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that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day '.' "If I had

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not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin "." For when light is come into the world, and men, because their deeds are evil, love darkness rather than the light, and refuse to come to it lest their deeds should be reproved, that very refusal shall be their condemnation.

Such, then, my brethren, are a few examples of the threatenings of the Gospel. Such are the terrors with which even the merciful Jesus can clothe himself, when his appeals of love are ineffectual. Let us consider for a moment the classes to whom they apply.-They apply to all those who have taken up the yoke of Christ, without duly weighing the sacrifices to be made before they shall be able to bear it. They apply to all those who

having heard the word, "anon with joy receive it," but have not resolution to endure, and either become hearers only, and not doers, or else are offended and fall away. And they apply to all those, who prefer their sins to their salvation, and so wilfully shut their ears to that word, which at the cost of a moment's pain would save them from everlasting destruction. They apply, in short, to the inconsiderate convert, to the unfruitful professor, to the irresolute backslider, to the hardened and determined reprobate. My brethren are not the threatenings of the Gospel sufficiently comprehensive?

Does the first head contain a small number? These are they to whom the text immediately refers. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."-It is true that these expressions are not to be taken literally; because Christianity, so far from destroying the natural affec

tions, purifies them, and increases them tenfold, so that, in fact, it may be asserted that the true Christian is the only man who really loves either father, mother, wife, children, or friends.-But take them in the sense which Christ himself has expressed in another place, and suppose them to mean, that whoever loves his nearest relatives more than Christ, whoever would suffer his affection for them, or his interest in them, to interfere with his paramount duty to his God-this man is not worthy of Christ, is not worthy to be called his true disciple-and tell me, are there few, or are there many who should ask themselves, whether or no they be excluded by such a sentence ?-We must remember that these, the best and kindliest feelings of our nature, are instanced to show that every passion and impulse whatever must be brought into subjection to Christ. And did we contemplate this when we entered into his service, and have we acted upon it since?

But it may be difficult to apply the question so put. We were all dedicated

to Christ, and admitted into the privileges of the Christian covenant, at an age when we were unable to estimate the conditions imposed as the terms of our admission. But others promised for us that these conditions should be observed, and we have since ratified the promise at a mature age in our own persons. Did we then consider, or have we since considered the extent of obligation incurred? Did we foresee that many sacrifices must be made by all who would fight the good fight of faith-and has it ever happened to us to make such sacrifice ?—This is a question which may well occupy the serious consideration of every believer. It is plain that something must be given up for Christ's sake. Let us, let each of us, ask ourselves what we have surrendered. at once my brethren, to the ruling passion, to the besetting sin. Examine the unbridled appetite, the unruly temper, the uncharitable disposition; every thing in short that exalts itself against God, and opposes the full reception of the Gospel of Jesus, and see what amendment has been made

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how much has been given up, and what desire and inclination there is to give up more?-This will be one test to prove, whether or no we are worthy disciples of Christ.

And now how many among us will be included in that second class, against which we have supposed the hard sayings of the Gospel to be directed? How many are there here, who have heard and received the word of salvation, and yet do not the things which the Lord of salvation commands? How many are there, who have been grafted into the true vine in baptism, but since that time have become withered branches, impervious to the heavenly nutriment, and therefore barren of fruit. It does, indeed, seem a great thing to be called by the name of the Lord. But let us not trust too much to it. By their fruits ye shall know them '." The name, however proudly and vauntingly we may thrust it forward, will profit us nothing. We may have prophesied in

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