love we bear to God. Happy are they who labour "while it is called to-day."

III. Having thus examined the subject proposed to you, I shall conclude with two observations of a practical nature.

1. In the first place, the mixture of the righteous and the wicked, far from supplying to the righteous an excuse for not profiting so much as they ought by the means of grace, is rather an argument for their giving themselves up more fully to do the work of God, while the opportunity of doing so is afforded.-And how infinitely important is the present period of their existence! How much may they do in it, both to glorify God and to benefit their fellow sinners, and also to qualify themselves for the inheritance of the saints in light! Actuated by these views, let them be careful to improve their necessary intercourse with the wicked, to their mutual advantage. Let them not deem the time spent in their society lost. There are means of turning it to good account, which a mind duly sensible of the infinite value of the present life will discover, and a heart impressed with the sense of Divine things will eagerly embrace. Let them beware of esteeming the present state of things useless and uninteresting; of merely suffering life as a kind of necessary evil. Let them not so engage in earthly pursuits as to forget the noble ends for which a Christian is destined, and the manner in which he is called to accomplish them. Let them always remember, that, as there is an essential difference between the tares and the wheat, such a difference must also discover itself between the righteous and the wicked; a difference which ought not to be lessened by a gradual accommodation to the customs, and manners, and maxims, and habits of the world. And, in fine, let them always bear in mind, that it is the "fruits of righteousness" which constitute the essential difference between the "wheat" and "tares," and which will regulate the final separation of the good and bad. They who have lived together here in the

external church will be separated by the angels, "who shall gather out of the kingdom of Christ all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth: then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

2. Lastly, while we see the "wheat" and "tares” thus permitted to grow up together till the harvest, let us call to mind both the difference of their nature and the cause of that difference. The tares, or weeds, cannot produce food for the nourishment of man. In like manner, there is an absolute difference of nature between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous possess a new nature implanted in them by the Holy Spirit. They are become "new creatures in Christ Jesus." Once unprofitable and corrupt, through faith in Christ they have been made partakers of the influence of the Holy Ghost.-Such, then, is at once the difference and the cause of it. Christ has become a quickening principle in them. He giveth life to the dead, strength to the weak, wisdom to the ignorant, and grace to the corrupt. Let us therefore, my brethren, cali upon him to plant us in his field, to watch over our growth, to water us with the dew of his grace, and, at length, to "gather us into his garner."

SERMON XVII.

ON INDECISION IN RELIGION.

1 Kings xviii. 21.

How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.

THERE are few persons, perhaps indeed there are none, who have renounced the service of God from a deliberate principle. Few intend to forsake God, or directly to oppose his will. But too many do so indirectly, through negligence or indecision. They do not seriously consider who God is, and what he requires. They do not lay to heart their obligations to him. They acknowledge in general, that they ought to pay obedience to him; perhaps they intend it, and even attempt to serve him in some points; but they allow their attention to be occupied, and their resolutions to be frustrated by other objects. They lose sight of God and his laws; and then they indulge their own evil passions, and sin against him. The sense they have of their obligation to serve him is not sufficiently strong to fix them steadily and uniformly in the path of duty. Objections against a strict obedience arise, which they take no pains to combat. They waver

in their principles, and still more in their practice. Their whole conduct, as to religion, is indecisive. They halt between two opinions, and thus neither serve God nor follow sin unreservedly.

This was the character of the Ten Tribes of Israel, to whom Elijah addressed the words of my text. That was an unhappy day for the Church on which the Ten Tribes revolted from the kingdom of Judah, and erected a distinct kingdom. The whole religious economy of the Law was founded upon the supposition, that the temple was the centre of worship for all the children of Israel; thither were the tribes to go up. But as the permission of this union in religious service would have tended to bring the kingdoms again under one head, it was the policy of the kings of Israel to introduce variety into the worship. For the dissolute and profane, temples were built to Baal: for the religious part of Israel, altars were erected to Jehovah. Thus the people halted between two opinions. A diversity of religious opinions produced, as it usually does, an unwarrantable species of candour; an indifference about the truth, and a sceptical spirit concerning it. Without denying Jehovah to be God, they inclined to believe Baal to be a god also. They acknowledged Jehovah to be Lord; but they presumed to worship him upon unhallowed altars, and in places unauthorised by his Law. Thus there was no zeal for the honour of God. Men learned to view, with almost equal regard, the altars of Jehovah and the neighbouring temples of Baal. They neither served Baal nor the Lord heartily, but contented themselves with paying a superficial worship to either. This indifference in religion the prophet justly reprobates. "How long," says he, "will" ye halt between two opinions?" Fluctuate no longer in this manner. Baal and Jehovah cannot both be gods. Come therefore to a decision; determine which is truly God. If, upon serious examination, you discover Baal to be the true God, worship him; obey his rites, and with all that zeal which he requires:-but if Jehovah be the

true God, then follow him, and him only; worship him with your whole hearts; give yourselves up to him; fulfil all that he has commanded.

If we allow for the present difference of circumstances, how many shall we find among ourselves who are influenced by the same spirit and adopt the same conduct as the Israelites! They do not despise religion: they acknowledge its necessity, and they approve of its precepts. They are shocked at the profane and dissolute part of mankind, and wonder that men dare to act in a manner so contrary to the commands of their Creator. They attend the house of God, and hear with pleasure the preaching of his word; they are to a certain extent religious; but they are far from serving God with their whole heart. Their religion amounts only to a general approbation of what is excellent, a faint desire to be more holy, and a compliance with those precepts of God which cost them little trouble and self-denial. There is nothing decided in their conduct; they halt between two opinions; they attempt to unite the service of God and mammon: they make a compromise between religion and the world; and thus they neither take pains to know the whole of their duty, nor are they solicitous to live up to what they know. They are not at ease in their consciences with respect to their state, and yet they are not so dissatisfied with it as seriously to set about a reformation: but they go on from year to year in a middle course between total negligence and real religion.

I conceive, my brethren, the state which I have described to be very common, and particularly in those places where religion is much insisted on, and where a total neglect of it is therefore generally known to be very wrong. Perhaps there may be some persons of this description in the assembly to which I am now speaking. Do I not address some whose consciences already say to them. "Thou art the man?" Permit me, then, to apply to you the words of the Prophet, "How long will ye halt between two opinions?" If the