towards those, who ought to be considered its pests, induce a belief, that their offences are, under any circumstances, tolerated by the Gospel. Make not even the prohibitions of human laws, much less the opinions and fashions of men, the rule, or test of Christian holiness; but the plain unequivocal words of that law, by which we are solemnly pledged to walk, and by which we shall assuredly be judged. The world may tole

The world

to mark with strong

rate that, which it ought reprobation; it may smile upon and receive those, whom it ought to rebuke and cast out. It may admit to its privileges and enjoyments those, who have broken the most sacred bonds of the social compact, and the laws of common humanity, and have given no indications of remorse. But let not all this deceive you; because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. And it cometh upon them, in retribution of a twofold transgression of his laws; as violating the precept of charity, no less than that of purity. To the indulgence of sensual appetites may be traced a very large proportion of the misery, and poverty, and crime, which prevail in the world. It turns aside the minds of those who practise it from all praiseworthy and beneficial pursuits;

corrupts the source of thought and action; brutalizes the temper, and stupefies the understanding. It is necessarily the cause of sin in others, and so propagates guilt and misery. It produces disputes, and fatal contentions; creates the necessity of expense and profusion, leading, in many cases, to rapine and fraud. The ruin of innocence, and the confirmation of guilt; the destruction of character and of peace of mind; the disruption of the closest ties of nature and affection; the tears and reproaches of the injured, written in the Lord's book of remembrance; domestic anguish, and unutterable misery of heart; murder, and suicide;-these are the bitter fruits, in this world, of that conduct, which at once transgresses, in all this variety of results, the Christian precept of love; and defiles the temple of the Holy Ghost; making that, where the Spirit desires to dwell, the abode of evil passions and lusts.

If it be said, that there may be many, who, without a strict observance of the Gospel law of holiness, keep within certain limits, and are not guilty of those flagitious excesses, which have now been described; we answer, not to insist upon the fact, that no man, who once transgresses the strict line of duty in this respect, can tell to

S

what lengths he will insensibly proceed; that not even the least degree of criminal indulgence can be otherwise than injurious to themselves and others; to themselves, by the breach which it makes in their moral integrity, and the cloud which it interposes at once between God and their souls; to others, by the contagion of sin, and the influence of example. But even were no evil consequences at all to be discerned at the present, it is not by its immediate and sensible results that, as believers in revelation, we are to determine, of any action, whether it may or may not be done; but by the plain declarations of God's Word. Nor are we at liberty to speculate upon the comparative safety, or lawfulness, of different degrees of familiarity with practices forbidden in that Word; our rule being equally plain and uncompromising, Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness: and in these works the Apostle enumerates, not merely the grosser acts of impurity, but also foolish talking and jesting; and he, who was greater than an Apostle, had before included, in the same sentence of condemnation, the sinful act, and the permitted thought of sin.

Strict as may appear to be these prohibitions of the Christian law, we may not encourage, nor

permit you to believe, that he, who has enacted and recorded them, will tolerate the slightest wilful deviation from the letter of his commands. Nor can we reasonably expect that he should; seeing that he lays upon us no burthen heavier than he either finds or will make us able to bear; and exacts no obedience, which is not practicable in the required degree. It can be no excuse whatever for the sensualist to say, I was unable to resist; it was not I that did it, but sin that dwelleth in me; when the Judge will answer, The grace of God would have been sufficient for thee, and thou knewest it, but didst not seek it. In fact, all our rebukes of uncleanness, all our exhortations to purity of heart and life, will be inoperative and fruitless, unless we can convince our hearers of their natural inability, and drive them to seek the grace of God. He gives to every subject of his kingdom the power of obedience; but it is not a power residing in us by nature; the preparation of the heart is from the Lord. That faith, which is the vital principle, both of purity and love, the foundation and the strength of obedience, is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God." It is his free gift, inasmuch as we can do nothing to deserve or

13 Eph. ii. 8.

14

purchase it; but it is not an arbitrary gift; for the promise of his giving liberally, is only to them that ask him. Strive, therefore, to be convinced, by the Word of God, of your natural sinfulness and want of strength; beat down, with the sword of the Spirit, that pride, which bars the avenues of grace. In self-abasement, and by earnest prayer, labour to obtain that powerful aid, which may control the workings of the flesh, and repress the inordinacy of the heart, and open a passage for the truths and comforts of the Gospel, breaking down the barriers which have been raised by impurity and uncharitableness, that judgment may run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.15 Lay to heart the purposes and requirements of the Gospel; the end of religious duties and ordinances; the intention of God in giving us so many means of grace; the inexcusableness of those who sin from want of knowledge, when they have the Word of God, and his ministers, to instruct them; or from want of resolution, when they have the promises of his Holy Spirit to strengthen them. Be no longer content, and this, my Christian friends, is a caution which I would solemnly charge upon your consciences at the end of every discourse,-be no

14 James i. 5.

15 Amos v. 24.