequivocally denounced. Saul of Tarsus said, "I verily thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus." He was perfectly sincere; but he adds, in the retrospect of his sincerity, "Those things which were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ; and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ." The sincerest ecclesiastic, and the sincerest moralist, if unjustified by a righteousness without them, and unwashed in the Redeemer's blood, when weighed in the scales of the sanctuary, must be found "altogether wanting." There is not, in one word, a saint upon earth, the most excellent that ever breathed, who is not compelled at every moment to say, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us;" and there is not an enlightened and a Christian heart that does not breathe, in the prospect of a judgment-seat, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight can no man living be justified." There is not a Christian in this assembly who knows what sin is, and what his own heart is, and how pure, how perfect, how infinite in its exactions is the holy law of God, who does not feel," If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquity, O Lord, who could stand?" Therefore there is not a Christian who, as he thinks of this dread balance, and of that most perfect law, and of his own deep and conscious defects, does not cry, and cry with unfeigned lips, "God be merciful to me a sinner."

How then can we meet this law? how can we escape the inscription "tekel," weighed and found wanting? Against the law is weighed for us the magnifier of that law. Against the law with its infinite demands, is weighed the infinite righteousness

of him that made it honourable. Against the breach of that law is placed that precious blood which cleanseth from all sin. When we look at that law, the inscription impressed upon every soul is, "weighed and found wanting." But when we look at Christ, who is our representative in the prospect of the decisions of that law, then the inscription "tekel," weighed and found wanting, is washed away in his precious blood, and the glorious and illuminated characters are inscribed in their stead, 66 complete in Christ, without spot or blemish, or any such thing."

I have looked then at man as weighed against God's holy law; and we have seen that by deeds of law no flesh can be justified"—that "weighed and found wanting" is our inscription by nature; and that justified, and complete, and accepted is only our inheritance by grace. I now take the expression "weighed and found wanting" in reference to Christian character. I put in the one scale not God's holy law, but I put in it true, though it may not be perfect, Christian character; and I wish you to look at various characters, as weighed against it, and see if we are among those who, thus weighed, are "found wanting."

In the first place, they are weighed and found wanting who are not converted, or born again, or changed in heart and spirit. We are told in Scripture that the carnal mind is "enmity against God," and the unconverted man, however outwardly decorous, is the child of the wicked one. Now understand what I mean by regeneration. I do not mean baptism; I do not mean a decent outward change; but total transformation of character—a transition from a state of darkness, of distance, and of sin, to a state of light, of nearness to God, of holiness, and of happiness. I mean by it, not a mere ecclesiastical change, but life from the dead, or as it called by the apostle, "a new creature." It is not, as some persons call it, thoughtfulness. That is not conversion. It is not seriousness, but regeneration it is not becoming thoughtful, but it is being converted. It is not outward conformity to any requirement, but a thorough, inner, radical revolution of mind, of preference, of wishes, of hopes. It is not religious excitement; it is not ecclesiastical zeal; it is not an inappreciable and minute change, but it is as complete in the soul as the symbol that indicates it, "being born again."

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Do not deceive yourselves in this matter: depend upon it, it is far easier to know if we are so than many persons are disposed to admit. Many get rid of the responsibility of ascertaining if they are so, by pronouncing it very difficult and very delicate. Certainly, to pronounce upon others is a very doubtful and delicate point; but to pronounce upon ourselves is not so difficult a thing as our own passions and prejudices lead us to suppose. I ask you, can the sun rise to his meridian at noon and shine upon the earth, and we be unconscious of it? Can the dead step forth from their tombs, and themselves not be aware of the change? Can the spring burst upon the earth, and make it break forth into blossom, verdure, and beauty, and we not know it? Can the slave be made free-the maniac be made rational, and neither of them be conscious that a great change has overtaken them? And yet all these changes are not greater, but very much less than that change which must pass upon every man before he can see the kingdom of heaven; for it is written, "Except," and until "ye be born again, ye cannot see the kingdom of God." And therefore, my dear friends, whatever excellencies you may have outwardly-and I do not wish to depreciate them-whatever external accomplishments you may haveand I do not wish to deny them-if they were weighed, the brightest of them all, against the definition of Christian character, as given by the Spirit of God, will be found utterly "wanting." Then, if this be so, is there a question we can ask which more vitally concerns us than this—Are we born again? are we shams or realities? are we Christians or worldlings? are we transformed by the Spirit of God, or are we still "dead in trespasses and sins?" If I have overstated the doctrine, then you may despise it; but if I have understated it, which is what I have done, then, my dear friends, carry home with you this night this deep, personal, individual impression, that whatever you may have be, whatever you may have given, whatever you may have suffered, whatever you have sacrificed, however you may have been baptized, at whatever church or chapel you may worship, "except ye be born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God."

Let me, in the next place, state this-men are "weighed and

found wanting" when they are living, constantly living, at this moment in the practice of any known, deliberate, and voluntary sin. It is true of every man at every moment, "if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves;" but it is as true of the Christian at every moment, that he wars against all transgressions, and becomes every day, like the shining light, more and more victorious. Do not in this matter deceive yourselves. If you harbour deliberately pride, vain-glory, avarice, ambition, murmuring, discontent, bitterness, evil-speaking, lying, and slandering if these sins you knowingly indulge in, then, my dear friends, you give evidence in so far, that you are not born again —that you have not the Christian character that will standthat you are in the category and condition of those who, when weighed in the scales in order to ascertain if they are fit for the kingdom of heaven, have in them that amount of alloy which destroys all the value of the gold: they have not reached the standard-they cannot be stamped with the impress of divine approval-they must be rejected as reprobate and worthless. gold.

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They, too, in the next place, are "weighed and found wanting," who do not exhibit in their character the distinctive and peculiar features of the gospel of Christ. Many men are constitutionally moral, and the man who is addicted to one sin from his constitutional temperament, is generally found the most eloquent denouncer of him who lives in the sin to which he is not naturally prone. There may be very moral men who nevertheless are not Christians. If I understand the object of the pel, it is not simply to make us moral, but to make us more than moral—“a holy nation, a peculiar people-a chosen generation, zealous of good works." Surely Christ did not die-surely Pentecost did not dawn, in order that we might be just like the rest of mankind, in order that it might be very difficult to distinguish whether we are Christians or not. The little space between us and the world is proof. I fear the world has not made a nearer approach to us, but that we have made a nearer descent toward the world. If I read the Scriptures aright-and it is so clear in these cases that he that reads it may run while he reads it-Christians are a people distinguished and separate from the

rest of the world; they belong to an empire of glory and of beauty, so impressive, that the world's enmity is provoked by the contrast. I ask you if you are the subjects of this empire? if you, not separating myself from you, are characterized by the features of them who are heirs of God-who are followers of the Lamb-who are witnesses for Christ-who let their light so shine before men that others, seeing their good works, might glorify their Father in heaven.

All these, I would notice, are "weighed and found wanting"wanting in their fitness for heaven, which is just as necessary as their title to heaven, of which I have already spoken. Never forget this great truth, that we need two things in order to reach heaven; we need as much the work of the Spirit of God within us to fit us for heaven, as we need the work and the righteousness of Christ without us to entitle us to heaven; and the man whose heart has not been changed by the Spirit's power, may depend upon it, that he is destitute of any thing like a title that will admit him to the presence of God and of the Lamb.

I have looked at man then as "weighed and defective" in his title; I am looking at him now as "weighed and defective" in his fitness for the kingdom of heaven: and I observe, that they are weighed and found wanting," who take deeper interest in the affairs of the world than they take in those of Christ. One of the characteristics of earthly minds given by the apostle is, "who mind earthly things." One of the characteristics of the people of God is, "whose conversation, i. e. their conduct, their sympathies, their feelings, are all in heaven. I ask you, what is the predominating tone in your mind, what is the great direction in which you are impelled? where runs, and to what runs the main current of all your sympathies, your affections, your hopes, and your desires? We are not, my dear friends, borne to heaven accidentally no man goes to heaven but he that sets his heart thitherward. Ask yourselves then, Do you mind earthly things, or heavenly things? what is the aim, the object, the predominating desire of your mind? where is your heart? what is your treasure? for whom do you chiefly live? These are weighty questions: they are scriptural ones; your response to them will