salvation. And if you will conceit yourselves to be " rich and increased in goods, and in need of nothing, when you are wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," nothing remains for you but to reap the bitter fruits of your pride and folly " ]
3. Ye who, whilst ye profess to believe in Christ, are walking unworthy of your holy profession —
[I call on you also to consider this subject. You prOf fess that the Lord Jesus Christ has borne your sins, and that you therefore expect that no condemnation shall come upon you. But do you think that he will be satisfied with perform-!- ing half his office ? Do you suppose that he will take away your sins as far as relates to their guilt, and leave them un- mortified as it respects their power ? This he never will do : and he declares to you that he never will. Only hear how strongly St. John speaks on this subject in the words followino- my text : " Whosoever abideth in Christ, (as you profess to do,) sinneth not : whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness, (as you profess to do,) is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil °." What now will ye say, who are still under the dominion of pride, envy, malice, wrath, and whose conduct in your fami- lies, instead of exhibiting the image of the Lord Jesus, and constraining all to admire the excellence of vital godliness, causes religion to stink in the nostrils ? What will ye say who have lewd hearts and licentious tongues ? or ye who are covetous and worldly-minded, and who are in such bad repute for truth and honesty, that men would rather deal with a worldly character than with you ? Ye may boast as ye will about the freeness and fulness of the Gospel salvation ; but ye shall never taste of it, vuiless ye " put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true hohnessP."]
4. Ye who are bowed down with desponding fears —
[I must not overlook you ; for the text speaks power- fully to you also. In the habit of your minds you are saying, " My sins are too great to be forgiven ; or, my lusts are too strong to be subdued." But is Christ unable to effect the work he has undertaken ? Was he manifested to take away your sins, and has he proved incompetent to the task ? Are we not told that " the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse from all sin?" And that '"his grace is sufficient" for all who trust
in
" Rev. iii. 16, 17. See also Rom. ix. 31, 32. &: x. 3."
° ver. 6—8. ^Eph. iv. 22—24.