the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.-1 JOHN. iii. 10. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Je- sus Christ.-2 PETER i. 11. SERVICE DONE FOR GOD REWARDED. And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus ; every head was made bald, and every shoul- der was peeled; yet had he no wages, nor his army for Ty- rus, for the service that he had served against it: therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey : and it shall be the wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against NEUTRALITY IN RELIGION EXPOSED. No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and des- pise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon,-MAT- And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! for whosoever shall APPENDIX. SERMON I, MISTAKES CONCERNING THE NUMBER OF THE RIGHTEOUS. ROм. xi, 2-4. WOT TE NOT WHAT THE SCRIPTURE SAITH OF ELIAS? HOW HE MAKETH INTERCESsion to God against Israel, SAYING, LORD, ther HAVE KILLED THY PROPHETS, AND DIGGED DOWN THINE ALTARS ; AND I AM LEFT ALONE, AND THEY SEEK MY LIFE. BUT WHAT SAITH THE ANSWER OF GOD UNTO HIM? I HAVE RESErved to myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN, WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO THE IMAGE OF BAAL. 66 W HO can understand his errors ?" How numerous, how various, how opposite to each other, are the mistakes of mankind? The lives and the language of many seem to imply a full persuasion, that there is very little evil in sin; that the difficulties of religion are by no means great; that it is an easy thing to be a christian; that if there be a hell, few are wicked enough to be turned into it; and that the generality of our fellow creatures are in a fair way for heaven. This persuasion is as false as it is fatal. "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, "and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction, B "and many there be which go in thercat: because "strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth "unto life, and few there be that find it." Is it possible, however, to fall into another extreme, and to draw an unwarrantable conclusion respecting the state of religion, and the number of its adherents; and even wise men, and good men, are liable to this. "Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how "he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged "down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they "seek my life. But what saith the answer of God "unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand "men, who have not bowed the knee to the image " of Baal." We are going then to examine the opinion that reduces the number of the righteous. We fhall lay open the various sources from which it proceeds, and by discovering the cause, we shall prescribe the cure. Sometimes we draw the conclusion from THE PECULIAR STATE OF OUR OWN MINDS. By the indisposition of the body, or the depression of the animal spirits, our minds are soon affected; we become sad, gloomy, peevish, suspicious. In this situation our minds are unhinged, and easily receive a falling motion; we are more alive to the influence of fear than hope; the darker the intelligence, the more credible; one direction is given to every occurrence, and the invariable inference is, "all these things are against "me." And such seems to have been the condition of Elijah. His language betrays acrimony, petulancy, and despair. Sometimes we are led to this reflection, BY OBSERV ING MULTIPLIED INSTANCES OF FALSE PROFESSION. These are to be found in every period of the church : our own age abounds with them, and some of these unhappy characters excite our surprise, as well as our sorrow. They promised fair; they "did many wonderful things;" for a while they bore cheerfully "the "reproach of the cross;" they passed us on the road, and reproved the sluggishness of our steps. By and by we met them on their return, laughing at that which once made them tremble, and loathing that which was once esteemed by them like life from the dead. Our entreaties were despised; as far as the eye could reach, we watched them with tears and alarm; sat down "discouraged because of the way," and "said in our haste ALL men are liars."-" Take "ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not "in ANY brother: for EVERY brother wili utterly sup-. "plant, and EVERY neighbour will walk with flan"ders." But it was in our haste we said this; it was a rash conclusion. What, because there is counterfeit coin, is there no genuine gold? Were all the disciples false, because one of them was a devil? "They went "out from us, but they were not of us: for if they "had been of us, they would no doubt have continued "with us. but they went out that it might be made "manifest they were not all of us." But, alas! the falling star strikes every eye, while few observe the fixed and the regular orbs. The apostacy of one pretender often excites more attention than the lives of many solid and steady christians. They who would never mention the excellencies of professors, will be |