trine of Chrift and the refurrection. "Much learning hath made thee mad. Dei fapientia mundi eft infania," Malc. in loc.

Agrippa he is fo affected with his plea, that he almoft wrought into his principle. Paul pleads fo effectually for his religion, that Agrippa feems to be upon the turning point to his profeffion. "Putar heminem effe fas naticum," Mar. in loc.

"Then Agrippa faid unto Paul, Almost thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriftian."

Almoft, (en oligo) fo the Greek; the words make fome debate among the learned. I fhall not trouble you with the various hints upon them by Valla, Simplicius, Beza, Erafmus, and others. I fhall take the words as we read them, and they fhew what an efficacy Paul's doctrine had upon Agrippa's confcience. Though he would not be converted, yet he could not but be convinced. His confcience was touched, though his heart was not renewed.

Obferve. There is that in religion which carries its own evidencé along with it, even to the confcience of ungodly men.

Thou perfuadeft me (peitheis) the word is from the Hebrew PATHAH, and it fignifies both fuadere and perfuadere, either to use arguments to prevail, or to prevail by the arguments ufed. "Suadereft conantis, perfuadere elt efficientis," Beza.

Now it is to be taken in the latter fenfe here, to fhew the influence of Paul's argument

upon

uponAgrippa, which had almoft profelyted him to the profeffion of Christianity: "Sundet qui confulit; perfuadet qui quo vult inducit homiem, Erafm. Almoft thou perfuades meto be a Christian." A Chriftian, Chriftianon genesthai.

I hope I need not tell you what a Chriftian is; though I am perfuaded many that are called Chriftians, do not know what a Chriftian is; or if they do, yet they do not know what it is to be a Chriftian.

A Chriftian, is a difciple of Jefus Christ; one that believes in, and follows Chrift; as he that embraces the doctrine of Arminius, is called an Arminian; and as he that owns the doctrine and way of Luther, is called a Lutherian; fo he that embraces, and owns, and follows the doctrine of Jefus Chrift, he is called a Chriftian.

The word is taken more largely, and more ftrictly; more largely, and fo all that profefs Chrift come in the flesh, are called Christians in oppofition to heathens that do not know Christ, and to the poor blind Jews that will not own Chrift; and to theMahometan that, prefers Mahomet above Chrift.

But now in Scripture, the word is of a more strict and narrow acceptation, it is used only to denominate the true difciples and followers of Chrift, Acts xi. 26. "The disciples were firft called Chriftians at Antioch. 1 Pet. iv. 16. If any man fuffer as a Chriftian, let him not be ashamed:" That is, a member, a difciple

of

of Chrift; and fo in the text, "Almost thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriftian."

The word is ufed but in thefe three places (as I find), in all the new Teftament, and in each of them it fignifies in the fense aforementioned.

The Italians make the name to be a name of reproach among men, and do ufually abuse the word Chriftian, to fignifie a fool. Fulk. Not. on Róm. Test.

But if, as the Apostle faith, "The preaching of Chrift, is to the world foolishnefs," I Cor. i. 18. It is no wonder that the difciples of Chrift are to them the world's fools. Yet it is true (in a found fenfe) fo they are. For the whole of godlinefs is a mystery, 1 Tim. iii. 16.

A man muft die that would live; he must be empty, that would be full; he must be loft, that would be found, he must have nothing that would have all things; he must be blind, that Would have illumination; he must be condemned, that would have redemption; fo he muft be a fool, that would be a Chriftian: "If any among you feem to be wife, let him become a fool, that he may be wife," 1 Cor. iii. 18.

He is the true Chriftian, that is the world's fool, but wife to falvation.

Thus you have the fenfe and meaning of the words briefly explained.

The text needs no divifion, and yet it is pity, the Almost should not be devided from the Chriftian.

Though

Though it is of little avail to divide them as they are linked in the text, unless I could divide them as they are united in your hearts, this would be a bleffed divifion, if the Almoft might be taken from the Chriftian; that fo you may not be only en oligo but en pollo, not only propemodum, but admodum; not only almost, but altogether Christians.

This is God's work to effect it; but it is our duty to perfuade to it; and O that God would help me to manage this fubject, fo, that you may fay in the conclufion, thou perfuadeft me (not almoft) but altogether to be a Chriftian. The obfervation that I fhall propound to handle, is this.

Doctrine. "There are very many in the world, that are almoft, and yet but almost Christians: Many that are near heaven, and yet are never the nearer; many that are within a little of falvation, and yet shall never enjoy the leaft falvation; they are within the fight of heaven, and yet fhall never have a fight of God."

There are two fad expreffions in fcripture, which I cannot but take notice of in this place; the one is concerning the truly righteous, the other is concerning the feemingly righteous.

It is faid of the truly righteous, he shall fcarcely be faved, 1 Pet. iv. 18. and it is faid of the feemingly righteous, he fhall be almost faved. "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God," Mark xii. 24.

The righteous fhall be faved with a scarcely,

that

that is, through much difficulty; he fhall go to heaven through many fad fears of hell.

The hypocrite fhall be faved with an almoft, that is, he fhall go to hell through many fair hopes of heaven. Quod vix fit, fit; quod fere, non fit."

There are two things arife from hence, of very ferious meditation. The one is, how oft a believer may mifcarry, how low he may fall, and yet have true grace. The other is, how far an hypocrite may go in the way to heaven, how high he may attain, and yet have no grace.

The faint may be caft down very near to hell, and yet shall never come there; and the hypocrite may be lifted up very near to heaven, and yet never come there.

The faint may almoft perish, and yet be faved eternally; the hypocrite may almost be faved, and yet perifh finally. For the faint at worft is really a believer; and the hypocrite at beft, is really a finner.

Before I handle the doctrine, I must premife three things, which are of great ufe for the establishing of weak believers, that they may not be shaken, and difcouraged by this doctrine.

First, There is nothing in the doctrine that` fhould be matter of ftumbling, or difcouragement to weak Chriftians.

The gospel doth not speak thefe things to wound believers, but to awaken finners, and formal profeffors.

As