repented, and became partakers of the kingdom of heaven. Did not they bless him? And will they not continue to bless God for him to all eternity ? Do not then be grieved, if your minister lay his axe to the root of your sins, if he "cry aloud, and spare not." It is his duty to do so ; and if he forbear to warn you, "your blood will be required at his hands." He must " not use flattering words ;" but must " commend himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God." It is in that way only that he can " deliver his own soul," or hope to save the people committed to his charge.]
2. The need of mortifying our besetting sins —
[Every man has some sins to which he is more particularly addicted, or, at least, to which he is more exposed. His age, his situation, his employment in life, have some peculiar snares, against which he ought to guard. Every one therefore should inquire, what are the dangers to which he is more espe- cially exposed. Persons advanced in life should examine themselves respecting querulousness : men of business should maintain a jealousy respecting worldliness and the frauds of trade : young people should watch over the vanity of their minds, and the violence of their passions. In short, the inquiry of every one should be, what have I to guard against ? What have 7 to do ? What are the chief obstacles to my advance- ment in religious knowledge, and to my attainment of ever- lasting happiness ? Happy indeed would it be, if we were thus intent, every one on his own particular case ! and happy would it be, if, having found out our besetting sins, we could say with the Psalmist, " I have kept myself from my iniquity !" Doubt- less there is much beyond this : this is only the threshold of the sanctuary : but it is a threshold which we must pass over, before we can get within the veil. It is not our concern at present to expatiate upon the Divine life, as it is experienced by the advanced Christian : we are now only preaching, like John, the baptism of repentance ; reserving to other occasions the fuller delineation of the Gospel salvation. But we shall have attained no trifling object, if the drunkard, the swearer, the whoremonger, or any other person, be led to see, that, till he has put away his besetting sins, he can no more go to heaven, than Satan himself be brought there from the depths of hell.]
3. The moral tendency of the Gospel —
[The things insisted on by John, are mere preliminaries : instead of being the whole Gospel, they are only an introduc- tion to the Gospel. The Gospel itself is not satisfied with a renunciation of evil habits ; it requires also the cultivation of good ones: not to put away selfishness, dishonesty, and dis- content, but to live altogether above this world, and to be
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