ftrefs upon it; and yet it is fo little regarded, that were we to judge by the practice of christians, one fhould be tempted to think there were no fuch verfes in the Bible.

But to proceed in the character of an almost chriftian: If we confider him in respect of himself; as we faid he was ftrictly honest to his neighbour, fo he is likewise strictly sober in himself but then both his honefty and fobriety proceed from the fame principle of a falfe felf-love. It is true, he runs not into the fame excess of riot with other men; but then it is not out of obedience to the laws of GOD, but either because his conftitution will not away with intemperance; or rather because he is cautious of fortciting his reputation, or unfitting himself for temporal business. But though he is fo prudent as to avoid intemperance and excefs, for the reasons before-mentioned; yet he always goes to the extremity of what is lawful. It is true, he is no drunkard; but then he has no chriftian felf-denial. He cannot think our Saviour to be fo auftere a Maiter, as to deny us to indulge ourselves in fome particulars and fo by this means he is destitute of a fense of true religion, as much as if he lived in debauchery, or any other crime whatever. As to fettling his principles as well as practice, he is guided more by the world, than by the word of God for his part, he cannot think the way to heaven fo narrow as fome would make it; and therefore confiders not fo much what fcripture requires, as what fuch and fuch a good man does, or what will beft fuit his own corrupt inclinations. Upon this account, he is not only very cautious himself, but likewife very careful of young converts, whose faces are fet heavenward; and therefore is always acting the devil's part, and bidding them fpare themselves, though they are doing no more than what the fcripture ftrictly requires them to do: The confequence of which is, that "he fuffers not himself to enter into the kingdom of GoD, and thofe that are entering in he hinders."

Thus lives the almost chriftian: not that I can fay, I have fully defcribed him to you; but from these outlines and fketches of his character, if your confciences have done their proper office, and made a particular application of what has

been

been faid to your own hearts, I cannot but fear that fome of you may observe some features in his picture, odious as it is, too near resembling your own; and therefore I cannot but hope, that you will join with the apostle in the words immediately following the text, and wish yourselves" to be not only almost, but altogether chriflians."

II. I proceed to the fecond general thing proposed; to confider the reasons why fo many are no more than almost chriftians.

1. And the first reafon I fhall mention is, becaufe fo many fet out with falfe notions of religion; though they live in a chriftian country, yet they know not what chriftianity is. This perhaps may be efteemed a hard faying, but experience fadly evinces the truth of it; for fome place religion in being of this or that communion; more in morality; most in a round of duties, and a model of performances; and few, very few acknowledge it to be, what it really is, a thorough inward change of nature, a divine life, a vital participation of JESUS CHRIST, an union of the foul with GOD; which the apostle expreffes by faying, "He that is joined to the LORD is one fpirit." Hence it happens, that fo many, even of the moft knowing profeffors, when you come to converse with them concerning the effence, the life, the foul of religion, I mean our new birth in JESUS CHRIST, confefs themselves, quite ignorant of the matter, and cry out with Nicodemus, "How can this thing be?" And no wonder then, that so many are only almoft chriftians, when fo many know not what christianity is: no marvel, that fo many take up with the form, when they are quite ftrangers to the power of godlinefs; or content themselves with the fhadow, when they know fo little about the fubftance of it. And this is one cause why so many are almost, and so few are altogether chriftians.

2. A fecond reafon that may be affigned why fo many are ho more than almost chriftians, is a fervile fear of man: multitudes there are and have been, who, though awakened to å fense of the divine life, and have tasted and felt the powers of the world to come; yet out of a base finful fear of being counted

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counted fingular, or contemned by men, have fuffered all thofe good impreffions to wear off. It is true, they have fome efteem for JESUS CHRIST; but then, like Nicodemus, they would come to him only by night: they are willing to ferve him; but then they would do it fecretly, for fear of the Jews: they have a mind to fee JESUS, but then they cannot come to him because of the prefs, and for fear of being laughed at, and ridiculed by the fe with whom they used to fit at meat. But well did our Saviour prophefy of fuch perfons, "How can ye love me, who receive honour one of another?" Alas! have they never read, that "the friendship of this world is enmity with God;" and that our LORD himself has threatened, "Whofoever fhall be ashamed of me or of my words, in this wicked and adulterous generation, of him shall the Son of man be afhamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father and of his holy angels?" No wonder that fo many are no more than almost chriftians, fince fo many "love the praise of men more than the honour which cometh of GOD."

3. A third reason why so many are no more than almost chriftians, is a reigning love of money. This was the pitiable cafe of that forward young man in the gospel, who came running to our bleffed LORD, and kneeling before him, enquired "what he muft do to inherit eternal life;" to whom our bleffed Mafter replied, "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal:" To which the young man replied, "All these have I kept from my youth." But when our LORD proceeded to tell him, "Yet lackeft thou one thing; Go fell all that thou haft, and give to the poor; he was grieved at that faying, and went away forrowful, for he had great poffeffions!" Poor youth! he had a good mind to be a chriftian, and to inherit eternal life, but thought it too dear, if it could be purchased at no lefs an expence than of his eftate! And thus many, both young and old, now-a-days, come running to worship our bleffed LORD in public, and kneel before him in private, and enquire at his gofpel, what they muft do to inherit eternal Jife: but when they find they muft renounce the felf-enjoyment of riches, and forfake all in affection to follow him, they

crys

cry, "The LORD pardon us in this thing! We pray thee, have us excufed."

But is heaven fo fmall a trifle in men's efteem, as not to be worth a little gilded earth? Is eternal life fo mǝan a purchase, as not to deferve the temporary renunciation of a few tranfitory riches? Surely it is. But however inconfiftent fuch a behaviour may be, this inordinate love of money is too evidently the common and fatal cause, why so many are no more than almoft chriftians.

4. Nor is the love of pleasure a lefs uncommon, or a less fatal caufe why fo many are no more than almost chriftians. Thousands and ten thousands there are, who defpife riches, and would willingly be true difciples of JESUS CHRIST, if parting with their money would make them fo; but when they are told that our bleffed LORD has faid, "Whosoever will come after him muft deny himself;" like the pitiable young man before-mentioned, "they go away forrowful :" for they have too great a love for fenfual pleasures. They will perhaps fend for the minifters of CHRIST, as Herod did for John, and hear them gladly: but touch them in their Herodias, tell them they must part with fuch or fuch a darling pleasure; and with wicked Ahab they cry out, "Haft thou found us, O our enemy?" Tell them of the neceffity of mortification and self-denial, and it is as difficult for them to hear, as if you was to bid them "cut off a right-hand, or pluck out a right-eye." They cannot think our bleffed LORD requires fo much at their hands, though an inspired apostle has commanded us to "mortify our members which are upon earth." And who himself, even after he had converted thoufands, and was very near arrived to the end of his race, yet profeffed that it was his daily practice to "keep under his body, and bring it into subjection, left after he had preached to others, he himself should be a cast-away!"

But fome men would be wifer than this great apoftle, and chalk out to us what they falfely imagine an easier way to happiness. They would flatter us, we may go to heaven without offering violence to our fenfual appetites; and enter

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into

into the ftrait gate without ftriving against our carnal inclina, tions. And this is another reafon why fo many are only almoft, and not altogether chriftians.

5. The fifth and laft reafon I fhall affign why fo many are only almoft chriftians, is a ficklenefs and inftability of tem

per.

It has been, no doubt, a misfortune that many a minifter and fincere chriftian has met with, to weep and wail over numbers of promifing converts, who feemingly began in the Spirit, but after a while fell away, and bafely ended in the flesh; and this not for want of right notions in religion, nor out of a fervile fear of man, nor from the love of money, or of fenfual pleasure, but through an inftability and fickleness of temper. They looked upon religion merely for novelty, as fomething which pleased them for a while, but after their curiofity was fatisfied, they laid it afide again: like the young man that came to fee JESUS with a linen cloth about his naked body, they have followed him for a feafon, but when temptations came to take hold on them, for want of a little more refolution, they have been stripped of all their good intentions, and fled away naked. They at firft, like a tree planted by the water-fide, grew up and flourished for a while; but having no root in themselves, no inward principle of holiness and piety, like fanah's gourd, they were foon dried up and withered. Their good intentions are too like the violent motions of the animal fpirits of a body newly beheaded, which, though impetuous, are not lafting. In fhort, they fet out well in their journey to heaven, but finding the way either narrower or longer than they expected, through an unsteadinefs of temper, they have made an eternal halt, and foreturned like the dog to his vomit, or like the fow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire!"

But I tremble to pronounce the fate of fuch unftable profeffors, who having put their hands to the plough, for want of a little more refolution, fhamefully look back. How fhall I repeat to them that dreadful threatening, "If any man draw back, my foul shall have no pleafure in him :" And again,