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SERM ON S.

THE EVIL AND DANGER OF HALTING
BETWIXT TWO OPINIONS.*

SERMON XXV.

1 KINGS, xvi. 21.-Elijah faid, How long halt ye betwixt two opinions?

N the ordinance of the Lord's fupper, there is

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to be feen Jacob's ladder, with its foot fet on the earth, and the top thereof reaching unto heaven, Gen. xxviii. 12. We truft ye have been effaying to mount it, though perhaps ye are yet not far from the ground. O that ye may have freely entered upon the first step! I muft, however, warn you, whoever'ye be, that are looking upwards towards the place to which the top VOL. II. reaches,

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*This difcourfe was delivered immediately after the celebration of the Lord's Supper, in Maxton, Auguft 3. 1718.

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reaches, namely, heaven, that there is fuch a voice to you from heaven in our text, as came to David from the caftle of Zion, when he fet himself to win it, 2 Sam. v. 6. " Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither." ft, Unless the blind mind and heart that is still wavering in the choice betwixt the Lord and idols be taken away, and thou canst be determined abfolutely and finally for the Lord, ye cannot come in hither. Of this we have difcourfed already *.-There is a fecond voice. Except the lame feet whereby one is still going from fide to fide in practice, betwixt the Lord and idols, be taken away, you cannot come in hither. To this we are now to attend, in confidering,

DOCT. II. That an unequal and an unsteady walk, here-away there-away, betwixt the Lord and idols, is an unaccountable and abominable way of walking through the world.

IN difcourfing from this, it is propofed to fhew,
I. What is to be accounted fuch a walking.
II. The evil of this way of walking.

III. The caufes of this unfteady walking; when we shall also point out some remedies against it. IV. Make fome improvement.-I am,

1. To fhew what is to be accounted fuch a walking.

1. Random-walking is fuch a walking: Lev. xxvi. 21. “And if ye walk contrary to me, and will not hearken unto me, I will bring seven times more plagues upon you, according to your fins." The original word, contrary, may be rendered, as by accident, at random, at all adven

* See Vol. I. p. 389.

tures.

tures. There is a generation that are at beft but random-customers to religion, who take no more of it than they readily meet with. Their religion fits fo light on them, that in their way through the world they take it as it comes to them. As the fashion of the time turns, they face as the ftream runs about. They conform themselves to the taste and humour of whatever company they fall in with; they become a prey to every temptation, and are picked up like ftraying beasts by the first finder. Beware of this; that day ye get to heaven in this way, God and Baal fhall be reconciled. Set up your mark in religion, and prefs unto it. Lay down a principle for God, and hold by it, however times, companies, or temptations may feduce you: Phil. iii. 15. "I prefs towards the mark for the prize of the high-calling of God in Chrift Jefus." Acts, xi. 23. "And exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should cleave unto the Lord;" that is, abide by his fide with full purpose, laid down and determined beforehand. I obferve,

2. Wavering-walking is fuch a walking: Heb.. x. 23. "Let us hold faft the profeffion of our faith, without wavering." When men are ftill unsettled in their way, hither and thither, are wavering in their purposes and practice, one day. for God, another for the devil, and their lufts like men in an ague, with their hot and cold fits by turns, at one time destroying what at another time they were building up, they are never fixed. Hence they will be one day at the table of the Lord, another at the table of drunkards. water-fowls, fometimes they will be foaring aloft towards heaven in the exercises of religion, and quickly again fwimming in their lufts, and over head and ears in the cares, profits, pleasures, and

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Like

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vanities of the world. Sometimes they will appear fo ferious in religion, that one would think they would never go back again to their finful courfes; anon, they give themselves the swing in their finful courfes, as they would never look back again to religion. Take head to this; waverers will never get up the hill to Zion: Jam. i. 6. 7. 8. "But let him afk in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and toffed. For let not that man think that he fhall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man'is unftable in all his ways.' Go ftraight forward in the Lord's way, as one that is refolute for God and his

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way: Prov. iv. 25. 26. 27. "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thy eye-lids look ftraight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left, remove thy foot from evil.”—I observe, 3. Unequal walking is fuch a walking: Prov. xxvi. 7. "The legs of the lame are not equal." The parts of the converfation of many answer no better than a long leg and a short one do. In the church they are faints, at home they are devils; in their profeffion they are fair, in their practice they are foul and false; in their words the world is nothing, but in their affection it is their all. Their practice is made up of contradictions. They agree not with themfelves, how can they with God? They pretend piety towards God, yet make no confcience of duty, mercy, and justice towards man: Matth. xxiii. 23. "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharifees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithe of mint, anife, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith: Thefe ought ye to have done, and not left the others undone." A wide con

fcience

fcience in fubftantials, and narrow in circumftantials of religion, is a conscience of a profane make. Beware of this; fee the emblem of thefe folk, Prov. xxvi. 23. "Burning lips, and a wicked heart, are like a potsherd covered with filver drofs." The potfherd will be broken in pieces at length. Labour to have your whole converfation of a piece, if ever you would fee heaven: James, iii. 10. "Out of the fame mouth proceedeth blessing and curfing. My brethren, these things ought not to be fo."-I obferve,

4. Partial and divided walking is fuch a walking: Hof. x. 2. "Their heart is divided." They keep not with one master, but in fome things ferve the Lord, in other things their own lufts. They would make void the commands of God; fome they will comply with, others they will not regard. They will strain at a gnat in some things, and in others fwallow a camel. At a communion, or under a conviction, they fay, as in Deut. v. 27. "Speak. thou unto us all that the Lord our God fhall speak unto thee, and we will hear it, and do it." But when it comes to a labouring in their work, they will refolve to do, but they cannot : Prov. xx. 4. "The fluggard will not plow, by reason of the cold." They haye their particular idols of jealousy, which they can by no means part with. Beware of this; be univerfal in your refpect to God's commandments, otherwife you will be cloathed with fhame at length: Pfal. cxix. 6. "Then fhall I not be afhamed, when I have a respect unto all thy commandments." The straight foul fays, as in ver. 128. "I efteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every falfe way."-I shall now go on to fhew,

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