ther cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, I will fpue thee out of my Mouth"-"Ye cannot ferve GoD and Mam mon". Neither can ye unite Christ and Belial. "If the Lord be God ferve him " If the World, carnal Pleasures, and vain Amusements, férve them. But O remember! "If ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye shall live".

Such a motly Mixture of ferving God and Mammon; fuch a praying and finning, and repenting and finning, and finning and re penting again, is a fure Indication you have never experienced the divine Change, called, A being born again. For if you had, you would think it as eafy to pluck the Sun from the Firmament, and to change the whole Frame of Nature, as to go to Heaven, while living fuch a Courfe of Life. You would fee the Evil of Sin, of all Sin, of every Sin, in fuch a ftriking Point of View, that you would hate and deteft it, and flee even from the Appearance, as from the Face of a Serpent. Thofe

Thofe Things which now feem pleafing, the Joy, the Comfort, the Satisfaction, and the Delight of your Life, would then lose their infatuating Charms, and Holiness, Happiness and Heaven, take Poffeffion of your Souls.

A good natural Difpofition, fome Shreds and Appearances of Morality and Goodness, you may have without it; but you never will be confiftently and uniformly, inwardly and outwardly religious, till this divine Change has taken Place in your Minds. You may "make clean the Outside of the Cup and the Platter" without it; but then only, and not till then, you will be cleanfed from inward Impieties. Then and then alone you will be enabled "to offer up your Bodies a living Sa crifice", and to be holy in all Manner of Converfation". Yet this, you must allow, is" our reasonable Service".

Come then, my Brethren and Fellow-Pro bationers for Eternity, let us fet about this great Work in Earneft. Think me not your Enemy because I tell you the Truth in this plain Manner. If you are rich, your Rich

es

es will not fave you; if you are poor, your Poverty will not excufe you; you must be born again of the Spirit; you must be renewed in the Image of your Minds; you must become new Creatures; you must lay aside every Weight, and perfect Holiness in the Fear of God, or good had it been for you that you had never been born; you'll fink lower than the Grave. If you are in the Nuinber of those who profefs to have experienced this Change, let us fee it; fhew it by your Conduct, your Tempers, your Difpofitions, your Actions. Let the Light of your good Works, and praiseworthy Example fhine before Men. All the Profeffions in the World, without this living Evidence, will not fatisfy Us, and ought not to fatisfy You.

If you are still in Doubt whether the Doctrine is true, or whether it is of any confiderable Importance in the Chriftian Scheme; and if you are in Earneft about Salvation upon any Plan whatever, let this be the conftant Prayer and Language of your Heart;

"If I am right, Lord, teach my Heart

"Still in the Right to stay:

"If I am wrong, thy Grace impart

"To find the better Way".

If you are convinced of the Neceffity and Importance of this Renewal of the inner Man, and if you are yet Strangers to the experimental Knowledge of it, take the Advice, and believe the Declaration, of the compaffionate Saviour of the World: "Afk, and it fhall be given you; feek and ye fhall find; knock, and it fhall be opened unto you. For every one that afketh, receiveth; and he that feeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it fhall be opened. If a Son fhall afk Bread of any of you that is a Father, will he give him a Stone? Or if he ask a Fish, will he for a Fish give him a Serpent? Or if he shall ask an Egg, will he offer him a Scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good Gifts unto your Children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

I

I have now declared my Sentiments upon this very important Subject with all Freedom, Simplicity, and Zeal. I hope the Light in which we have confidered it is juft, and the Evidence fuch as ought to command Attention. It now remains with you, my Brethren, to give it that Reception you are perfuaded it deferves.

Sentiments like these are by no means calculated to procure the Favor, the Preferment, and the Honor of this World. This we know, and have made our Account off. "But -none of thefe Things move me, neither count I my Life dear unto myfelf, fo that I might finish my Course with Joy, and the Ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jefus, to testify the Gofpel of the Grace of GOD".

Now unto him that is able to keep us from falling, and to prefent us faultlefs before the Presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy; to him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jefus, throughout all Ages, World without End.

Amen.