an interest in Him by their good works, or acceptance on account of their ifark.'; through him. The simple hfe of faith is but Httle known ; and frequently but little ex])erienced, even where in terms the necessity of it is acknowledged.
The same may be said of men s practice also. Look at the life and conduct of the whole Christian world, and say, What resemblance you see in it to the life of Christ. Christians are said to be " epistles of Christ, known and read of all men." But what more would you learn of the mind and will of Christ, from what you see in the Christian world, than from what you might find in the better sort of Heathens ? In the Lord Jesus Christ there was an entire superiority to the world : but in his professed followers you see an entire subjection to it. In the Lord Jesus Christ you find that " it was his meat and drink to do the will of his heavenly Father :" but in his professed followers you will see no such effort, no such determination to serve and honour God. Let all of you, who are here present, look at their own principles, and their oun practice, and see whe- ther they are founded altogether upon God's revealed will, and altogether conformed to the pattern set before you in the Scriptures. The more candidly these matters be inquired into, the more clearly will you see, that the great mass of nominal Christians are " erring from the truth," and need to " be con- verted from the error of their ways.'"]
Towards these our duty is to use all possible means for their conversion —
[We are not all called to take upon us the Ministerial office: but we all in our respective circles should exert ourselves for the edification of those around us. No man is at liberty " to put his light under a bed, or under a bushel :" no man is at liberty to ask, " Am I my brother's keeper ?" Would any man, who should see an house on fire, be justified in saying, ' It is no concern of mine V or, if the inhabitants were burnt to death through his unconcern, would there be a creature upon earth that would not execrate him for his inhumanity ? INIuch more therefore, if we see immortal souls " erring from the truth," and hastening to destruction, should we be inexcusable, if we neglected to warn them of their danger, and to shew them how their souls might be saved alive. We should warn those who are living in a wilful neglect of God: we should declare to them their guilt and danger : we should set before them what the Scriptures have spoken respecting " the death of the soul," and should intreat them to " flee from the wrath to come." In particular, we should, as far as our capacity admits of it, open to them " the truth as it is in Jesus." We should make known to them the wonders of Redeeming Love : we should set the Lord Jesus Christ before them in all his endearing quali- ties^
1153.] BEN'KFIT OF A sinner's CONVERSION. 89
ties ; and shew them how " able, and wilUng, he is to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him." We should encourage them to believe in him ; and, by the holy violence of argument and intreaty, should " compel them" to accept his gracious invitations, and to sit down as guests at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In a word, we should do our utmost to enlighten, convert, and save their souls.]
That we may the more readily engage in thi.s duty, let us consider,
II. Our encouragement to perform it—
We may doubtless find much of our labour to be in vain. But, if in any single instance we succeed,
1. We shall " save a soul from death" — [Unconverted sinners, whatever they may imagine, are