[If we look at their profession only, all is well: they unite themselves to the Lord's people, and account themselves to be of their number. They pay great attention to the ordi- nances; they feel peculiar delight in the ministration of the word ; they express a very high regard for those who labour in the word and doctrine; they are not offended even with the most searching discourses ; nor are the sons and daughters of pleasure more gratified with musical entertainments, than they are with the fluent, fervent, eloquent harangues of a faithful minister.
But, alas ! their practice ill accords with their profession : it is amusement rather than real edification that they seek. Their hearts are set upon the world, and riveted to their earthly possessions. In the pursuit of gain they will be guilty of falsehood or dishonesty; they will commend their goods, when they know them to be bad ; they will impose on the ignorance or the necessities of those who deal with them ; they will take advantage of the confidence reposed in them to overreach their neighbour; and will condescend to mean- nesses, of which an honest heathen would be ashamed. They may be generous where their own inclination is strongly concerned, or where a liberal donation will advance their reputation; but at other times they will be as penurious and niggardly as the most unfeeling miser. It may be indeed that a principle of honour keeps them tolerably observant of truth and justice; but they give abundant evidence that their hearts are set upon things below rather than on things above, and shew, that they are more solicitous to be rich in this world, than to be rich towards God
Such there have been in every age; nor are there wanting many such characters among the professors of the present dayb. They hear the duties of a Christian opened and en- forced ; but they remain as much under the dominion of their lusts as ever ]
II. The light in which they are viewed by God —
[In their oivn eyes they are as good as any. Whatever be their besetting sin, they have reasons enough to extenuate and excuse it. Their covetousness is nothing more than pru- dence and diligence ; their fretfulness and fiery passions are the mere infirmities of nature, the trifling ebullitions of a warm and hasty temper, that are far more than counterbalanced by a proportionable zeal for what is good. When they hear the contrary dispositions recommended from the pulpit, they
b The characters of a proud and passionate professor, and of a censorious and uncharitahle professor, might here he drawn, as being equally common, and equally hateful.