when sinners discover their own sins, they love them. When christians discover their own sins, they are a burden to them; but when sinners discover their own sins, they are no burden to them. It is true, sinners sometimes feel a guilt and regret at the painful consequences of their sins, but still they love them, and desire to continue in them, aside from their ill effects. There is, therefore, an essential distinction between all real christians and all unrenewed sinners; and, by this distinction, every person may know whether he is a saint or a sinner. If he hates all his own sins, he is a saint; but if he loves all his own sins, he is a sinner. Paul loved his own sins before he was converted, but hated them afterwards; and every sinner loves his own sins before he is converted, but hates them afterwards. Sin was no burden to Paul, before he was converted; but it was a great burden, afterwards. Sin is no burden to the sinner, before he is converted; but it is a burden afterwards, as long as he lives.

2. It appears from the character and experience of Paul, why all real christians are engaged in a spiritual warfare. They are but imperfectly holy. They have some right, and some wrong affections. Their hearts are divided between sin and holiness. This is true of the best christians in the world. Paul was undoubtedly the best christian in his day, if not in any day before or after him. And his affections were heterogeneous; some were holy and some were sinful. This he acknowledges and laments. Notwithstanding his high attainments in grace, he was subject to affections which were sinful and hateful; so that he said, "I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that do I." Holy and unholy affections are diametrically opposite to each other, and never fail to create a conflict and warfare in the hearts of christians. This, the apostle tells believers, was not only his, but their case. He says to the Galatians, "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." This spiritual warfare is between holiness and sin, and not between sin and conscience. Sinners often experience a warfare between sin and conscience; for their conscience often reproves and condemns them for their evil affections and actions. But it is peculiar to christians, to carry on a voluntary warfare between their holy and unholy feelings and conduct. They mean to stand upon their guard against all their spiritual enemies, and resist not only the evil suggestions of the great adversary, but every unholy and unsanctified affection. They watch and strive to keep their hearts with all diligence, because they know

that they are fickle and deceitful above all things, and not to be trusted. Though they know what their views and exercises are to-day, they know not what they may be to-morrow. They may, like Paul, intend well and resolve well, but to-morrow their good intentions and resolutions may forsake them, so that the good they would do, they will not do; but the evil they would not do, that they will do. They view the world, the men of the world, and the god of the world, as combined against them, and unless they are resisted and fought against, they will conquer them and lead them astray. Hence they feel constrained to be always prepared and armed to fight the good fight of faith, and watch unto prayer for divine grace and assistance.

3. It appears from the character and experience of Paul, that the moral imperfection of real christians is no just cause of their desponding, or doubting of their gracious state. It is essential to the Christian character, in this life, to be morally perfect and morally imperfect. Paul, in his best estate, had some holy and some unholy affections. He had not attained, neither accounted he himself already perfect, but groaned under his moral imperfections. He knew that by the grace of God he was a child of God. He knew that he really loved God and his Redeemer. He knew that he desired and labored to do his whole duty. But he knew that he was a froward and undutiful child of God, and often disobeyed and displeased his heavenly Father. But this did not lead him to despond, or doubt whether he knew the grace of God in truth. His holy love and obedience gave him positive and infallible evidence that he was renewed and sanctified; and his unruly affections and conduct were no counter evidence, to prove that he never did feel and conduct right. He did not expect absolute perfection in this life, and knew that it was not essential to his Christian character, and infallible title to the promises of the gospel. The gospel promises eternal life to every one that loves God, that repents of sin, that believes in Christ, that hungers and thirsts after righteousness, that has passed from death unto life, and that has the least degree of true holiness. But the great adversary often employs the imperfections of true believers to perplex their minds, disturb their peace, weaken their hands and discourage their hearts, and plunge them into spiritual darkness and despondency. They ought not, therefore, to be ignorant of his devices, nor neglect to guard against his malignant influence. Christians have no more right to believe that they are insincere, without evidence, than they have to believe that they are sincere, without evidence. The caution to christians is, "Be not deceived." They have no right to deceive themselves, nor to be deceived by any deceiver. Paul did not call his good estate

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in question because he was burdened with a sense of imperfection. And no real christian ought to doubt or despond because he feels the heavy burden of imperfection. His feeling such a burden is an evidence that he loves holiness and hates sin; that he loves his duty, and delights in the law of God after the inward man. If christians could not have hope so long as they remain imperfect, they could have no hope in this life. Let them keep their hearts right with God, and grow in grace, and this will afford them sure and positive evidence of their gracious estate, which the remains of moral corruption cannot destroy.

4. It appears from the character and experience of Paul, why christians must live by faith. It is because they have so much moral corruption remaining in their hearts, which is altogether criminal, and causes them to need daily the pardoning mercy of God. This renders it necessary that they should live by faith in the atoning blood of Christ. It was in the view of his daily imperfection that Paul constantly lived by faith in the Lord. Jesus Christ. He says, "I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." And it is written in the prophets, "The just shall live by faith." All real, but imperfect christians find occasion, every day, to apply to the blood of sprinkling for pardon and cleansing. Though their criminal imperfection does not destroy their hopes, yet it destroys their peace, until they find peace with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. The best of christians find as much need, and are as much disposed, to live by faith, as the lowest or most imperfect christians. They cannot bear to live under the just displeasure of God, and therefore daily seek his pardoning mercy, and the light of his reconciled countenance. They are the most sensible of their imperfections, and most desirous that they may be blotted out, through the atonement of Christ.

5. It appears from the character and experience of Paul, that real christians never live in a state of spiritual death. Though they are imperfect, and their spiritual affections often decline and languish, yet they do not live like sinners, without a sense of the burden of sin. Paul felt and lamented every degree of his moral imperfection. He did not live from day to day, from week to week, from month to month, or from year to year, in a dead, torpid, unfeeling state, as some suppose that real christians may do. He was alive to his sinful, as well as holy exercises. While he had joy and peace in believing, he had pain and distress in disbelieving and disobeying. He did

not feel indifferent whether his heart were right or wrong with God. It is as inconsistent with the character of real christians to live habitually in a dead and secure state, as to live in a state of perfection, as some vainly and criminally profess to do. Paul did not live in such a state of sinless perfection, and there is but little reason to believe that any of the Methodists are more holy than was Paul. And there is no reason to think that real christians can live at ease in sin, any more than he could. There are undoubtedly some dead professors, who live, and feel, and act as the men of the world do; but they have no evidence that they are real christians, but positive evidence that they are in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity.

6. It appears from the character and experience of the apostle Paul, that the more christians grow in grace, the more they will resemble, and find that they resemble him, in their religious character and spiritual experience. Young christians very often enjoy much comfort and peace in believing, and seem to imagine that they shall never feel such burdens and distresses from sin, as the apostle felt, and as older christians sometimes complain of. But if they live and grow in grace, watch over and restrain the corruption of their hearts, they will find the Christian warfare extremely painful and burdensome. When they find the world against them; and see the weakness and fickleness of their own hearts, which are bent to backsliding and easily carried away with the current of the times; their moral imperfections, and their undue attachment to the world in its various forms; they will then find abundant occasion for mourning, as well as rejoicing. Though they may not be troubled with doubts and fears respecting their gracious state, they will be burdened and troubled and distressed, on account of their great imperfections in external and internal duty. It is no evidence that christians are growing fast in grace, that they experience no more darkness and distress in their minds, but it is a greater evidence that they are declining in every gracious affection, and losing their first love.

7. This subject now calls upon all to inquire, whether they have that evidence of being good men, that Paul had of being a real christian. Have you any better evidence of being really gracious, than Paul had before his heart was changed? He then had that external evidence of being a good man, and in favor with God, which gave him entire satisfaction. And are there not many now building their hopes upon the same kind of evidence? They appear externally like Paul and other christians. But have they that internal evidence of being christians that he had, and other true believers have? Have you ever felt the burden of sin? Have you ever engaged in a spir

itual warfare? Have you lived by faith in Christ, day by day? Has sin become a greater and greater burden? Are you more and more diligent to keep your hearts in the love of God? Does it give you pain to be interrupted in duty? Do you derive your highest happiness from the enjoyment of God, or from the enjoyment of the world? These are questions respecting views and feelings, that none can answer but yourselves. Others can answer for all your amiable external conduct, but not for any wrong feelings of heart.

8. This subject reproves and condemns those who make light of sin. It is the character of some sinners that they make a mock at sin, and they are called mockers. This is extreme folly and wickedness. The burden of sin is not a light burden to bear. It made the heart of Paul to stoop. He did not look upon sin as a light thing. God does not, Christ does not, saints do not, and the angels in heaven do not. And those who now make light of it, when the commandment comes home to their conscience will find it heavy. And it will sooner or later come home to every one's conscience. Let all sinners, then, prepare to meet God and their conscience, by true repentance, self abasement, godly sorrow, and a lively faith in the divine Redeemer. There is no room for delay. The burden of sin may now be taken off, but never will be taken off beyond the grave, but terminate in endless and insupportable despair.