er to obey his call! May he incline your heart, whileit is called to-day, to make that holy and happy choice of which in this world you will never repent, and for which in the world to come you will never cease to render everlasting songs of praise and joy..

SERMON XXI.

THE WORLD AND THE CHRISTIAN..

1 PETER IV. 4, 5.

Wherein they think it strange, that you run not with them› to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: who shall give account to Him, that is ready to judge the Quick and the Dead.

THE world and the Christian can never cordi

ally agree. The Christian does not love the world, and the world dislikes the Christian. Not doing as the children of the world do, and governed by principles to which they are strangers, he is first misunderstood, and then misrepresented. They look upon his singularity as the effect of pride, of folly, or of hypocrisy ; and feeling how severely his conduct condemns their own, they attempt to satisfy and defend themselves by vilifying and condemning him. And, for a time, the attempt may succeed. But their triumph will be short.

A day is appointed in which God will judge the world. in righteousness; in which he will roll away every reproach from his people, and will expose and con

-demn his enemies and theirs.

Such are the important truths of which we are reminded in the text. St. Peter, writing to the persecuted Christians, whom he describes as being redeemed from their vain conversation," and "no longer living to the lusts of men, but to the will of God," thus addresses them in respect to those persons, from whose friendship, company, and practices they had now separated themselves; "wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you; who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the Quick and the Dead.”

In discoursing on this passage, let us advert to the different particulars contained in it.

I. Let us notice the Change, which Christianity had made in the conduct of the persons to whom the Apos tle writes. We find from the verse before the text, that they had formerly "wrought the will of the Gentiles." Before their conversion to Christianity, they had lived as heathens; when they had "walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries." they had become Christians, they no the same excess of riot." A great and an evident change had taken place in their conduct. They no longer lived in the practice of those sins, in which, during their unconverted state, they had taken so much pleasure; and in which those, who remained in an un

But now,

longer

since

66 run to

converted state, still continued to delight. They had broken off their evil habits; had forsaken their wicked companions; had renounced the hidden things of darkness; instead of being riotous, disorderly, licentious characters, as they had once been, they were become sober, chaste, and serious; and thus were altogether walking in newness of life. Such was the change,. which Christianity had produced in the conduct of these persons; and such is the Change which real Christianity will always produce in the conduct of its true followers. For real Christianity (be it remembered) makes a man " a new creature." It works in him an inward, an entire, an abiding change. It renews the soul to the Divine image and likeness, which it lost by the fall of Adam. It puts into the heart new desires and hopes, and fears; so that the man acts from motives and principles, to which he was formerly a stranger. "Old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."-But if such be the change produced by Christianity in the inner man, there will, doubtless, be a corresponding change produced in the When the heart is new, the life also will be new. A change of motives will produce a change of conduct. This change indeed may differ in circumstances, but still it will be the same in reality. A man may not have led a life so openly dissolute as the persons in the text; and consequently on his becoming a true Christian, the change in his conduct may not be so striking and obvious: but still, in many respects, be may be leading a new life; and, in his daily behaviour: may be giving very convincing proofs

outer man.

of the Change which has taken place in his heart. Whatever his professions might be, before he became a true Christian, he yet, in some way or other, "wrought the will of the Gentiles." In some way or other he walked after the course of this world, and trod in the same steps with other unconverted persons. But now,

being born again of the spirit," and "created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works," he no longer walks after this course, nor treads in these steps. Being "transformed by the renewing of his mind," he is "no longer conformed to this world." He no longer governs his conduct by the principles, maxims, and customs of the world, but by the dictates of a tender conscience, enlightened by the spirit and the word of God.

II. Let us observe the way in which this Change of conduct in the Christian converts was treated by the ungodly world. "They think it strange" (says St. Peter in the text)" that you run not with them, to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." The alteration which had taken place in the conduct of these Christians, was altogether a mystery to their irreligious neighbours. They could not account for the surprising Change, which they witnessed. 'Look,' (they would say to themselves and to each other) Look at these people. They were lately as fond of pleasure and "riot as ourselves. It was but the other day that they were as forward and eager as any person to join in banquetings, revellings and such like things. But now 'what a change has taken place. They will have nothing to do with any thing of this kind. They condemn it. They avoid it. They affect to dislike it. They shun the VOL. II. 23

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places where these practices occur. They separate ⚫ themselves from the company of those persons, who 6 engage in them. What a mystery is this! How unac'countable is their conduct! To what cause can it be < owing, that they should thus refuse to do as all others 'do, and should willingly give up pleasures, to which they themselves were formerly so much attached ?'— Thus we may suppose that these unconverted persons would think within themselves, and would express their astonishment at the conduct of the Christian converts. And thus in all ages have unconverted persons thought on this subject. The conduct of religious people has always been a matter of wonder and surprise to the irreligious. Doubtless the sinners before the flood, thought it strange that Noah should lay out his time, his strength, and his property, in preparing what appeared to them so useless a structure as the Ark. Doubtless the Egyptians thought it strange, that Moses should "refuse to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter," and should "choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God," than to share the pleasures and riches of a court. Doubtless the Jews and Gentiles thought it strange, that St. Paul and the other Apostles should encounter so many difficulties, and expose themselves to so many reproaches and dangers in their zeal for propagating the Gospel. The same is the case at present. The true Christian is still "a wonder unto many." His conduct still appears strange to those, who have the name of Christians, but know nothing of the power of Christianity. His non-conformity to the spirit of the world, his abstinence from worldly plea