A

REBUKE TO BACKSLIDERS,

AND A

SPUR FOR LOITERERS

BY

THE REV. RICHARD ALLEN.

VOL. 18:

REBUKE TO BACKSLIDERS, &c.

ISAIAH Ixiv. 6, 7.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a-leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calls upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.

IN the former of these verses, we find the Church making a double complaint,-of their sin, and of their affliction.

1. Of their sin. There all misery begins, and there all our complaints should begin. We are all, not an unclean thing, but as an unclean thing, as the worst of things, as any thing that is most filthy and unclean. There is the uncleanness of a toad, a venomous deadly uncleanness: our uncleanness is as bad as that; our hearts are, as it is said the evil tongue is, full of deadly poison. There is the uncleanness of a leper, a contagious uncleanness: such is ours; we have infected one another; we are all infected. There is the uncleanness of a serpent, a stinging uncleanness: such is ours; our sin has bitten us, and stung us to the heart. There is the uncleanness of a dunghill, a stinking uncleanness: such is our uncleanness; our iniquities have made us to stink before the LORD. Find out any thing that is worse, or more unclean than all these; whatever it be, our sin has made us as bad as the worst; nothing can be said too bad of sin, and none speak worse of it than the people of GOD. Those that are all sin, carry it as if there were no hurt in it: we cannot make sinners sensible what evil there is in sin; but saints feel it.

2. Of their afflictions: “ We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have driven us away;” driven us into banishment, driven us into captivity, carried us away from our country, and from the city of our GOD, yea, and from the favor and presence of our GOD, into a strange land, into our enemy's hands. We all do fade and wither like a leaf; our sin has brought us down into a decaying, withering state; and our iniquities, like the wind, have driven us away. Withered, faded leaves, you see how they are blown down and carried away with every wind, when those that are green and flourishing keep their stand against wind and weather. In verse 7, we have an additional complaint: yet” there is none that calls upon thy name.” Our punishment found us in a polluted and wasted state, and behold we grow worse and worse; we wither daily. Prayer fails; than which, there is not a more deadly symptom of a decayed soul. Prayer is the very breath of a Christian when men's breath fails, they die and turn to their earth.

“ There is none that calls upon thy name.” Calling upon the name of God, is sometimes taken for prayer” Call upon me in the day of trouble;” (Ps. 1:;) that is, pray unto GOD. Sometimes calling upon the name of GOD is put, as prayer is, for all religion. (Gen. 4: 26.) In the text, you may take the words as comprehending both senses, prayer in special, and all religion in general and indeed, that is no praying that leads not on to all religion.

As these words, “ There is none that calls upon thy name, “ note the neglect of prayer, in that sense I have spoken of them elsewhere. My present purpose is to speak of them in the latter sense, as the neglect of calling upon the name of GOD denotes the neglect of all religion.

I observe here, that consumption upon professors is the highway to confusion anal destruction. If we wither and fade as a leaf, our iniquities as the wind will scatter and drive us away. If grey hairs be upon us, death and destruction are near.

Beloved, you can hardly be ignorant what complaints there are, even from all quarters of our land; what a decay there is every where upon professors of religion: and whether this consuming disease has not seized upon many of us here, I leave it to your own consciences to judge. The consideration hereof has engaged me to enlarge on this subject, beyond what I at first intended; and I beseech you every one, to set your hearts upon the words I shall speak, so as both to make a narrow inquiry each one into himself, whether you be grown into such a decay, and to endeavor a speedy recovery. I remember how it hath been with this congregation. What a glorious and hopeful morning appeared! What a spring-tide there was of converts flowing in to the LORD, and what a day of warm and holy affections among us! Whether our day has continued its brightness, according to the spring of our morning, let us sadly consider before the LORD.

I shall first open this disease to you, and then show you, that where it proves general, there this consumption is a forerunner of confusion and destruction.

I. For the first, know, there is a two-fold decay or consumption in religion:-I. Partial. 2. Total.

1. Partial or gradual; a declining or consuming in some degree; a growing into a worse case than sometimes we were; a growing weak, and cold, and remiss in our religion; an abating or losing of our former care, strength, life, affection, and vigor of soul: and this may be incident to real Christians, who are subject to decay, (1.) Inwardly, (2.) Outwardly.

(1.) Inwardly, in the state of their souls,: they may be backsliders in heart. (Prov. 14: 14.) Particularly, First, there may be a shaking of their faith: the foundations may be shaken; there may be a failing of the firmness of their belief of the truth of the Gospel, and some declinings towards infidelity. Secondly, There may be a wearing out of their sense of the importance of those truths which they do believe. Though the Gospel may still be received as unquestionable truth, though the evidence of its truth may be so clear as that they cannot question it, yet the weight of it may not be so much felt upon their hearts; the truths believed may not be so much minded, nor so thoroughly considered, as to leave any powerful impressions of them upon their hearts. Those great things, the worth and value of a soul, the dreadfulness of losing it, the excellency and necessity of CHRIST, the eternal weight of glory, the everlasting vengeance of GOD against the unrighteousness of men, though believed, yet may not be so duly minded: they may be so much out of their eye, and out of their thoughts, that the sense of them may seem to be lost. Friends, it is not the being of these great things, no, nor the bare believing that they are, but the having that height and depth, that life and death in our eye, that will work upon the heart. Thirdly, there may be a decay, as of faith so of all other inward graces. Hence it is that the Apostle prays so earnestly for them, “ The God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory, by JESUS CHRIST, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Pet. 5: 1O.) We are every one of us weak souls, and shall certainly fall, and come to nothing, if the GOD of grace do not strengthen and settle use And therefore we have need to pray, and that earnestly, every one of us, “The God of all grace strengthen me; the GOD of all grace stablish and settle this my weak and unstable soul.” Hence also Christians are exhorted, “ Hold fast what you hast;” (Rev. 3: 11;) keep that good thing which is committed unto thee. And so we had need every one of us to call upon ourselves; O my soul, hold fast CHRIST, hold fast holiness: Hast you gotten any sound religion in your heart Hold it fast that you lose it not.” The rust will eat out our gold, the moth will fret out our garments, the thief will steal away our treasure, if it be not watchfully maintained.

(2.) There may he outward decays, decays in point of practice. There may be a neglect of the duties of prayer, hearing, meditation, and examination. a You hast not called upon me, O JACOB! you hast been weary of me, O Israel!” (Isa. xliii. 22.) I can seldom hear of thee; you hast been a praying people, a sacrificing people; but you art grown weary of my worship. How seldom art you found in thy closet, or in the congregation You art become a stranger to those duties which once were thy delight: or if duties be performed, yet the heart and the life of them is lost; dead praying, cold praying must suffice them. O how do our spirits often freeze in those devotions which should kindle a fire in us! Some men's duties serve for nothing, but to keep them asleep, and to keep conscience quiet, which, if there should be a total neglect, would fly in their faces and awaken them. There may be a decay in their conversations; they may decline from a spiritual to a carnal, from a heavenly to an earthly life. Those that had once escaped the pollutions of the world, may be again entangled. (2 Pet. 2: 2O.) There may be a declining from a savory and useful, to. an unsavory and unprofitable life; the salt of the earth may have lost its savor; those very tongues, whose speech was used to be with grace, seasoned with salt, ministering grace to the hearers, are either dumb and speak nothing, or else employed to speak vanity. How long may we be in some professors' company ere we hear a savory word from their lips; or if any good does come, how heartless and lifeless is it! In what they do, they move like puppets; in what they speak, they speak, like parrots, that which they have learned by rote, but without any true sense of what themselves do speak.

Such declining souls are a miserable spectacle, the reproach of the Gospel, and the disgrace of religion. They are more like carcasses or ghosts, than living souls; idol Christians, that have eyes, and see not; ears, and hear not; tongues, and speak not; feet, and walk not: if they have any thing of religion in them, nobody in the world is like to have the benefit of it, nor themselves the comfort of it. They may be stark dead, and dried up at the roots, they play be mere chaff and stubble, for ought anybody else, or themselves either, can say to the contrary. These dry trees, however they stand in the vineyard, may stand there for fuel for the fire, and not for fruit. Such miserable spectacles are withering professors; and yet what multitudes of them are there to be seen!

Friends, let us consider ourselves. If we have not denied the faith, if we believe GOD and the Gospel, and the great and wonderful things of the world to come; yet are there not many of us that have lost the sense of the weight and importance of those great things Have not the lean and ill-favored kine eaten up the fat ones Have not the thin and the blighted ears smitten and destroyed the full ones Has not this earth, and the businesses thereof, choked up some of our hearts, and left little sense of GOD

or immortality upon us Particularly consider,

1. Do we live as people that verily believe we must shortly be in another world, where we must eternally reap the fruit of our doings here Do we live as men that have that eternity in our eye, and the lively sense upon our hearts of that death and judgment, that glorious reward and eternal punishment, which are before us Surely we do not! O how few of us thus live! Do we pray and hear, and buy, and sell, and converse in the world, as men that look for so great a change Was there never a time when we felt more of eternal things upon our hearts than now Was there never a time when we were more serious, and in earnest, in our religion When we were more deeply engaged in laying up treasure in heaven, and making an escape from the wrath to come Was there never a time, when such serious questions as these,” What must I do to be saved What if I should be damned, shut out of the everlasting kingdom, and shut up in everlasting darkness What may I do to please GOD, and to walk worthy of his holy calling, and to make sure of a part in CHRIST”-was there never a time when such questions were more ordinarily put than now, and when we were more solicitous about having them answered

2. How is it with our particular graces, and inward vital operations Do we retain our first faith Do we hold out in our first love Where are those warm and lively affections that discovered themselves Time was, when some of us were all in a flame of love, and life, and zeal for GOD; when we had melting affections, mourning and tender hearts; when our spirits were hotly working within us about GOD, and the things of GOD; when we could not live nor be at ease, but under the influences of heaven, and the illapses of the Divine Love; when communion with God, and intercourses with heaven, were sweeter to us than our appointed food. Was there never such a time with some of you And is it so now Or are not these matters sadly changed, with you, from what they once were May you not say with the Psalmist, “ I remember the days of old, and am troubled i" (Ps. lxxvii. 3, 5.) 1 remember my pleasant things, my pleasant hours, the sweet and delightful intercourses I had with the LORD; I remember these things, and am troubled to see what a fall there is from what I once enjoyed

3. And how is it in your duties and in your lives Is the old spirit of prayer with you Has the LORD such constant, Such affectionate visits from you as he was wont to have Are your sighs, are your tears, are your souls poured out in praying, and in striving and wrestling with the LORD, as formerly they have been And is there such a vein of serious religion running through your whole lives Do you eat and drink, work together, and converse together, in the spirituality and singleness of heart, which sometimes some of you did Is it your care to exhort and quicken, and build up, and provoke one another to love and to good works Is there that watchfulness over your goings, that diligence in instructing and governing your families, and in educating them in the fear, and knowledge, and worship of GOD, as has been Or must you not take up a lamentation over yourselves, and fall to judging and condemning yourselves, some of you at least, upon most of these accounts, and cry out, O my soul, how art you fallen

Friends, let not these words pass as words of course: let them enter into your hearts, and stick in your sides, and be a wound in your very souls. Let me put the question yet again to you all: flow is it with you How is it with your souls Do ye hold your own, or do ye lose Prospering or perishing Flourishing or withering Upon the wing, mounting upwards as the eagles, or in the dust with the worms Pray consider, who among you can say, I thank the LORD, my soul is upon the increasing hand: Through the grace of GOD, my soul is maintained in life, and I am reaching forward, and getting a little ground heavenward daily: Through rich mercy, the grace that has been bestowed on me, has not been bestowed in vain: I cannot deny the goodness of God to me: I have good hopes that it is better with me than it has been:-Same of you, I hope, can speak thus, to the praise of the glory of the grace of GOD in you: but I fear too many of you must give a sadder answer:-How is it with my soul The LORD be merciful to me, it is but in a poor case: LORD, I pine; LORD, I am fallen, I am fallen! With my outward man it is well enough: but, oh, mine inner man withers, my religion vanisheth, my poor soul languishes, my grace perishes; much of it is lost, and that which remains is dying daily I took it all along to be well enough; but now I observe, Oh, it is a miserable decay that is grown upon me.

Beloved, I have told you already what complaints there are of decays from other places; and now consider, is not the moth come into this congregation Is not the worm eating at our root also Compare the present spirit with what was in our first meetings: surely there appeared another manner of warm, lively, serious, affectionate spirit than is to be found in us at this day. What, have so many years' preaching and praying, and sacraments, had no better success than this Have you been hearing all this while to your loss, and praying to your loss, and had sacraments to your loss O that every one of you now would lay his hand oil his own heart, and faithfully inquire, LORD, is it I LORD, am not I one of them Do not think now to excuse the matter; do not tell me,-We hope it is not so bad; your fear of us is more than you have ground for. O that I were mistaken in you, and that it were better with you than according to my jealousies! But I must tell you, if you have not the same fears, some of you, concerning yourselves, I doubt it is because you have no more observed yourselves, nor so thoroughly considered yourselves how it is with you.

Well, let these hints humble us, and lay us low before the LORD. Let these words startle us, and awaken us, and prepare us towards our recovery. Thus much touching the partial decay.

2. There is a total decay, or apostasy from the faith. But of this I shall not enlarge here.

II. Consumption in religion, where it proves epidemical, is the forerunner of destruction. Whatever influence the profane may have upon the removal of the Gospel, that which most certainly provokes the LORD to cast off, is the decay and apostasy of professors.” Remember whence you art fallen, and do thy first works, or I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place.” (Rev. 2: 5.)

To set home what has been spoken:-You backsliders, consider this one word:-This consumption, if it be not speedily recovered, is likely to be mortal. You that are sick of the withering disease, look to it in time, lest your sickness be unto death, even death eternal. You that are backsliders, think not that your souls are safe, by what you have already attained; but know, that your drawing back may be unto perdition. You that have begun to full, tremble to think where this fall may end. You may sink and sink, and fall lower and lower, and never stop till you come to the bottom of hell!

Now I come to the chief doctrines intended:-It is the duty of the people of GOD, to stir-up themselves in the matters of religion. And Stirring religion will take hold of GOD. I shall handle them both together, and show,

I. What it is to stir up ourselves in the matters of religion.

II. What need we have to stir up ourselves.

III. What it is to take hold of GOD.

IV. That stirring religion will take hold of GOD.

V. How we should stir up ourselves.

I. What it is to stir up ourselves in the matters of religion. There is, l. A stirring up ourselves to religion, or to get religion where there is none: 2. A stirring up ourselves in religion, where there is something of it already.

1. There is a stirring up ourselves to religion. There are some that are utter strangers to religion, that have nothing of GOD or religion in them.” Some men have not the knowledge of GOD: I speak this to your shame.” (1 Cor. 15: 34.) It is a shameful thing that there should be any in the churches of CHRIST, without the knowledge of GOD: ignorant persons are the shame of congregations: we may be all ashamed that there are so many among us that have no knowledge. Then that art an ignorant man, the people of God may be all ashamed of thee. It is a shame to our congregation that there is such a blind soul amongst us.

Some that have a little knowledge of God, have yet no sense of God or religion upon them;” men of a reprobate mind, “ (Rom. 1: 28,) sottish senseless souls, void of judgment, and void of sense. Nothing of God will- affect them, or work upon them: instruct them while we will, preach to them while we will, nothing will move them at all; we cannot beat any sense of GOD, of their souls, or of religion, into them.

Others, if they have some knowledge and some little sense of GOD and religion, yet have no true religion in them. They know something of GOD, something of religion, yet still are without CHRIST, and without GOD in the world. They have something of it in their head, but nothing of it in their hearts, or their lives. Or if there be some little touches of it upon them, yet there is no sound nr saving work upon them: they think themselves to be something, think themselves to be Christians, but deceive their own selves. Some have no religion, and care not whether they have or no; do not at all concern themselves about it; it does not enter into their thoughts to mind any such thing they are well content to continue as they are.

How is it with you, Sinners, that are here before the LORD Some of you have not the knowledge of GOD, are without CHRIST, are yet in your sins; and, oll, how little sense have you of your need of CHRIST! How little desire have you to be changed! Do not you feel that your hearts are at rest Are there any hearty wishes,-O that the LORD would change my heart! O that I might be brought to fear GOD in truth! No, you mind not, nor take any care about any such thing; as little of GOD or religion as you have, you care not whether ever you have more.

Now such as these, that have no religion in them, their work is, to stir up themselves to religion, and this stands in these things: (1.) In thinking how it is with them, and what they have to do: (2.) In crying out for help: (3.) In taking the alarm from the watchmen: (4.) In forcing themselves back from their sins, and onwards to CHRIST. (1.) In thinking how it is with them. This is the first step they are to make towards religion, to bethink themselves how it is with them.” If they shall bethink themselves;” (1 Kings viii. 47;) that is the first work, and then, (ver. 48,)” If they shall return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul.” Sinners must think, 1. What they are at present. 2. What they are to do for the future.

1. Sinners must think what they are, and what a state they are in: What have I of the fear or knowledge of GOD in me Am I a Christian Have I any thing of saving religion in me Am not I a blind, senseless, careless soul, that have not so much as made any profession of religion I live without prayer, never pray in secret, have no prayer in my family, nor any such thing as minding GOD or my soul. I eat and drink, I lie down and rise- up, I work, and trade, and follow my business for this world: but as for the other world, I confess I take little care about it; or if I have minded it more than some others, and have made a little profession of Christianity, yet am I not still without CHRIST Short of saving religion What can I think of myself and my present condition Surely, as little as I have been troubled at it, it is a woeful case I am in. What, yet in my sins, and under the power of the Devil, and in a state of damnation I had need look about me, before I be past remedy!-2. They must think what they mean to do:-What, shall I continue in this case till I die Or shall I try to escape Sinners, it is a fearful state you are in: you are miserable souls if you have no religion in you. But pray think what do you mean to do for the future Will you go on as you are Will you take no more care of your souls than you have done Nor look after any more religion than you have Put your hearts to it, and think what you mean to do. What, will you not be persuaded to thus much Will you not so much as think with yourselves,-What shall I henceforth do Shall I venture it as I am, or shall I try to escape out of this fearful condition-If you were come to this, to bethink yourselves what a wretched case your souls are in, and how you may escape; you had then got the first step in this work of stirring up yourselves to religion.

(2.) In crying out for help. When the soul once begins to cry for help and recovery, then it begins to stir to some purpose. And this kind of stirring stands, First, In crying out upon themselves to seek out for help. The sinner, being brought to a sense of his misery and danger, cries out to himself, as these lepers one to another, “ Why sit we here till we die” (2 King -s 8: 3;) or as the mariners to JONAH, “Arise, sleeper, call upon thy GOD, carest you not that you perish” (Jonah 1: 6.) You art ready to perish, O my soul; if I continue as I am, I die; if I can get no more of GOD, or of religion and Christianity, than I have hitherto, I must burn for ever and ever.

Awake, my sleepy heart; to thy knees, to thy prayers, call upon thy GOD, that you perish not! Secondly, In crying out to the LORD, to give help in this time of need. Crying out to the LORD for help is an argument that conscience is stirring, and it is the stirring of the heart. There may be a cold saying, GOD help me, when the heart is still asleep; but when it cries out, then it is a sign that it is awakened. When the Psalmist had a sight what a wicked world this world was become, and was affected with the sight, then he cried out, “ Help, LORD, for the godly mail ceaseth;” (Ps. 12:;) the wicked walk on every side, and the vilest men are exalted. And as the sight of such a wicked world was to him, so should the sight of a wicked heart be to a sinner. He should exclaim, “ O my wicked heart, what a world of wickedness is it! How full of deadly poison! Grace is not in it; the good that was in it is ceased and perished, and every vile thing is to be found in it. Envy, and malice, and lust, and falsehood, and folly, and enmity against GOD; what a fountain of wickedness is within me! O what a heart have I! Help, LORD, save me from this wicked heart; save me, or I perish.”

Sinners, how is it that you yet stir not Open your eyes, and look a little inward; is there not sin within you, with all its curses and plagues Is not that heart of your a very den of dragons and serpents Every lust of your heart is a serpent, a dragon, and an adder, which, as tame as they lie, so that you feelest them not, are devouring thy soul. Every sinner among you has such a heart; a heart full of serpents, a heart full of dragons. O how is it that there is not a cry among you, “LORD, help; save, LORD, save me from this miserable heart!”

(3.) In taking the alarm from the watchmen. God has sent forth his Ministers to alarm this sinfid world.” Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain.” (Joel 2: 1.)” Cry a LORD, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet; tell my people their transgressions, and the house of Israel their sins.” (Isa. lviii. 1.) What is the use of an alarm Why, to awaken, and to declare to people that there is an enemy near, and that they are in danger of perishing, if they suddenly look not to themselves. a Every tree that brings not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire;” (111'att. 3: 1O;) -that was JOHN the Baptist's alarm.” 'The times of this ignorance GOD winked at, but now He commandeth all men every where to repent; for he has appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness; (Acts 17: 3O, 31;)-that was PAUL'S alarm. The like alarms are the Ministers of CHRIST sounding in sinners' ears every day: Repent, or ye shall perish: ““ believe, or ye shall be damned: ““ be converted, or ye shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The majority of sinners, for all this, stir not, but sleep on. Has not the alarm been sounded amongst you And yet how few of you are there, whose souls are not fast asleep to this day We have cried unto you, as DELILAH to SAMSON, “ Arise SAMSON, the Philistines are upon thee, “-arise, sinner, the Devil is upon thee, sin lies at the door, the Judge stands at the door, death is ready to strike thee through, hell opens her mouth for thee, “ and behold nothing will do to awaken you. We give the alarm, but you will not take it.-This is the stirring of the soul, of which I am preaching, when sinners are alarmed, and take the alarm; when the word preached sets conscience a preaching and thundering upon sinners; when conscience calls to them, “ Turn to the LORD; break off thy sins by repentance; you art a dead man if you go on; there is but a step betwixt thee and everlasting death; you wilt be in, you wilt be swallowed up of the eternal furnace, if you suddenly repent not.” When men's hearts thus take the alarm, and, their consciences being startled, fall to work with them, and provoke them to look after GOD and his grace; this is another thing wherein this stirring stands.

(4.) In forcing themselves back from their sins, and onwards towards CHRIST. Though, in a proper sense, there can be no co-action of the will, yet such violence may be used towards ourselves, as in our common speech we call forcing ourselves. So SAUL said, “I forced myself, and offered a burnt-offering.” (1 Sam. 13: 12.)

Sinners should lay violent hands as it were upon their hearts, pulling them back from sin, and putting them on towards CHRIST. Sinners must do by their hearts, as the Angels did by LOT. (Gen. xix. 16.) When they were hastening him out of Sodom, they laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife and children, as they lingered, and even pulled them out from that burning. Do your hearts hang back from CHRIST; do they still hang after your sinful ways Lay hold on them, and pull then along.” The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matt. 11: 12.) This speaks of a kind of violence to be used with GOD; but the first violence men are to use, is upon themselves: they must first lay violent hands on their own hearts, to bring them towards GOD; and this must be done by pressing the things which they hear upon their hearts. Fear will be to sinners, as the avenger of blood to the man-slayer; it will hunt them on their way, and hasten them to CHRIST. They will say, “ O my soul, art you not afraid to continue as you art, to continue a drunkard, to continue a worldling, or a liar, or a sleeper in thy course of sin Art you not afraid of the Devil, art you not afraid of death, doth not hell make thee tremble Art you afraid what may come upon thee, and’yet wilt you not stir” If goodness, and kindness, and mercy, will not allure you, let your misery, and the danger you are in, scare you: dwell on the consideration of that wrath and fiery indignation which you are falling into: a sudden, transient thought, will do little; you must think, and think again, and again, “ What if these dreadful things should come upon me What if I should fall into that tire O how should I endure How should I do to dwell in everlasting burnings” Think over such thoughts, sinners, and give not over till you feel these very thoughts begin to scald and scorch you; and then force and fright yourselves. Are turning from sin, and the pains of seeking after CHRIST, more painful than everlasting death What, wilt you do nothing to save thy life Suppose thy house were on fire, how busy wouldst you be to quench it!

How passionately wouldst you cry out, Fire, Fire! How wouldst you run, and call, and send for all the help you couldst get! And is not thy soul more to thee than thy house Will not the wrath of GOD burn more fiercely than the fire of your house Nay further, suppose your house were on fire, and you wert locked in, and couldst not get out, but wert like to burn with thy goods; O how wouldst you cry out to thy friends without, “ O pity, pity me! help me out, pull down the windows, break open the door, and help me out! I burn! I burn, break open the door, that I may get out!”

2. There is a stirring up ourselves in religion, or to the vigorous exercise of it. Some have much religion inn them they abound in the grace of GOD, and in the work of grace. Others have something, but it is but little of religion that they have; they are but of”' little faith, “ (Matt. 3O,) and have but little strength. Some good thing is found in them towards the GOD of Israel, but yet it is only” a day of small things.” We read of a babes in CHRIST: “, (1 Pet. 2: 2:) and of these, some are but new-born babes, beginners in religion; others, who though for their time they might have been grown up to be men, to be strong in the LORD, yet after a long profession of Christianity, they have not had one cubit added to their stature; though they have been Christians of long standing, yet their souls are as ZECHARIAH’S body, of little stature. Of those that have but little grace, some never had more; it has been ever low with them from the beginning: others once had more grace, but they are fallen; like NAoair, time was when they went out full, but they are returned empty. They have wasted their talents, and are consumed in their strength; their light burns dim; their flaming lamp is become but like smoking flax; they have little more than the snuff of religion left.

Now there is need of stirring up themselves in religion in all these. Those that have the most of grace, had need bestir themselves to get more: those that live most in the diligent exercise of grace, that live most spiritually, and most circumspectly, had need be giving more diligence daily: you that are highest, you are not yet come to your full growth; there is still more to be got, and more to be done for GOD and your souls.

But this duty of stirring up ourselves in religion most especially concerns those that have but little religion; both such as never had but little, and such as once had more, and now are fallen to decay.

To show you what this stirring up ourselves means, understand, (1.) By what acts you must stir up yourselves. (2.) To what pitch of religion you should strive to attain.

(1.) The acts by which you must stir up yourselves are the following:

first, a Consider your ways.” Set your heart upon your ways; see how it is with you; take diligent notice how it goes with your souls. Friends, it may be there is the same reason for you, upon a spiritual account, as there was for the Jews, upon an outward account, to consider. Why should they consider their ways Why, “ Because ye have sown much, and reap but little; ye eat, but have not enough; ye drink, but are not filled; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; ye earn wages to put into a bag with holes.” (Haggai 1: 6.) Upon a spiritual account much the same may be said concerning you. GOD has been sowing much, but has reaped but little; he has been feeding and clothing you, but you are empty and naked still; all that you have received from GOD, cloth not keep you warm; whatever treasures have been poured out upon you, your hearts have been as bags with holes; the treasure of the Lo RD runs out as fast as it is poured in. O how have the instructions of GOD, his counsels, and his comforts, slid away! How quickly are they let slip! What becomes of all your sermons, and Sabbaths, and sacraments We have brought you many a rich treasure; we have been pouring into those hearts of yours such living food, such rich wine and oil, as might have made you fat and flourishing but it still finds a hole in your hearts, at which it runs out as fast as it is poured in.

Are your souls built up in faith and holiness GOD has been building among you, but how cloth the building go up In some of you, has it not ever been at a stand If the foundation has been laid, yet scarcely a stone has been laid upon it; and as to others, in whom the building seemed to be raised to some considerable height, is it not broken down Deal plainly in this matter: do your souls prosper, or has it not been some time better with you than it is now.

If you have had a long time to increase, since you first believed; and more than that, if heretofore it has been better with you than it is now; then bethink yourselves,is not this all evil case you are in Is this a case to be rested in If you had a child that should be no more able to speak, or go, or feed itself, and had no more understanding at ten or twenty years old, than when it was but an infant, would not such a child be a cross to you, and an affliction O how is it that you are not an affliction to yourselves, that, after so long a time as you have had for growing, you should yet in matters spiritual not be past babes or children It was an affliction to the Apostle, that he must still speak to the Corinthians as to babes; a I could not speak unto you as to spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in CHRIST.” (1 Cor. 3: 1.) Is it not an affliction to you to continue thus carnal-But what do you think of your state, who have grown up, from being carnal, to be spiritual, and are fallen from spiritual to carnal again Have you once had the day-light shining in your hearts, and are you now returned to the twilight again Did you once live a life of faith, and a life of love; and had you your conversation in heaven Were you once of a tender heart, of a circumspect and savory life Did you live in the SPIRIT, and walk in the SPIRIT; and are you now fallen back to a more eager minding of earthly things, having lost that sense, that lively sense, you had of things spiritual and eternal Then acknowledge, “ My soul, in an evil case; it is time for me to bestir myself.”

Secondly, Cry out upon yourselves to reach forward to what you have not attained, and to recover what you have lost. As the Psalmist said, “Awake up my glory;” (Ps. lvii. 8;) so say you,-Awake up my grace, awake up my love, awake up my fear, awake up my conscience: What, shall I always loiter, as I have done hitherto Shall I never be more busy for GOD and my soul O it is more than enough; it is too long that I have lived under the profession of Christianity, and yet my soul is brought to no better pass: Much I have lost already; and shall I go on losing and losing, till I have lost all-Friends, remember whence you have fallen, and repent; recover your first love, and do your first works: and when you will take the cry from our mouths, and cry thus upon yourselves, then there is hope ye will recover.

Thirdly, Cry unto the LORD for his help. If Ministers cannot stir you, if conscience cannot stir you, if ye cannot awaken yourselves, nor recover yourselves, yet the LORD GOD can do it; the Helper of Israel can help you.” Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” Before you be too far gone, before your case grow desperate, whilst the LORD is at hand, calling upon you, now seek to him. Go to the Physician of souls, he can cure every disease, and thy disease, the consumption of the heart. This no other Physician can cure, but the Physician of souls: whatever other Physician you goest to, with the neglect of him, you wilt find them all Physicians of no value: whatever other course you takest, with the neglect of seeking GOD, he will say to thee, as in Jer. xlvi. 11, “ In vain shalt you use many medicines, for you shalt not be cured.” Go to GOD for thy languishing soul; cry unto him; lift up your heart with thy might; pour forth thy very soul in prayers;-” LORD, I am fallen; LORD, I pine; my soul languishes, my faith fails, my beauty is withered, my spirit is wasted, my flesh and my heart fails; but you art the strength of mine heart, and my hope is in thee; help, LORD, or I die, I die for ever.”

Fourthly, Put a force upon yourselves to do your duty. It is not lying down in the ditch, and crying, “ GOD, help me;” you must do your best to help yourselves, or GOD will not help you. All the means under heaven will never do, unless you set your hearts on work for yourselves. You that are not for pains-taking, there you must lie,'and pine, and perish; there is no help for you.” Why Best you thus upon thy face Get thee up, “ says GOD to JOSHUA. (Josh. 8: 1O.) Why stand you bewailing and bemoaning yourselves Up, and be doing You halt sinned thyself into this case, you hast idled thyself into this loss, and nothing will help thee out without your own diligence and labor. Fall to thy duty, and follow it closely, or you wilt die the death. In this manner force yourselves on; and let not your hearts be quiet within you, till you have engaged in a more active and laborious life.-Thus I have showed you by what acts you are to stir up yourselves. But,

(2.) To what pitch in religion should we stir up ourselves

To this I shall answer,

First. In general. It is riot enough to amend a little, or to get into a something better case than you are in; but you must come on fully after the LORD. Some of you may think, if this word should have some effect upon you, and make you a little better, it has done its work upon you. No, no! You are far short of what you should be; and think not that this word has done its work, though it should make you a little better than you are, unless it also bring you effectually to what you should be. There is no mark short of Perfection, that should terminate your aims but I shall give you three marks on this side the goal, the better to direct your eye towards it.

1. You should come to such a pitch as is proportional to your time. You are some of you of long standing, and yet are come to little. O labor that your growth may be according to the time you have!

2. Those that are fallen should strive to get up to that pitch, to which once they had attained. This is the first thing we should' have in our eye, to recover our first love, and to do our first works. That which has been attained, may be attained; and you must strive after it. You that are fallen, remember how it has been with you in your best time; remember the kindness of your youth, and the love of your espousals, when your hearts were tender, when your love was keen, when your affections were quick and lively, when the word and ordinances of GOD were sweet and powerful, when you came front far, and would go through thick and thin to hear the word of the LORD, and when your meditations, and communications by the way, as you went and returned, were so pleasant to you such a time there has been with you; are you fallen from this O let it be with you as in the days of old!

3. Every one should strive to get up to the highest pitch of religion that is attainable. You should level at Perfection of Holiness, and no mark short of perfection should bound your aims at Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filyourss of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 8: 1.) Because we cannot obtain all that is desirable, but there will be still, while we live, something that is before, of which we are yet short; therefore our motion must be constantly progressive. We must still be going forward, and reaching out to that which is before, that our works may be more, and our hearts may be better at last than at first; The path of the just” must a shine more and more unto the perfect day.” (Prow. 4: 18.) Grace must be growing up, till it be swallowed up of glory.

Secondly, I shall answer the question Particularly.

1. Stir up yourselves to a hunger and thirst after more religion.-Hunger and thirst are eager appetites, that put us to pain, and are impatient till satisfied. Covet earnestly the best gifts. The covetous are greedy souls; but there are decrees of greediness: the hearts of some covetous ones are more sharp set upon the world, than others that are hearts enough. Covet earnestly; let your hearts be as hungry and thirsty after grace, as the most greedy men on earth after the world.-Hunger and thirst are imperious appetites, that will command men upon any thing, any labor, any difficulties, in order to obtain satisfaction: hunger will break through stone walls: a thirsty man will not sit still, and only say, I thirst, give me to drink; but will arise and go about, to seek where he may be satisfied; lie will go out to the springs and the brooks, and the wells of salvation, where lie may draw and drink of the water of life; he will refuse no pains, no hazard, in order to satisfy his desire. Then you are hungry after religion, then your souls are athirst for God, when you are so sharp set, that you must have it, and will stick at no labor for the obtaining of what you want.

It is one misery of decayed souls, that they have lost their appetites: some consumptive bodies will be hungry, and eat till they die; but consumptive souls neither hunger nor thirst. It is an ill sign that you art dangerously gone in a consumption, who hast lost your appetite after Gon. It is one of the death-tokens mentioned by SOLOMON, that” desire shall fail.” (Rccl. 12: 5.) The life of grace is fallen much to decay in thee; but doth thy desire after grace fail too Hast you lost your hunger and thirst after righteousness Doth thy soul cease to pant after the water-brooks Canst you not say, “ I am athirst for God, even for the living GOD” Then, that soul of your is nigh unto death. O friends, how many such dying souls are there among us! Grace has failed, and desire has failed in too many. Do not deceive yourselves with saying, I desire to be a more holy and heavenly Christian; do not say nor think that you desire what you do not. If you truly desire grace, and an improvement herein, then this is the one thing that you desire; grace, and nothing but grace, holiness, and nothing but holiness, will satisfy. And if you can say, This one thing I desire; then you will also say, This one thing I seek. It is not a dull, and idle, and ineffectual wish, that can he accounted a sincere desire; but such a keen and eager appetite after God, as will not suffer you to rest. Those that are heartily hungry cannot sleep for hunger; their hunger will keep them waking. What, are you such drowsy; sleepy souls Can you take any rest in that poor and empty state in which you are Surely, whatever you think, you have little thirst for GOD; it would keep you waking, if you had; your souls would have no ease; you could not be in quiet till you obtained.

Do not some of you find a great indifferency in this matter Are you not but little concerned about the reviving of your souls If you have any good desires at all, are they not weak, dull, and cold, such as do not at all stir or disquiet your spirits, but that you can go on well enough, for all this, in your worldly designs and ways When do ye think to recover into a better case Are ye ever likely to come to any thing in religion May you not fear that you are soon likely to come to just nothing, if ye hold on a while longer at this pass If I could but preach you into hungry ones, and thirsty ones; if I might send you away with an appetite; then there would be hope that the Lord would fill you with his good things.

This is the first thing to which I would persuade you, to stir up your appetites: get a hunger and thirst after the LORD, and the power of religion: let your loss make you hungry after a recovery; let your want make you hungry after a supply; let the worth and excellency of religion, and the power of holiness, make you to hunger after it, as sometimes the very sight of meat does in bodily cases. If we could but kindle in you affectionate desires, ardent, impatient, painful, working desires, this would be a good step towards that pitch of religion which I am proposing to you. Let your souls thus cry out after the living God, “ LORD, help me, help me up to thee, help me on after thee, revive thy work in me! I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek the soul of thy servant, that I may never again forget thy commandments.”

2. Stir up yourselves to a savor and relish of religion. Some are so sick and weak that they cannot eat nor drink what is good for them; others can eat and drink, but cannot relish what they take; they have lost their taste. When both their appetite and their taste are restored, when they can eat that which is good, and can relish what they eat, that is a farther token of recovery. It may be your necessities, *, hold you to praying and to hearing: but yet, whatever you receive, whatever you do, you can find no savor in it; you have no taste of the sweetness of religion; it has no relish in it. You can pray, but you have no lively affections in prayer; you can hear, and yet find no sweetness in what you hear; you can speak about the things of GOD, but are not at all affected with what you speak; it comes coldly and dryly out, and has no gratefulness in it, neither to yourselves nor to those that hear you.: surely this is a sign that you have but little religion in you, if any at all. When what we receive of religion, goes deep; when that which we bring forth of religion, comes deep, comes from the heart; it will be more affectionate: and the affection which we express will be an evidence that we taste the good things we speak of. When you experimentally taste the sweetness of religion, and are thereby deeply affected with it, then you are likely to hold to it, and prosper in it. This taste of religion is not to be got, but by inward and experimental acquaintance with it: whilst it dwells but in the head, and upon the tongue, it will be but a dry and insipid thing. You must go deeper in religion, if ever you will taste the sweetness of it.

Get your hearts so leavened and seasoned with it, and so drink in the spirit of religion, that you may be changed into its own image and nature; and then you will find

how pleasant it will be to you.

3. Stir up yourselves to solidity in religion. Particularly, (1.) To solid, substantial religion. (2.) To be more solid in religion. (1.) Get up to solid and substantial religion. What the substance of religion is, I shall shortly hint to you from two Scriptures: u We are the circumcision, which worship GOD in the SPIRIT, and rejoice in CHRIST JESUS, and have no confidence in the flesh: “ (Phil. 3: 3:)”Teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in * Scriptures you may learn wherein the substance of religion lies, viz.

[1] In worshipping GOD in the spirit; or in spirit and in truth. This notes, 1. The inward worshipping of GOD; our loving, fearing, praising the LORD: 2. Our being real and spiritual in the outward worship of Go n; our hearing with the understanding; our praying with our spirits; our taking heed to it, that our acts of worship be not barely bodily exercise, but the work of our souls, not shadows and images of worship, but the very thing they pretend to be.

[2.] In rejoicing in CHRIST JESUS: That is, as our Mediator, by whom, as we exhibit all our worship, so we expect its acceptance, and all the comforts and fruits of it.

[3.] In shunning iniquity; denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts. This notes, 1. The abstaining from the practice of sin; that we do no iniquity: 2. The mortification of the desires of sin, the killing of sin within, the crucifying of the flesh, with the affections and desires.,

[4.] In the practice of holiness and righteousness; our living soberly, and righteously, and godly, in this present world.

These are the substance of religion; he that worships GOD in spirit and in truth, that thus rejoices in CHRIST JESUS, that denies ungodliness and worldly lusts, and lives

soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, he is a substantial Christian.

Friends, look to this; what you want of the delights of religion, let it be made up in diligence. If you feel not so much of the warm workings of love to CHRIST, yet keep close to CHRIST, and the obedience of his will. If whilst you are less lively, you be yet more tender, and heedful, and watchful in your goings; if whilst you cannot so passionately mourn for sin, yet you carefully shun and beware of sin; if though you be not raised to such raptures of joy, as some others, yet you are more mortified to sin and the world; if you be dead with CHRIST, dead to the fashions, and desires, and pleasures, and riches of this world;-you have got the substance of Christianity in you. In these, and such like instances, stands the solidity of Christianity; wherein he that grows most is the best Christian. It is true, where we are both substantial Christians, and also warm and lively Christians, that is incomparably best. Follow after both; but especially take heed that whatever be wanting in affection, be made up in solidity.

Get to be more understanding and experienced Christians; get to be more conscientious, tender, strict, and close followers of CHRIST, in all the known and weighty matters of the law. Be mortified to sin, be crucified to the world, be bent upon doing all the good you can in your generations;-this is what I mean by solid religion. Be as affectionate as you can, be as zealous and lively as possible; but be sure that there be substance under all your shows. Be diligent Christians, be doing Christians, be mortified Christians: it is this which will hold out; and therefore let this be what you are reaching unto, to keep yourselves from iniquity, to keep yourselves close to duty, and hence to be built up through faith unto salvation.

(2.) Get to be more solid in religion; to be more deeply rooted in the faith, and more firmly resolved for the obedience of the Gospel. In this establishment, or rootedness, (besides a firm belief of the Gospel,) these four things are included. [l.] A firm resolution for CHRIST. [2.] A firm trust in CHRIST.

[3.] A firm adherence to CHRIST. [4.] A confirmed habit of holiness.

[1.] A firm resolution for CHRIST, and the obedience of the Gospel. Firmness may be taken in opposition to Fickleness. Some are light and unstable souls; they are off and on; sometimes resolved, and then unresolved sometimes their faces, and sometimes their backs, are upon CHRIST. Firmness is also opposed to Feebleness, or weakness of resolution. Some Christians are more strongly resolved; others not so strongly. Though they do not go back, yet are they under doubts and fears that they shall; and, it may be, sometimes (in the day of temptation) they put it to the question, Shall I go on, or shall I desist Now this firm resolution, to which I would press you, is opposed to feebleness and weakness.

[2.] A settled trust in CHRIST. Now because this will both prove us to be established Christians, and also mightily conduce to our farther establishment, I shall here a little enlarge, by showing, What this trust is; and That it both proves us established Christians, and makes for our further improvement.

This trust in CHRIST is expressed in Scripture by committing ourselves to him. “I know whom I have believed, that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him,“ (2 Tim. 1: 12,) or trusted him with.-This Committing ourselves to CHRIST, notes, first, our laying up ourselves, and all our hopes and concerns, with him, so as to venture ourselves in his custody; to venture ourselves upon his faithfulness; to cast all our burdens upon him; to a cast all our care upon him;” to leave it upon CHRIST to take care of us; to put it into his hands, to look to it that nothing be lost, and to help us on through our whole course to the end. Only here, lest we be damnably mistaken, know, that it must be only for his own part that CHRIST must be trusted,-for that which lie has undertaken to do for us, and to keep for us.

It must likewise be only in his own way; in a way of obedience to CHRIST, in a way of well doing: as in respect to GOD, so in respect to CHRIST also, we must commit the keeping of ourselves to him in well-doing.” There are some things that we are to do, which CHRIST never undertook to do for us; we are to believe, we are to repent; this we must do ourselves: CHRIST has never undertaken to believe or repent for us; we must believe ourselves, and repent ourselves. There are some things that CHRIST never undertook alone to keep for us; we must keep faith and a good conscience ourselves. CHRIST has undertaken to help us to repent, to help us to keep a good conscience; but never undertook to save us the labor of repenting, or that of keeping faith and a good conscience ourselves. And as to that which CHRIST has undertaken to keep for us,-to keep our souls, to keep us unto salvation, to preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom,-he will do it only in his own way: whilst we are walking in CHRIST'S way, in the way of faith and obedience to his will, in the way of holiness and righteousness, we may boldly venture ourselves in his keeping.

Drunkards, how dare you go on in your drunkenness Ye vain, and carnal, and careless ones, how dare you go on in this carnal life” How can ye escape the damnation of hell”“ O, I trust in CHRIST for salvation.” And what follows Why, thereupon, how boldly you venturest on in rebellion against him! You woudst not dare to be such a drunken beast, you wouldst not dare to go on in thy lying, or covetousness, but for thy trust in CHRIST to save thee at last. But, man, wilt you trust CHRIST for that which be never undertook Wilt you trust CHRIST for that which he never promised Did CHRIST ever promise to save thy soul, whether you wert a believer or no believer; whether you comest in and be converted, or standest out and runnest on in thy wicked ways Turn, sinners, turn to CHRIST; repent, and be converted from your sins; or never comfort yourselves in your trust in CHRIST.-But Committing to CHRIST notes, secondly, our leaning upon CHRIST, and dependance on him, in a quiet and confident expectation of his helping us, and holding us on our way, according to his promise. Christians lean on CHRIST; and this gives them courage for their work, and ease and rest in their spirits their trust in CHRIST notes such a repose of their souls, such a dependance on his sufficiency, and on his fidelity, as quiets, and sustains, and stays their hearts in hope, and peace, and comfort; and so it is expressed in Isa. 1. 1O” Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay himself upon his GOD.”

Thus I have showed you the second particular, wherein solidity in religion stands, viz. a firm trust in CHRIST. It implies,

[3.] Adherence to CHRIST, or cleaving to the LORD. The two main roots whereby a Christian is grounded in CHRIST, are the two fore-mentioned, Resolution and Trust; the immediate fruit of this rooting, is cleaving fast unto him; and the closer we cleave unto him, the more we are confirmed and established. The root of a tree is that by which it cleaves unto the ground; and by how much the deeper it spreads itself, and works itself into the earth, by so much the faster hold it takes. And there is a mutual hold taken; the root takes hold of the ground, and thereby the ground holds fast the root. A rooted Christian has hold of CHRIST, and CHRIST has taken hold of him. Both these are mentioned together:’ If I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended Of CHRIST JESUS.” (Phil. 3: 1`.)

Cleaving notes Firmness, and Closeness. First, Be firm; stick close to CHRIST. Let it be with you as with the Apostle, Let” nothing separate you from the love of GOD, which is ill CHRIST JESUS our LORD.” (Rein. viii. 38, 59.) Be sure of this, that lie will be with you whilst you are with turn: “ Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh unto you: “ stick fast unto CHRIST, and he will stick fast unto you: CHRIST is a sure friend, and he will stick by all his friends that are faithful to him.

Consider, 1. You are in a wilderness, and must expect troubles to come upon you. Your faithfulness to CHRIST may cost you dear; you may be forsaken of your friends; you may fall into the hands of your enemies: yet if ye will be faithful to him, though all men forsake you, though evil men run upon you, CHRIST will stick to you. So he did to PAUL.” No man stood with me, but all men forsook me; not withstanding the LORD stood by me, and strengthened me; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” (2 Tim. 4: 16, 17.) Here we have, first, The hard case in which lie was, and in which Christians must look to be. He was in the hand of enemies, of great men, who were examining him, and before whom he was to answer for his life: Christians may be brought before rulers, and there tried for their lives, and judged for malefactors. He was forsaken by his friends; lie had many friends before, but when it came to the pinch, they all shrunk back, and left him alone: Count upon this hard lot, and think it not strange if it come to be your lot. It is not so much to suffer in company, as when any particular person is singled out, as a deer from the herd, and chased alone: the hunters are upon him, and the herd will not shelter him, but shift away from him. That is what you may look for, to be persecuted by enemies, and not to be owned by your friends. But he describes, secondly, His * in this his hard lot. Though all men forsook him, yet CHRIST stuck by him. “The LORD stood by me, and strengthened me.” This may be your case, and let this be your comfort: though none in the world should own you, yet stick by CHRIST, and he will stick by you in all your tribulations.

2. Again, you must die: sickness may arrest you, and cast you upon the bed of languishing; and death may stand at your bed's-feet, and stare you in the face; and the grave will open its mouth to swallow you up: stick fast to CHRIST, and look to find him by your bed-side to comfort you. O how will it be with you in that hour” I feel my diseases and languishing; my flesh wastes, my bones ache, my strength is lost, my heart faints, mine eyes fail, my breath is departing, and all tell me that death is at the door, ready to turn me into rottenness: but O! where is my GoD Now for a sight of CHRIST!” Those that are gone back from CHRIST, they may look, and look, and cry, Where is the LORD Where is the SAVIOR

But poor wretches, there is no CHRIST to be seen. Death comes, and the Devil comes, and sin comes, and puts a sting into death, and the poor sinner is left to grapple with death alone; its gripes, its pangs, its terrors, are upon him, but no Redeemer to be had. Whatever comes upon thee, this shall not; you that holdest thee by him, shalt see JESUS standing by thee; there lie will not fail to be, ready to help thee in thy conflict with thy last enemy.

3. Yet again, after death you must be brought to judgment, where you wilt meet with a righteous Judge, a malicious accuser, who will have many things to lay to thy charge. But thy Judge has said, “ Be you faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev. 2: 1O.) Fear not how thy matters shall go in the judgment: I will be there; I will secure thee from coming into condemnation.” I will give thee a crown of life.” This will be the portion of those that stick fast to CHRIST: he will certainly stick to them; stick to them in all the troubles of their lives, stick to them in death, and stand by them in the eternal judgment. O Christians, stick fast: hold fast what you have, that no man take your crown: hold fast your holy profession; hold on your confidence and your holy conversation; and thenceforth expect that JESUS will give you a crown of life.

Secondly. Stick close to CHRIST, or else you will never be likely to stick fast. By how much the closer our adherence to CHRIST is, by so much the firmer is our standing, and the less danger of falling off. The root of a tree, if it be loosened from the earth, is more easily plucked up: it may be, some small strings keep their hold, which maintain it in life; but if the main root be loosened, it is the more in danger of being blown down. The cleaving of the soul to CHRIST, is set forth by the cleaving together of husband and wife;” For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife.” (Eph. 5: 31.) The word in the original signifies, shall be glued to his wife. What is glued together, if it shrinks or gapes, loses its hold. Take heed of warping and shrinking from CHRIST; the glue will give off if you do, and when you have once lost your hold, you know not whither you may be blown. O take heed of growing to a distance, of wandering from CHRIST, keep you near him, if you would stand firm.

[4.] Solidity in Religion implies a confirmed habit of religion; a holy disposition and constitution of soul; the Divine Nature, whereof Christians are made partakers, (2 Pet. 1: 4.) It is a holy spring or fountain within us, which will flow in religious actions; and the more maturity it is ripened into, the more freely will it flow forth. A heart that is holily disposed, and has strong and fixed inclinations heavenward, will find religion sweet and easy to it: there will be less need of force and constraint: that fear which is so necessary to drive on a servile spirit, will be of less use, according to the measures we have attained cf this free spirit: such Christians have that within them that will save them much of their labor, which would be otherwise needful. Our work will be easy, and we shall go on more prosperously; we shall both more abound in the work of the LORD, and go on more evenly and steadily in our course.

O Christians, let this be in your eye; let this be what you aim at, and labor for, to habituate yourselves to holiness, to get such a settled holy disposition, such a readiness of mind, that your hearts may flow towards GOD, that your inward stream may run heaven-ward, that you may feel a freedom and enlargement of heart towards godliness of life.

When you have got the habit of religion, by reason of use, and having your senses exercised to godliness, then what Christians are you likely to be! What thriving Christians! What flourishing Christians! What fruitful Christians! Then your hearts will be streaming hearts, and flaming hearts; and will mount up and ascend in those flames of holy love and zeal, above this earth and flesh, to live in the light, and love, and joy of the LORD.

What, loth not all this stir you Is there such a blessed state tb be had, and is it not worthy your striving after Come, let us bestir ourselves; let us follow after; let us be reaching on with our might to this holy prize. Be not discouraged at difficulty; be doing, and the LORD will help you. We are workers together with GOD for you; be you workers together with us for yourselves: set your hearts to it; and the LORD will work in you, both to will and to obtain of his good pleasure.

And thus I have showed you what Solidity in Religion is,-to be well grounded and settled in the substantials of Christianity. He that worships GOD in the Spirit, rejoices in CHRIST JESUS, and, heedfully shunning all ungodliness and worldly lusts, has given himself to a righteous, sober, and godly life; he that, being deeply resolved for CHRIST, and firmly trusting in CHRIST, doth with full purpose of heart cleave unto him, sticking fast to the LORD, and keeping close by him, till by reason of use, holiness is habitual to him;-this is a pattern that I would you would have much before your eyes.

4. Stir up yourselves to Fruitfulness in religion. There is a readiness to good works, standing in the propension or bent of the soul upon holy action; and there is a fruitfulness in good works, or the soul's putting it forth in holy action.

All religion stands in action, either the inward action of the soul, or the outward action of the life. It is the doing Christian that is the excellent Christian; the fruitful field which has a blessing in it. There is amongst our corn some that looks fresh and strong, and grows up ranker and taller than the rest, but proves to have but little in the ear, it is grown tip all in stalk. That is fruitfulness where there is good fruit brought forth, and much fruit: that ground which either bringeth forth no good fruit, or but very little, we count barren ground. Will you call that a fruitful field, which brings forth but here and there an ear;-a few handful of ears to whole sheaves of tares and weeds Will you call that a fruitful tree which has but two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches It is precious fruit, and plenty of it, that will give us the account of fruitful Christians.

Fruitfulness in religion, is the honor of religion. Herein is my FATHER glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit. (John 15: S.) And what glorifies God, God will make glorious before the world. Barrenness is a reproach; it is a matter of sorrow and shame: those Christians who stand as dry trees, should not stand with dry eyes. We read that barren wombs have been the matter of great affliction: How did SARAH and RACHAEL grieve that they had no children And HANNAH, when she prayed for a child, having yet none, said, “ I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken.” (1 Sam. 1: 15.) But however it be upon the account of barren wombs, sure a barren soul should be a mourning soul. Indeed too commonly barren souls are as barren of sighs and tears, as they are of good fruit. You that are empty vines, fruitless fig-trees, how seldom is it that you are upon your knees, bewailing your barrenness

The sin of barrenness is a provoking sin. There are three such words spoken against barrenness in religion, as are terrible. One word you have in the Parable against the barren fig-tree: “ Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground” (Luke 13: 7.) Another word against another barren fig-tree: “ Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever.” (Matt. 21:.19.) A third word is against the barren ground: “ The earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth briars and thorns is rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned.” (Heb. 6: 7, 8.) Methinks these words should make some of your souls tremble. What art thou A barren soul A fruitless fig-tree

O how canst you contain thyself from fear Is not your heart terrified within thee, at the hearing of this curse What if this word should have been spoken to thee,-Cut this man down, cut this woman down; why cumber they the ground Or what if he should say to thee, “Never fruit grow on thee for ever;”-never a word of grace prosper with thee; live and die a barren soul; would it not make your heart shake And are not these words spoken to thee I hope not as an irreversible curse. I hope that word is not gone forth against any of you, Cut this man down; never fruit grow on him for ever; let him wither, and perish, and die, and burn for his barrenness.”

You if it be not so spoken, as an irreversible curse, it is spoken as a terrible warning: thus much of it doth belong particularly to thee, you art” nigh unto cursing;” and if you look not better to it, your end will be to be burned. Barrenness is a reproach; barrenness is a high provocation: and fruitfulness is an honor, and receiveth blessing from GOD. Fruitfulness doth both speak Christians grown up to good maturity, and will advance them yet higher and higher. He that lays out most in his life, is still laying up more in his heart: we gather by spending the more we do, the more we have; no such flourishing Christians as the diligent, doing Christians. There is nothing got by holding in the grace we have and there is nothing lost by laying it out. A good man brings forth out of his treasure; and the more is brought forth, the more it increases within. If ever you would make an increase in inward grace, let it put forth itself in vigorous exercise there is no such way to grow rich in faith, as by being rich in good works: faith without works dies.

This now is a farther perfection of religion, that I would press you to be reaching afters Fruitfulness in Religion, or holy action. Be not hearers (or talkers) but doers of the word.” Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1: 25.) Be doers of the word; and abound in the work of the LORD. That charge, which the Apostle gives with a particular respect to works of charity, receive with respect to every good work: “ Do good; he rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come.” (1 Tim. 6: IS.)

O my Brethren, set your hearts upon it, to do all the honor you can to the name and Gospel of GOD, before the world. Wipe off that reproach of barrenness, by showing yourselves examples of fruitfulness. The world say in your reproach, and in the reproach of your GOD also, What is this Christianity that is so much boasted of, but a mere shadow What are these professors, whatever they talk; what do they more than others Show them what you do, which they will never do.

If you ask me what you should do; it is too long to tell you the particulars, but take the Apostle's answer, a Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, “ (Phil. 4: S,)--these things do, and the GOD of peace shall be with you.

I cannot enlarge further upon the several ways wherein your religious activity should be exercised; you must take these hints:-In general, labor to be doing Christians, diligent, busy Christians, ready to every good word, and fruitful in every good work: have an eye upon, and be reaching to, this active life; hide not your talent in a napkin, put not your candle under a bushel, keep not your religion, your knowledge, your graces, your experiences to yourselves. Has the LORD lighted up a candle in your hearts” Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your FATHER which is in heaven.”

5. Stir up yourselves to Evenness both of temper and course. Evenness of temper is an argument of health and strength; they are weak bodies that are apt to chancre with every change of air or weather, and they are but weak souls whom every change of their circumstances puts out of frame.

This even frame must show itself in an evenness of course. It is a holy life that Christians must live, and not satisfy themselves with sometimes a holy duty: there must be not only some drops of religion sprinkled here and there upon their paths, but their life must be a holy stream, and the stream must be constantly running towards GOD and heaven. They must run a race thitherward. He that runs a race, keeps on his way step by step in a continued motion: we must neither turn aside, nor go uncertainly on, sometimes running, and sometimes creeping or standing still; we must keep our way and our pace; we must not go jumping heavenward, doing some parts of our duty, and jumping over others; we must take all along in order as we go.

Christians, it may be that, by the grace already obtained, there is something done in religion at times; but how many duties do ye let alone Sometimes you will pray, and sometimes you will jump over your praying seasons: sometimes you will perform works of piety; but you will jump over works of righteousness and mercy. Sometimes you will be serious and savory; and then you will leap out into lightness and vanity. Sometimes you will take a leap to heaven in your retirements to converse with GOD; and then you will leap down again into the mire. Sometimes you will have some holy fits; and then your proud fits, or forward fits. Sometimes ye run, and then stand still; diligent for a start, and then idle.

Our stream, our stream! O how, and which way, does it run Surely you would have gotten much higher, if you had been more constantly rising upwards. But whilst there are such risings and falls, such going on and standing still, or turnings aside; whilst you are thus working and loitering by turns;-no wonder it is so low with you as it is. Know, every one of you, that this in and out course is an argument that yet you have but little; and it will never come to much, if it do not come to nothing. Now and then a straight step, with so many steps awry; is this ever likely to bring you to heaven You are traveling up the hill, but when will ye get you higher, if as one foot steps forward the other slides back

You now see what that pitch of religion is that I am pressing you to, even the highest pitch that is attainable, You see your way before you is an up-hill way: you that are yet but at the foot of the mount, stay not where you are, but get up by the rising ground till you come to the top. Do not stand desponding at the height of the hill, and the steepness of its passage. Do not stand complaining of the difficulty of attaining. Say not within yourselves, “I cannot get on, I cannot get me up to this holy, spiritual, fruitful, steady frame and life: With all my soul I would, but O 1 cannot! I stick still below; I am among the poorest, and weakest, and hinder most of the flock: “do not stand complaining thus; I often give you warning to take heed of this folly, because I doubt it to be ordinarily a case with very many, who, finding their complaints to give them a little ease for the time, count them to be the cure of their diseases. Complain if ye will, and as much as you see cause; but let it be in order to the quickening you to diligence, and not either to ease you in your sloth, or to discourage you from your duty.