say, They are " righteous," who make religion the great busi- ness of life, and prosecute it upon the principles of the Gospel ; and all others without exception must be numbered amongst *' the wicked." Of course, I must not be understood to say that worldly business is to be neglected. On the contrary, if must be attended to with all diligence : but it must be followed in subserviency to the concerns of the soul. It must occupy, not the first, but the second place in our esteem. The heart must be God's, and God's alone''.
Now to these distinct classes does God send a separate mes- sage ; and therefore it is of great importance that we should ascertain to which we belong. Let us then, before we proceed to the consideration of God's message, inquire seriously to which of these classes we belong ?
Can we truly appeal to God, that, in the estimation of our minds and in the habit of our lives, the salvation of our soul is regarded as the one thing needful? If our conscience bear witness to the truth of this, then I must proceed yet further to ask, whether we prosecute the concerns of the soul upon the principles of the Gospel ? The Pharisees of old engaged with great ardour in religious duties : but they were not *' righteous" in God's sight, because they sought by their reli- gious observances to establish a righteousness of their own instead of submitting to the righteousness which God had provided for them*^. So it is with the Papists, who observe with great strictness many religious rites, in the hope of recom- mending themselves thereby to the Divine favour. But the religion of the Gospel is altogether different from this. It requires us to seek for acceptance solely through our Lord Jesus Christ, and to cleave unto him as " all our salvation, and all our desire." Say, then, Brethren, whether as before God this is your experience from day to day ? Say whether ye are washing daily in the fountain of his blood, and clothing your- selves with his unspotted righteousness, and, from a sense of his redeeming love, endeavouring in all things to fulfil his holy will ? ]
This, if carefully inquired into, will give a clear line of demarcation for us all : and we entreat all to arrange themselves, as it were, before God in that particular class to which conscience tells them they belong ; and to attend with solemn awe, while we,
IT. Deliver God's message to each of them —
God commands his ministers to "warn the wicked V'
»> Prov. xxiii. 26. <^ Rom. ix. 31, 32. and x. 2 — 4.
^ Ezek. xxxiii. 7. I I 2