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 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/realchristiandisOOdavi 
 

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THE REAL CHRISTIAN DISTINGUISHED FROM 
 HYPOCRITES. 
 
 DISCOURSE, 
 
 FROM 
 
 REVELATIONS, 
 
 chap. ill. i. 
 
 By Rev. THOMAS' DAVIDSON, A. M. 
 
 Minifter of Braintree, England. 
 
 PUBLISHED IN SCOTLAND, BY A SOCIETY FOR 
 DISSEMINATING RELIGIOUS TRACTS. 
 
 Printed and sold by SAMUEL ETKERIDGE, 
 t8Q2. 
 
(£/• THE following Difcourfe was publifhed In Scot" 
 land, in 1 798, by " The Society for publijhing Religions 
 Tracls," inflitutedin July 1793, cof fifing of2$o Mem* 
 hers. The objecl of this Society is to publifh and diflribute 
 fuch Tracls as appear calculated to promote evangelical 
 knowledge and holinefs. 
 
 From a fund raifed partly by a quarterly fubfcrtption of 
 the Members, and partly by donations, the Society, in the 
 ccurfe of the firjl five years after its eflablijhmeni, print- 
 ed and circulated large editions of TWENTY SEVEN dif- 
 ferent pamphlets, of which that herewith prefented to the 
 public, was one* 
 
discourse, m 
 
 Rev. iii. r. 
 
 And unto the angel of the Church in Sardis write, Tkefe i 
 faith He thai hath the fez en Spirits of God and the fevenfars, 
 I k?ioio thy works, thai thou, baft a name that thou livefi, and 
 art dead, &c, 
 
 J_ HIS charge refpefls private Chriftians, for it is brought 
 againft the church as well as the minifter : and in treating of 
 this part of the fubjecT:, I fhall fet it before you in a two ibid 
 point of view. Firit, as ftrictly and abfolutely true with re- 
 fpecl to fome ; and, feccndly, as only comparatively true with 
 refpect to others. 
 
 Firft, It may be confidered as ftriccly and abfolutely true 
 with refpect to fome, that they have a name to live and are 
 dead. This natively leads us to confider the dreadful nature 
 of the fin of hypocrify, and the awful condition of hypo- 
 crites ; for none but fuch can pcfiibly have a name to live 
 among men, and yet be abfolutely dead in the fight of Gr.d. 
 Now, that I may, if poffible, meet with every one in ffl 
 condition, I would obierve, that there are three forts of hypo- 
 crites. 
 
 i. Such as may properly be called legal hypocrites, whofe 
 name to live, and whofe hopes, are wholly built on the works 
 of the law ; who reckon a great deal on their negative gocd- 
 nefs, and are ready to fay with the Pharifee, Luke xviii. 11. 
 God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, 
 unjuft, adulterers, or even as this Publican. To this may be 
 added, what may very properly, in one fenfe, be called pcfthe 
 goodnefs ; fuch as being ftrictly honeft- and juft in all their 
 dealings with men ; who would not, for any confideration, 
 wrong any one to the value of a pin, are companionate and 
 merciful to the poor, and on all proper occafions give liberal] y 
 
% a DISCOURSE os- 
 
 to their relief. 2ccrr:cAr.g to their ability ; lav out them- 
 fblves to be ufeful among men, and to their utmoft promote 
 peace and harmony in focieties'and neighbourhoods ; and to 
 all this may be added, being ftridr in the practice of religious 
 duties of every kind, public, private and fecret ; and yet, 
 with all this negative and pdfitivfc goodnefs, there may be 
 nothing but the form of godlinefs without any thmg of its 
 life and power ; for if perfons trnft to this, and look to be 
 faved by it. either in whole or in part, they, in fo far, put it in 
 the room cf Chrjft and his righteoufnefs, who in no cafe will 
 ihare his glory with creature", but will have all faved in the 
 way that ftains the pride of all glory. The apoille Paul tells 
 n- tilts was his cafe before his mind was favingly enlightened : 
 he was ore of t hypocrites bf whom I am now fpeak- 
 
 ing. / nvaj ai/ve, 1 i\ s he, Rom. vii. 9. nalthout the laiv once ; 
 alive, that is. in his own opinion, and in the opinion of others, 
 .. . ; that is, before he knew the law in its fpirit- 
 Tial irjeanrng and extent *: $ui e covtmandment came, fin 
 
 ■ xd I dkd. Then the hopes he had founded on the 
 law, 1 . ;- the righteoufnefs of which, he tells us elfe- 
 
 •. he was blamelefs in .his own conceit, Phil. iii. 6. were 
 
 : . .i up, arid he faw that, though he Iiad a name to live, he 
 notwithftanding dead. Jn like manner, all who build on 
 the fame *©tten foundation, whatever their attainments may 
 ?je, either in moral cr religious life, let them come to ever 
 fucb a feeming degree of perfection, if they reft there, and 
 go no further ; yea, if they go not beyond and out of them 
 all to Chrift, and reft on his righteoufnefs alone for juftifica- 
 ticn before God, they are no more living chriftians in his 
 fight, than a well drawn picture is a living man. They 
 appear to be what they really are not ; they have a name to 
 Jive among men, but they are dead, as being deftitute of the 
 Spiritual life, deftitute of a new nature, without which our 
 Lord has affured us none can enter into the kingdom of God. 
 John iii. 3, — 5. 
 
 2. There are fome who are grofs, defigning, and prefump- 
 tuous hypocrites ; who put on the cloak of religion, and 
 wear it, that they may be thought well of by men; who 
 know they are not what they pretend to be, as being confcious 
 to themfelves that they have no ends and motives in view, but 
 what are carnal, worldly and felfilh ; fuch aope was Judas in 
 our Lord's own family. Have, not I chofcn sou twelve, and one 
 
REV. Hi. i. 5 
 
 9/ you is a devil ? John vi. 70. Such a one was Simon the 
 magician, of whom we read, Acts viii. who put on a prefef- 
 iion of religion, and followed the apoflles, from worldly mo- 
 tives, hoping to obtain the fame power which he few they 
 were endowed with, of conveying the Holy Ghoft through 
 the laying on of their hands, that he might turn this gift into 
 worldly gain, as is evident from his offering the apoflles mon- 
 ey that he might ohfain it. Such alfo were Ananias and Saph- 
 ira, Acts v. who had got admittance into the church, and fee- 
 ing how light the Chriftians of thofe days fet by this world, 
 and how readily they fold and parted with their eftates for 
 the relief of their brethren, would fain have got a name to 
 themfelves, for the lame contempt of the world, and love to 
 the faints, while the covetous love of the world reigned in their 8 
 hearts, and they could not but be confeious to themfelves 
 that they were lying to God and his church in the profeffion 
 which they made, as v/as made evident in an awful manner. 
 
 It is truly furprifmg to think, what pains feme have been 
 at to put on and wear the mafk of' religion by an outward 
 profeilion ; to perfonate the walk and converfation of Chrif- 
 tians, that they might be accounted fuch : and fome have 
 gone dreadful lengths in acting their part fo artfully, 
 they have deceived even the mod difceming Chriftians ar.ci 
 xninifters : and yet, at the fame time, they have been and 
 could not but be confeious to themfelves, (as their after prac- 
 tice has declared,) that they were acting a deceicfui and hyp- 
 ocritical part ; and that, at the fame time they were pretend- 
 ing to the greateft meafures of fancTity and Itrictnefs before 
 men, their hearts were giving the lie to it ail : while they 
 were indulging the love of iin, and faying, / Jhall 
 feace, though I walk m the imagination of wine heart, Dent, 
 xxix. 19. Some particular inftunces of tins kind there have 
 been, that would fill every mind with aftoniflirnent to relate 
 them. And though, for the mojj part, fuch have been detect- 
 ed, by their being left to make awful difecveries of the 
 narghtinefs and rottennefs of their liearts, and thereby have 
 been made monuments of the Divine difpleafure, and fet up 
 as beacons to others ; yet I queuion not, but fome fuch have 
 worn the mafk all their life, and their hypocrify has 1 
 been difcovered in this world, and will not be made e\ 
 but in the next. This I take to be the meaning of that awful 
 word of our Lord's, Luke xiii. 30. And beheld there an 
 which Pull befirft, and there are Hrfl thai Ml U lajl. 
 A 2 
 
6 'a DISCOURSE oh 
 
 Before I leave this, and go any further, may we not flop 
 here, and wonder at the degree of atheifm, helliih wicked- 
 nefs, and heaven daring prefumption, which fuch perfons have 
 arrived at, as thus to put on a character and act a part in it, 
 quite contrary to the natural bent and difpofition of their 
 hearts, which the profefiion of religion puts a force upon, a 
 difpofition that ftrongly inclines them to the ways of the 
 world lying in wickednefe, all which they cannot but be con- 
 fcious of, if they ever allow conference to fpeak, and hearken 
 to what it fays ? And at the fame time, they cannot but know, 
 that however they thus deceive men, who are bound by the 
 law of love to think the bell of perfons, that the prefent ap- 
 pearance they make can fuggeft to them, yet they cannot, I 
 i'ay, but know that the mafk will certainly be taken off, if not 
 In this world, yet in the other, to their eternal fhame and con- 
 Q. But Oh ! what a myftery of wickednefs is there in 
 the heart of man by nature ! Surely it is an eternal truth, it 
 is deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked ; none 
 can know it, but God, whofe tuideritanding is infinite, Jer. 
 xviL 9. 
 
 3. There are clofe, painted hypocrites, who may not only 
 deceive others, Who can fee no farther than outward appear- 
 at.ee, and are bound to judge of them accordingly ; but they 
 may even go fo far as to deceive themfelves. This is a deli- 
 cate point, and had need to be tenderly handled ; for it is at- 
 tended with a three fold difficulty. 
 
 (1.) In many cafes, the real graces of true Chriftians, and 
 the counterfeit ones in refined hypocrites, {o nearly refemble 
 one another, that it requires no fmall meafure of the wifdom 
 that cometh from above to diftinguifh rightly between them, 
 ana to point cut precifely where the difference lies. 
 
 (2.) When we would aim at dealing faithfully in this 
 matter, that fo we may cut eff all excufes from the moil re- 
 fined hypocrites, that they may not haveJt to fay, the danger 
 of our cafe was never fully displayed to us, the deceits and ref- 
 
 of lies to which we trailed were never fully laid open to 
 us, otherwise we might have efcaped them. Now, I fay, it is 
 difficult to cut oif all excufes of this kind ; and yet not grieve 
 and wound the heart of any of God's dear children ; for 
 many of them are (o borne down in their fpirits with unbe- 
 
 the remains of indwelling fin, and the temptations of Stt- 
 tfcey are ready to apply every thing that is fpeken 
 
REV. hi. i. ^ 
 
 to the cafe now under confideration to themfelves, and to 
 conclude that they are nothing but hypocrites : and the ene- 
 my frequently drives temptations of this kind with fucli hellifh 
 violence in upon their minds, that if he cannot bereave them 
 of their grace, which, bleffed be God, is beyond the power of 
 hell, he does all he can to bereave them of their comfort and 
 joy, and makes them many times to walk with bowed down 
 backs and wounded fpirits ; fo that, between thefe two, to 
 deal faithfully with the one, and not to grieve the other, lies 
 no fmall difficulty. 
 
 (3.) Another difficulty lies in this, the fubjecl: itfelf is copi- 
 ous, and would bear to be largely handled, which the brevity 
 we are confined to in difcourfes of this kind, will not admit 
 of, and to draw out a fubjecl: to any confiderable length, has 
 fometimes a tendency to make perfons tired of it ; and by 
 this means the things fpoken, however weighty in themfelves, 
 are not duly attended to. Whoever confiders thefe three diffi- 
 culties, will fee, that they do not want their own weight. May 
 the Lord direct to what may be proper, pertinent, and ufeful 
 on this fubjecl:. I but juft now obferved, that the kind of 
 hypocrify of which I am now treating, is of fo refined a na- 
 ture, that perfons may not only deceive others, but even them- 
 felves ; that is, though they have a name to live among 
 men, they may, notwithstanding, be dead before God, and 
 yet not know it ; yea, they may have a kind of perfuafion 
 that it is otherwife ; and Oh what a dreadful thing it is to be 
 deceived in a matter of eternal moment and confequence ! to 
 be deceived with refpedt to the real (late of 'one's foul ! Verily, 
 they who are deceived in this, are deceived indeed. Several 
 things concur to lead perfons into this deceit, and to make 
 them a more refined kind of hypocrites ; fuch as, 
 
 1. A religious and fober education in which perfons have 
 had precept and example concurring to lead them into at lead 
 an outward profeffion of religion, by a punctual attendance on 
 all the ordinances of worfhip, and an obfervation of the more 
 fecret duties of religion, which can hardly be done without 
 abftaining from the more grofs pollutions of the world, and 
 being morally fober. It is impoffible for perfons to go thus 
 far, without being commended and well thought of by relig- 
 ious perfons, who are always willing to think and hope the beft 
 in fuch cafes ; and this meeting with the natural pride of the 
 heart; hac a tendency to make them think the beft of them- 
 
I a DISCOURSE on 
 
 felves too ; and thus they are infenfibly led into the having a 
 name to live, while they are dead, and have never experienced 
 any real gracious change on their hearts. 
 
 2. To this may be added, a great deal of light and knowl- 
 edge as to the doctrines of the gofpel and the only way of fal- 
 vatioii through Chrift, of which they may have a rational 
 kind of belief, to which they have been led by no higher 
 principle than that of education and the impreffions which 
 that leaves on the mind. Such a knowledge is commendable 
 in itfelf ; but where the mind is not under the influence of 
 grace, it has a tendency to puff up and make one vain, as it 
 draws forth commendations and praifes from others, of the 
 dangers of which few are fufficiently aware, and fewer ftill 
 guard againfl it : for knowledge, however extenfive it may be, 
 is not grace. Many a knowing, yea, many an orthodox head 
 has been joined to a gracelefs heart, Rom. ii. 17. 
 
 3. Such perfons may alfo be pofiefTed of considerable gifts 
 for the edification of others : may be able to talk of the things 
 of God greatly to edification. They may have furprifmg 
 memories, fo as to retain, and be able to repeat what they read 
 and hear, may have the gift of prayer to a wonderful degree, 
 and many other excellent qualifications, which may contri- 
 bute to procure them a name to live among men, and to make 
 them think themfelves alive, whilft yet they are dead. The 
 apoftle fuppofes, Cor. xiii. 1. that perfons may have gifts to 
 fuch a degree as to fpeak as it were with the tongues of men 
 and angels, to be able to prophecy, to underftand all myfte- 
 ries, and yet have no grace, but be utter ftrangers to the pow- 
 er of religion. 
 
 4. Over and above all this, fomething may pafs on the 
 minds of fuch perfons, through the common operations of the 
 Spirit of God, nearly refembling his fpecial and faving work 
 on the minds of his people, while they are only enlightened 
 proferTors ; fuch ftrong and piercing convictions for fin, as we 
 are fare Cain, Pharaoh, Saul, Judas and Feftus had ; a won- 
 derful moving of affedtions in reading and hearing the word 
 in fecret piayer, and other religious duties, as the ftony ground 
 hearers, who received the word with joy ; on this may follow 
 a great outward reformation, and forfaking of fins which 
 formerly were delighted in, and a cleaving to duties of every 
 kind, moral and religious, as Herod when he heard John, he 
 heard him gladly, and did many things - f yea, there may be 
 
fomething refembling the feveral graces of the Spirit found- 
 in hypocrites and mere formalists. Have the children of God 
 faith ? fo may they have a temporary kind of faith. We 
 read of fome who flayed themfebuet on the God of IJraet, but it 
 
 Was not in truth and righteoufnefs, Ifa. xlviii. 2. Simon the 
 magician, Acts viii. it is faid believed alfo ; but it v/as not to 
 the faving of the foul, as the event fully proved. Do true 
 ChrhVians repent ? io may hypocrites ; Ahab repented and 
 humbled himfelf, Judas alio repented ; but it was not a true 
 and gracious forrow in any of them, but only a -flaviih fear of 
 the punifhment of fin, in an awakened confeience. Have tine 
 Chriitians hope ? fo may the hypocrite, but it is only for a 
 moment, and/baffperi/h, Job. viii. 13. Again, they may feel 
 ibmething like the it niggles between the new and old man in 
 the believers ; but it is only either one luft ftriving againft 
 another, as fometimes lufts are contrary one to another, or, as 
 one well obferves, it is only the flefh luffing in one part of die 
 flelh, and fearing in another, as was the cafe with Balaam. 
 He had ftrong deiires after the wages of unrighteoufnefs, but 
 his light and knowledge told him the danger of taking them : 
 and many have druggies- of the fame kind, who yet remain 
 utter Grangers to a work of grace en the heart. Fufthery 
 they may have good defires, as Efau, who earneftly fought 
 the bleffing with tears. Balaam too could fay, Let me die the 
 death of the righteous, and let my iafi end be like his. Num. xxiii. 
 10. And Simon the magician, when the danger of his un- 
 converted ftate was faithfully told him, defired the apoftle's- 
 prayers for him, A els viii. 24. yea, they may drive againft fin, 
 and feem very mortified, as many among the Papifts do in art 
 ignorant felf-righieous way. Thus, Ahab humbled himfelf, rent 
 his clothes, fatted, lay in fackcloth, and went foftly, 1 Kings 
 xxL 27. Whatfhall I fay further: They may take a great delight 
 in ordinances, attend punctually on them, and feem greatly 
 affected while they do fo. Thus it was with thefe fpoken of, 
 Ifa. lviii. 2. They feek me dailv, and delight to kn&w my ivays, as 
 a nation that did righteoufnefs, and Jbrfoak net the ordinances of 
 their G:d ; they ajk of me the ordinances of juftice, and they take 
 delight in approaching to God, &V. What a beautiful appear- 
 ance does all this make ? But, alas ! it was all hypocrify, as 
 the context makes evident. I might enlarge on this fubject ; 
 but thefe things may fuffice to prove this affecting truth. 
 And now, if any are ready to fay, Why, if hypocrites can 
 
13 a DISCOURSE on 
 
 go all thcfe lengths, how is true religion to be difcemed ? an& 
 how may we know the difference ? In anfwer to this, I would 
 fay, there are three things to which the moft refined hypo- 
 crite never attains, and where thefe three things are to be 
 found, there moft certainly is the grace of God in reality and 
 truth. 
 
 1. They never give up with all fin, nor hate it as fin. 
 Some, yea, many iins, they may feem to forfake, while con- 
 victions continue-; as Herod, when he heard' John, heard him 
 gladly, and did many things : but, with all this he could not 
 be brought to part with his Herodias. And thus it is with 
 hypocrites, even the moft refined of them ; they always re- 
 tain fome idol or other, that they cannot bear ihould be cut 
 off, fome right eye, that they cannot or rather will not pluck 
 out. And allow me to fay, brethren, if it was poftible for 
 one to part with all fins, except one, that one would give Sa- 
 tan as real a hold of his heart, as if he had parted with none. 
 But the true Chriftian is made to fee fo much of the lothfome 
 and filthy nature of fin, as well as to behold its dreadful con- 
 fequences, that he hates and gives up with all fin, and is fo 
 far from deliring any may be fpared, that he dreads, left it 
 fnculd be {o, through the deceitfulnefs of fin, and his own 
 heart. And the perfon that can appeal to God, the Searcher 
 of hearts, and fay unto him, With the Pfalmift, Pfal. cxix. 
 1 2H. / efleem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and 
 I hate every falfe nvay, has attained to fomething in which he 
 has got beyond the moft refined hypocrite. 
 
 2. They never love to be fearched to the bottom ; they are 
 always afraid of it, and feek to avoid it : they love fair gen- 
 erals beft, and always avoid any thing that looks like being 
 too particular. But the true, the honeft hearted Chriftian is 
 willing to be fearched thoroughly, yea,^ is afraid left any fin 
 fhould lurk in his heart without beij^ obferved ; and there- 
 fore, as fufpecling himfelf of partiamj; in this matter, he 
 brings his heart to God, who knows it beft, and puts the Work 
 in his hand, faying with the Pfalmift, exxxix. 23, 24. Search 
 me, God, and know my heart ; try me, and fee if there he any 
 wicked nvay in me, &c. 
 
 3. They never wholly renounce felf in the matter of jufti- 
 fication, and reft wholly upon the merits of Chrift and his 
 righteoufnefs for complete falvation. Some may indeed feem 
 to do it in opinion, but in practice there is always fomething 
 
REV. iii. i. n 
 
 #f their own, which they cleave to and reft upon, if not whol- 
 ly, yet in part, as they who are mentioned in the forecited Ifa. 
 Iviii. 3. Wherefore have we fafted, fay they, and thou feefl not ? 
 life. Ifajl twice a week, 1 pay tithes of all I fofefi, faid the 
 Pharifee, Luke xviii. 12. But the true Christian, in the mat- 
 ter of juftification, dares not mix any thing of his own with 
 the perfect righteoufnefs of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and he de- 
 fires, with the apoftle, to be found in hi?n, not having his own 
 righteoufnefs, &c. Phil. iii. 9. 
 
 By thefe three things, we may know $£e difference between 
 true Chriftians and the moft refined hypocrites j and if we 
 have truly experienced thefe things, we may be allured we are 
 true and honeft hearted Chriftians. I come now, 
 
 Secondly, To confider this charge as comparatively true with 
 refpeel to others, namely, true believers, who may have had, 
 and perhaps have ftill a name to live, that is, may be ac- 
 counted lively and flourifhing chriftians by others, and yet 
 their fouls may be in a very languifhing condition before 
 God. And O the need we all have to confider and liften to 
 this with becoming ferioufnefs and attention ! 
 
 That the words of the text are to be taken in this reftrictect 
 Tenfe, is, I think, evident from the advice or exhortation 
 given in the text, Be watchful, and ftrengthen the things which 
 remain, and are ready to die. In treating them, therefore, in 
 this view, I mail, through divine affiftance, ift, Show when it 
 may be faid that a true Chriftian has a name to live and yet 
 in a fenfe is dead ; 2dly, Shall point out fome of the caufes 
 of this evil. 
 
 1 ft, When may it be faid that a true Chriftian has a name 
 to live, and yet may, in the fenfe of the text, be dead. 
 
 I anfwer, 1. When he has left his firft love, and has not 
 that relifh and favour of divine things he once had. It is 
 ufual, when perfons are firft favingly dealt with, and made to 
 experience what the Scripture calls the kindnefs of youth, 
 and the love of efpoufals, that then their hearts are lively and 
 fpiritual, and they have warm impreflions of the love of God 
 in Chrift, which render the duties of worfhip fweet, and en- 
 gaging in them eafy and pleafant : then love to him is ftrong, 
 and love to every thing that is his too, as his name, his word, 
 his day, his ordinances, and his people. It is impoffible per- 
 fons can have this love and not mow it ; the holy profeffion, 
 ia its own nature, makes ibis neceuary ; and, in fo far as it is 
 
'** I DISCOURSE ok' 
 
 Jhewn m away becoming the gofpel, it muft procure them a 
 name to live. But this name to live is more eafily maintain- 
 ed than one's firft love is : for the avoiding things that are 
 openly and notoriously fcandalous, and a ftrict attendance on : 
 the ordinances and duties of worfhip, will maintain the one ; \ 
 but nothing can maintain the other, but the immediate com- 
 munications of the Spirit and grace of Chrift, in a way of ho- 
 ly fellowship with God in him. But Oh what a fad falling 
 off is frequently to be found here with many of God's chil- 
 dren ! efpecially if any considerable meafure of worldly prof, 
 perity and eafe happens to be in the^r lot. It is natural for ' 
 the carnal unrenewed part of the mind to fink into things of 
 time and fenfe, and in fo far as an inordinate love to them "j 
 prevails, the love of God and things fpiritual muft in propor- 
 tion fink and grow weaker ; by which means Chriftians fall 
 from and leave their firft love. The earneftnefs of their de- : 
 fires towards God and the remembrance of his name, their 
 zeal for his glory and honor and the interefts of his king- 
 dom ; their fervent breathings after communion and fellow- 
 fhip with him in the duties and ordinances of worfhip ; their 
 love to his word, his day and people : all thefe may abate and 
 cool to a degree that fhould rather be imagined than fpokeri. . 
 The edge of their fpiritual defires may be blunted ; the ten- 
 der fpiritual frame of mind, with which they once engaged in 
 duties of worfhip, may, in a great meafure, wear off ; that 
 careful watch which they formerly kept up agamft vanity and 
 carnality of mind, may be let down in a great meafure ; and 
 though they may keep up the form of religion fo as to main- 
 tain the name to live among men, yet they may in a great 
 meafure be dead before God, dead in comparifon of what 
 they once were, when they firft engaged in the ways of God 
 and religion. There are inftances in Scripture of faints leav- - 
 ing their firft love, which fhould be remembered with fear and 
 trembling by us all. Would one have thought that fuch a 
 man as Noah, a preacher of righteoufnefs, for fuch a number 
 of years, to a wicked and ungodly world, who was a juft man 
 and perfect in his generation, and walked with God, Gen. vi. 
 9. and whom the Lord faid he had feen righteous before him 
 in his generation, Gen. vii. 1. and whom the Lord had fo 
 wonderfully and mercifully preferved when he drowned the I 
 world of the ungodly by the flood : would one have thought 
 I fay, that fuch a one, after all this, would have fallen as he I 
 
:. I. I> 
 
 did ? Jofeph was tender, holy and circumfpec"t in his younger 
 years, and when in advcrfity ; but when he was furroundcd 
 with the temptations of a eourt, and was railed to a iullnefs of 
 riches and power, he left his firft love, fo far as to learn to 
 fwear the court oath. What a difference was there between 
 David's firft and his laft days ! fometimes one would hardly 
 think it was the fame man. Thefe, and other inftances that 
 might be named, are iafricient to fill us all with holy fear, and 
 to make us remember that great truth, we ftand by faith, and 
 therefore we mould not be high minded, and that while w r e 
 think we /land to take heed left we fall, fall from our firit. 
 Jove, and thereby, though we may have a name to live, yet 
 •may in the £e::ie before declared be dead. Then may we be 
 brought to mourn in the language of Job, xxix. 2. Oh that 1 
 inere as in months paj}, as in the days when Cod prefect :d vie, 
 when his candle flrined upon my head, and when by his light I n 
 ed through darknefs, as I was in the days of?7iy youth, when the. 
 fe:ret of God nxai upon iny tabernacle. 
 
 2. When he is more anxious and careful in maintaining the 
 credit of his prcfeilion before men, than in maintaining com- 
 munion and fellowfhip with God in the more fecret duties of 
 religion. I grant indeed this can never be ftrictly and abso- 
 lutely true in the fuller! meaning cf thefe words, that any 
 child of God can be more anxious and concerned about the 
 one than the other; on the contrary, this is the certain mark 
 or a hypocrite : but in a time of temptation and fpiritual de- 
 " clenflon, from the danger of which none are abiolutely ex- 
 empted, even true Chriftians may feel this difpofition working 
 in them. There may be a going the round cf duties, public, 
 private, and fecret, a blameleis outward walk, by abilaining 
 from fuch things as may fully their prcfeffion, and bring re- 
 proach on the good ways of God ; there may be a good meaf- 
 ure too of the exercife of gifts for the edification of ethers, 
 while yet grace may be on the decline. And as thefe things 
 may have a tendency to maintain and ftrengthen the credit cf 
 one's profefllon before men, Chriftians may for feme time be 
 trader the temptation of being moie careful about this, I 
 atout maintaining communion with God in fecret ; and this 
 may be occafioned by their giving way to things that have 
 provoked God to hide his face from them in the more fecret 
 duties of wcrfliip, by which they contract a dead, formal, liil- 
 lefs way of performing fuch duties, while f ,h?r<; may be f;;:r. 
 B 
 
-*. a IXSCOURSE on 
 
 ing livelinefs in the way of performing religious duties before 
 men, perhaps through the mere force of a natural gift, or a 
 fpiritual one ufed in a formal "way. But to be lure, where this 
 is the cafe, they are not before God what they appear to be be- 
 fore men, though they may have a name for being lively and 
 fpiritual Chriftians, by the account of them that can fee no 
 farther than outward appearance, and muft therefore judge 
 uxorclingly ; yet they are not lb before God, but compara- 
 tively ipeaking dead. 
 
 3. When the inward temper and frame of his mind, and 
 the tenor of his walk and converfation, are not as it becomes 
 the gofpel of Chrift, and the holy profeffion of his name. 
 That one may be a true Chriftian with refpecl: to his ftate be- 
 fore God, and be juftly accounted fo by men, and yet the in- 
 ward frame of his mind be fuch as is in a great meafure, un- 
 becoming that characler, none can doubt who know the word 
 ci God, and are thoroughly acquainted with their own hearts. 
 He may give way to pride, anger, malice and a revengeful 
 fpirit for a time ; may fret and repine inwardly at the provi- 
 dence of God, and fome particular difpenfations thereof: he 
 may indulge a carnal frame of mind, and think with fome 
 pleaiure on the lulls of the nefh, the lufts of the eye, and the 
 pride cf life. All this may be done, and yet nothing fcanda- 
 lous appearing before men ; but it cannot be done without 
 bringing on fpiritual deadnefs on the mind, and unfitting it 
 for communion with God in holy duties. Yea, matters may 
 even 2^0 further ; true Christians may be fufFered to fall into 
 th'ngs .in point of practice, that, if they are not inconfiftent 
 .with the being and truth of grace, are utterly inconfiftent with 
 the lively exercife of it, and thereby they may darken their 
 profeinon, and fully the luftre of it, to fuch a degree, that they 
 may at leaft be no ornaments to it. Yea, what mall I lay 
 further ? may not my heart tremble to fay, and yours to hear, 
 that they may be left to go fo far, as to become open fcandals 
 to the gofpel, and oblige the children of God, with whom 
 they hare formerly been in church-fellowihip to withdraw 
 from them, and to feparate them from the holy communion of 
 the faints ? And though a true Chriftian can never fall tcaft- 
 Iv and finally from grace as to the habit or reality of it, in 
 ;:: heart, yet he may fall from die exercife of it, fo that he 
 lofe, as to bis own apprehenfibn, his affurance of the 
 . • of God, joy ia the H'el} peace of confeience and 
 
REV. iii. I . *Jj 
 
 the hops of heaven. And there may be alfo fad and woful 
 intermiffions as to the ads or exercifes of the graces which arc 
 eflential to Chriflianity, viz. faith, repentance and love. 
 may be left to go fo far, that his grace may neither be vii 
 to himfelf nor to others. By all Which God may be pre 
 ed to hide his face from him, and leave him to fink in a clond, 
 and go out like the ihufr of a candle ; and in many awful in- 
 ftancea, he may take vengeance on his inventions, though he 
 fhew smercy to his fptll as to its eternal well-being. 
 
 Thus far even Chriitians may have a name to live and yet 
 be partially dead : and I have been thus particular with a two 
 fold view, (i.) That none may give way to unbelief and ck • 
 fpair, by drawing harfli conclun* ons againit themfelves, 
 they were none of the children of God, becaufe perhaps they 
 may have fallen in the way and manner I have been now 
 fcribing. Let fuch remember and hear the Lord fpeakiag to 
 them in inch words as thefe : Pfal. lxxxix. 3c. — 35. Jer. iii. 
 II, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22. Hof. xiv. U 2, 3, 4. (2.) That 
 none may prefume, but that all may be an aid and keep at thd 
 utmoft diltance from every thing that fo much as borders en 
 the evils I have been defcribing in the foregoing particulars. 
 Woe to them who dare fearlefsly venture on fuch things, ba- 
 caufe they hear perfons may be guilty of them, and yet be 
 faved. This is fo far from being a mark of a child of God, 
 that it is one of the faddeft marks of prefumpticn, yea, of rep- 
 robation, that I know. Would any wife man leap over a prec- 
 ipice, becaufe he faw another do it before him, and did not 
 Icfe his life, but only broke feme bones ; furely no. The ap- 
 plication is eafy. O let us (land in awe, and be afraid oi 
 ing a name to live, and yet being dead, either in one refpect 
 or another. 
 
 Secondly, I would point out fome caufes of this. 
 
 1. It is owing to much outward profperity, and to an abun- 
 dance of the means of grace. In times of public persecution 
 and famine of the word of God, Chrifiians have fpmething 
 to exercife their graces and keep them lively, and gefiei 
 {peaking they are lively. But in a time of much outward ti an- 
 quillity and plenty of the means of grace, they are ready to 
 grow fecure, formal and dead, to fettle on their hcs t and to 
 reft too much on a name to live. While David was hunted 
 like a partridge on the mountains, and banifhed from the 
 fanctuary, how lively were his affections ! how fervent his do 
 
16 a DISCOURSE on 
 
 fires I how ardent was his love to God and things fpirltual 3 
 But when he was in the midd of worldly profperity and great- 
 nefs, his heart turned carnal and dead, the confequences of 
 whicli are too well known to be mentioned. 
 
 2. It is owing frequently to covetoufnefs and the love of 
 this world* Alas, my brethren, we live in an age and time in 
 which it is a hard matter to convince perfons that this is a tin, 
 or at lead that they are guilty of it. That whicli would have 
 been, and certainly was accounted a fcandatous fin in the firft 
 ages of Chriitianity, now lets up its head, even in the church- 
 es of Chrifr, without being afhamed, as ji it had got a paif- 
 port, and might fai'ely go free, without being aiked whence it 
 came, or whither it was going ; yea, the very mentioning of it 
 is ready fometimes to put perfons out of temper, to put them 
 in a paffion, which is a certain fign that there is a fore there 
 that cannot bear to be touched. And there are io many fine 
 names that it goes by, and fpecious like difgulfes that it lurks 
 under, that it finds a way, fome how or other, to evade the 
 force of conviction. But he who fays in the text, Fhmv thy 
 works, fees through all thefe difguifes, and fooner or later will 
 blow them away with the breath of his mouth, and make the 
 limine and nakcdiv:fs of il appear to all. And though perfons 
 may now induftfkrafly hide it, and may find it no difficult thing 
 to indulge it, and yet maintain a name to live, yet certainly, in 
 fo far as it is indulged, it brings fpirltual deadneis on the 
 foul." 
 
 3. It is owing to the carnal and ieififh way of ufmg fpirit- 
 ual gifts. Where thefe are beftowed on perfons in any meaf- 
 ure more than common, it is hard for them to be in the ex- 
 ercife of them, and at the fame time to keep down pride. 
 Such gifts, and the free exercife of them, have a natural ten- 
 dency to procure and increafe a name to live ; but unlefs there- 
 be a balance laid on the -natural pride of the mind, and per- 
 fons are enabled by grace to cxcrcifc every gift God has be- 
 ftowed on them, in a humble felf-denied manner, as pride and 
 f,'lf conceit prevail, fpiritual deadnefs will alio, in equal pro- 
 portion, take place in the foul. Oh what need we have to re- 
 member that great word, 2 Cor. x. 17, 18. He that glorieth 
 tet him glory in the Lord ; for not he that coviviejidctb himfilfis 
 approved, but whom the Lord covwicr.deth. 
 
 1 4. It is owing to perfons allowing their hearts to become 
 carnal and fenfual in the enjoymert of the lawful comforts of 
 
REV. iii. i. if 
 
 Even the beft of God's children arc in danger here. 
 Hence our Lord cautioned his dilciples. Luke xxi. 34. Tah 
 heed : s left at any time your heart be overcharged mtith 
 
 ' , S:c. How neceiTary to watch over 
 ourfelves in this particular, and to beware of fo much as 
 bordering on excels of any kind ; for it is a Mealing and be- 
 witching thing, that mfenfibly increafes in its demands ; and 
 if once given way to, perfons know not where they may ftop, 
 O the need we have to be fpiritual in the ufe of all the lawful 
 comforts of life, and to remember that weighty word. 1 Cor. 
 t. 31. JVheiher f therefore]. ye ca.t or drink, or 'nuhatjbever ye do.(h 
 the glory of G:d. The not remembering this, and going 
 to excefs in thtic thing-, has clouded many a bright profef- 
 fi on, and brought on fpiritual deadnefs, which has never been 
 altogether recovered in this world. 
 
 Laftly, it is owing to perfons being feldom employed in 
 the more inward and fecret duties of religion, fuch as holy 
 meditation, felf examination, farting and fecret prayer. Some 
 perfons, in the heat of I don't know what kind of zeal, may 
 exclaim sgainrt the diligent performance of fuch kind of du- 
 ties, as favouring of a Pharisaical, fz\£ righteous fpirit ; Lut 
 whatever they may preiend, we mav venture to affirm, on the 
 juileit grounds, that a defect in thefe duties is at the bottom 
 ill the fpiritual deadnefs to be found among us. The 
 life of religion is an inward thing ; much of it lies between 
 God and the foul, in fecret ; and if perfons either neglect, or 
 carelefsly perform, the more inward and fecret duties of relig- 
 ion, by which communion and fellowship between God and 
 the foul is maintained ; how is it poflible fuch can be lively ? 
 If God, of his infinite mercy, would graciouily pour down 
 his Spirit from on high on us, as a fpirit of faith, repentance, 
 grace and fupplication, that would icon make a fweet and 
 bleiTed change in our fpiritual ftate and condition ; and this 
 change would foon difcover itfelf in the confeientious and dil- 
 igent practice of tlxit part of religion which lies between 
 God and the foul in fecret. 
 
 Application. Ufe 1. Of Information. 
 
 1. Hence we may fee what a wide difference there is be- 
 tween the judgment of God, and the judgment of men, both 
 with refpect to perfons and things. The one is frequently 
 
*& a DISCOURSE ok 
 
 falfe and partial, and at bed is founded on probability and 
 outward appearance ; but the other is according to truth, 
 and founded on infallible knowledge, i Sam. xvi. 7. Some- 
 times even charity itielf requires, that we fhpuld judge 
 otherwife of perfons, than according to wh.it is their real 
 /late before God, became the entering into and judging the 
 hearts of men, is a part of the prerogative royal of God, which 
 lie will fuffer no perfon whatever to invade ; and therefore we 
 ought to keep at the utmoii diftance from every thing chat fo 
 much as borders on it, keeping within the bounds which the 
 law of love has fe't us. But the ufe which we ought to make 
 of this truth with refpect to ourfelvcs, is to look narrowly in- 
 to, and to judge our own hearts and ways ; for that we are 
 not only allowed to do, but it is oar ^uty.; and the 
 
 not doing it, argues a (infill partiality and cartkiueis, which is 
 frequently reproved in Scripture, 1 Cor. xi. 28, 31, 32. And 
 the more we are thus employed, the lefs we (hall be taken with- 
 a name to live among men, and being well thought of by 
 them ; and the more we (hall be defirous of approving our- 
 felves unto God in all things, that we may in truth and re- 
 ality be fuch as we profefs to be : for if is not he that com- 
 mendeth himfelf, or whom men commend, that is approved, 
 but whom the Lord commendeth, 2 Cor. x. i3. 
 
 2. Hence we may fee what a mercy it is ^or perfons to 
 have a true and real reprefentation of their cafe laid before 
 them, without any difguife ; efpecially when it is deilgned for. 
 their good, and to deliver them from any meafure of mifery. 
 they are labouring, under. All the reprefent-atior.s that are 
 made by the Spirit of God in his word to iinners are of this 
 nature, they are made with a defign to undeceive them, by 
 opening their eyes to fee what is the real itatc of their fouls 
 before God, and at the fame time he fcts before them the rem- 
 edy, and tells them how they may be delivered from every 
 evil and mifery they labor under. And here lies the main 
 and chief difference between the way in which the Holy Spir- 
 it of God deals with the fouls of men, and that which the 
 liar* and murderer takes. The devil does all he can to de- 
 ceive finners by blind folding them and keeping them in the 
 dark, that they may not fee the danger they are in, telling 
 them all is well, and all fh all be well with them in the iffue, 
 they (hall not furely die. But when the fmner's eyes begin to 
 be opened, and he can do that no longer, if then he (peaks 
 
REV. iii. I. 19 
 
 troths, it is always with an evil and wicked defign ; even that 
 he may thereby complete the ruin of the foul, by driving it 
 to defpair, and telling them there is no hope for any in their 
 cafe. But die Holy Spirit of God takes a courfe directly con- 
 trary to this in every refpect ; he deals truly with all, by fetting 
 before them a fair irate, of their cafe, .making it neither better 
 nor worle than it really is, and. that with a view to humble 
 them, and make them fenfible of the evil and danger of it ; 
 and then he difcovers the remedy, that they may flee for ref- 
 uge to lay hold on the hope fet before them, that fin may not 
 be their ruin, but that they may be delivered from it, and 
 from the wrath which is to come. Hence it follows in the 
 text, after the charge pr ace ufation, ver. 2, 3. Be watchful* 
 and jlrengthen the things which rema'm y that are ready to die, &c. 
 
 By noticing carefully what I have juft now fuggefted on 
 this point, we may eafily know what comes -from the Spirit of 
 God, and what comes from the evil one, in the difcoveries 
 that are given of our hearts' and ways. When the Spirit of 
 God difcovers our danger, it humbles to the dud, fills the foul 
 with holy (name and blufhing, and makes us cleave to the 
 remedy, which he never fails to difcover at the fame time that 
 he difcovers the difeafe ; for that which comes from God, 
 never fails to lead to him in a way of duty, and makes the foul 
 cleave to. him by faith and love. But when the devil fets be- 
 fore us the very fame thing, viz. our fin and danger, though 
 he may in this cafe fpeak truth and draw a true picture, 
 though a horrid one, of ourfeives, and fet it before us, yet 
 it is always with this deiign, to lead us to defpair, and to make 
 us draw that dreadful conclufion, that theie is no hope or 
 help for us in God. And O how ready are we to hearken to 
 him in this, though it flies in the face of Scripture and the ex- 
 perience of the faints. It behoves us, therefore, to know and 
 •beware of his devices, that we may neither be betrayed out of 
 our life, our joy, or our peace. 
 
 3 . Hence we may fee, that in a time of general declenfion 
 in the churches of Chrift, few, very few, either minifters or pri- 
 vate Chriflians, altogether efcape the contagion : but, on the 
 contrary, the moft part are ready to be carried down the 
 iiream. In this church of Sardis, we find, not only the an- 
 gel or mini ftei, but the greatePc part of the church itfelf, 
 with having a name to live and yet being dead, and 
 . were but afew namevamor? them that had not defiled 
 
%m a DISCOURSE os 
 
 _ 
 their garments. My brethren, this is a point' that equally 
 concerns, and therefore ftiould affect us all. When things are 
 evidently wrong in the churches', and feem to tend to utter 
 ruin, it is an ealy matter for perfons to thr'ow the blame off 
 themfelves, and lay it on others : yea, frequently none are more 
 ready to do this, than they who are deepeft in the provocation ; 
 and fometimes none are more loudly exclaimed againft, cr 
 have a greater lliare of the blame laid at their door, than the 
 few names who have not defiled their garments. Art thou /-;*, 
 faid Ahab to Elijah, who irovfotHh Ij'racl P i. Kings, xviii. 17. 
 Jeremiah was a man of ftrife and contention to his people, and 
 was looked upon by the Jews as feeking their hurt and deftruc- 
 tion. The plain reafon of this is, becarfe the lives and con-, 
 verfations of fuch are a practical reproof, and a ftanding tefti- 
 mony againft backfliders and apoftates, and therefore they en- 
 deavor to blacken and mifreprcfent them as much as poflible. 
 However, the improvement each of us fhould make of this 
 point is, to turn inward, to fearch and try our own ways, and 
 then to lay our hands on our hearts, and to fay, what have I 
 clone ? None will be more ready to do fo than they who are 
 rnoft holy, and tender, and circumfpecl: ; and none ftand fairer 
 to be approved of God in the end, than they who are thus 
 employed ; who ^\re mourning in fecret on account of their' 
 own fins, and the fms of others ; and are ftanding in the gap, 
 to prevent the Lord's anger from breaking in like a flood. 
 Blcifed are fucli mourners ; for they fhall be comforted. 
 
 4. Hence we may fee what an awful and melancholy thing 
 it is for perfons to take up with a name to live while they are 
 dead, abfolutely and altogether dead, dead in trefpaffes and 
 fins ; who have a form of godlinefs, but deny and are ftran- 
 gers to the power of it ; who profefs to be the difciples of 
 Jefus Chrift, but in that profeifion are only deceiving them-, 
 felves and others. It was no doubt a cutting word which our 
 Lord fpake to the traitor that betrayed him, Friend, wherefore 
 /irt thou come P betrayefi thou the Son of?nan -ivith a kifs P And 
 O how dreadful will it be to fuch as have followed Judas in 
 profeffing to be the friends of Chrift, and have been account- 
 ed fo by men, when the Lord comes to lay their real charac- 
 ter open before men and angels, if they have not been left to 
 make it manifeft themfelves, before they went out of the • 
 world, as Judas did ? 
 
 The improvement which all honeft hearted Chriftians will 
 make of this, will be to make them more earneftly folicitour to 
 
REV. 
 
 in. i. 
 
 fearch and try their own hearts, that they may fee more into 
 the deep deceitfulnefs thereof, and left they fhculd be deceiv- 
 ed, (which of all other things they dread moil,) they will be 
 looking earaeftly to God himfelf, and putting the work in 
 his hand, faying, as in Pfal. exxxix. 23,24. Search me, O 
 God, Sec. 
 
 5. Hence we may fee, that it is not fimply being in a 
 gracious ftate will preferve perfens from partial apoftacy, and 
 fpiritual deadnefsin an hour of temptation. Times may pafs 
 over churches, even the pureft of them, in which even real 
 Chriftians,wife virgins, as well as foolifh,may fall afleep, Matth. 
 xxv. 8. And as it is not fimply being in a gracious itate will 
 preferve perfons from this evil, fo neither is it the exerciie of 
 gifts or the maintaining a profefiion of religion before n 
 forfome may have a high name in this refpeS, and yet 
 fouls may be in a languiihing condition before God. Nothing 
 can preferve perfons from the evils I new fpeuk of, but the 
 immediate and continued communications of the fprrit and 
 grace of the Lord Jefus : and we have no ground to exec H 
 inch communications but in the way of holy fellowship with 
 God in him, which never fails to be accompanied with a zealous 
 regard to the truth as it is in Jefus, and a holy tender walk. 
 Thefe things God has joined together, and they who are for 
 feparating them, eidier in opinion or practice, to make Waj 
 for an indulgence to lults of any kind, fpiritual deadnefs is 
 creeping in upon them, rottennefs is entering into their bones. 
 And the ufe we fhould all make of this, we may fee in that 
 word, 1 Cor. x. 12. Tberefiveylet kimthalthinkethhe Jiandeib^ 
 take heed left he fall. 
 
 Lafily y Hence we may fee what reafon the befi of God's 
 children have to take heed to themfelves, and to beware of 
 every thing that fo much as borders on leaving or falling from. 
 their firft love, or has a tendency to make them lefs tender and 
 circumfpect in their walk and converfation. The not adverting 
 duly to this, has brought on fpiritual deadnefs, on many a real 
 Chriftian, from which they have never fully recovered in this 
 world ; but have gone halting to their graves. This truth 
 Hands confirmed, not only by many inftances left on record in 
 the holy Scripture, but alfo in the experience and obfervation 
 of many in every age. O the need that all have to watch 
 ever their fpirits and their ways, and walking in all holy 
 converfation and godlinefs, to pafs the time of their rejourning 
 C 
 
a DISCOURSE on 
 
 in fear. Verily, it is impoffible the fpiritual life can bt 
 maintained with any comfortable meafure of ftrength and 
 vigor without it. They who think otherwise, and frame 
 their conduct accordingly, do but deceive themfelves, and are 
 certainly in the fnare of the devil. I conclude this ufe of 
 information with that Scripture, Jude ver. 20 21. But ye, 
 beloved^ building up yiurfehes en your mqfi holy fait':, praying in the 
 Holy Ghqfty keep yourfhes in tie love of God, looking for the mercy 
 of our Lord Jsfus Chrifl unto eternal life. 
 
 A fecond ufe may be by way of Lamentation. 
 
 And here, my brethren, may we not, by looking around us, 
 and taking a juir. furvey of things, either with refpect to the 
 itate of matters in the churches ot Chriit in general, or among 
 ourfelves in particular ; may we not, I fay r adopt and take up 
 that lamentation of the prophet, Jer. ix\ 1 . that my head were 
 ivaters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might nveep day 
 and nigbt for the fain of the daughter of my people. And Lam. 
 iv. 1.7. Hovj is the gold become dim I Hozv is the moft fine 
 : banged ! Her Kazaritss ivere purer than Jhoiu, they were 
 whiter than milk, Sec. their "cifiige is blacker than a coal. May 
 we net fay, Wee is on its, our leannefs, our leannefs, it rifeth up 
 and teltifieth to our faces, what our fpiritual date and condition 
 is. When we look abroad to the ft ate of the churches of Chrift 
 in general, or among ourfelves, Oh what woful departures 
 from the truth and holinefs of the gofpel, prefent themfelves to 
 us, to fuch a degree, that they mud either be blind, or they 
 mud wink very hard, who do not fee, and are not fully con- 
 vinced of them. The enemy has, for feveral years, been break- 
 ing in like a flood, and feems to be aiming at lapping the very 
 foundations of Chriftianity ; and, alas, while he is thusfowing 
 tares, are not the molt part afleep ? or at lead very few jealous 
 for the Lord God of hods, and contending earnedly for the 
 faith once committed to the faints ? Jude, v. 3. And has not 
 theconfequrnceof thisbeen a general loofenefs and untendernefs 
 of walk among profefilngChridians^to fuch a degree, that we 
 are hardly to be known from the world lying in wickednefs ? 
 May not our hearts, therefore, meditate terror, when we think 
 what the end of thefe things may be ? left the Lord fhould be 
 provoked to fay concerning us, as of his people of old, Jer. v. 
 9. Shall not I vijit for thefe things, faith the Lord ? and fl? all not 
 ny fid be cienged vi fuch a nation as this P 
 
REV. iii. i. %$ 
 
 And when we come nearer home, and view the flate of 
 matters in our own hearts, Oh what ground of humiliation 
 and mourning have we ? We have a name to live, it is true, 
 and I truil there are more than a few names among us who 
 are really alive and lively ; but alas ! is there not much 
 fpiritual deadnefs and barrennefs at the fame time ? Are there 
 not many of whom it may be truly laid they have left their 
 firft love ; the zeal, the life, the tendernefs of their youth is in 
 a great meafure gone. Alas, has not the pale and wan colour 
 of death, come up into the faces of many who once appeared 
 lively and fpiritual ? And how can it be otherwife, if perfons 
 have their hearts finking into and racked with the cares and 
 love of this world ? or are indulging lufts and fenfual 
 gratifications of any kind in a fmful way ? or are conforming 
 themfelves to the world in its vain and vile cuftoms ? Can grace 
 grow and thrive in fa eh perfons ? Is it poffible that fuch can 
 be lively and fpiritual, and can , maintain fellowfhip and 
 communion with God in holy duties ? Surely no. Thefe things 
 are for a lamentation, and fnall be for a lamentation, 
 
 Ufe 3. Of Exhortation. 
 
 From what has been faid, let us all be exhorted to fearch 
 and try our ways, that we may fee whether or not, or how far 
 the charge and accufation in the text belongs unto us ; and 
 who among us can fay it does not ? furely there are rare 
 and happy fouls, who are exceptions in this cafe But, as I 
 apprehend, it belongs in one refpecl or another to by far the 
 greateft part, even of them who have a name to live among 
 us, then it becomes us to take with it, and turn to the Lord 
 from whom we have deeply revolted ; and if we would do 
 this to purpofe, and in a right manner, it muft be done. 
 
 1. In a believing way and manner. As faith is the mean 
 of life at firft, fo it is the mean of quickening and reviving in 
 all the fits of after deadnefs. Let us therefore bring our dead 
 cold hearts to the quickening promifes of the new covenant, 
 and fay unto the holy and quickening Spirit, as Pfal. cxix. 25. 
 Our fouls cleav* unto the duj?, quicken us, according to iky word. 
 Various are the promifes which are made in the word to the 
 prefent cafe. Ezek. xxxvii. 1,-15. is full to this purpofe, fo 
 is alfo Hof. xiv. 6, 7. Let us firmly believe and plead thefe, 
 and fuch like promifes, with particular application to ourfelves, 
 and fay with the church, Jer ? iii. 22, Bihld «iw qqtm unto ths^for 
 
124 a DISCOURSE on, Uc. 
 
 thou art the Lord our God, and Hof. ii. 7. I will go andreturr. 
 to my firft hujband, for then it was better with ?ne than now. 
 
 2. With deep contrition and bitter repentance. This follows 
 the other of courfe, and will be a certain proof of the truth and 
 genuinenefs of our faith, They are both joined together, Joel 
 ii. 12, 13. Therefore, alfo now, faith the Lord, turn ye unto me, &c. 
 with fafi'mg and with weeping, and with mourning, and rent 
 your hearts and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your 
 Cod, &c. 
 
 3. With firm refolutions, in the ftrength of divine grace, to 
 Teform whatever we have feen and been convinced was wrong 
 in our practice and walk, and with holy endeavours after new 
 obedience. Surely it is meet to he fa id- unto God, I will not offend 
 any mere ; that which I fee not, teach thou me ; if I have do7ie 
 iniquity I will do no more, Job xxxiv. 31 32. This will indeed 
 be a proof of our fmcerity. . It is only in fo far as convictions 
 and repentance operate in this manner that they are faving 
 and efficacious. 
 
 WRITE to Sardis, (faith the Lord,) 
 
 And write what he declares, 
 He whofe fpirit, and whofe word, 
 Upholds the feven ftars : 
 *' All thy works and ways I fearch* 
 Find thy zeal and love decay'd ; 
 Thou artcall'd a living church, 
 But thou art cold and dead. 
 Watch, remember, feek, and ftrive, 
 
 Exert thy former pains : 
 Let thy timely care revive, 
 
 And ftrengthen what remains : 
 Cleanfe thine heart, thy works amend, 
 Former times to mind recal, 
 Left my fudden flroke defcend, 
 And fmite thee once for all. 
 Yet I remember now in thee 
 
 A few that are upright ; 
 
 Thefe my Father's face fhall fee, 
 
 And walk with me in white i 
 
 When in judgment I appear, 
 
 They for mine will be confeft ; 
 
 Let my faithful fervants hear, 
 
 And woe be to the reft.". 
 
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