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the truth verbally, but withhold a practical conformity to its precepts. They serve it with their understandings, but withhold their hearts; or they admit the Bible to be true, but, most inconsistently, refuse to make the sacrifice it requires. Now, assuredly, the indecision of such, their hesitation to conform themselves in practice to that which they admit to be divine, incurs a high degree of criminality, and must appear to themselves obviously inconsistent, as well as involve them in manifest self-condemnation. For how can he that admits the Bible to be true and divine, justify the delay of a single hour in obeying its injunctions? Such delay or indecision is palliated by some persons, under the excuse of wishing to take time for the consideration of so important a step, because it would incur risk or actual loss; or because they feel reluctant to lay themselves under the solemn obligation which it involves. They think that to become decided Christians lays them under a sort of vow or pledge, which they fear they might be tempted to violate, and then they think they should incur a condemnation, which they avoid by remaining in their present undecided state.

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But religious duty stands quite independent of all such considerations, and the very strongest of them have been met and set aside in those words of Christ, "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”* Every one that hath forsaken houses, or breth-, ren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." It is clear from these and similar passages, that there is left to us no option as to the duty of * Luke xiv. 33. † Matt. xix. 29.

confessing Christ before men. And it is, therefore, a most serious question, which those ought to entertain who decline this duty, whether they have not distinctly rejected the Saviour's authority, or whether their faith can be any thing more than a mere name, when it fails to lead them to a conscientious and entire subjection of themselves to the revealed will of God. Clear it is that they do not fulfil their Saviour's command; and it seems equally clear that their hesitation arises from no reason which he will admit, from none which even their conscience, when properly informed, can deem sufficient. They must, therefore, allow me to state, that their indecision upon this point argues a total insensibility to the claims of Christ; and a sinful deficiency of that kind of faith which, if sincere and divine, would lead to action, and to a noble braving of all temporal consequences, and a calm committing of themselves to the promised divine support in carrying out their profession. I would not have such persons imagine that they really love Christ at all, if they are unwilling to obey his commands; and I would rather have them conclude that they possess no faith beyond the mere speculative assent to the Scriptures generally, than suppose that a true and saving faith could be productive of such gross and glaring inconsistency. It is, indeed, necessary that such persons should be faithfully forewarned of the self-delusion they are practising, and affectionately admonished to seek, in connection with a full consideration of what Christ requires, that divine grace which would effectually constrain and decide their heart to yield itself unto God. Reader, if this is your case, you have, indeed, deep need of his grace to bring you to a decision; for without it you can

have little hope that so weak a heart will be sufficient to overcome all your difficulties; yet, with it, all those difficulties will vanish away, and you will find all the paths of the Lord plain and smooth to those that walk therein. But how sad a case will yours be, if, through a timid spirit, or a wavering resolution, or a want of confidence in the promise of that very word you profess to receive as divine, you should be found to be that servant who knew his Lord's will and did it not; for to such the threatening is, that he shall be beaten with many stripes.*

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There is another class of the undecided, whom may be useful to meet. They are those who profess to see no very urgent necessity for a public profession of their adherence to Christ, beyond what is involved in an occasional, convenient attendance upon religious ordinances. They assume that they can be just as good Christians by remaining as they are: and that if they rest their faith on Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, and live a moral life, nothing more can be reasonably required of them.

But all this evinces very inadequate views of Christian principle and Christian duty. The parties who maintain them must either be very ignorant or very inconsiderate; for if they would but reflect, they might perceive that, upon their principle, the cause of Christ must be left without any systematic support or any adequate countenance. They cannot suppose that the religion of Jesus Christ admits of two principles in the profession of it, and that while some are bound openly to profess and maintain it, others may consistently stand aloof and withhold their influ* Luke xii. 47

ence. They must surely see and admit that there can be but one principle of adhesion for all. No duty can be imposed upon one class that is not imposed upon another. The law of the Lord must be a universal law, and by it all must stand. It must be uniform as well as universal. Therefore, if any are obliged to confess Christ openly, all must be obliged; and if but one is exempted, then all might be exempted, by a parity of reason; and if one may excuse himself, then why might not all, upon the same grounds? But the absurdity of this timid policy any mind can detect. Only let it be followed out in this manner, and it may be readily exposed. Suppose that some are exempted from the duty of confessing Christ; then, why not I? And if I, why not others? And if others, why not all? And then, if all, what is to become of that cause of truth for which the Son of God bled upon the cross, and to the support and acknowledgment of which he has called all his faithful servants! Is it not, therefore, evident from this reasoning, that you have formed wrong notions both of faith and duty? That you have erred at the very outset, and never can go on well while such notions prevail? It is important that you should review, even from its very foundation, the faith which you profess, and inquire whether you have not mistaken even those first principles which are essential to your acceptance. In so far as your profession goes, you have withheld a most material part, and a part which may well be conceived to vitiate all the rest, and to set aside, in fact, the very claim you make to a true faith. It is more likely that you have never yet been converted at all, than that a true conversion should present such an anomaly, such a palpable inconsistency

Your heart, it is probable, is not yet given to God, and though you have received strong convictions of the truth of Christianity, and expressed some external respect for its ordinances, yet it is manifest that you have withheld from it that entire subjection which it demands, and are still halting betwixt two opinions. It must be that some worldly and temporal considerations detain you from fulfilling the claims of Christ; for you could never have derived any warrant from the gospel itself to justify so inefficient and inadequate a profession of the religion of Christ as that which you have imagined might pass for a true surrender of yourself to God.

It is high time that you should consider this matter in another light, or you may find your whole profession no better than direct, though secret, unbelief; and the infidel opposer less inconsistent than yourself. Hitherto you have been evidently thinking, rather of how little will do to secure to you an interest in Christ, and save you from the words of condemnation, than how much you owe to your divine Lord and Saviour to prove the sincerity of your love, and express your devotedness to his service. Your hesitation is a sinful hesitation; and if persisted in, after it has been exposed, will prove that you have never yet felt the love of Christ and your vast obligations. Let me, then, affectionately entreat you, as a poor, undecided and timid professor, to take upon you at once the solemn responsibility from which you shrink, and declare yourself on the Lord's side. If you have, indeed, any faith in his words of promise, or any inclination to act upon them as faithful and true, you will undoubtedly trust him for all that grace which is necessary to bring you

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