and they that lived at top should die at bottom.

My brethren, may I not say, we have many that are the vermin, the rats and mice of religion, that would live under the roof of it, while they might have shelter in it: but when it suffers, forsake it, lest it should fall, and the fall should be upon them: I am persuaded this is not the least reason why God hath brought the wheel upon the profession of religion, namely to rid it of the vermin.

He shakes the foundation of the house, that these rats and mice may quit the roof; not to overturn it, but to rid them out of it, as the husbandman fans the wheat, that he may get rid of the chaff. The halcyon days of the Gospel provoke hypocrisy, but the sufferings for religion prove sincerity.

Now then, if custom and fashion make many men professors, then a man may profess religion, and yet be but almost a Christian. + 4. If many may perish under a profession. of godliness, then a man may profess religion, and yet be but almost a Christian.

Now the scripture is clear, that a man may perish under the highest profession of religion. Christ cursed the fig-tree, that had leaves and no fruit. It is said, Matt. viii. 12, "that the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness." Who were these, but they that were then the only people of God in the world by profession, that had made a covenant with him by sacrifice; and yet these

were cast out.

In St. Matthew you read of some that came and made boast of their profession to Christ, hoping that might save them: Lord, say they, "have we not prophesied in thy name, cast out devils in thy name, done many wonderful

works in thy name?"

Now what saith our Lord to this? "Then I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me."

Mark, here are they that prophesy in his name, and yet perish in his wrath; in his name cast out devils, and then are cast out themselves; in his name do many wonderful works, and yet perish for wicked workers.

The profession of religion will no more keep a man from perishing, than calling a ship the safeguard, or the goodspeed, will he keep her from foundering.

As many go to heaven with the fear of hell in their hearts, so many go to hell with the name of Christ in their mouths. Now then, if many may perish under a profession of godliness, then may a man be a high professor of religion, and yet be but almost a Christian.

Objection. But is it not said by Christ himself, "he that confesses me before men, him will I confess before my father in heaven?"

Now for Christ to say, he will confess us before the father, is equivalent to a promise of eternal life; for if Jesus Christ confess us, God the father will never disown us.

True, they that confess Christ, shall be confessed by him; and it is as true, that this con

fession is equivalent to a promise of salvation. But now you must know, that professing Christ, is not confessing him; for to profess Christ is one thing, to confess Christ is another: confession is a living testimony for Christ in a time when religion suffers; profession may be only a lifeless formality in a time when religion prospers. To confess Christ, is to choose his ways, and own them. To profess Christ, is to plead for his ways, and yet live besides them. Profession may be from a feigned love to the ways of Christ, but confession is from a rooted love to the person of Christ.

To profess Christ, is to own him when none deny him; to confess Christ is to plead for him, and suffer for him, when others oppose him: hypocrites may be professors, but the martyrs are the true confessors: profession is a swimming down the stream; confession is a swimming against the stream. Now many may swim with the stream, like the dead fish, - that cannot swim against the stream with the living fish: many may profess Christ, that cannot confess Christ; and so, notwithstanding their profession, are but almost Christians.

4. To come yet nearer; "A man may go far in opposing his sin, and yet be but almost a Christian." How far a man may go in this work, I shall shew you in seven progressive instances.

1. A man "may be convinced of sin, and yet be but almost a Christian:" For,

1. Conviction may be rational, as well as

spiritual; it may be from a natural conscience enlightened by the word, without the effectual work of the spirit, applying sin to the heart.

2. Convictions may be worn out: they many times go off, and end not in sound conversion. Saith the church, "We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have brought forth wind."-(Isa. xxvi. 18.) This is the conplaint of the church in reference to the unprofitableness of their afflictions; and it may be the complaint of most in reference to the unprofitableness of their convictions.

3. Many take convictions of sin to be conversion from sin, and so sit down, and rest in their convictions. That is a sad complaint God makes of Ephraim: Ephraim is an unwise son, for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children. Now then, if convictions may be only from natural conscience, if they may be worn out, or may be mistaken, and rested in for conversion, then a man may have convictions, and be but almost a Christian.

Secondly, "A man may mourn for sin, and yet be but almost a Christian:" So did Saul; so did Esau, for the loss of his birth-right, which was his sin, and therefore he is called by the spirit of God, profane Esau; yet, he sought it again carefully with tears.

Objection. But doth not Christ pronounce them blessed that mourn? Blessed are they that

mourn.

Sure then, if a man mourn for sin, he is in a

good condition: you see, saith Nazianzen, that salvation is joined with sorrow.

Solution. I answer it is true, that they who mourn for sin in the sense Christ there speaks of, are blessed; but all mourning for sin, doth not therefore render us blessed.

1. True mourning for sin must flow from spiritual convictions of the evil and vileness, and damnable nature of sin.

Now all that mourn for sin, do not do it from a thorough work of spiritual conviction upon the soul; they have not a right sense of the evil and vileness of sin.

2. True mourning for sin, is more for the evil that is in sin, than the evil that comes by sin; more because it dishonours God, and wounds Christ, and grieves the Spirit, and makes the soul unlike God, than because it damns the soul.

Now there are many that mourn for sin, not so much for the evil that is in it, as for the evil that it brings with it: there is mourning for sin in hell; you read of weeping and wailing there. The damned are weeping and mourning to eternity; there is all sorrow, and no comfort: as in heaven there is peace without trouble, joy without mourning, so in hell there is trouble without peace, mourning without joy, weeping and wailing incessantly; but it is for the evil they feel by sin, and not for the evil that is in sin: so that a man may mourn for sin, and yet be but almost a Christian: it may grieve him to think of perishing for sin,