from the hand of God, it must be fought in the manner which he enjoins.

feek

The

If you but the fmalleft of his gifts; pursue the appointed track: turn not afide to the right hand nor to the left. Would Would you atchieve the greatest, even falvation? Seek it through that channel which he has ordained. You cannot attain it through any other. mercy of God will be exercifed, the grace of God will be bestowed, in his own method, will not acand in that only. If you cept his bounty in the way and under the qualifications which he propofes; you never will obtain it. Could not the Omnipotent have removed the leprofy of Naaman by various means? But the waters of Jordan were the inftrument which he thought fit to appoint. If Naaman had obftinately persevered in refufing to make ufe of them; he never would have been healed. He might have bathed in Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damafcus of which he fo highly boafted: he might have confulted the moft fkilful phyficians he might have applied the most celebrated remedies: he might have practifed every method which his imagination could devife for the recovery of his health and all would have been entirely in vain. He would have remained a diftempered and a misérable

5

object,

object, grievous to himself, and offenfive to others he would have gone down to his grave a leper as white as fnow. If you with to be faved; remember that you can be faved only through Chrift. There is falvation in no other. And, if you would be faved through him; remember that he will be no Saviour to you, unless through the grace of God it be your conftant ftudy and endeavour to believe what he has commanded you to believe, and to practife what he has commanded you to practife. It is a very afflicting and a very alarming truth, that in moft congregations there are many profeffed Chriftians, who will not take Chriftianity as they find it in the Scriptures. Puffed up with felfrighteoufnefs, or proudly confiding in their own imaginations and reafonings, they shut their eyes against the plainest declarations of Jefus Chrift and frame to themfelves fuch ideas of the divine method of falvation as the gofpel not only does not authorise, but positively contradicts. Some men become arrogant and daring enough to think that they have but little occafion for the atoning blood and mediation of Chrift: that their lives have been in the main fufficiently good; and that if God were not to admit them into the glories of heaven, their exclufion would

fcarcely be less than partiality and injuftice. Others, who have not fo far loft the fenfe of their own radical guilt and deep unworthiness, take the gofpel piecemeal. They would be furprised and offended, were any doubt expreffed as to their reverence of the Scriptures. But what is the method in which fuch a perfon treats the Scriptures? Some parts he perceives to accord with the opinions which he has formed concerning the duties of religion. Thofe he mentions with refpect. Other parts he difcovers to be in a certain degree at variance with his private fentiments and prepoffeffions. Of them he speaks with lefs regard. "These things," he remarks, (C may

prove thus, or they may not. It is a very "doubtful matter. It is probable that we "misunderstand the paffage; and that the "true meaning is very different from that "which is commonly affumed." But towards other paffages, which are abfolutely irreconci lable with fome favourite prejudice of his own, he uses no ceremony or moderation. “This "pofition," he pronounces at once, cannot "be. This precept is intolerable. To follow “this direction is impoflible: and to attempt

to follow it would not only be ineffectual, "but would be to expofe myself to continual difadvantages, mortification, and ridicule.

66

"It clearly was never intended that in the "prefent ftate of the world we should ob"ferve thefe rules. At leaft it is very evi"dent that we need not be at all ftrict as "to the obfervance of them. He proceeds in the fame manner with refpect to doctrines: and fuch as do not fatisfy his preconceptions, and coincide with his theories, he makes no fcruple of neglecting, nor of explaining away, nor even of openly denying. Now one part of the character of a good man, as it is delineated in the Scriptures, is to walk humbly with his God. Do fuch perfons walk humbly with their God? Is not their conduct the counterpart of that of Naaman, while his mind was enflaved by pride? A part of the measures neceffary for his cure he was willing to adopt. He did not hesitate to undertake a journey even as far as Samaria tothe prophet. But when he was directed to proceed to the river Jordan, and wafh himself in the ftream; he immediately rebelled. He thought the direction unreasonable, abfurd, and degrading; and refufed to pay any regard to it. My brethren! Be affured that the whole of the Scriptures is the word of God, If it is your duty to obey one part, it is your duty to obey every part. And those perfons who prefumptuoufly take upon themfelves to separate thofe things which God has

joined together; to detach and select from the facred writings fome doctrines, and some precepts, as proper to be received, and to reject others as unworthy of God and not defigned to be binding upon man; are in the utmoft danger of finding themfelves at the day of judgement as fatally difappointed of falvation, as Naaman would have found himfelf disappointed of a cure, if he had perfevered in refufing to depart and dip himfelf feven times in Jordan.

books 3. Receive inftruction, in the next place, from the unfeigned repentance, and pious gratitude of Naaman. He came in hafte

from the river, and prefented himself before the prophet. He openly acknowledged that there was no God but the God of Ifrael. He folemnly renounced the idolatrous worfhip to which he had been accustomed; and declared that from that moment he would adore the true God and Him only. He who had fo lately regarded with contempt all the waters of Canaan ; now humbly requefed permiffion to carry back with him into his own country two mules' burthen of earth from the land of Ifrael, that he might raife with it in Syria an altar to Jehovah. You have inherited a corrupt nature, infected with a disease far more loathfome, far more dangerous, than

that