and friendship, you will, as soon as you come into any great trouble, find yourself in the predicament of one, "who has a broken tooth, or a foot out of joint '^;" being not only deceived in your expectations of succour, but deriving great pain from your endea- vours to obtain it ?
Even in reference to these virtues to which all lay claim, and to be destitute of which they would ac- count it the greatest disgrace, we may apply that humiliating question, " A faithful man who can find ?" We must not indeed understand this question as im- porting that no such person can be found ; but only, that there are very few. But we must not limit the question to mere heathen virtues : we must extend it to all the obhgations, which, as Christians, we acknowledge. Who then is faithful,
1. To his principles ?
[As Christians, we profess to lie low before God, to live by faith on his dear Son, to devote ourselves unreservedly to his service, and to seek our happiness in communion with God. But where are they whose lives correspond with these profes- sions ? Are they not so few, that they are even " signs and
wonders upon earth ?" As for the generality, they will
commend departed saints, but revile and persecute the living ones : they will applaud goodness in general, but decry and discourage it in its most exalted particulars. "[
2. To his promises 1
[In our baptism we all promised to " renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh." When we were confirmed, we renewed these promises, and confirmed, by our own personal consent, the engagements that had been before made in our behalf. If we have attended at the Lord's Supper, we there also solemnly dedicated unto God ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice to him ; to be employed in his service, and, if he see fit, to be consumed for his glory. And how have we fulfilled these promises ? Has the world been under our feet ? Have all the desires of the flesh been mortified ? Have the service and enjoyment of God been the one business of our lives ? ]
3. To his convictions ?
[Tliere is no one so thoughtless or obdurate, but he has at some times a conviction arising in his mind, that he ought
f Prov. XXV. 19. 1- *>