It is not on the dedication of the heart to God that men of this defcription reft their confidence. In their religion the devotion of the heart, and the confequent furrender of the affections to holiness, have no fhare. It is on the practical obfervance of one or more of the moral virtues, and on a practical abftinence from fome particular fins, that they ground their pretenfions to the kingdom of heaven. "We do not profess to be eminent "faints: nor will we aver that we have been as religious as we ought to have been. But "neither are we grofs offenders. We defy "the tongue of calumny to fix on us any "fcandalous vice. Or if we have been be"trayed into grofs tranfgreffion, it has been "accidentally and by furprise. We are con"cerned for the instance: and we doubt not "that God, who knows that man is frail, will "make reasonable allowances. Nay, though Cs we may have fallen into an evil habit; we "truft that in the eyes of our equitable judge "it will have been compenfated by the exer“cise of many virtues. We are unwilling "to commend ourselves. But the fuperci"lioufnefs of rigid moralifers requires us to "do juftice to our characters. Our integrity "has been through life unimpeachable. We "have injured no man. We forgive every man man who has injured us; and are at peace "with all the world." Such is the language which the fullness of the felf-fufficient causes to echo throughout the dwellings of health and profperity. Such are the fentiments, expreffed perhaps in a moderated tone, which the minifter of the gospel too frequently hears when fitting by the fide of the bed of death. Is this religion? Is this to live unto Christ? Is this to ferve God, through a Redeemer, by fanctification of the Spirit, with gratitude and love and holy fear? Is he religious, who deliberately perseveres in the habitual gratification of any unhallowed temper or defire? "Not fo religious," you reply, "as he ought "to be." Not fo religious as he ought to be! In the fight of his Judge he has no true religion. As furely as the Scriptures proclaim the decifions of eternal wifdom, he is without the first elements of religion: he is without that which conftitutes the basis of religion, the unqualified furrender of the heart to God. As furely as the Scriptures reveal the decrees of Omnipotence; the portion reserved for him is everlasting woe (e). - Is he religious who refts on the obfervance of the rules of integrity, or of temperance, or of liberality, (e) 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. Gal. v. 19-21. James, ii. 10, 11. or of fome other favourite preceptrefs felected from the band of moral virtues: an observance too which proves itself by standing thus infulated to have originated from worldly motives, not from that genuine folicitude to please God, which draws around it the whole affemblage of Chriftian graces? Is he religious, who, proudly fuftaining himfelf on the ftaff of fome imaginary merit, bows himself not down at the foot of the crofs difplayed before him; feels not his knees tremble under him; feels not the radical corruption of his heart; the enormity of every offence against his Heavenly Benefactor and King; "the ineftimable love of God in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jefus "Chrift," the riches of the mercy which exchanges his helpless depravity, his prospects of eternal death, "for the means of grace, "and the hope of glory?" Woe be unto them who thus call evil good: who put a withered branch for a living tree: who truft to that which they have done, and look not to that which they have left undone who regard that which they have done as though it were perfect, and wrought by ftrength of their own; and wilfully perceive not that every good work is the fruit of the Spirit of God, and and that the best of human works are unholy in the eyes of Jehovah, and are rendered pure and acceptable before Him only through the righteoufnefs of Chrift. IV. We may in the next place produce as illuftrative of the general propofition before us those who represent the palliation of fin as charity; and brand with the character of cenforiousness all opinions and defcriptions of guilt conformable to the Scriptures. The higher ranks of life may be those in which this offence appears the most glaring: but it pervades, and perhaps equally overfpreads, every clafs in fociety. From the mouth of these apologisers no fin receives its appropriate denomination. Some lighter phrafe is ever on the lips to obfcure or to cloke its enormity, perhaps to transform it into a virtue. Is profaneness noticed? It is an idle habit by which nothing is intended. Is extravagance named? It is a generous difregard of money. Is luxury mentioned? It is a hofpitable defire to see our friends happy. What is worldly-mindedness? It is prudence. What is pride? It is proper spirit, à due attention to our own dignity. What is ambition? A laudable defire of diftinction and pre-eminence; a juft sense of our own excellence and defert. What is devotedness to fashion? It is a due regard to the customs of the polite world. What is over-reaching? It is understanding our business. What is fervility? It is fkill in making our way to advancement. What are intemperance and fins of impurity? They are indecorums, irregularities, human frailties, cuftomary indifcretions, the natural and venial confequences of cheerfulness, company, and temptation; the unguarded ebullitions of youth, which in a little time will fatiate and cure themselves. Now all this is candour: all this is charity. If a reference be made to religion, thefe men immediately enlarge on the mercy of God. If constrained to fpeak of His threatenings, they advert to them distantly, briefly, with affected tenderness, as to a fort of law in dead letter held forth to terrify guilt and to confine it within reasonable bounds; but a law which they intimate that the juftice of the Deity will never permit him to enforce. To paint fin in its genuine colours: to denounce the wrath of God against all ungodlinefs and unrighteousnefs of men: to proclaim from the word of inspiration that obftinate perfeverance against light and knowledge in any one unholy difpofition or practice will exclude from the kingdom of Heaven: to |