professing great anxiety to reach a destined port, and yet carried no more sail than was just necessary to keep the vessel's head towards it ; and every storm threatened to drive us out of our course ; and it was often doubtful whether the currents had not a more powerful influence to counteract our design, than the wind to further it ; would any one believe that we were in earnest ? It is by prayer that we catch the heavenly gales, and are advanced towards the land which we pretend to seek : let conscience say then, whether we carry the canvass which we might ; or whether our secret aspirations justify our outward professions. Who amongst us, in the view of these holy duties, does not even reproach himself, and almost doubt his own sincerity ?]
3. In the mortification of sin —
[In this we particularly resemble the Israelites of old. Because the armies of Canaan were no longer formidable to them, they overlooked the scattered remains which still occu- pied many strong-holds, and considered them as unworthy of their notice. And is it not thus with too many amongst our- selves ? We are not any longer tempted to the commission of gross, open, scandalous iniquities ; and therefore we rest satisfied with the victories we have gained, instead of prose- cuting them to the utter extirpation of our indwelling cor- ruptions. Look at many professors of religion : they will not be guilty of palpable dishonesty ; yet will harbour covetous and worldly desires : they will not commit whoredom or adultery; yet will indulge much impurity in their imaginations. See the various parties in the Church : instead of exerting all their powers against their common enemy, they can waste their time in contending with each other : and even those who are united in the same Church too often weaken each other's hands by mutual disagreements, instead of edifying each other by fervent love. Do not these things shew, how lukewarm we are in the prosecution of our best interests ? Were we in earnest, as we ought to be, we should account sin our only enemy ; and the extirpation of it would be the one labour of our lives.]
4. In pressing forward for the prize of our high
calling —
[This distinguished the great Apostle of the Gentiles ; he "forgot the things which were behind, and reached forward for that which was before : " and, after his example, we should account nothing attained, as long as any thing remains to be attained : we should consider victories only as steps to future conquests; and think it time enough to rest, when every enemy, even death itself, has been put under our feet. In- stead of dreading the dissolution of our earthly tabernacle, we