It is not to be imagined that Christians lay claim, God forbid that they should be so ignorant and presumptuous as to do it, to an actual attainment of the perfection to which they are called.

Hear what one of the greatest models which Christianity ever produced in our nature, has said of himself. "Not as though I had already attained, either were al"ready perfect. But this one thing I do, forgetting those "things, which are behind, and reaching forth unto those "things, which are before, I press toward the mark for "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

This is the great scope of the Gospel; in this is its superior excellency. It gives us the perfect system of moral principles; it calls us to the persevering pursuit of this in the present life; it alone furnishes us the means by which we can successfully advance; it provides for our deliverance from the consequences of sin, and it raises us, at length, to the glory and perfection of Heaven.

It is only in the correct views of the Gospel, in repentance of sin, in habitual converse with God, and in a life habitually governed by the precepts and maxims of God's holy word, that the perfection to which Christians are called, consists; at this perfection, we should be continually aiming; and if we are Christians indeed, then it will follow, that, "whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever “things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, or if "there be any praise," we will " think of these things and "do them."

SERMON II.

ON THE GUILT AND DANGER OF DELAYING TO KEEP GOD'S

COMMANDMENTS.

PSALM CXIX. 60.

"I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments." AMONG the moral phenomena observable in the character of man, no one is more remarkable, than his propensity to put off the consideration and the performance of his religious duties. When St. Paul reasoned before Felix, "of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come," that wicked and worldly minded man, consciencestruck and trembling, bade the Apostle go his way for that time, promising to send for him when he found it convenient. But we are not told that he ever found it convenient to hear him again on those subjects. And the conduct of Felix is but too true a specimen-too faithful a picture, of the conduct of a large portion of the human race. Some, when young, flattering themselves with long life, find it an easy matter to persuade themselves, for they think it self evident, that they have time enough to become religious. After they are advancing from full maturity in the journey of life, much the same opinion obtains. And even when age and infirmities proclaim their approach to the tomb, death appears to them but in distant prospective, and religion a consideration of secondary importance. The subject which, one would think, would be nearest their hearts, seems to be least capable of engaging their attention; and the longer they

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live, the less they appear to think of dying. While their bodies are on the very point of entering the harbour of Eternity, their thoughts and affections are still tost about on the wide ocean of life: and nothing but the visible advent of the King of terrors, can awake them from their guilty slumbers.

Others again have never made religion the subject of a moment's reflection. Gay, thoughtless, full of business, full of cares, eager in their chace after the pleasures of life, or engaged in the pursuits of ambition, the interests of eternity are always kept out of view. To serious religious thoughts they are utter strangers: and if the subject should occur or be mentioned to them, it will be received, as Felix received the observations of St. Paul. The truths of God will pass through their ears, without leaving a trace behind-they will glance from their hearts, as does a ray of light from a block of marble. Or if they should occasion the least uneasiness, it is immediately removed, by the resolution, I will consider this matter as soon as I can get time. But they manage so as never to get time for this purpose.

Now, this delay, and procrastination, in matters of religion, is most absurd, iniquitous, and fatal. When God commands, who could think, it would ever enter the heart of man, to disobey? Whence could so impious a thought proceed? One would suppose that a reasonable being would, as soon, armed with a fire-brand, leap into a magazine of gunpowder, as to dare, in any instance, to run counter to Jehovah's orders. What! not attend to the directions of the dread Sovereign of the skies, whose frown is death? Had you not much better bare your bosom to the vollied lightning? Had you not much better sink, through the yawning earth, to her very centre?

And yet, it is to be feared, there are some of you, who have paid no more attention to the commands of the great

God, than you have paid to the mandates of the emperor of China. You have heard Ministers of the Gospel talk about them; but you have perhaps never reflected, that they were addressed to you in particular—and that you, are as much interested in them, as though they were intended for you alone. You have been told that, with respect to religion, you would have no right to the title of a reasonable creature, unless you sometimes called your own heart to a strict account, and seriously reflected, upon some of those awful subjects, that form the groundwork of religion. But is there not reason to believe, that some of you, have never spent one serious heart-devoted hour, in the sober contemplation of religious subjects? Have you not either thought it unimportant-or that you had time enough-or prevented yourself from thinking about it, altogether? And how can you reconcile such conduct to your conscience? Do you not feel yourself a most guilty and ungrateful being? The mighty God sends forth his word, and you pay no attention! Your Creator, your Father, your Benefactor, your Friend, speaks to you, and you deign him no notice! Can we easily conceive of more consummate impiety? Has not God the greatest reason to call Heaven and earth to witness the perverseness of man? "Hear Oh Heavens! and give ear Oh Earth! I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." Have you reason to find fault, or to consider yourself unjustly degraded, when he places, even the ox and the ass above you, on account of your thoughtlessness and ingratitude? "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib, but Israel doth not know; my people doth not consider!" Oh how far must your heart be gone from original rectitude, if God is not in all your thoughts!

But the habitual sinner is not only guilty of ingratitude, and of the most unnatural and impious disobe

dience to Almighty God; but he is, of all reasonable creatures, most unreasonable. Your own reason, my sinful fellow-mortal, to which some so often resort for protection against the word of God, your own reason agrees with revelation, in laying it down, as a maxim, that matters of the greatest moment, ought to receive your first and greatest attention; and that, at any event, they ought never to be forgotten, or neglected; though you may find it necessary, at the same time with them, to attend to matters of subordinate importance. Though, for the sake of relaxation and enjoyment, you might think it necessary, and therefore a duty, to devote some time to innocent amusement; yet, would you not get out of all patience with the man, who should plead this duty, as an exemption from all the more laborious and more necessary duties of life? Of two duties, when both cannot be performed at once, that which is most important should first be discharged. If both cannot be consistently attended to at the same time, as is the case with our religious and our worldly duties, the most important ought surely not to be neglected. If either of them must be left undone, the less ought to give way to the greater. "Seek first the kingdom of Heaven." "Labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life."

If the question were now put to you, whether you would lose the happiness of this world, or the happiness of a future life, it would be an insult to common sense, to suppose, that you could hesitate, a moment, in making your choice. And the supposition might, perhaps, excite not a little of your indignation. But let me ask: If you have, all your lifetime, been so immersed in business, or in pleasure, as to neglect the "one thing needful;" or, if you have never thought of it; or, if you have kept putting it off, till a more convenient season; have you not dropped the substance, and been grasping at the shadow?