"All

that they run not with them to the same excess of riot they formerly did, "speaking evil of them;" but they are neither disconcerted nor surprised at this, for they are taught to expect it; they remember what their Lord had said to his disciples, "Because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you;" nor are they dismayed should this hatred proceed even to persecution, remembering that it is written, that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." "None of these things, therefore, move the sincere Christian; he has counted the cost, and is prepared to go through evil report and good report, through honour and dishonour; chiefly anxious to please his God, and so fight the good fight of faith, that having finished his course with joy, he may lay hold on eternal life.” These are a few of the marks by which every professor may try and examine himself, whether he be altogether a Christian, in the Scripture acceptation of the word, or not; and, by this test, I would earnestly beseech you to try yourselves this day take it not for granted, that you are a Christian because you were baptized, and because you make a profession, and appear in this place on the Lord's day; were this the case, our Saviour would not have reported of the straight gate, "few there be that find it ;" nor would he have said, "strive to enter in," if a careless walk, and lukewarm profession were sufficient

to accomplish it; nor would he have described his people, as a little flock, taken out of the world. Be persuaded, then, not to rest satisfied, till you have arrived at the most convincing evidence, that you are indeed what you profess to be, a sincere Christian, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. And here, in my humble effort to persuade, I would urge upon you, the paramount importance of, not only reading, but searching the Scriptures; while these are neglected by any individual, there is no ground for hope, that that individual, will ever become a Christian. That faith which is essential to the Christian character, is the gift and work of God; but it is given and wrought, in the use of means-" faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"-in that word, the wisdom which maketh wise unto salvation, is represented by Solomon, as being hid; it must, therefore, be sought for. "If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God; for the Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." But a greater than Solomon, has instructed us in this truth, and enforced it by a double similitude; where he compares it, first, to "a rich treasure, hid in a field; which,

when a man has discovered, he will sell all he has to purchase it ;" and, secondly, to "a pearl of great price; which, when the merchantman had found, he immediately went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Exactly so, are the treasures of salvation hid in the field of the Gospel, or in the word of God; so that he that would be possessed of them, must seek them diligently where they are to be found, or he can never obtain them. If you are conscious only of professing your belief in the word of God, and reading a chapter or two occasionally as a duty, you must be sensible, that this is not searching, or seeking in it for a treasure which you expected and are anxious to find. The Psalmist describes the godly man as one who "delights in the law or word of God, and meditates in it day and night;" and respecting that word, he says of himself, "O how love I thy law, it is my meditation all the day how sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Again, with what ardour did the Psalmist cry to be instructed out of that word, and with what constancy did he apply himself to it. "I cried with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord, I will keep thy statutes. I cried unto thee, save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried, I hoped in thy word. Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word. I

have longed for thy salvation, O Lord, and thy law is my delight." Is this, in any measure, your experience? It cannot be, while you neglect the reading of the Scriptures, or consider it only as a duty which you occasionally perform. Be assured, it is only by a patient and diligent reading and examination of the Holy Scriptures, you can ever come to a true knowledge of yourself; a Scriptural knowledge of your God and Saviour; or a feeling sense of your need of that Saviour and his great salvation. And, having been brought to that knowledge, and to a sense of that want, it is still, by the continual reading and searching of the same Scriptures alone, that you can expect to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In this, as in other things, God has united the means and the end, and what God has joined together, you cannot, you must not separate or put asunder; and if you will continue to neglect the means, it is absolutely impossible for you ever to attain the end. If then you are desirous to be, not only almost, but altogether, a Christian; give heed to the word of God, and study it with prayer: if you do so with sincerity and constancy, a blessing will attend the work; and you will experience a pleasure and consolation, which the study of this world, and what is merely connected with it, can never bestow; as you proceed in the delightful occupation,

seek, and ye shall

your mind will be enlightened; your understanding enlarged; while you become more acquainted with the character of that Saviour, who you now find," is made unto you of God, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption," and has set before you in his Gospel, a "blessed hope of everlasting life." Here you will find that every thing is freely given you of God; you have only to believe and receive it, in his appointed way; and for this, his gracious command and promise, is your warrant and security. "Ask, and “Ask, and ye shall receive; find; knock, and it shall be opened to you:"-" Believe, and live." And here I would just remark, that this faith which characterizes the real Christian, by which you are saved, and to which we would persuade you at this time, is not a faith without works, or a dead, inoperative assent or confession; no, it is a most active and operative principle; it accomplishes every thing which constitutes the character of a sincere Christian; "it purifies the heart; it overcomes the world; and it works by love;" it is to this faith then, that we would persuade you; for it is on this only you can depend; and why? because, this only, leads you to depend on Christ, and on God through him: thus you may perceive, that faith is the instrument or means, whereby you lay hold on Christ, who is the great object and end of faith; and