Besides, there is a great aptness in such a season to work indiffer- ency in the minds of those who do not intend utterly to forsake the truth. Little did I think I should ever have lived in this world to find the minds of professors grown altogether indifferent as to the doctrine of God's eternal election, the sovereign efficacy of grace in the conversion of sinners, justification by the imputation of the right- eousness of Christ; but many are, as to. all these things, grown to an indiff erency : they know not whether they are so or not. I bless God I know something of the former generation, when professors would not hear of these things without the highest detestation; and now high professors begin to be leaders in it : and it is too much among the best of us. We are not so much concerned for the truth as our fore- fathers; I wish I could say we were as holy.
3. This proneness to depart from the truth is a perilous season, because it is the greatest evidence of the withdrawing of the Spirit of God from his church : for the Spirit of God is promised to this end, " to lead us into all truth;" and when the efficacy of truth begins to decay, it is the greatest evidence of the departing and withdrawing of the Spirit of God. And I think that this is a dangerous thing; for if the Spirit of God departs, then our glory and our life depart.
What, now, is our duty in reference to this perilous season? Fore- warnings of perils are given us to instruct us in our duty.
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(1.) The first is, not to be content with what you judge a sincere profession of truth ; but to labour to be found in the exercise of all those graces which peculiarly respect the truth. There are graces that peculiarly respect the truth that we are to exercise ; and if these are not found in our hearts, all our profession will issue in nothing.
And these are, —
[1.] Love: " Because they loved not the truth." They made pro- fession of the gospel; but they received not the truth in the love of it. There was want of love of the truth. Truth will do no man good where there is not the love of it. " Speaking the truth in love/' is the substance of our Christian profession. Pray, brethren, let us labour to love the truth ; and to take off all prejudices from our minds, that we may do so.
[2.] It is the great and only rule to preserve us in perilous times, — to labour to have the experience of the power of every truth in our hearts. If so be ye have learned the Lord Jesus. How ? So as to " put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; " and to " put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness/' Eph. iv. 22-24. This is to learn the truth. The great grace that is to be exercised with reference to truth in such a season as this, is to exemplify it in our hearts in the power of it. Labour for the experience of the power of every truth in your own hearts and lives.
[3.] Zeal for the truth. Truth is the most proper object for zeal. We ought to " contend earnestly for the truth once delivered to the saints;" to be willing, as God shall help us, to part with name and reputation, and to undergo scorn and contempt, all that this world can cast upon us, in giving testimony unto the truth. Every thing that this world counts dear and valuable is to be forsaken, rather than the truth. This was the great end for which Christ came into the world.
(2.) Cleave unto the means that God hath appointed and ordained for your preservation in the truth. I see some are ready to go to sleep, and think themselves not concerned in these things: the Lord awaken their hearts ! Keep to the means of preservation in the truth, — the present ministry. Bless God for the remainder of a ministry valuing the truth, knowing the truth, sound in the faith; — cleave unto them. There is little influence upon the minds of men from this ordinance and institution of God, in the great business of the ministry. But know there is something more in it than that they seem to have better abilities to dispute than you; more knowledge, more light, better understandings than you. If you know no more in the ministry than this, you will never have benefit by it. They are God's ordinance; the name of God is upon them; God will be
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sanctified in them. They are God's ordinance for the preservation of the truth.
(3.) Let us carefully remember the faith of them who went before us in this nation, in the profession of the last age. I am apt to think there was not a more glorious profession for a thousand years upon the face of the earth, than was among the professors of the last age in this nation. And pra}^ what faith were they of? Were they half Arminian and half Socinian; half Papist and half I know not what? Remember how zealous they were for the truth ; how little their holy souls would have borne with those public defections from the doctrine of truth which we see, and do not mourn over, but make nothing of, in the days wherein we live. God was with them ; and they lived to his glory, and died in peace : " whose faith follow," and example pur- sue. And remember the faith they lived and died in : look round about, and see whether any of the new creeds have produced a new holiness to exceed theirs.