SERMON X.

THE SHAME AND DANGER OF BEING CHRISTIANS

WITHOUT CHRISTIANITY.

EZEKIEL xliii. 10.

THOU SON OF MAN, SHEW THE HOUSE TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, THAT THEY MAY BE ASHAMED OF THEIR INIQUITIES: AND LET THEM MEASURE THE PATTERN.a

I Made choice of these words, in order to oblige Chriftians to reflect upon their own conduct, and the danger they are in who lead a life contrary to what they believe and profess.

I was fure it was a moft proper method, because the Spirit of God directed the prophet to do the fame;-To fhew the house of Ifrael their pattern, that they might measure it; that is, take particular notice of it, and be afhamed when they fhould fee with their own. eyes how fadly they come fhort of it.

I confidered alfo what an effect the like method had upon king David, when, forgetting himself and his God, he had taken the wife of Uriah; and how truly he judged, that the

See Pfal. i. 21. Jer. vii. 9. vii. 14. John xiii. 15. Phil. i. 27. &c. viii. 12.

Ezek. xx. 4. and xxii. 2. Matth. 1 Theff. ii. 12. I John i. 6,

rich man deserved no mercy, who had fo barbarously taken away a poor man's only lamb for his ufe, when he had enough of his own; and lastly, how bitterly the king repented of his fin, when the prophet made him fenfible that this was his own cafe.

The way I took in my former difcourfe on these words, to convince Chriftians of the Shame and danger of being Chriftians without Christianity, and that as far as they come short of their pattern, fo far they will most certainly come short of that happiness which God has promised his faithful fervants, was this:-I first fhewed, that the great defign of the gofpel was to make men holy, that they might be capable of being happy. Then I explained the means which God has appointed to bring that defign about; fuch are, his Word and Sacraments, his Minifters, and his Sabbaths. After this, I fhewed-how little the generality of Christians are affected with this gracious defign of God for their good, how little they esteem it, and how indifferently they comply with the means ordained by God for bringing that defign about. This I did to awaken Christians into a sense of the danger they are in, if they fhould continue to defpife fo great means of falvation.

The next thing I propofed, was to fet before you, in one fhort view, your pattern, with respect to the things required on our part to fit us for heaven and happiness. And this is

what

what I purpose, by God's bleffing, to do at this time.

Now the things required on our part, are FAITH and REPENTANCE. To believe in God, and to keep his commandments, is what every christian promises when he is baptized. We will first confider, what it is which we profefs to believe. We profefs to believe of God, that he is infinite in power;—that we depend on him for life, and breath, and all things;-that he knows and fees every thing that is done;-that he is perfectly boly, and cannot but be displeased with every thing that is wicked or unjuft;-that he is infinitely juft, in punishing such as abuse his goodness; for his goodness is such, that he cannot command any thing which is not abfolutely neceffary for the happiness of his creatures; and laftly, that he is most faithful and true, and will make good all his promises.

Now; the duties which fhould follow from the knowledge and belief of these things, are thefe: that we should fear this great God; that we should fear to offend him above all things;-that we should love him with all our heart, forafmuch as all the bleffings we enjoy, or hope for, are the effect of his goodness;that we fhould keep his commandments, it being our intereft as well as duty to do fo;that we should be thankful for his favours, never murmur at what he orders for us;depend upon his word and promifes ;-and

honour

honour and reverence every thing that belongs to him.

If our faith in God has not these effects, it is furely not fuch as it fhould be. For to believe is to be perfuaded of the truth of the thing we believe.

But can it be faid with any truth, that Christians do generally live as if they were really perfuaded of the truth of those things which yet they profefs to believe? For if men are not at all afraid of offending God, and of breaking his laws, it cannot be faid, that they are convinced that God will punish finners, and that he fees all their ways.

Will Chriftians, who live at all adventures without fear and without concern, fay, that they verily believe, and are perfuaded, that joys unfpeakable will be the portion of good and that unutterable miseries will be the lot of the wicked?

men,

Will a man say that he loves God with all his foul, whofe confcience tells him, that he loves many things better; that he feldom thinks of God, and that he takes little care to please him?

Shall we pretend to fay, that we put our whole trust in God, when we feldom ask for his guidance and bleffing; when we value not his promises, nor are careful to perform the conditions on which all his promises are made?

How do we exprefs our dependance upon God, when we are not careful to pray to him

for

for what we want, and forget to give him thanks for the mercies we every day receive from him?

With what affurance will a man fay, that be fears him who can deftroy both body and foul in bell, who will act against his confcience for the fear of man, or to avoid any worldly inconvenience?

Laftly; Will any man fay, that he honours God, who upon every occafion takes his name in vain; who sets no value upon his word or ordinances; who defpifes his minifters and his fabbaths?

These things are so inconfiftent with what we profefs to believe of God, that Chriftians only want to reflect a very little, and to compare their doings with their pattern, to fill them with thame and confufion.

And fo it would, in the next place, if they would but confider what they profess to believe concerning JESUS CHRIST, and the of falvation by him made known to us.

way

We acknowledge him to be the Son of God;-that God fent him to make his will known to us;-that he taught us, both by his word and example, how to live and to please God. He knew that we could never be happy till we were restored to the favour of God, which we never could be, till we fhould be reftored to his image. In order to this he proposes to us-the forgiveness of all our fins, upon our fincere repentance, the affiftance of

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God's