rifices a son or a daughter on the bloodstained altars of frantic superstition. Separated from the principles of truth, sincerity, therefore, instead of being valuable, is dangerous in the highest degree. It fosters the spirit of superstition, and is the parent of the most enormous crimes. But what is truth? or where is it to be found? To men, who acknowledge the inspiration and authority of Scripture, the answer is obvious. That God is holy and just; that men are depraved and guilty, and therefore obnoxious to punishment; but that God sent his Son, and he voluntarily came into the world, by his obedience and sufferings as a propitiation for sin, to reconcile men unto God by his own blood; that repentance and faith, both communicated to individual sinners by the influence and energy of the Holy Spirit, are the only effectual means of being interested in the redemption proclaimed through the Saviour; and that holiness, or a transformation of the heart and character into the resemblance of the divine image, is the only sure preparation for the heavenly state. These are the few simple truths, which the gospel reveals, as the object of a sinner's knowledge and belief. These, known and believed, are the foundation of Christian sincerity so essential to its exist ence, that whoever disbelieves and rejects them, practically pronounces against himself a sentence of exclusion from the blessings of the gospel. : The danger of mistake on this point is so imminent, that some illustration of it may not be unnecessary. If then religion consist in worshipping God, and per But forming the duties, which he has enjoined, this religion cannot be sincerely embraced if we regard God in any other light, than that in which he has been pleased to make himself known to us; or neglect the performance of these duties. For instance, though we should succeed in persuading ourselves, that God is altogether such as we are, indifferent to the principles and conduct of his worshippers: we may be perfectly sincere in this persuasion, and under its influence be guilty of the most aggravated sins. if we have received from himself an unequivocal assurance that he looketh on the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men, and that whosoever committeth sin is worthy of death, though we should forget or despise this truth, or not feel its influence, if it has been made known to us, our sincerity in a contrary conviction will never be sustained as a satisfactory apology for our disobedience. Or, if we should believe that our supposed good works will procure the pardon of sin and acceptance with God, while he has made a diametrically opposite declaration, that "by the deeds of the law no flesh living can be justified," though we should maintain our own opinion, ever so firmly or sincerely, we must be regarded as real, though perhaps not avowed enemies of the cross of Christ, and as such, be justly chargeable with neglecting the great salvation. In a word, if we have received the revelation of truth and duty, if we acknowle edge its authority, and have access to know and read it for ourselves, or to hear it explained by others; unless we sincerely believe and cordially obey it, however much we may deceive ourselves or impose on others, we are only almost, not altogether Christians. The truth is not in us, and our sincerity in error, when we have the means of being undeceived, instead of excusing us, must aggravate our condemnation before God. 2. Sincerity in the profession of Christianity is inseparable from ardor and diligence in discovering what is truth and duty. The situation of some men is unquestionably much more favourable than that of others, for acquiring Christian knowledge. But if the mind is at all capable of reflection, and interested in inquiring after truth, eyen in the most unfavourable situation, sincerity will lead to the most earnest desires, and issue in the attainment of considerable knowledge on reLigious subjects. Sincerity in what is known, is all that is or can be required; yet, it will not allow a man to be satisfied with a low degree of knowledge, but will powerfully incite him to seriousness and diligence in examining what is revealed, that he may be thoroughly furnished unto every good word and work. Ignorance is often the source of error in opinion, corruption in morals, and ruin to the soul. And if the opportunity and means of knowledge be deliberately and wilfully neglected, it is impossible that the plea of sincerity can be of any avail. Sincerity, therefore, is directly opposed to indifference. It is indeed altogether incompatible with such a spirit. To him, who submits to the influence of religious insensibility, the most alarming prospects of approaching misery, His mind being thus under the power of the truth as it is in Jesus, opened to discern the importance not only of acting conscientiously in what is alrea dy known to be right, but of acquiring more extensive and accurate knowledge concerning the path of duty, surveys every object, from which this knowledge may be derived, with a look of earnest desire, and animating hope. The Scriptures are examined, and both the precepts, which it inculcates, and the characters, which it describes, are seriously and attentively studied. The conduct of Providence to himself and others; the privileges, which he enjoys; the talents, which he possesses, and which he ought to cultivate; and the situation into which he has brought himself, or has been unintentionally, or unexpectedly led, are reviewed, and the duties, which all of them require, deliberately and devoutly considered. He may have acted improperly in the past, and may see abundant cause for the deepest contrition; and the course, which is now marked out for him, may be painful to natural feeling and beset with numerous difficulties or dangers; but sincerity will impel him, neither to revolt from the one, nor to shrink at the other. He will not be deterred from inquiry, by the fear of having his prejudices shocked, his sentiments altered, or his habits reproved, for he is willing to renounce every thing that he has maintained most obstinately, or cherished most fondly, if convinced that it has not been the will of God. Having obtained information, he will not consult with flesh and blood, but resolutely obey the call of duty, and "follow on" with increasing ardor "to know the Lord." He wishes to be guided by a conscience enlightened in the mind of God, and is therefore open to conviction, though the truth, which produces it, should be learned from an Points of remove or enemy, or obtained from a source, 3. Sincerity in the profession of Christianity is uniformly connected with a minute and universal regard to duty. There may be little external difference between the religious conduct of the sincere and that of the hypocritical Christian. Both are punctual in attending the house of God, in performing the private exercises of devotion, in reading the Scriptures, and offering up the forms of prayer and praise. They both profess an attachment to the doctrines of godliness, and seem to be equally circumspect in their moral conduct. Yet, on attentively examining their characters, we discover many unequivocal marks of an important and essential dif ference. The hypocrite or the formalist is satisfied with observing the stated solemnities of religious worship with a general conformity of conduct to the divine law; and with external decency of manners; even while his heart is filled with the most ungodly principles, and unsanctified desires. His chief anxiety is to secure himself from the charge of that very hypocrisy of which he is inwardly conscious; to enjoy the reputation of a saint, while he is in truth a determined sinner; to reconcile God and Mammon, religion and the world. If this can be partially attained, he does not hesitate in secret to commit the most flagrant sins. Like an actor on the stage, his character is assumed, and he labours to support it; but behind the scenes, he is destitute of all that excellence and dignity, which in the eye of the public, he so successfully imi tates. Not so the man, who sincerely and from the heart, engages in the service of God. His public character is indeed externally the same; but this character is not assumed for a season only, or to attain some worldly end. It is real, and therefore continues when he retires to his private walk. He knows that the dispositions ought to be pure, as well as the actions blameless; that to feel no solicitude to have the heart sanctified, is to cleanse only "the outside of the cup and platter," to substitute appearance for reality, and shew for worth; to have a greater regard to the opinion of the world than to the judgment of God. It will, therefore, be his anxious desire and habitual study to have the principles of godliness strengthened within him, that when he presents to the Lord the sacrifice of Christian conduct, it may indeed be a reasonable, a living, and a holy offering. He will deeply lament, and ingenuously confess in his secret devotions, those plain omissions of duty, those open acts of sin, those compliances with what he perceives to have been inconsistent with his character, those ebullitions of passion, and those intemperances of language of which he is con scious; nay, even those unholy thoughts and impure desires, which, though unknown to the world, are not concealed from the eye of Him, who searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins of the children of men. These, the hypocrite never thinks of, and to their criminality the formalist is insensible; but the truly sincere Christian views them in the light of the gospel, as the remaining members of the old man, which is corrupt with his deceitful lusts, which must be resisted and crucified, to enable him to serve God in spirit and in truth. He therefore labours to maintain a conscience void of offence towards God as well as towards men; guards against sins of the heart; watches and resists those risings of unbelief by which the Holy Spirit is grieved; and which are the beginnings of desires and resolutions, which, if carried into action, would destroy his comfort and disgrace his profession. He desires to love God more and serve him better; and mourns on account of the coldness of his love and the imperfections of his service. It is evident that this tenderness of conscience must influence his conduct in his private retirément and domestic intercourse, when secluded from the compa my and occupations of the world. As Christian sincerity is inimical to every art of injustice and fraud in the transactions of business, even when there is little probability or even possibility of detection; it is equally hostile to every thing that encourages self deceit or hypocrisy, in his secret intercourse with God, It reproves, and represses languor in devotion: excites to fervor of spirit and cheerfulness of service: removes and prevents carelessness in duty; and aims at the total destruction of that deceitfulness of sin, which endeavours to compensate for the commission of one trespass by abstinence from another, or by diligence and fidelity in those parts of obedience, where neglect or unfaithfulness would be more easily noticed, and more certainly condemned. Finally, sincerity will not admit either of reserve in the obediience that Christianity requires, er of palliation for neglecting it, but embraces the whole extent and every particular instance of duty arising from the circumstances, the station and the relations, in which a Christian is placed. All that is known to be duty, he must study to perform, whatever hazard may be incurred, or difficulties encountered, or trials endured. In all places and at all times sincerity should animate the heart, and direct the conduct. Imperfection, indeed, is inseparable from the present service, even of the most advanc ed Christian. There is always something which he ought to have done, which he has neglected; or something from which he ought to have abstained, which he has performed; but sincerity, instead of vindicating, condemns this misconduct, and uniformly leads the mind to humiliation and repentance when concious of being thus guilty. Like the apostle Paul, he "counts not that he has already attained, either is al ready perfect, but this one thing he does, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those which are before, he presses towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Reader! examine thy own heart. Withdraw thy attention from the scenes of life: from the character of other men; from the thousand objects which would interrupt the intercourse with thyself; and survey the principles by which thy heart is actua ted; compare thy conduct with thy professions, and both with the standard of truth and duty, which the gospel contains. Reader! Art thou trusting that thou art righteous and despising others; or satisfied with outward decorum of manners; or ignorant of the devices of a deceit. ful heart, or led away by error from the path of Christian doctrine? Thy condition is danger, ous, thy hopes of heaven are fallacious! Hast thou never prayed; or dost thou neglect daily prayer for grace to guide thy feet into the way of peace? Thou must be treading in the way of death! Destruction awaits thee in the land of spirits, except thou repent! Reader! Hast thou never suspected the danger of thy state as a transgressor of the law of God? or dost thou not with an earnestness of mind proportioned in some measure to the importance of the subject, ask the direction and blessing of God, that thou |