of her mind. The latter is, indeed, the more likely supposition; for "a reprobate mind," or abandonment to judicial hardness of the heart, is a curse but rarely incurred by "women professing godliness." Those of them who are very inconsistent, may be safely regarded as unconverted.Still, it is a very awful thing, when a woman can give herself credit for being converted to God by the Holy Spirit, whilst all her religion consists in talking about religion. Unregeneracy is dreadful, even in a woman who is utterly ignorant of the great truths of the gospel of salvation: but it is absolutely horrible, when found in connection with the knowledge and acknowledgment of these supreme truths. The very devils tremble at what they believe. The man or woman, therefore, who can believe all that is peculiar, inspiring, and solemn in the gospel, and yet not obey that gospel, is less affected by it than even Satan and his angels. They, indeed, hate it with perfect hatred; but still they stand in awe of it, and yield to it the homage of fear. How infatuated then must she be, whose religion begins and ends with hearing and talking of "the truth as it is in Jesus!" That truth is intended to rule both the tongue and the temper; to subdue the love of the world, and the love of ease; to turn sloth into activity, and selfishness into cheerful benevolence; and thus to make all whom it blesses, "a blessing" to others, to the full extent of their ability.

courage to avow and evince your faith;) and to courage, 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 be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But (she) that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that (she) was purged from (her) old sins. Wherefore the rather give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."

Now whatever else you fear or feel on reading this very solemn and heart-searching oracle, you are deeply conscious of, and concerned about one thing;-that you may "never fall." That has fixed your eye, and affected your heart. You cannot bear the idea of falling away from God entirely and finally. You may not be so fascinated by the prospect of "an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," as for the sake of that, to add “all these things to your faith." You may even be so heartless about heaven, as to care little how you enter it, if you are only admitted at last: but you are not so lost to all right feeling, as to care nothing about missing that kingdom, or falling short of it. Well? make the most of this feeling, if it thus be the best and the strongest of your present religious emotions. It is a good feeling in itself; and, accordingly, the fear of falling away is often appealed to in the Scriptures. Rom. xi. 17, 22.

I want, by these hints, to make you as much afraid of not following the Lord fully, as you are of denying the Lord who bought you; as much shocked at partial obedience and heartless devotion, as at open infidelity. Now, you would not You do, then, fear apostacy. You are neither for worlds be sceptics nor scorners. Rather than so "high-minded," nor so earthly-minded, as not apostatise from the truth as it is in Jesus, or than to fear falling: nor so "double-minded" as to prehold it in unrighteousness, you would do, give, and tend to be fearless. Well; so far, you are not pray more than ever you have tried hitherto.—"blind," even if you “lack” some of those things Yes; were you quite sure, or even very suspicious, that the degree in which you are now following God in duty and devotion, was no security against final apostacy, and no conclusive proof of saving piety, you would bestir yourself at once, and make a new effort to act up to your avowed principles.

which constitute the security against falling. You do not, however, "see afar off," (are not longsighted-do not look without winking) if you imagine that you can safely continue to lack any of these things. Each of them is an essential feature of that "Divine nature" or holiness, without which you cannot see the Lord. It is by having Are you, then, quite sure that you have gone them all in you, so as to "abound" in them, that further in the narrow way, than "those who draw"calling and election are made sure," and "never back unto perdition?" Is it beyond all doubt that falling" certain. you are following the Lord far enough, to prove that you have been "drawn by the cords of Love," and "led by the Spirit?" I do not at all question your sincerity, nor the correctness of your principles, so far as you do follow the Lord. My inquiry is, are you fully persuaded in your own mind, that you are diligent enough to "make your calling and election sure!" Does your own conscience bear you witness, that you are doing all those things, of which God saith, if ye do them, "ye shall never fall!" Do read again the list of these essential things. 2 Peter i. 5-11. What; is it enough for you, that you remember the outline of the passage I have thus noted? Do, then, remember that clause of it, (changing the pronoun,) she "that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that she was purged from her old sins." If you have any pretensions to sincerity, you will read again, now, the list itself; "Add to your faith virtue; (that is,

Are you beginning to tire of this process of reasoning and remonstrance? It is not mine, remember! Alas, I feel it, like yourself, to be very strict, and even somewhat stern too. Again and again I have been tempted to shut my eyes upon some of the many things, thus inseparably linked together, and then laid altogether upon me, as necessary to keep me from falling. I have caught myself asking, "Cannot calling and election too be made sure, without adding so many things to faith?" Can I not "stand" at less expense of time, thought, and effort? Who gives all this diligence, to make sure against falling! Do all fall, who "lack" any of these things? Have I not stood for years, although I have not abounded much in some of these virtues? Do I not see around me not a few, who are doing even less to stand than myself, and yet not at all afraid of falling, nor thought to be in any danger of it?"

Thus there are moments of temptation, and

moods of temper, when one could almost fly into a passion, as well as get impatient, with the strait meshes of Peter's net. These tossings and twistings are not made, indeed, in order to escape from | the fisherman's net altogether. We do not want the liberty of those fishes which keep out of the gospel-net, nor of those "bad" ones which are sure to be "cast away," when it is drawn to the shores of eternity: but we are, alas, prone to take more liberty than God sanctions.

How is this to be cured? It is a bad, yea, a dangerous disposition. Do not, however, make it worse than it really is. I mean,-do not conclude that all is wrong in your heart, because all is not yet right. Look not so exclusively upon the things which you lack, as to overlook entirely the things which you love in religion. You have no objection to do some of the things which are thus insisted upon, as securities against falling. Nay, there is not one of them you would throw out of the list, or set aside altogether. Consider: you would not "add to your faith, vice; nor to your virtue, ignorance; nor to your knowledge, intemperance; nor to your temperance, impatience; nor to your patience, ungodliness; not to your godliness, unsisterly harshness; nor to your kindness, uncharitableness." The very idea of this change revolts you! You would not for worlds reverse the laws of holiness in this way. The exclamation, "What fellowship hath light with darkness, or Christ with Belial?" rushes from your heart to your lips, the moment you glance at the glaring inconsistency.

There it is! I knew how the scale would turn, when you were fairly dealt with. It is not immoral freedom, that there is a craving for in your heart. You do not want a vice in the room of a virtue. Even the virtue you lack most, you do not exactly dislike. It is the trouble of cultivat ing it, that is the chief hardship to you. If virtue would grow out of faith, or knowledge out of virtue, or patience out of temperance, or godliness out of patience, or charity out of godliness, without any effort or care on your part, you would have but little objection to any of them. You would even be delighted to "abound" in them all, if they would only come and abide, of their own accord. For, you see no beauty in impatience, no attraction in anger, no loveliness in caprice or peevishness, and no benefit in your besetting sin. You would be very glad, if all that is wrong in your temper and conduct would go away at once and for ever.

Thus we begin to get at the secret of our reluctance to some duties, and of our failure in some graces: they require more diligence than we like to bestow upon them. If the fruits of the spirit would only grow and ripen as easily as the weeds of nature spring up and prevail, we should be quite pleased to bear a plentiful harvest of good fruit to the glory of God: but, finding that they are neither of spontaneous growth, nor of independent vitality: and that we must "sow unto the spirit," if we would reap of the spirit, we yield to sloth, or invent excuses for barrenness.

Here, then, is the point at which you must make a deliberate and solemn stand for your own safety, by giving all diligence to add to your faith, that virtue of character, or that grace of temper, which

you lack most. You know well what it is. You have found by experience that it does not come of itself. You feel that the absence of it, throws doubt and darkness upon both your calling and election. You see how its continued absence must continue your suspense, and embitter, if not utterly darken, your dying moments. Will you not then make a determined stand, in order to add that to your faith, the want of which, not only weakens your faith, but also keeps you in doubt of its sincerity? O, leave it to the blind and the base to juggle on this matter, with the dice-box of presumtive election. You are not "sure" of your election of God, and never can be, whilst you make no resolute effort to crucify your besetting sin, or take no pains to acquire the fruits of the spirit, which you lack most.

Do consider also, that it is really much easier to excel in the very thing you fail in most, than it is to repair, from Sabbath to Sabbath, the injury which that failure is for ever inflicting upon what is good about your character and spirit. Why; one half of the time, thought, and prayer which you must give, in order to get over the doubts and distress created by your besetting sin, would put an end to that sin. You do not escape from care or labor, by leaving your chief fault to go on in its own way. The Sacrament comes round, and then you have to meet all the sad consequences of it there, or to pray them down by strong cries and tears in your closet. Affliction comes, and then you have to suffer under the painful consciousness that God is contending with you on account of that sin. Darkness and depression come, and then you find that it is the heaviest weight upon your spirits, and the eclipsing cloud upon your prospects. Thus you do any thing but save time or escape labor, by allowing your chief defect to prevail from year to year. The running account of its consequences must be settled, whenever the bills become heavy; and then they are not easily met, as you well know, and have often felt.

Another fact deserves your special attention; nothing vital or good in your principles or experience will go wrong, by concentrating and confining your care, for a time, to the acquirement of the one grace you lack most. No other fruit of the spirit will fall off from the branches of your profession, or cease to ripen, whilst you are giving all your diligence to add to them a fruit they have never borne yet. God will take care that the hope you derive from the cross, and the peace you obtain from the promises, and the help you get from ordinances, shall not stop nor diminish, whilst you are giving all your attention to set that right in your character, which you know to be wrong, and which he has often contended against. Nay; he will add to his care of the general interests of your soul, whilst you are adding to your faith that fruit, the want of which injures you, and dishonors him. Remember; you were no loser, when you began to follow Christ, by the pains you took to remedy what was worst in your case then: and depend on it, you will lose nothing by taking the same course with what is worse now. No one ever went back in Christian experience or comfort, by a set effort to get forward in a neglected line of Christian character or temper.

These considerations cannot fail to have much

Why is this? Many reasons could, no doubt, be assigned for the melancholy fact. The chief reason, however, is, that so many have either no deep fear of falling, or no adequate sense of what is necessary in order to enable them to stand. They do not exactly care but little whether they stand or fall. They are neither reckless, nor altogether heedless, of consequences. It is their wish, "to stand against the wiles of the devil," and to "withstand in the evil day" of trial and How finely this agrees with both the letter and temptation. They even hope to do so. And they the spirit of the Saviour's counsels to his disciples. are so conscious of meaning well, that they almost He warned them not only by the fear of falling, think ill of any one who is afraid lest they fall. but also by the fear of hell-fire. Even in his "Fall, indeed! Why should they be suspected great intercessory prayer for their sanctification, of treachery or unsteadiness? Did they not give he did not say, "Sanctify them by the promises;" good evidence, at their outset in the ways of God,

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that they were savingly converted? Did not ex- | wicked," as well as "deceitful above all things." perienced and judicious Christians assure them And, do not imagine, that nothing but gross sins then, that a work of grace was begun in their can produce this fool-hardiness. It springs oftensouls, and would be carried on by the Holy Spirit er from losing the power of godliness, than from unto the day of complete redemption? And, the loss of moral character. This dreadful game have they not kept their name and their place in of hazard is more played at, by those who become the church, ever since, quite as well as the gene- lax in religious duty, than by those who are loose rality? Fall, indeed! Let him that thinketh he in morals. It is the slothful, not the sensual; the standeth better than they do, take heed lest he worldly, not the vicious, who try most to find out fall." byeways" to heaven. The sensual do, indeed, presume; but it is not upon past decrees being in their favor; but upon future displays of mercy, coming in time enough to save them. It is the slothful who try to believe, that there may be some eternal purpose, which will prevent them from being lost. This is sad work! And, observe, how extremes meet in it both classes are equally afraid of the present will of God. Neither can hope in him, just as he is and feels at the moment. Both see that his immediate feelings must be against their conduct; and, therefore, the one class throw themselves upon the chance of former purposes, and the other upon the chance of future good-will.

This is a wrong spirit certainly and yet, I must confess, that the way in which some warn others against falling, is almost enough to provoke such a retort. There are monitors who seem as if they would not be much surprised, nor even very sorry, if we did fall away. There are reprovers who betray a mean suspicion of our sincerity, as well as a proper sense of our defects. There are also counsellors, who, although they do not utter warnings in a spirit of pique or suspicion, are yet too caustic, or utter nothing but warnings. They caution others, as if grace were no great security against falling, even whilst it lasts; and even as if it might be all lost at any moment.

If Job's friends were "miserable comforters," such persons are miserable guides; and almost as dangerous as those who prophesy only "smooth things." It is, perhaps, difficult to say, whether those who prophesy harsh things only, or those who prophesy smooth things only, are most dangerous. One thing is certain-they are both very unlike Christ, and both ignorant, alike, of the human heart. That, can neither be led on in holiness by fear only, nor kept from going back by hope only. Accordingly, those converts who are kept in perpetual dread of falling, obey without pleasure; and those who are taught that they cannot fall, disobey without much ceremony or compunction.

How do you feel on this subject? Whether do you take for granted that you shall not fall, or take measures to enable you to stand? On what security against falling away, do you lay hold oftenest and lean most? Not, I hope ;-not, I pray !-on the abstract theory of final perseverance. Falling is begun, whenever a man or a woman, instead of persevering in prayer and watchfulness, presumes on safety without them. And when any one comes to argue his case thus,-"If I am decreed to be saved, I cannot be lost, whatever I neglect;" instead of praying over his case thus, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe;" he is fallen far, both from the doctrines and spirit of grace. He has then given up known Truth, for unknown Decrees. Yea, he has ceased to consult God; and begun, if not exactly to defy him, to alter his decrees, yet to tell him that, if there be a decree, he cannot alter it.

The cool effrontery of this calculation is horrible, just because it is so cool! It makes a supposed decree of the eternal mind suppress all the holy principles and feelings of the eternal mind. It sets against all the present will of God, the presumption that there has been a past act of the Divine will, which he is bound to abide by, whatever be the consequences to his law or his grace. The fatalism of the Mohammedans is nothing to this!

You are shocked at it. Well you may. Let it teach you, that the heart can be "desperately

You have not "so learned Christ!" When you repeat to yourself his promise; "I give unto my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish," you also remember his description of their character,- "My sheep hear my voice, and follow me, and a stranger will they not follow." Thus it is only the followers of Christ, who cannot be plucked out of his hands, nor out of the hands of the Father. Accordingly, you see and feel that, were you to turn back, or to give up following the Saviour, you could have no more hold upon the power which keeps his flock "unto salvation," than they have who never professed or wished to be his sheep. This is well so far, because it is wise.

In what way, however, do you calculate upon Divine power keeping you from falling away from Christ, and thus keeping you from falling short of heaven? How do you expect this keeping power to act for your safety? How do you draw upon it for strength, to stand before trials and temptations? I multiply these questions, because that power acts by rule in preserving both the sheep and the lambs of Christ from apostacy, and thus from perishing. It keeps them "through faith unto salvation;" and not in spite of unbelief. It is not only "able to keep them from falling;" but it does so, by making them "able to stand." Its ability works by enabling them to be faithful unto death. The law of preserving power runs thus,

"Work out your own salvation; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

These distinctions are neither too nice, nor too numerous. God has made them; and, therefore, you are bound to mark them. You have no right to turn away from them peevishly or impatiently, saying, "I can stand well enough without so much attention to rules, or to the relation of doctrines. I do not want to be a theologian!" Well; most certainly I do not wish to make you one. want, however, to be kept from falling; and that, you cannot be, but by being enabled to stand; and that you will not be by God, but in his own way of exercising keeping power. You are not, therefore, so intent upon standing, nor so afraid of fall

You

ing, as you give yourself credit for, if you give which enabled you to make that timely and neyourself no trouble about the way in which God cessary stand, than of the stand itself. And so keeps his children, through faith unto salvation. do I. But still, it is the stand, which shows how He says to them all, more than that he is able" grace helps in time of need." What it enables to keep them from falling; more than that "he us to do and endure, is the measure of what it is faithful, and will do it." He commands them does for us, and the mode in which it helps our all thus: "Take unto you the WHOLE ARMOR of infirmities. God, that ye may be able to stand." Yes; this is necessary, if you would wrestle successfully, either with flesh and blood, or with the powers of darkness. Satan will put on the whole armor of his power against you; and the world will put on the whole armor of its snares against you and your old nature will put on the whole armor of its depravity against you: how then can you stand in the evil day of their joint or single assault, if you do not "put on the whole armor of God?" Eph. vi. 10. Did this sacred oracle ever strike you before? It contains the whole history and mystery of that" Comfort ye, comfort ye my people." This is, familiar maxim, "Ye stand by faith;" and of that familiar warning, "Take heed lest you fall." Indeed, you cannot obey the one nor the other, as God enjoins them, without taking unto you the whole armor of God.

"But that armor is so much!" you will say. True; but it is not more than your temptations and tendencies to fall. There are, indeed, six parts of it; the girdle of truth-the breastplate of righteousness the greaves of peace the shield of faith-the helmet of salvation-the sword of the spirit-besides all prayer and watchfulness -but, which of them could you do without? Which of them could you wield or wear effectually without the others?

Do not tire of this formal advice. I would have you "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might;" and, therefore, I urge upon you, to "take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand ;" and tell you, at the same time, that this means no more than you ought to mean, when you say, that your own strength is insufficient, and grace essential, in order to your standing. I will go further and say, that the advice given in this oracle is just as kind and cheering, as when God says in another of his oracles, indeed, what he says to them when their " warfare is accomplished;" and the other what he says whilst the warfare is going on; but both are in the same spirit, and equal proofs of his attention to all who are engaged in the Christian warfare! He arms the warrior, as well as crowns the conqueror; and gives grace as willingly, as he will give glory cheerfully.

If

Look again at the whole armor of God, in proof of this. Why; every part of it proclaims as much peace to you, as it proclaims war against sin and Satan. If you must wear a helmet, it is "the hope of salvation," not the fear of perishing. If you must wield a sword, it is "the sword of the spirit," which is the word of God; and by that, Look twice at this question, before you attempt Christ vanquished Satan in the wilderness. to answer it. Without the girdle of truth, you you must employ a shield, it is the faith of the may fall into error. Without the breastplate of glorious gospel, not the buckler of fasts, penances, righteousness, you may fall into legality. With-sackcloth, or celibacy. The righteousness which out the shoes of the gospel of peace, you may fall you are bound to put on as a breastplate, is what into despondency. Without the shield of faith, you wish to be found clothed in, as a robe, on the you may fall into apostacy. Without the helmet last day. And what is prayer, but access to God of salvation, you may fall into despair. Without as your father? Yea, what is watching, but taking the sword of the spirit, you may fall into cowardice. care of the hope, and the peace, and the joy of And without prayer and watching, you may fall salvation? into any thing, however bad or dangerous. Thus, you will number up the ways in which others have fallen, or even the dangers to which you yourself are exposed, you will not say again, that "the whole armor of God" is too much or too varied.

if

Thus, doing "all to stand," is far more than duty. To stand firm, is, to stand safe; to stand composed; to stand prepared for the issues of life or death. Sheshbazzar would have said, "it is to stand as the mountains around Jerusalem, or as the cherubim on the mercy-seat; where the eye of Omniscience watches, and the arm of Omnipotence guards."

Nor is it cumbersome, even as a whole. It may seem so at first sight, because it seems something additional, if not different, to the means by which Take another view of these preservatives you have been able to stand hitherto. But this is against falling. You want and wish for the whole in appearance only. You have had it all on be- guardianship of God on earth. I mean you would fore now; and you never found the service of God not be satisfied with less, than being "kept by his so easy, nor the salvation of God so sweet, as power through faith unto salvation." Such a when you were clothed with the whole armor of keeping from the evil of the world, as would not God. I mean, that there have been times when keep you from being condemned with the world, you have believed, and hoped, and prayed, and would not please you. No wonder! Should not watched, and warred, and worked with all your God, then, be pleased as well as you? Ought he heart; thus doing all you could, to stand. Now not to have his own way, if you wish him to save although you did not call this care, "putting on you with an everlasting salvation? You need the the whole armor of God," it really was so: and, whole of his grace, and wish for the whole of his accordingly, you stood by doing so. For, where, glory; and, will you refuse to take the whole arwhat, had you been, at the close of some evil days mor of God, in order to secure all this to yourof temptation, if you had not made an effort to re-self?

sist Satan, and to renounce the world, and to deny You feel this appeal! Do then take that aryourself? You, of course, think more of the grace mor, and take it unto yourself, and "put it on."

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