go to heaven through many sad fears of hell. The hypocrite shall be saved with an almost, that is, he shall go to hell through many fair hopes of heaven.

There are two things arise from hence of very serious meditation.

The one is, how often a believer may miscarry, how low he may fall, and yet have true grace.

The other is, how far an hypocrite may go in the way to heaven, how high he may attain, and yet have no grace.

The saint may be cast down very near to hell, and yet shall never come there; and the hypocrite may be lifted up very near to heaven, and yet never come there.

The saint may almost perish, and yet be saved eternally; the hypocrite may almost be saved, and yet perish finally.

For the saint at worst is really a believer, and the hypocrite at best is really a sinner.

Before I handle the doctrine, I must premise three things, which are of great use for the establishing of weak believers, that they may not be shaken and discouraged by this doctrine.

First, There is nothing in the doctrine that should be matter of stumbling or discouragement to weak christians.

The gospel doth not speak these things to wound believers, but to awaken sinners and formal professors.

As there are none more averse than weak

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believers, to apply the promises and comforts of the gospel to themselves, for whom they are properly designed; so there are none more ready than they to apply the threats and severest things of the word to themselves, for whom they were never intended. As the disciples when Christ told them, "One of you shall betray me ;" they that were innocent suspected themselves most, and therefore cried out, "Master, is it I*."

So weak Christians when they hear sinners reproved, or the hypocrite laid open in the ministry of the word, they presently cry out, Is it I?

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It is the hypocrite's fault to sit under the trials and discoveries of the word, and yet not to mind them and it is the weak christian's fault to draw sad conclusions of their own state from premises which nothing concern them

There is indeed great use of such doctrine as this is to all believers :

1. To make them look to their standing, upon what bottom they are, and to see that the foundation of their hope be well laid, that they build not upon the sand, but upon a rock.t

2. It helps to raise our admiration of the distinguishing love of God, in bringing us into the way everlasting, when so many perish from the way and in overpowering our souls

*Matt. xxvi. 21.22.

Matt. viii. 24. 26.
#Psal. cxxxix. 24.

into a true conversion, when so many take with a graceless profession.

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3. It incites to that excellent duty of heartsearching, that so we approve ourselves to God in sincerity.*

4. It engages the soul in double diligence, that it may be found not only believing, but persevering in faith to the end.

These duties, and such as these are, make this doctrine of use to all believers; but they ought not to make use of it as a stumblingblock in the way of their peace and comfort.

My design in preaching on this subject, is not to make sad the souls of those whom Christ will not have made sad; I would bring water not to "quench the flax that is smoaking"† but to put out that false fire that is of the sinner's own kindling, lest walking all his days by the light thereof, he shall at last lie down in sorrow.‡

My aim is to level the mountain of the sinner's confidence, not to weaken the hand of the believer's faith and dependence; to awaken and bring in secure formal sinners, not to discourage weak believers.

Secondly, I would premise this; though many may go far, very far, in the way to heaven, and yet fall short; yet that soul that hath the least true grace shall never fall short: "the righteous shall hold on his way."¶ Though some may do very much in a way,

* 1 Cor. xiii. 5.
#Isaiah I. 1.

Matt. xii. 20.
¶Job vii. 9.

of duty, as I shall shew hereafter, and yet miscarry; yet that soul that doth duty with the least sincerity shall never miscarry; "for he saveth the upright in heart."*

The least measure of true grace is as saving as the greatest; it saves as surely, though not so comfortably. The least grace gives a full interest in the blood of Christ, whereby we are thoroughly purged; and it gives a full interest in the strength and power of Christ, whereby we shall be certainly preserved.

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Christ keeps faith in the soul, and faith keeps the soul in Christ; and so we are kept by the power of God, through faith to salvation +".

Thirdly, I would premise this; they that can hear such truths as this; without serious reflection and self-examination, I must suspect the goodness of their condition.

You will suspect that man to be next door to a bankrupt, that never casts up his shop nor looks over his books; and I as verily think that man an hypocrite, that never searches: nor deals with his own heart.

He that goes on in a road of duties without any rub or doubting of his state, I doubt no man's state more than his.

When we see a man sick, and yet not sensible, we conclude the tokens of death are upon him.

So when sinners have no sense of their spiritual condition, it is plain that they are dead †Peteri. 5.

*Psalm vii, 10.

in sin; the tokens of eternal death are upon them.

These things being premised, which I desire you would carry along in your mind while we travel through this subject, I come to speak to the proposition more distinctly and closely. Doctrine. "That there are very many in the world that are almost and yet but almost Christians."

I shall demonstrate the truth of the proposition, and then proceed to a more distinct prosecution.

1. I shall demonstrate the truth of the proposition; and I shall do it by scripture-evidence which speaks plainly and fully to the case.

1st, The young man in the gospel is an eminent proof of this truth: there you read of one that came to Christ to learn of him the way to heaven: "Good master what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life ?" Our Lord Christ tells him, "If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments :" and when Christ tells him which, he answers, "Lord, all this I have kept from my youth up; what lack I yet ?"*

Now do but see how far this man went.

1. He obeyed] he did not only hear the commands of God but he kept them now the scripture saith, "Blessed is he that hears the word of God, and keeps it."†

2. He obeyed universally] not this or that command, but both this and that he did not tLuke xi. 8.

*Matt. xix. 16-23.