two things, — The Christian character as here deli- neated, and The light which it reflects upon the Gospel of Christ ! I. The Christian character as here delineated —
In the text is drawn a broad line of distinction between the child of God, and every other person under heaven.
Christians are either nominal or real. Each class has gradations, from the highest to the lowest ; but between the two classes there is an immense gulph, that separates them as far as the east is from the west. To ascertain to which of the two we belong, is of infinite importance ; but self-love blinds our eyes, and renders the discovery of it extremely diffi- cult. This Scripture however holds up, as it were, a mirror before us ; and, if we will look steadfastly into it, we may discern with great precision what manner of persons we are.
The difference between the two classes is this : the nominal Christian, however eminent he may in appearance be, is partial in his regard for God's pre- cepts'1 : but the true Christian approves and loves them all without exception1'.
The nominal Christian, we say, is partial in his regard for God's precepts. He may esteem those which countenance his own particular party. The Pa- pist, for instance, and the Protestant, will severally glory in those passages of Holy Writ which seem to justify their adherence to their respective modes of worship, and to afford them ground for believing that theirs is the more Scriptural and Apostolic Church. The various classes of Protestants also will manifest an ardent zeal for the support of their respective te- nets, and be almost ready to anathematize each other, as not giving sufficient weight to those particular pas- sages, on which they severally found their respective differences. They not only esteem their own grounds of faith " to be right," but they ' ' hate " the senti- ments opposed to them " as erroneous and false."
a Mai. ii. 9. b Ps. cxix. 6.