inwardly at the hardness and impenitency of heart manifested by his neighbour. At length, having, on one occasion, spoken to K-very kindly about his need of a Saviour, and of the things which related to his everlasting peace, and seeing that he disregarded all B—'s counsel, and would have none of his reproof, the fountains of his grief were suddenly broken up, and turning toward a dark part of the barn, a gush of grief burst forth, and betrayed itself, rolling down the cheeks of the poor and pious, yet despised thrasher. But although B— had turned aside, and endeavoured to hide his tears, by hastily wiping them away with the rough sleeve of his smock frock, K-- saw the big round tear glistening in his fellow-labourer's eye, who silently but thoughtfully soon resumed his work, by diligently plying with his flail the corn which lay spread out on the thrashing floor.

That tear, by the overruling power of God, did more than all the sermons he had heard from the preacher under the elm tree, or all the kind and truly Christian expostulations of his associate in labour. That tear subdued his heart. He was melted into tenderness and godly sorrow for his past sins. From that moment he considered. "What!" thought he, "shall John B- shed tears on my account, and yet I have never shed one tear about my soul's concerns?" After much inward conflict, he obtained joy and peace in believing. He began soon to love the minister and the people, whom before he as heartily despised. He became in consequence, a better husband, a kinder father, a more sober and industrious member of society, and is now a humble, consistent member of a Christian church.

From this statement let the reader learn, that God can use the feeblest instrumentality, even an unlettered thrasher, to be the means of converting a precious soul. And when words fail of producing the desired effect, a tear may melt the stubborn and rebellious heart to the obedience of faith. From the Tract Magazine.

LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY W. HARDING, 11, RED LION COUrt, and 14, GraY'S INN TERRACE.

London Printed by C. Roworth and Sons, Bell Yard, Temple Bar.

THE

CHURCH OF ENGLAND PREACHER.

Patronized by the Clergy and others.

ON DILIGENCE IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.

A SERMON

PREACHED BY THE

REV. W. DODSWORTH, A. M. At Christ Church, Albany Street, Regent's Park, St. Pancras, ON SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 20th, 1837.

TEXT. "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for, if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."-2d Epis. Peter, 1st chap. 10th

verse.

THE Conduct of Christians, when viewed in connection with their professions, evinces a fearful inconsistency. Let us consider, by adducing one example, what consistency is, and whither it would lead us in our Christian course?

St. Paul was a consistent man. He believed in the eternal misery of hell, and in the eternal blessedness of heaven, and his conduct was consistent with that belief. He considered no sacrifice too great to escape the one, and none too great to secure the other. For this object no present danger was shrunk from, no exertion was spared. He knew himself to be by nature born to sin, and that if sin were yielded to, it would ruin him both in body and soul. Hence no selfdenial was refused, if he might thereby avert this threatened danger. He brought under his body, and kept it in subjection, lest, after having preached to others, he himself should be a cast-away. He knew the value of Christ; and, consistent with that knowledge, he "counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord; for whom he suffered the loss of all things, and counted them but dung that he might win Christ." He estimated the value of human salvation by the sacrifice which procured [No. 8.]

K

it-even the death of the son of God. For this cause, therefore, he willingly sacrificed his own ease and comfort, and worldly prospects, being, for the Gospel's sake-"in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft"-scourged, beaten with rods, shipwrecked, in perils of various kinds-"in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." Some might think the Apostle too zealous, some might think him beside himself, some might blame him for believing a cunningly devised fable, but all must acknowledge his consistency. If the Gospel be true, if there be a heaven of delights, or if there be a hell of misery, it can scarcely be argued by any reasonable being that the zeal, and energy, and devotedness, and self-denial of St. Paul were too great. Nor is this remark in general less true of the other Apostles. They thought little of their own ease, or comfort, or worldly prosperity, when it stood in the way of their Christian duty, or of their progress towards heavenly glory. They not only abstained from sin in its blacker colours, but they denied themselves lawful indulgencies, from the fear that this world might obtain a too strong hold upon them; and some "had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented." All these things they willingly endured for the Gospel's sake, and for the salvation of their souls. They were consistent men. They were willing to do anything, or to suffer anything, rather than to lose heaven.

We must admit, too, on the other hand, the consistency of those who, having no faith in the divine revelation, having succeeded in blinding their eyes, and hardening their hearts, live without God and without hope in the world. We must admit their consistency, when they give themselves up to the pursuit of mere worldly objects. Their course, wretched as it is, is still a consistent one. They have no hope beyond this world, why then should they not yield the full tide of their desires to enjoy it? Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die. This, at least, is consistent.

But, my brethren, let us dispassionately compare the con

duct of professed believers with their own acknowledgments of faith and hope-and there what inconsistency is manifest! How shall we account for men believing that heaven, with all its endless treasures, is the reward of those who diligently seek God, and yet they do not seek him-at least, not diligently seek him." They believe that eternal blessedness may be secured by yielding themselves entirely to God. They believe that it may be lost by their want of earnestness-that they may, by slackening their spiritual course, come short of the heavenly glory, and yet they evince no anxiety about the matter, and are scarcely willing to give themselves trouble or inconvenience in order to secure so great an object. Immortal beings, on the brink of eternity, knowing and believing themselves to be so, and yet careless! Running the race of which heavenly blessedness is the prize, and yet loitering upon the way. Knowing that a result awaits them of life or death-Eternal Life or Eternal Death, and yet pleading for neglect of appointed means, inconvenience, or trifling impediments, which would not, for a moment, be allowed to stand in their way in the pursuit of any important object in this present life.

This subject, to which I now wish to draw your attention, is connected with some previous Discourses which I have been delivering to you. I have already endeavoured to place before you the misery of man's sinful state-his condemnation by nature, and the gracious revelation which the Gospel has provided through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. I have also shown you, from the Scriptures, that baptism is God's appointed door of entrance into this salvation. In baptism, as we are taught in the first rudiments of our faith, we were made members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. You see then, here, brethren, your calling-your election of God -for I address those who have been admitted into this holy fellowship-I address those who have been made partakers of this distinguishing favour of God. It is certainly not of our will, or of our doing, but of God's will, and of God's doing, that we have been brought into his Church. We have not chosen him, but he hath chosen us. Nothing can impressively teach us this than infant baptism. It unquestionably proclaims salvation to be, not of works, but of

more

grace, "not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."

And now then, being introduced into the kingdom of God, what is the language addressed to us? Is it, that since God has thus chosen you, and called you by his grace, you may sit down satisfied with your state, and may consider yourselves secure, and dismiss from your minds all anxiety about the result? No, but it is this-being partakers of the divine nature-as the Apostle says, in a few verses before the text -being partakers of the divine nature-he is addressing such persons-give all diligence-" add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For, if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, he that lacketh these things is blind, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins"-forgotten the blessings conveyed to him in baptism" wherefore, the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if ye do these things ye shall never fall."

There are several considerations which may be employed to enforce this exhortation.

First, that those to whom it is addressed are partakers of the divine nature, having received the seal and principle of a new life. The abuse of this doctrine, indeed, has been to induce slothfulness, but its proper use is to stimulate to diligence. Some have abused the doctrine of baptismal grace so as to build themselves up in a vain and presumptuous confidence. One might have supposed this not to be possible, but experience has proved that it is so. Persons have reasoned thus-that since they were born again in baptism, they do not stand in need of conversion, although, perhaps, they are living in all kinds of worldliness and folly, if not in grosser sin. All they require is some improvement, which they vainly hope will be effected in them, and this, possibly, without any effort of their own. They are Christians-they were made so in baptism, and now it is sufficient if they keep themselves from any grievous sin, and try to improve their conduct. Thus, they resolve the Christian's life into the mere improvement of