this, and may be separated from it: therefore although this may make me a professor, it may leave me far short of a Christian; it may wash the outside of the platter, while the inside is full of native impurity and corruption.

2. As education gives rise to some men's profession of religion, so others set out at the instance of natural conscience, startled, but not savingly convinced. They may have gone on in an habitual neglect of God, and the things which belong to their peace through a large part of life, without disturb ance: the matters of their souls, religion and another world, may have occasioned them but few scrious thoughts. At length some afflictive dispensation of providence rouses the sleeping lion, and the time of adversity calls the thoughtless creature to consider; Eccl. vii. 14. It may be that the hand of God has arrested his person; having: the sentence of death in himself, and eternity unveiled to his mind, he is neither sparing in his censures upon his past folly, nor in his promises of ref-. ormation for time to come. All this may flow from mere nature, which recoils at the apprehension of evil, and by an instinct, that is essential to it, dreads a dissolution. The event verifics this remark; the man recovers, and thinks that he has paid his vows.. and done whatever might be expected in his case, upon his abandoning the former extravagances of life, and putting on a face of religion. He goes on in this vain show, his heart as much as ever

estranged from the quickening and sanctifying virtue of the religion he professes: he was frighted, but not convinced; and though reformed, is not converted: whereas real Christianity consists, not in our being mended only, but unmade; for whoever is in Christ Jesus (and none else are Christians) he is a new creature; 2 Cor. v. 17. he is xai xtiois a new creation; all old things are passed away, and every thing is become new. Afflictions may put such as have stood idle all the day long, upon bodily service ;. but between this and real Christianity, the difference may be as great as between the shadow and substance, a dead image and a living man. Is it strange then that these, though professors, should be no more than professors, when they have taken up their religion in a fright, not from an inward persuasion of its reasonableness, excellency, beauty, and exceedingly great rewards?

3. A regard to reputation may lie at the bottom of some men's religion, and nothing higher may influence their profession. They are not Christians even in name but upon a principle of honor: conscience has no concern in this part they act in life. What God will think of them comes not into the question; though they may not want solicitude about the good opinion of the world. These low little views have men conducted themselves by, ever since Christ had a church. The evangelist John observes of some of the chief rulers of the Jews, that notwithstanding they were convinced

of the truth of the Christian religion, yet a regard to their reputation prevented their owning and embracing it. They adhered to the religion that was most in vogue, and would continue of the Jewish church rather than be looked upon as out of the fashion. His words are these; "Among the chief rulers many believed on Jesus, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God:" John xii: 42, 43. Men may reckon it a sort of brand they fix upon themselves, that while so many of their friends and acquaintance are persons famed for exemplary piety, they do not pretend to be Christians. A regard to the good opinion of others does therefore carry them such lengths as it never was in the power of other motives to do; and the love of a good name prevails where all sense of duty to God, or the tenderness they owe to an immortal soul, could not. Now is it to be imagined that these will be any better than mere professors, whose highest aim is at popular applause? This as you know, is attainable in consistency with their being utterly unacquainted with pure and undefiled religion.

4. It is to be feared, that an eye to secular advantage is the main influencing principle in some men's profession of Christianity. A mercenary regard to the loaves may be the sole reason of their thus far following Christ. There was a large number of people who mingled with his disciples,cal

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led him Rabbi, pursued him over the sea of Tiberias to Capernaum, whose appearing reverence for our Lord, he himself tells us, had no nobler motive than the satisfying a hungry appetite. See John vi. 26. Jesus answered them, and said, verily, verily, say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. And the apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, mentions a very odd sort of Christians, who supposed that gain was godliness: 1 Tim. vi. 5. Their design in appearing religious, was to get money by the show; and if this end be attained by it, they will put on any form, or act any part. Many enlisted under our Lord's standard, and joined his retinue, while the prospect of temporal kingdom prevailed among them, who turned their backs upon him, and walked no more with him, upon their apprehending that he was to be a suffering Saviour. It were to be wished that so vile a spirit had been peculiar to the infant state of Christianity; but what reason to fear that some in our day have professed religion as a cloak for their covetousness, the better to insinuate themselves with mankind, and by defrauding and overreaching others to increase their own abundance? Now how splendid soever that profession, with how much soever of exactness and severity it may seem to be attended; can these be any other than mere professors of the religion of Jesus? Do grapes grow upon thorns and figs upon thistles? Can they be at once the members of Christ, and the members of an

Harlot? or truly serve two such contrary masters, as God and Mammon ?

But we shall carry this thought further, under the next particular, and it is all that we shall offer upon this head.

5. Some take up a profession of religion as a cover for the most detestable private wickedness. The apostle Paul, in his epistle to Titus, gives us a dismal account of some Judaizing Christians in the Church. Their profession was specious, their practice diabolical. They professed to know God, says he, but in works they denied him, being abominable, disobedient, and to every good work reprobate: Tit. i. 16. Men may affect to appear like Saints, that they may behind the curtain act the Atheist, both unobserved and unsuspected: may make long prayers, to devour the widow's house, and more securely wallow in all manner of sensuality. To such a dreadful degree as this has the devil tempted some to affront the Almighty, and impose upon the credulity of his people.

These are all virgins to the eye of the world; their profession makes them so: though I have shown you that their motives to this profession are very different. One sets out upon the turn of mind received by education. Another in compliance with the solicitations of an awakened natural conscience. This man, because it is fashionable to own Christianity. Another makes it a cloak for his covetousness. Nay, some are desperate enough to appear