hatred. Who would not have faid that Herod. fincerely loved John Baptift, when the very reafon affigned for his refpect and attendance is, that “he was a just man and an holy." Yet the fame Herod, when he was reproved by John for his fcandalous adultery and inceft, fhut him up in prifon. And afterwards, fo little was his conftancy, that when the daughter of Herodias had gained upon his affection by her dancing, and involved him in a rafh promife, he gratified: her mother's favage cruelty with the Baptift's head. The defcription of his fituation of mind is remarkable, but far from being fingular; we are told, "the king was exceeding forry; yet "for his oath's fake, and for their fakes that "fat with him, he would not reject her * Here was love in one fenfe, or in a certain degree; but he loved the damfel and her mother, and the good opinion of his courtly compani→ ons, still more than the faithful preacher.

We have innumerable examples of the fame thing every day before our eyes. Voluptuous men love the people of God, but will not obey their falutary counsel, because they love their lufts more. Covetous men will love the people of God, and praife them, and defend them, but will not open their purfes to provide for them, because they love their filver and

* Mark xvi. 26.

gold

gold more. What I have faid of this difpofition, might be easily shewn to hold with regard to every other. In fhort, whatever unseen or inward difference there may be; whatever diversity of operation of the holy and fovereign Spirit, the great trial to us is the fame which Chrift made of Peter: "Simon, son of Jonas, loveft "thou me more than these?" It is good that we should often repeat the question as he did, and bleffed is that man who is able in fincerity to fay with Peter, "Lord, thou knowest all "things, thou knowest that I love thee*."

I am fenfible, there will be many ready to challenge this, or at least to be inwardly diffatisfied with it, as too general and undetermined. They will be ready to think, that this leaves the matter ftill at a great uncertainty; and that it must be very difficult to decide in many cafes, whether the love of God or of the world hath the greatest habitual influence in the heart. The truth is, I am far from denying or diffembling that it is a matter of great difficulty in many inftances; nay, as I have hinted in fome of the former pages of this difcourfe, there are cafes in which it is altogether impoffible to come to any certain determination. In fome, grace and corruption are fo equally matched, as it were; * John xxi. 17.

have fuch violent struggles, and take their turns, so often, in reftraining and governing one another, that it will be hard to tell, till the laft day, which of them was strongest upon the whole. But this is no just objection to what I have delivered above. It was never intended that such unequal and variable Christians should enjoy much peace; and if they do, it is furely upon fome idle or imaginary ground. To many it may be justly faid as Jacob faid to his fon Reuben, "Unftable as water, thou shalt not excel*** Instead of devifing ways, and making fuppofitions, to encourage fuch perfons to think well of their own state, it is a far fafer, and much kinder office, to excite them to a holy jealoufy over themselves. This indeed feems to be the language of fcripture with regard to us all: "Let "us therefore fear, left a promife being left us. "of entering into his reft, any of you should "feem to come fhort of it †." Elsewhere, fays the fame apostle, "And we defire that every "one of you do fhew the fame diligence, to "the full affurance of hope unto the end."

The life of a Chriftian is conftantly represented in fcripture as a life of vigilance and caution, of activity and diligence. "Be fober and vigilant, "for your adverfary the devil, as a roaring lion, "walketh about feeking whom he may de. * Gen. xlix. 4. † Heb. iv. 1. + Heb. vi. 11.

6

vour."

"vour*." The fame apoftle fays, "And befides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance "patience, and to patience godliness, and to

godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly "kindness charity; for if these things be in you "and abound, they make you that ye fhall nei

ther be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge

of our Lord Jefus Chrift.-Wherefore the ra"ther, brethren, give diligence to make your "calling and election fure +." I beg it may be obferved, that this is no way contrary to that confidence in the divine mercy and good hope through grace, which the gospel imparts to the believer. Thefe are intended to animate him to diligence in duty, in dependance on divine ftrength, and are themselves gradually confirmed and improved, by producing their proper effects. Few seem to have enjoyed more of the confolations of the gospel than the apostle Paul; and yet he represents even the fear of final difappointment, as what daily influenced hisown conduct. But I keep under my body, and bring

it into fubjection, left that by any means, "when I have preached to others, I myself fhould be a caft-away

"

*I Pet. v. 8. † 2 Pet. i, 5-10,

+ 1 Cor. ix, 27. I can

I cannot help taking notice here, that there is often juft caufe to find fault even with perfons who, to all appearance, are fincerely pious upon this fubject. For all fuch I defire to have the highest esteem, and to treat them with the greatest tenderness and affection. In the mean time, they ought to be willing, and even defirous of having their mistakes pointed out to them.. Now I am perfuaded, there are many who seek after affurance of their own intereft in God's favour in a wrong way, and that they often expect it in a degree that is not suited to the prefent ftate.

1. They often seek it in a wrong way; they are ready to lay hold of impreffions upon their minds; and, in a variety of particulars, are in danger of repeating the fin of the Pharifees, who asked a fign from heaven. When a minister is fpeaking or writing on this subject, they expect fomething particular and personal; and, if I may speak fo, that he should be in God's flead, and give them afsurance, in place of telling them, how they ought to feek it. But this eagerness, from however good a difpofition it may spring, is unwarranted and prepofterous. We must be fatisfied to walk in the way that God bath pointed out to us; to give thanks to him for the fure foundation of a finner's hope which is