pride; and we are neither afhamed or afraid to say, search, examine the whole system.

Examine the character the facred writers have given us of God; is He not a Father, the Father of mercies, the God of all grace, the God of love? Examine the representation they have given of man; does it not agree with actual life and daily obfervation? Examine the threatenings they have denounced, and the warnings they have given; do they not accord with the judgments which God has frequently inflicted on idividuals, families, and countries, and which prove a moral government in the world? Examine the promises; are they not fuch as the ftate, and the conscience of man require? Where do they countenance fin? Examine the precepts; take only the command "thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, "and thy neighbour as thyself :" what think you of this command, or rather what think you of those men, who wish to exclude this principle, and to destroy a book, the grand aim of which is to produce it? But, alas! many condemn a work which they never read; diflike precedes and influences investigation; and nothing is more abfurd than to suppose that infidels renounce the gospel by the force of conviction, after having fully and impartially examined its contents. Be affured they never weighed the fubject, though they are always bold enough to pronounce that it is "found wanting." Few ever give these things a due confideration. Here however another clafs of characters appears in view; for while fome refufe to hear, others give these things a hearing ONLY. Now though our Lord and Saviour intends nothing lefs than this, he requires much more

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IV. He demands a PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF HIS WORD. "He that hath ears to hear, let him "hear." "I have delivered many things in your presenee, and you have done well in hearing them. "But my preaching is not to be viewed as an enter"tainment. My doctrine is not defigned to amuse the "mind, to gratify curiofity, to furnish a number of "lifeless speculations. And therefore hearing is only "inftrumental to fomething else; there is a duty of greater importance ftill remaining."

What is it, my brethren? What would our Saviour fay in explanation of his command? What has he said in other parts of his word? "Mix faith with it; let "not the fenfe leave the mind as foon as the found "leaves the ear; remember it; enliven it by medita“tion; reduce it into feelings and actions; fear these "denunciations; embrace these promises; obey these "commands; walk according to this rule."

It is a lamentable reflection, that all the concern many of our hearers have with fermons, consists in hearing them. They do not confider hearing as the means of becoming religious; it is their religion. They conclude that their duty is over when the difcourfe is ended, whereas it is then only begun. Inftead of carrying off portions of divine wisdom to illuminate their lives, they leave behind them all the instructions they have received. They do not take the word of God along with them, to guide them in their ordinary walk; to arm them against temptation; to furnish them with the cautions of prudence; to ftimulate them to universal confcientiousness. Their tempers are unfubdued, unsoftened, unfanctified; their

converfation produces none of" the fruit of the Spirit, "which is love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, "goodnefs, faith, meeknefs, temperance.' But the word of God is practical; every truth is announced to accomplish fome purpofe. If it reveals a refuge, it is that you may enter it and be fafe; if it proclaims a remedy, it is that you may use it. It is not your hearing of it, but your applying it, that will fave you from death. You fay of a preacher, he ought to Do, as well as to PREACH; and we fay of a hearer, he ought to Do, as well as to HEAR. You fay, and you fay truly, that mere preaching will not fave us ; and we fay with equal truth, mere hearing will not fave you. Never will you attend the difpenfation of the word aright, till yo make the end which God has in view in fpeaking, your end in hearing. And can you imagine that the defign of the bleffed God in favouring you with his "glorious gospel" from fabbath to fabbath, is anfwered, if while you regularly enter his courts, you always return the fame; if after all the fermons you have applauded for twenty or forty years, you are found as malignant, as covetous, as full of the world as before; or your profiting appears only in fome dead notions, very well laid out in your minds; in a capacity to weigh preachers in the nicest scales of orthodoxy; or in the useful employment of splitting hairs, and tying and untying knots in common thread? What does the "gospel "of your falvation" intend nothing more than to make you visionaries, or triflers? Is this "teaching

us, that denying ungodlinefs and worldly luft, they "fhould live foberly, righteously, and godly in the

"prefent world?" To perfons concerned for the honour of the gofpel, and the falvation of mankind, the christian world presents an affecting profpect. Never was the word of God more plentifully preached; never did fo many "receive the grace of God in "vain." Never was there more feed fown; never did fo much fall "by the way-fide," "on ftony pla"ces," and " among thorns!" How little does even the good ground yield! Where is the preacher, the clofe of whofe fabbaths is not embittered by the review of unprofitablenefs? You invite us to your tables, you crowd us in our temples, but you compel us to retire from both, complaining, "Who hath believed

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our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord re"vealed?" We condemn your practice; you thank us for our good fermons, and proceed. Your approbation does not hinder your finning, nor your finning, your approbation. Where are the evidences of our fuccefs? are they to be heard in the inquiry, "Sirs, "what must I do to be faved?" Are they to be seen

in

your deadness to the world, in your felf-denial, in your taking up the cross, in your heavenly-mindedness, in serving your generation according to the will of God, in your being examples to others? How fhall I impress you with the importance of this, or by what motives can I enforce upon you this practical attention to the gospel you hear?

Shall I urge the danger of delufion, and fay with the apostle James, "Be ye doers of the word, and not "hearers only, deceiving your ownselves." Shall I remind you of "a foolish builder," who reared" his house upon the fand; and the rain defcended, and

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"the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat CC upon that houfe, and it fell, and great was the fall "of it." Such according to our Saviour will be the fatal difappointment of all those who entertain a hope of fafety feparate from holinefs; who have been lulled to fleep by an unfanctified attendance on ordinances ; who hear "these fayings of his, and Do them not."

Shall I remind you of the precarious tenure of your privileges, and fay with our Saviour, "Yet a little "while is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, left darkness come upon you." There are no calls of mercy beyond the grave; and “what is your "life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little "time, and then vanifheth away." The Jews had diftinguished privileges; but "the kingdom of God was "taken from them, and given to a nation bringing "forth the FRUITS thereof." Where now are the churches of Afia? Your candlestick may be removed. You may be rendered incapable of hearing. Efficacy may be withheld from the means; and furely if any thing can provoke the Supreme Being, to take away ordinances, or to make them useless, it must be your awful abuse of them.

Shall I mention the happiness of those who receive the gofpel, "not in word only ?" "And it came to

pafs, as he fpake these things, a certain woman of "the company lifted up her voice and faid unto Him, "bleffed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps "which thou haft fucked. But he faid, yea, rather "BLESSED are they that hear the word of God, and "KEEP it." "If ye know these things, HAPPY are ye if ye Do them." "Whofo looketh into the perfect

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