Will the most unlearned Christian say, that he cannot understand so plain an ordinance? Will the most employed fay, that he has not time to observe fo fhort a fervice? Will any man say that he can be a true Christian, without obeying so positive a command?

What then will be required of those Chriftians who have all their life long turned their back on the Lord's table; of those who go to the Lord's table without a full purpose of forfaking those fins which coft Jefus Chrift his life; or of those who have purposed to lead a new, that is, a Chriftian life, and have taken the facrament upon it, and yet have ftill returned unto a careless or a finful way of living? God will moft certainly require it of every one who has done fo, and has not repented, and amended, before he is called to judgment.

In short, all these will be without excufe: fuch as do not defire to know their duty; fuch as have taken no pains to understand the will of God, what will please and what will difplease him; fuch as never beg of God to enlighten their minds with faving truth; and especially all fuch as hold the truth in unrighteousness, that is, who do not live up to that measure of light and strength which God has given them.

For this is a law of the gofpel given by Jefus Chrift himself: To him that hath fhall be given, and he fhall have more; but from him that

bath

hath not, shall be taken away even that which he bath; that is, whoever hath received and improved any talent which God has given him, God will give him more; and he will take away from those that have not made a good use of his gifts, even what he had given them.

And this, God knows, is too often verified, and we see every day people who have been dedicated to God, been made partakers of his Holy Spirit, have been taught their duty, and have folemnly vowed to perform it; yet for want of care, and neglecting to improve these gifts of God, are become wicked, dissolute, profane, hardened in fin, ignorant, fearless, and reprobate.

Do not we all know, that we are, every foul of us, of the fame race, and make, and corrupt nature, with these unhappy people, whom we fee and confefs to be in the way of eternal ruin? And will it not be required of us, that we keep a strict watch over ourselves, left we alfo fall into the fnare and temptation of the devil?.

Do not we fee men ruining themselves, fouls and bodies, because they will not deny themfelves the defires of their own hearts? And does not every body fee, and confefs, that the want of thought and confideration is the ruin of infinite fouls?

Will it not, therefore, be required of every body who knows these things, if they have not kept a watch over themselves, if they have

not

not denied themselves, if they have not confidered and laid to heart the things that belonged to their peace?

And when we are moft ferious and thoughtful, let every foul of us confider these few, but most important queftions:-How much will be required of those Chriftians, who have the holy fcriptures in their hands, and do not profit by them; who have the way of falvation plainly fhewed them, and do not value it; who know that God is to be feared above all things, and yet make no fcruple to do every thing that they know will displease and provoke him; who are instructed in the will of God, and regard it as nothing; who are invited to afk, and they fhall receive, and yet think it not worth their while; or elfe afk fuch things as are not worthy of God to give, or fafe for themselves to receive?

Let us afk again, What will be required of fuch as call themselves Chriftians, and cannot by their lives be known from heathens? Who come before God without reverence, blafpheme his name without fcruple, pay no regard to what peculiarly belongs to him; who treat their neighbour with that contempt, or hatred, or injuftice, or uncharitableness, or wrong, as if they never did hope to meet him in heaven; and (which is the faddeft delufion of all) who themselves hope to go to heaven, without any of thofe qualifications which God requires of all fuch as fhall be admitted

into that holy, that happy place? What will be required of fuch Chriftians? Our Saviour has given the answer in these dreadful words: It fhall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrab in the day of judgment, than for fuch Chriftians.

Good Chriftians, I have infifted upon thefe things, that I may raise in my own, and in all your hearts, a true value for the bleffings which we have received from God; as also a juft concern for the account we must give, and the great hazard we run, if we fhall, any of us, be fo unhappy as to despise or abuse

these mercies.

You have feen plainly what will be required of every foul of us, when we come before the tribunal of God; that in receiving the gofpel, we have received very much, and that very much will be required of us. We have received the knowledge of God, and of ourfelves, and our duty to both. To awaken in us a concern for our fouls, we have received from God an account of what must come hereafter; how the fouls of men are difpofed of when they die, according as their works have been in the body, whether good or bad.

You have seen the delufion of those who flatter themfelves that they have little to account for, having received little from God.

Whatever heathens may fay for themselves, no Christian can, with truth, fay, that he has received little. Our Lord's anfwer, which he gave to the Jews, will moft furely be

given to every Chriftian who fhall plead that for himself: If I had not come and spoken unto you, you had not had fin; but now you have no cloak (no excufe) for your fin. No, not the meanest Christian: for the meanest Christian, the most unlearned, knows, when he does amifs; when he does what will displease God; and when his confcience does not accufe him.

And let it not be wondered at, that Chriftians, who know what fin is, and what will be the end of it, do yet, in defiance of hell and damnation, go on in their fin, and live and die under the difpleafure of God, who can destroy both body and foul in hell. The apostle has given us the true reason of this," because when men know God, and glorify him not as God, God will give them up at last to a reprobate mind; that is, to a mind void of judgment.

To conclude: If we would lead a life worthy of the religion we profefs, and of the hopes we have of being happy when we die, we must ever and anon remember the account we are to give for the talents we have received; we must remember it, fo as upon all occafions to put it in practice; and we fhall foon fee the good effects of the practical belief of a judgment to come.

For example: Let us often fay to ourselves, -God has given me life and health, that I may do good in my generation, and that, by doing fo, I may become worthy of a better life hereafter;

Rom. i. 22.