truth of his doctrine, and to save mankind; and I believe that there will be a resurrection of the

dead, and that Christ will judge the world at the Last Day, when every man will be rewarded according to that he hath done in the body.' These few but important articles compose the substance of the Christian's faith; and on them my mind hath long rested with certainty and confidence."

In this way many deceive themselves, supposing that they are of course Christians, because they happen to have been born in a Christian country, and have been baptized: and thus they get over the exhortation of the text, merely because they profess to believe the historical facts respecting our Saviour and his Apostles. They think that the admonition, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith," does not at all belong to them who are believers, but only to infidels, or to persons who have only lately heard of the Gospel, or who are not yet satisfied with the evidences of its truth. "This advice does not belong to me: let others, who have a more sceptical turn of thinking than I have, or who have had a less fortunate education, struggle from day to day, and harass their minds with doubts and

scruples respecting the truth or the nature of revelation. Such persons will do well to regard the Apostle's advice touching this matter; they will do well to search and try and examine themselves, whether they be in the faith of the Gospel : nor will it be safe for them not to persevere in this exercise of the trial of evidences so long as they are not firmly grounded in their belief. And, doubtless, in the first ages of Christianity it was also needful that a similar scrutiny should be made into the veracity and integrity of the witnesses of the truth of Christ's religion. It was then highly proper and commendable, that reasonable men should with a jealous attention inquire whether the extraordinary events reported to have happened concerning Christ and his followers did really happen; and therefore there was a peculiar force and suitableness in the exhortation of the Apostle at the time it was given but surely a precept of this nature, Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith,' can be applied but very weakly to a believer of the eighteenth century. I have long been rooted and grounded in the faith; and so have my countrymen, or at least the bulk of them, for ages past. I have

not my faith to seek; I have considered the reasons in support of the Gospel, and I cau answer the objections. Moreover, both the reasons and the objections have been well probed and sifted for many centuries past; so that the mind acquiesces in the conclusion with confidence. Truth and reason have done their part: neither the obstinacy nor the acuteness of infidelity are to be feared I have considered all that can be said on both sides. These are my unfeigned sentiments; and, such being the case, I cannot but think, that, even if St. Paul were alive, he would judge it useless to examine me whether I was in the faith. He would soon perceive that I understood the nature of the Christian faith. He might with propriety enough exhort me to obey; but he would no longer urge me to believe."

Should there be several persons in this congregation whose notion of Christian faith accords with this description, to such persons I may more particularly presume to address the sequel of this discourse; and it is my sincere wish and earnest prayer that I may be able to make some abiding impression on their minds, to the everlasting benefit of their immortal souls. With such views

and convictions, be assured you are not in the possession of true Christian faith, which worketh by love. Yours is a speculative, dead faith, which will never conduct you to heaven: yours is the faith of which St. James speaks, and which does not justify a man. This is the faith which the devils may have: "The devils," says the same Apostle, "believe and tremble." I know very well your answer will be ready; That you do not expect to attain heaven by this faith, but that your obedience also is required: you must still do the best you can in obeying the Law of God, though imperfectly. The only observations. which I shall make on this reply, at present, are the following.

In the first place, I might observe, that I never knew a person who described his faith, and the grounds of his hope of acceptance, in such terms, to have any considerable and abiding concern on his mind respecting his future salvation. "I have done my duty in part: and who has performed it completely? God is merciful: he is not a hard task-master, to mark what is done amiss, Nor am I more blamable than most persons of my rank, fortune, or situation in life. I am not

more sinful than my neighbours. I hope to receive pardon in the great day of account. I have either committed no gross sins, or I have long agó repented of them, and have left off the practice."

Secondly, This is not the scriptural language of a humble and contrite sinner, in any stage of the Christian life or warfare. What said the Jailor in the beginning of his conversion? He cried, "What shall I do to be saved?" What said St. Paul, though full of the Holy Ghost, and in the midst of a glorious Christian warfare, and in the strong exercise of health of body, vigour of mind, and great talents? "Oh, wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death!" And what was the language of the man after God's own heart, of holy David, at the conclusion of a life spent in the service of his God? and where were his hopes placed? "He hath made with me an everlasting covenant!" And if on this occasion I were to bring forth from the holy Scriptures a cloud of examples, the sum and substance would be this,-namely, there is something further in this matter than ever is to be expected from mere speculative faith or pha