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refuge, escaping for our lives, the curse shall not light upon us; for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: but, if not, the sentence is gone forth, and he that believeth not is condemned already.

But, Secondly.-The words have yet a more awful sense. How shall we escape? That is, how dreadfully shall we perish! Questions in Scripture do usually import their contraries in the strongest manner. How shall we escape? It is an argument drawn from comparison with the certain punishment of those who transgressed Moses' law; as appears from the foregoing verse. If the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? If they were surely and justly punished for transgressing the word spoken by angels, how much more shall we be punished for slighting and disobeying this great salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness? We shall perish without plea or excuse in our mouths; we shall perish with a great destruction, because the salvation we had neglected is so great. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy, under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy? How shall he die without mercy, and under how manifold witnesses, who has despised and neglected the Gospel, so great a salvation? Be pleased only to step forward in your thoughts to that day, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.' It follows, They shall be punished with everlasting destruction."* For what? For not obeying the Gospel; for neglecting so great salvation. Then the greatness of this salvation shall be fully opened to them, and they shall be found to have added to all their other damning sins this most damning of all, neglecting and slighting the Gospel. How confounded and ashamed will they then be, when the greatness of this salvation shall appear before them, and they shall be made to see how the glory of God's love moved it, and

* 2 Thess. i. 9.

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how it was devised for the salvation of sinners, what amazing means were found out to effect it, and how full and complete a salvation it was? Surely, sinners, you shall wonder and perish at the sight; and must acquiesce in the sentence, though the Judge say to you, Thy blood be upon thine own head. Depart from me, accursed!"

Surely then we should bethink ourselves betimes, while it is yet to-day, lest we fall into this condemnation. And I beseech you let us all do it. For why will you die? Is it not better for us to live than to die? Is not God's blessing better for us than his curse, and heaven than hell? We have the means in our hands, salvation, great salvation; so great salvation that one cannot think of it without astonishment. Only let us see if we do not want it. Why the greatness of the salvation shows how very greatly we want it. And if we want it, it is ready for us, it waits upon us. Be sure there be no delay any longer, lest, while we sleep, the night and the bridegroom come, the day of salvation end, and the door of mercy be shut against us and then how shall we escape if we have neglected so great salvation?

SERMON LII.

ACTS xxvi. 28.

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be
a Christian.

AGRIPPA was almost (alas! but almost) persuaded to be a Christian. What a pity, that, being so near the kingdom of heaven, he should not enter into it! that when his foot was now at the door, and a step forward had brought him into Immanuel's land, he should have stopped short! Doubtless some monstrous form presented itself to his mind that moment, and forced him back; somewhat inconceivably formidable stood against him, and confounded his purpose. It must have put on an appearance more terrible than hell; or perhaps it wore an enchanting aspect, and seemed more desirable than heaven. "He was almost persuaded;" there he stopped. When almost persuaded, it was but a little way to be persuaded altogether: yet to that he never attained. And what did his almost persuasion avail, but to render his condition more inexcusable, his misery more deplorable? Being but almost persuaded, he had no part in Christ; being almost persuaded, he lost Christ with peculiar guilt.

What has been may be. Possibly Agrippa's case may be the case of some of us. We may have been almost persuaded to be Christians, but may have wanted the heart to be really such. The case of hardened sinners, who have no pretence of having done anything for their souls, is out of the question. But few, possibly none, will own themselves to be of this graceless character; but will fancy they have something to say for themselves, and maintain some hope that they may do well in another world. So that, when I am speaking to the almost Christian, I

shall at the same time necessarily take in those, who, though they have never done anything toward becoming Christians, yet will be depending upon false foundations. To treat this subject clearly it will be proper,

First.-To consider when we are entirely persuaded to be Christians.

Secondly. When we are but almost persuaded to be so.

Thirdly. What hinders those who are almost persuaded to be Christians from being so altogether. Let us consider then,

First. When we are entirely persuaded to be Christians. It is my endeavour always to speak in the most intelligible manner, and to bring what I have to say into a determinate point that may be easily seen, to the end that you may not be puzzled by a variety of matter and of distinctions. Accordingly, here, though there be a thousand things which are descriptive of a real Christian, I shall speak only of one, the leading principle upon which all the rest turns, and that is a renewed will. When a man's will is wrought upon to choose God steadily and universally, then he is persuaded to be a Christian altogether. And this is the grand matter and the principal point by which all is determined. Let a man go what lengths he will, if his will be not brought to fix upon God, he stops short, and nothing is done. And he that is really brought unto God has his will so fixed. You must take special notice, fixed steadily with an abiding determination; not in a sudden heat, not in hasty wishes, not in sudden resolutions, however fervent they may seem to be for the present; but upon a deliberate choice and free consent, founded upon a discovery of God's excellences in himself, and his right in us, and proved to be a real choice by the perseverance of the soul in seeking after God; serving him, liking him, and endeavouring to be more closely united to him. And then also there is an universal choice, choosing God in every respect as the great good of the soul; choosing him to rule over us, and to make us happy, in a preference to and rejection of all idols; choosing his will as the only rule of our conduct, in opposition to all our own inclinations, and his favour as our only support and comfort, instead of all the confidences and comforts of this present world.

Nothing I think can be plainer, than that the person, whose

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will is thus determined and fixed upon God, is a real Christian, has had a real change wrought upon him, and that God has put into such an one the new heart. I say God has put it into him, for this choice and change is of God's operation. Concerning which it will be needful to observe, that it is expressly said in Scripture, God worketh in us to will ;" and that we are born again of the Spirit :+ which turning of the will is effected by a concurrence of the most persuasive arguments, and a divine, secret, almighty operation. The change is wrought by the power of God; yet he effects it by means of such convincing arguments, that our choice is with the utmost freedom and consent. First, he influences the sinner in a way of persuasion, representing to his mind the misery of an apostate state, and proposing himself to him to be his God in such a display of his loveliness, loving-kindness, eternity, power, and all perfection, that the creature sees there is nothing but vanity and misery out of God, and all happiness in him. And while God does thus cause his glory to pass before the sinner in the most persuasive manner, he does powerfully enable his will to determine and settle upon God by a mighty and converting operation. The man is dealt with (you see) as a reasonable creature, and his choice is wrought upon the most convincing arguments, and with the freest consent, so that he does not lose the freedom of his will in making choice of God, though it be God that worketh in him thus to fix and determine his choice upon such prevailing considerations.

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You see by this time what it is to be persuaded to be a Christian that it is to be wrought upon by the arguments and enabled by the grace of the Gospel to choose God, to serve and enjoy him steadily and universally; that is, in an abiding and unlimited determination of the will or heart. Pass we on, therefore,

Secondly. To consider when we are but almost persuaded to be Christians. And this is certainly the case when we stop short of giving up the will and heart to God in the manner now described. Where this is not, there is no true Christian; the foundation is wanting, all is unsound, and, whatever be the appearances, Christ has no part in us. In general therefore it Philip. ii. 13.

+ John iii. 5.

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