or from the fpirit of the world: whether they are animated by a "fimplicity and "godly fincerity," or by the unhallowed principles of felf-love, and the defire of recommending themfelves to the esteem of

men.

2dly, It is evident from Scripture, that a man may go far in the outward performance of his duty, and yet be actuated by fuch motives as afford him greater caufe of grief and of fhame than of that rejoicing which is mentioned in the claufe following my text. I read in the preceding verfe, that it is poffible for a "man to think him"felf to be fomething when he is nothing." I find in fact that the Laodiceans imagined themselves to be "rich, and increased with "goods, and having need of nothing," when, in truth, they were they were "wretched, and "miferable, and poor, and blind, and na"ked." And there are too many reasons to fufpect, that, like thofe, multitudes of this prefent generation are pure in their own

eyes, and yet are not wafhed from their "filthinefs;" have a "name that they live," while they are dead;" and have " the praise

praise of men," while "their hearts are "not right with God."

3dly, I foresee the time when thousands fhall wish that they had followed the Apostle's advice in my text. "Yet a little "while, and he that fhall come will come, " and will not tarry."—" "The Lord him"felf fhall defcend from heaven with a "fhout, with the voice of the archangel, "and the trump of God; to judge the "world in righteoufnefs. In that day

many fhall fay to him, Lord, Lord, did "we not eat and drink in thy prefence, "have we not prophefied in thy name,

and in thy name done many wonderful "works?" But when they receive that awful reply, σε Depart from me, I know

you not whence ye are," with what inconceivable anguish will they then cry out, Oh! that we had tried and proved those fpecious works in which we trufted.-We thought them good and acceptable to God; alas! too late, we find our unhappy mistake. The time was, when this difcovery might have profited us but now the doom is paffed; our state is fixed; and nothing remains for us but a fruitlefs remorse, and

the

the galling remembrance of our former floth

and fecurity.-And,

your

Lafly, When I confidered that I was to speak to communicants, who have this day fealed either their friendship or their enmity with Chrift at his own table, it determined me to addrefs to you a preffing and earnest call to this prove part of work in particular; that fuch as have been properly employed in this holy service, may, after trial of themfelves, lay hold of the comforts which belong to them; and that others receive fuch a view of their guilt and of their danger, as, by the grace of God, fhall constrain them to have immediate recourse to that injured, but compaffionate Saviour, whofe blood, inftead of crying for vengeance, pleads for mercy to the chief of finners. On all these accounts let me intreat, not only the hearing of your ears, but the attention of your minds, whilst I endeavour, through divine aid,

may

ift, To explain the full meaning or im

port of the Apostle's exhortation

every man prove his own work.”

"Let

2dly, To give you fome directions with re

gard

1

gard to the manner of conducting the inquiry to which the exhortation relates, and then to point out to you the practical improvement of the subject. I begin with the exhortation itself, " Let every man prove his own work."

There is a particular emphafis in these words, which must not be overlooked. It is his own work that a man must prove. We are fufficiently ready to examine, and to país fentence upon the works of others. We are often abroad; but are feldom at home, where our chief business lies. Like fome travellers, who are well acquainted with foreign countries, but fhamefully ignorant of their own; we know more of others than we are willing to know of ourfelves; and perfuade ourselves, that the tudy of our own hearts is a dull and melancholy bufinefs, which may incite within us many uneafy thoughts, and can give us no pleasure at all.

Alas! how low are we funk by our apoftafy from God! and with what little and falfe confolations may a degenerate mind be foothed! Inftead of looking inwards for

pofitive

"

pofitive evidence of our favour with God, we learn to regulate our judgement of our felves, by what we perceive in the characters of other men. If the image of the devil is more vifibly formed on others than on ourselves, we have little anxiety to difcover the image of God upon our own hearts. The bulk of men think it enough to know that fome of their brethren are worse than they are, as if their characters would rife, in proportion as the characters of others are debased. We must relinquish this falfe rule of judging, if we would either enter into the spirit of the exhortation in the text, or would not be fatally disappointed at laft. We must learn to rejoice in ourfelves, and not in others; and we muft call in our thoughts from the state of other men, and prove every man his own work.'

..

Every man," faith the Apoftle; "fhall "bear his own burden." Each of us fhall give an account of his own conduct to God, and fhall be judged according to his own perfonal behaviour, without regard to any comparative goodnefs or attainments which may belong to him.

But