gious, though they externally obeyed the divine commands, and though they were very zealous in their religious devotions and exertions, yet he could not believe that they were pious, so long as they were grossly ignorant of the fundamental doctrines of the gospel. They were grossly ignorant of the true character of God; they were grossly ignorant of the nature and extent of both the precept and penalty of the divine law; they were grossly ignorant of the entire depravity and sinfulness of their own hearts; they were grossly ignorant of the divinity and mediatorial character and conduct of Christ; and of course they were totally ignorant of the doctrine of justification by faith alone in the sufferings and death of the divine Redeemer. These were all essential doctrines of the gospel, and of these the Scribes and Pharisees, and Jews in general, were grossly ignorant. This ignorance the apostle supposed was entirely incompatible with their having any truly holy or gracious affection. And who would not have formed the same opinion that he did? I appeal to you, my hearers, whether you can believe any man to be the subject of saving grace, who is ignorant of the true character of God, of the true nature and extent of the precept and penalty of the divine law, of the criminality of his own totally depraved heart, of the divinity and mediatorial character of Christ, and of the ground of pardon and justification, through faith in his atonement. You can no more believe such a man is a real Christian, than you can believe that a man who never saw or heard of the Bible and what is in it, can be a real Christian. The apostle puts a similar question in our context. He asks, "How shall they (that is, the Gentiles) call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher ?" Who can love the true character of God, which he does not know? Who can obey the precepts and prohibitions of the divine law, which he does not understand? Who can make him a good heart, who does not know that he has a bad one? Who can trust in Christ alone for pardon and justification, who does not know what he has done to procure pardon and salvation for sinners? The apostle had good reason to think that the Jews were ignorant of the essential doctrines of the gospel, and that their ignorance alone was absolutely inconsistent with their having the grace of God in truth. And the mere ignorance of the fundamental doctrines of the gospel is as inconsistent with vital piety now, as it was in the apostle's day. Though ignorance may be the mother of devotion, it cannot be the mother of piety. Though the Jews had everything in

their favor but knowledge; yet the want of that alone was incompatible with vital piety. And the ignorance of thousands and thousands since, has undoubtedly proved fatal to them. The knowledge of the great and peculiar doctrines of the gospel, is essential to saving grace, or vital piety.

3. If mere ignorance of the essential doctrines of the gospel be incompatible with vital piety, then those who are ignorant of the essential doctrines of the gospel, cannot give credible evidence to others that they are real Christians, or subjects of saving grace. The Scribes and Pharisees, and Jews in general, publicly professed religion, and appeared devout and zealous in their religious services and exertions; but all these things did not convince the apostle that they had any true religion or vital piety, merely because they were ignorant of the pure and peculiar doctrines of the gospel. And while they were in this state of ignorance, what more could they have done that they did not do, to convince the apostle that they were real saints? And what more can any person at this day do, to convince others that they are real Christians, while they avow their ignorance of, and opposition to, the essential doctrines of the gospel? They cannot do any more than the Jews did. But men are generally more catholic and charitable now than the apostle Paul was. How often do we now hear pious and intelligent Christians say, that they believe such and such a man is a real Christian, though he is apparently ignorant of the true character of God, of the true spirit of the law, of the true nature of his own moral depravity, of the true character of the Saviour, and of the true terms of salvation through faith in his atonement? Mere ignorance of these essential doctrines of the gospel, and even open opposition to them, is no bar to their charity for him as a pious Christian. There are thousands in this land, who are such ignorant and heretical professors of religion and yet many pious and intelligent Christians will believe that they are really and eminently pious. No man was a more bitter and open enemy to the essential doctrines of the gospel than Mr. Wesley. This I assert not from hearsay, but from his own words which he published, and I have read. Yet he was esteemed by multitudes as a most eminently devout and pious Christian, and his followers are still viewed in the same light. How often do we hear it said, that no man will ' be condemned on account of the denomination to which he belongs, nor on account of any false sentiments which he sincerely and devoutly embraces; because he may still be a very devout and eminent Christian. But I ask again, how is it possible that those who are ignorant of, and opposed to, the essential

doctrines of the gospel, can give credible evidence to others that they are truly pious? To me it appears impossible. For though they may profess religion; though they may practice the external duties of religion; and though they may have religious affections; yet it is certain that their religious affections are placed upon a false idea of God, upon a false idea of the divine law, upon a false idea of their own depravity, upon a false idea of the Saviour, and upon a false idea of the terms of salvation; and such affections must be as false as the ob-* jects upon which they are placed. It is, therefore, out of their power to give credible evidence to others that they have any true love to God, or to Christ, or to the gospel. The ignorance and error of such persons plainly contradict and destroy all the evidence they can give to others, that they are real saints or truly pious.

4. It appears from this discourse, that we are in danger, at this day, of exercising an unscriptural charity or catholicism towards nominal professors of religion. We are loudly and solemnly called upon by sermons and religious publications to extend our charity to almost all denominations of Christians, and to hold Christian communion and fellowship with them, and to lay aside all bigotry and censoriousness in respect to those who differ from us in their religious sentiments. It is undoubtedly our duty to lay aside all bigotry and censoriousness, and to become as benevolent, candid, and charitable towards all religious denominations as the apostle Paul was, but not to go beyond the example he has set us. He did not exercise charity towards his dear Jewish brethren, but viewed them as visible sinners, and not as visible saints, and exposed to perish forever. He exhorted true Christians to withhold their charity from them, and avoid fellowship and communion with them. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers : for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." The distinction between saints and sinners is as great now as ever it was, and the visibility of this distinction is as great now as ever it was. The apostle's exhortation to Christians in his day, applies to Christians at this day. Those at this day who are ignorant of, and opposed to the essential doctrines of the gospel, are not visible saints, but visible sinners. Are there not various denominations of Christians at

this day, who professedly disbelieve and openly oppose the essential doctrines of the gospel? Do they not disbelieve and oppose the true character of God, the true spirit of the law, the real depravity of their own hearts, the true character of Christ, and the true terms of salvation? Or, to put these ideas in different words, Do they not disbelieve and oppose the doctrine of divine sovereignty, the doctrine of election, the doctrine of ..reprobation, the doctrine of unconditional submission, the doctrine of disinterested benevolence, the doctrine of total depravity, the doctrine of Christ's atonement, and the doctrine of justification through faith in the Redeemer's blood? Would the apostle, do you think, admit such ignorant and erroneous persons to be visible Christians? And if he would not, why should we? I am speaking of different denominations of Christians, in respect to their religious sentiments which they avow, and not in respect to their personal conduct. We ought to be as benevolent and candid towards the most erroneous denominations of Christians as the apostle was, and feel and say as he did, It is our heart's desire and prayer to God, that they might be saved. But we ought not to be more catholic and charitable towards them than he was towards his erroneous Jewish brethren. It seems to be the opinion and practice of many at the present day to maintain, that it is not necessary to know whether men believe truth, or error, or nothing, in order to exercise charity towards them as real Christians. This is a very false, and dangerous, and corrupting sentiment. For if men can have true religion without any true knowledge of God, of Christ, and of themselves, it is impossible to know what true religion is. This is what every unsanctified heart wishes to be true, and is very ready to believe to be true. Any religion which is not according to knowledge, and which is not founded upon divine truth, is not worth having, but is worse than no religion. Unscriptural charity has a direct tendency to unite all denominations of Christians together, not in a holy, but unholy union, which is extremely dangerous. As it is the practice of the erroneous to propagate this unscriptural catholicism, so it is the duty of the orthodox to refute and expose it fully, to prevent its fatal influence upon the ignorant and unguarded.

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5. If mere ignorance of the essential doctrines of the gospel be inconsistent with men's having true religion, there is reason to fear that many at this day will perish through this ignorance. Notwithstanding there is a great deal of preaching and a great deal of reading, on religious subjects at this day; yet there is much preaching and much reading which tends to divert

the minds of people from the great and most important truths of the gospel, and leaves them in gross ignorance of God, of Christ, and of themselves. Though people in general now have more knowledge of the different parts of the earth, of the various nations of the world, and of some of the useful arts and sciences, than they formerly had; yet there is no ground to think, that they have more knowledge of the Bible and the peculiar doctrines of the gospel, than they had many years ago. But on the other hand, great ignorance of divine truth appears to be extensively prevailing and increasing, in our religious societies, especially among the rising generation. This exhibits a melancholy prospect of great degeneracy in religion. It was by means of religious ignorance, that God's peculiar people became so generally and extremely degenerate as they were in Christ's and the apostle's day. And the same religious ignorance is now producing the same fatal effects. How many neglect the precious seasons they have of reading the Bible, and of hearing the gospel? May I not say as the apostle did, “I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." The ignorance of many of the of the young at least, exposes them to be carried about with every wind of doctrine, by those who lie in wait to deceive. There are, no doubt, some in the meridian of life, who being ignorant of God and their own hearts, are going about to establish their own righteousness, and building their hopes of heaven upon it. But if we may believe the apostle, they must renounce their own righteousness, and trust in Christ alone, who is the end of the law for righteousness. We believe there are some, who know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. then "I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment." There never was more need of your becoming discriminating Christians, that you may become the salt of the earth and light of the world, and be able to instruct others, who need to be instructed in the first principles of the oracles of God. Error is coming in upon us like a flood, and it is your imperative duty to set up a standard against it, and be valiant for the truth." There is no duty, perhaps, which you are in greater danger of neglecting, than the duty of being valiant for the truth. It requires great courage and self-denial to stand up for God and speak on his behalf, in maintaining the great and precious truths which he has revealed in his word, and which are every day and everywhere spoken against. You can do more, in many cases, than ministers, in defence of the gospel, because you will be considered as

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