them all, that with purpofe of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. He warned them individually of the fupreme importance of being faithful to Him, of whom they profeffed themselves the difciples. He fet before them the heinous guilt, the tremendous confequences, of falling away. He taught them, that neither a temporary adherence to Chrift, nor an outward and formal confeffion of him, conftituted a Chriftian. He taught them that, if they would be acknowledged at the last day as Chriftians, they must confefs Chrift with devotedness of heart unto the end: confefs him by life and by death, by acting and by fuffering: confefs him by renouncing the world; by living unto him; by feeking his favour, not that of man; by ferving him in spirit and in truth; by cheerfully encountering for his fake the lofs of ease, of intereft, of reputation; by receiving his law as the rule of life; and by a holy de termination day by day to submit to hatred and danger, to ridicule and contempt, rather than tranfgrefs any one of his commandments. Here you have a fourth mark, by which good man is to be known. Though Though I have ftudiously allotted but few words to the foregoing particulars; your patience, I fear, will allow me to make only a very short application. You have now learned, from the infallible authority of the word of God, the effential nature of Goodnefs. Accuftom yourselves uniformly to estimate Goodness by the fcriptural standard; not by the ftandard of the world, but by the standard of God. When you are to form an opinion concerning other men, examine and confider and hope and judge with charity: but, if you are to judge at all, judge by Scripture. Above all things, let the Scriptures be your guide in judging of yourfelves. The orderly man may make decorum his idol: the liberal man, liberality: the industrious man, induftry: the cautious man, warinefs: the good-humoured man, popularity in focial intercourse: the votary of honour, reputation. The worshipper of each of these idols may obtain from the world the character of Goodnefs. But if you are one of these worshippers, let the world extol your goodness as it may, you are not a good man. While you worship any one of these idols, while you worship any any idol, you cannot be a good man. Do you defire to attain Goodnefs? Look to the character of Barnabas. Obferve the prominent features in his portrait. Do you perceive in yourself a genuine refemblance to them? Are you, like Barnabas, full of the Holy Ghoft? Is your bofom the abode of Christian graces; of humility and felf abasement; of unfeigned repentance; of purity and spiritual-mindedness; of meeknefs, long-fuffering, and forgiveness; of grateful love to the all-fufficient Redeemer? Is it, at least, your conftant prayer to be filled with thefe and other gifts of the Holy Spirit; and your fervent defire to be an example of them? Are you, like Barnabas, full of faith? Is your faith a faith in the Lord Jefus? Is your faith a living faith? Has it weaned you from all reliance on yourself to habitual dependence on Christ? Does it constrain you to a life of zealous obedience full of every good word and work? Or, when your confcience upbraids the weakness of your faith; is your fupplication that of the afflicted father of the youth poffeffed by an evil Spirit, Lord! I believe: help thou mine unbelief? Are you, like Barnabas, glad when you fee the grace of of God? Do you feel warmly interested in the fuccefs of the Gofpel? Do you feel the cause of Christ as your caufe? Is the cause of Chrift that cause which beyond all others you have at heart? When a finner is reclaimed, when a righteous man makes a progrefs in holiness; do you delight in the reflection that it is your God, your Redeemer, your greatest Benefactor, who is glorified? Are you, like Barnabas, vigilant and earnest to embrace every fit opportunity of encouraging others to cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart? To bring others unto the love and obedience of Chrift is not an office peculiar to the minifters of religion. To them it is more efpecially committed. By them it is to be exercised in a manner different from that which becomes thofe, who are not ordained to the ministry. But in an appropriate measure and degree, watchfulness and exertion to impart religious knowledge and affiftance belong to every man. They are teftimonies of love to God and man required from every one. They are testimonies which every one who loves God and man cannot but be folicitous to render. Are they teftimonies which in your families, families, among your friends, among your acquaintance, among your neighbours, you are anxious properly to render? Finally in examining yourselves by the fcriptural characters of Goodness, take all of them together. Venture not to think of putting asunder qualifications which God has infeparably joined. More especially beware of being enfnared into the prevailing and very fatal delufion, of imagining that Goodness confifts in benevolence. Benevolence can be at the utmost you do not but one part of Goodness. It is a part of brute |