and may not be again avoided. They have no scruples of conscience, whether it be right to walk with saints in their way to heaven. And they have no reason to doubt whether they would regret it, if they should actually arrive at the mansions of the blessed, and be put into the full and everlasting possession of them. Why then should they feel easy and happy while they perseveringly refuse to accept the invitation of saints, to go with them in the way to heaven? They have some motive, or see some cause for refusing. And what can that cause be but stupidity? They do not realize that saints are walking in the path to heaven, nor that they are walking in the path to hell. If their opinion be true, why should they quit their own path for the path of the righteous? If they have nothing to gain by walking with the righteous, and nothing to lose by walking in the way of their hearts, why should they give themselves any concern about the paths they walk in? This is the feeling and reasoning of nothing but carnal stupidity. For they have abundant cause to realize that saints are actually on their journey to heaven, and that they are actually pursuing the path to destruction. God has plainly told them this in his word; and saints are continually sounding this in their ears. Why do they not realize this most momentous truth that ever was told them? It is because they are unreasonably and obstinately stupid, and their stupidity shuts their eyes. To this God, who knows them better than they know themselves, ascribes it. He says, "They are like the deaf adder, that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely." The truth of this declaration is confirmed by observation and experience. For when sinners do realize that saints are pressing into the kingdom of heaven, and that they are walking in the path of the destroyer, they are greatly alarmed, and no longer feel it a matter of indifference whether they walk with the men of the world, or with the men of God. They will confess and condemn their past stupidity, and crowd around saints, and ask with anxiety, what they must do to be saved. Let any sinner in this house only realize that saints are going to heaven, but he is going to hell, and he would shudder at the prospect of an eternal separation from God, from heaven, and from all good. Or let any sinner in this house ask himself why he felt so easy in refusing to accept the pressing importunity of Christians to walk with them in their way to heaven, and he can ascribe it to no other cause than his stupidity, or not realizing that any are going to heaven, or any going to endless perdition. The stupidity of a rational creature consists in disregarding

good, and disregarding evil. And the stupidity of sinners consists in their disregarding their own eternal good, and their own eternal misery. This stupidity is now reigning and destroying the souls of men almost everywhere.

2. It appears from what has been said, that sinners have an invincible aversion to going to heaven, which no means nor motives can overcome. God has brought the kingdom of heaven near to them. He has described its beauty, holiness, and felicity. He has opened a plain and pleasant path to it. He has invited and commanded them to walk in that path. And he has threatened to banish them from his presence, and from all good, and fix them in a state of unutterable and eternal woe, if they refuse to walk in it. But in view of all these alluring and alarming motives, they absolutely refuse to go to that holy and happy place. The ministers of Christ, the friends of Christ, and their own nearest and dearest friends, are incessantly and tenderly inviting and urging them to walk in the way of holiness to eternal life; but they will not yield to their importunity. This demonstrates that they have an evil heart of unbelief; a carnal mind which is enmity against God; and a fixed determination to pursue the path to death. This is true of all sinners, whether thoughtless, hardened, awakened, or convinced. They know enough about heaven to hate it. They know enough about God to hate him; and God says, "All they that hate me love death." But after all that God has said to them, and ministers have said to them, and saints have said to them, they do not believe that their hearts are "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." They imagine they desire to go to heaven, and intend to go to heaven, and hope they shall one day be willing to go to heaven. Here they rest in security, and repel all the arrows of conviction pointed at their hearts and consciences. If they were wise, they would be wise for themselves; but if they continue to despise the good land of promise, they will never enter there.

3. It is easy to see, in the view of this subject, that though there are no good reasons why sinners should refuse to walk with saints in their way to heaven, yet there are powerful motives to induce them to refuse. They love those with whom they are walking in the broad road to destruction; but hate those who are walking in the narrow path to heaven. Christ forewarned his followers to expect that sinners would not walk with them in the way to heaven. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore

the world hateth you." And the apostle John, speaking of enticing sinners, says to Christians, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them." The men of the world love the world, and speak of the world; and sinners love to be in their company, and hear their agreeable conversation. They love the men of the world, and the men of the world love them. They choose to walk with those whom they love, and those who love them. This makes them extremely loth to leave their own company, and walk with those who are heavenly-minded, and speak of heavenly things. This is the case of those who are pursuing the vanities of the world. This is the case of those who are pursuing the vices of the world. And this is the case of those who are pursuing the paths to wealth, honor, and fame. They will not allow any of their associates to leave them, without suffering their sneers or frowns, which few have fortitude to meet and despise. Sinners love sinners because they are sinners, just as saints love saints because they are saints. While on the other hand, sinners hate saints, because they are saints. Their hatred of saints is repulsive, and their love to sinners is attractive; and this repulsion and attraction are powerful motives to induce them to walk with sinners, and to refuse to walk with saints. Nothing that God can say, or a minister can say, or a saint can say, or a parent can say, or that their own conscience can say, is sufficient to destroy the influence of these two powerful motives, and persuade sinners to forsake the foolish, and walk with the wise. It is not strange, therefore, that those who love sin and hate holiness, who love sinners and hate saints, should refuse to walk with saints in the way to heaven, and choose to walk with sinners in the broad road to destruction. They are alienated from God and his friends "through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts." They are beyond the reach of human means and rational motives, and must perish, unless God subdues their hearts and forgives their sins.

4. We learn from this subject, that none can get to heaven, without leaving sinners and going with saints. There is but one path to heaven, and saints are walking in it. Those, therefore, who are walking in different paths must forsake them, and walk with saints in the only path to heaven. This many think is a hard condition, which they never intend to comply with, and hope to get to heaven without complying with it. They are willing that saints should pursue their own course, if

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they will let them alone in pursuing theirs. They are willing that saints should do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God; if they will only allow them to omit these hard duties, keep their own selfish hearts, and act agreeably to them. If they love the ways of wisdom, they are willing that they should walk in them; but they are not willing to walk with them, for two cannot walk together unless they are agreed, and love one another. They do not love saints in this world, though they hope to love them in another, and they do not mean to walk with them in this world, though they intend and hope to meet them in another. They mean to be friendly to saints and friendly to sinners, and see no occasion of differing in respect to the different paths they are walking in. They do not believe that all men will be saved; but they believe that they can be saved, without going the full length with saints, or the full length with some sinners. They mean to go with saints, if they be not too strict and rigid in their principles and practice; and to go with sinners, if they be not too openly and grossly erroneous and vicious. They would not wish to belong to. either class exclusively, nor to be considered as either saints or sinners. This class of almost Christians and almost sinners, is probably the largest class of men who live under the light of the gospel. They are much more numerous than all real and nominal Christians and profligate sinners taken together. But does the gospel allow them to believe, or others to believe that they are going to heaven together in this mixed company? The gospel requires real Christians to come out from the world, to profess Christ before men, and to walk together in pure brotherly love, in the path to heaven. Not many noble, not many mighty, not many great, not many learned, not many rich men, can stoop to these humiliating terms of salvation. But they must stoop to them, take up their cross, and follow Christ in the path to heaven which he has pointed out, or they will never reach the kingdom of glory. They must not only externally come out from the world and walk with Christians, but they must actually love them, and love to walk with them, because they are Christians. They must not be ashamed of Christ, or of his friends, or of his doctrines, or of his cause, but actually promote it. Now, if this be the character of real Christians, have you any reason to believe, that they abound in our churches and religious congregations, at the present day? Are they not scarce in this place? How few do externally walk with Christians? How many endeavor to walk with both saints and sinners? How difficult is it for a young man, for a middle-aged man, and especially for an old man, to come out

from the world with whom he has walked, and openly unite with Christians in putting on a decided character, and walking with them to possess the promises? Be not deceived, if any man have not the spirit of Christ and of his friends, he is none of his, and cannot enter through the gate into the city, but must perish with those that are without.

This is the

5. We may learn from what has been said, the inconsistency and danger of delaying sinners. There are many who intend some time or other, to walk with Christians, but are waiting or delaying for a more convenient season to do it. case of many children of pious parents, who have given them up to God, and invited and urged them, with tears in their eyes, to remember their Creator in the days of their youth, and walk with them in the way to heaven. Their pious education, has often produced resolutions to forsake the foolish and live. But their hearts have hitherto been with the foolish, and not with the wise. Still they intend in some future time, to walk with wise men and be wise; and they flatter themselves, that they shall fulfill their serious resolution. But what reason have they to think so? The longer they walk with the wicked, the more loth they will be to leave them, and the more loth they will be to walk with the righteous. This they know to be true, by their own experience. Their conduct in delaying is inconsistent with the dictates of their reason and conscience, and what God and his friends have told them. And this inconsistency, which becomes more and more habitual and powerful, continually increases their danger of losing their souls. The inconsistency and danger of sinners more advanced in years, is still increasing by their longer delay. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Sinners are as constantly walking as saints are, and they will as soon get to their journey's end; and they must continue to walk in the path they are in, or turn out of it, and walk with saints. the longer they delay to turn out of it, the more reluctant they will be to do it. Now let me ask the whole body of delaying sinners, whether you have any reason to expect, that you will ever turn your feet into the path of God's testimonies? are very capable of feeling the inconsistency of your conduct, and the criminality of this inconsistency. Awake then from your stupidity, and show yourselves men.

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6. It appears from this discourse, that those who finally refuse to walk with saints in their way to heaven, must bitterly and forever reflect upon the folly and guilt of their refusal. They can never forget with whom they chose to walk. Dives could