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No. IV.

VARIETIES, FROM INATTENTION.

Too much importance cannot be attached to a right creed, except when it is put in the room of a holy character, or of an humble spirit. Then, however, there is something equally awful and ominous in orthodoxy. Not that a sound creed itself is a dangerous thing. Far from it! Indeed, there can be no true holiness nor humility, without soundness in the faith, upon all cardinal points. There may be virtues of character, which are intended for holiness: and virtues of temper, which are intended for humility but, as both holiness and humility have their chief reasons in the revealed character and will of God, the conduct and spirit (however good) which are not chiefly influenced by these reasons, are not those virtues.

She

who goes no further than the general principle "I ought to be holy because God is holy; and humble because God is great," is certainly wiser than the woman who merely avoids vice and pride because they are vulgar: but still, the former is almost as far from being "wise unto salvation," as the latter. She assigns, indeed, a much better reason than the latter for her conduct and spirit: for it is a scriptural reason. That, however, is not enough, so long as it is her only reason. God has laid down other reasons than his own holiness, why we should be holy; and other reasons than his own greatness, why we should be humble. He enforces these graces of character, by the purifying virtue and design of the blood of Christ, and by the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, and by the sublime perfection of heavenly bliss. Now, although all these reasons may be resolved into the glorious holiness of God, as their original fountain, or moral cause, it is certainly not as such, that she sees the matter, who is less influenced by the love of Christ,

than by the law of duty.

ANGELS only are

able to be holy, "because God is holy." She is, therefore, both heedless and heartless in religion, who satisfies herself with this single motive. Alas, all the motives and reasons furnished by all the wonders of Redeeming Love, produce but too little holiness, even in those who admire them most; that morality, therefore, which can subsist without them, must be very meagre indeed.

It is, however, a very solemn and startling fact, that, in some things, the character and spirit of females, who act only from a strong sense of propriety, or upon a vague principle of duty, surpass those of some women who profess "godliness," upon evangelical principles. "This is a sore evil under the sun!' It proves that there is a way of believing "in vain," or of "holding the truth" without the love of it a state of mind and conscience, of all others the most ruinous! For, if the glorious Gospel is believed, without being obeyed, one of two things is certain: either that the

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person is verging towards a reprobate mind, or that she was never renewed at all in the spirit of her mind. The latter is, indeed, the more likely supposition; for "a reprobate mind," or abandonment to judicial hardness of the heart, is a curse but rarely incurred by women professing godliness." Those of them who are very inconsistent, may be safely regarded as unconverted. Still, it is a very awful thing, when a woman can give herself credit for being converted to God by the Holy Spirit, whilst all her religion consists in talking about religion. Unregeneracy is dreadful, even in a woman who is utterly ignorant of the great truths of the Gospel of Salvation: but it is absolutely horrible, when found in connexion with the knowledge and acknowledgment of these supreme truths. The very devils tremble at what they believe. The man or woman, therefore, who can believe all that is peculiar, inspiring, and solemn in the Gospel, and yet not obey that Gospel, is less affected by it than even Satan and his Angels. They, indeed, hate

it with perfect hatred; but still they stand in awe of it, and yield to it the homage of fear. How infatuated then must she be, whose religion begins and ends with hearing and talking of "the truth as it is in Jesus!" That truth is intended to rule both the tongue and the temper; to subdue the love of the world, and the love of ease; to turn sloth into activity, and selfishness into cheerful benevolence; and thus to make all whom it blesses, "a blessing" to others, to the full extent of their ability.

I want, by these hints, to make you as much afraid of not following the Lord fully, as you are of denying the Lord who bought you: as much shocked at partial obedience and heartless devotion, as at open infidelity. Now, you would not for worlds be sceptics nor scorners. Rather than apostatize from the truth as it is in Jesus, or than hold it in unrighteousness, you would do, give, and pray more than ever you have tried hitherto. Yes; were you quite sure, or even very suspicious, that the degree in which you are now following God in duty and

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