when a person has not the courage, for the sake of that Saviour that loved him, and died for him, to confess his name before men, to tread in his steps, and to bear his cross. This was the case with each of these Jewish senators. Nicodemus came secretly by night to Jesus. Joseph was secretly his disciple. Gamaliel spoke for the apostles, and Nicodemus for the Lord, in a cautious and compromising manner. "If this matter be of God," said Gamaliel. And said Nicodemus, "Doth our law condemn a man before he is heard?" They were none of them known in the Sanhedrim as the followers of Jesus; they were only suspected; as when it was said to Nicodemus, "Art thou also a Galilean?" They believed in Christ, but they did not confess him. And why did they not? There could be no other reason than that which is assigned, "they feared the Jews:" they feared the shame, and they feared the loss, excommunication and confiscation. "They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

My friends, is it in this way, that you are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ? You are willing to belong to him, and to share in what he has to bestow : yea, and it may be, you wish to revere and honour him, and to have your character brought to a sacred resemblance to his. But you dare not confess him. You dread the contempt of a proud, conceited world. You dare not openly confess him. You are willing to be thought and esteemed, in a sort, a religious professor: that is, that you support, by conduct and by example, the established services of a Christian land. You are regular and constant in this, although even this, it is true, others, in multitudes, laugh at and turn to ridicule. But this, my friends, is not the cross of Jesus Christ. This is not confessing him. This is respectable. This is an honour to private character, and not a stigma against it: it is lov

ing the praise of men, after all, and not the praise of God. Well enough it is known to you, that there is no reproach of the cross in this. The reproach would be greater for an opposite course, from good and honourable men. But are you willing, we ask you, to take a much higher, a more decided stand? to come out and be separate from all the habits and sinful indulgences of a wicked ungodly world? to bear your protest against its follies, its fashionable vices, its dissipating pleasures, and its carnal cares? Are you willing, in such a world, to be called an enthusiast, a saint, or a fool for Christ? Can you make your determination,-Let others do as they will, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,-we will not have worldly customs, worldly pleasures, worldly associations, nor worldly education, we will walk in the narrow way, we will keep our garments lest they be defiled, we will not touch the polluted thing,we will make it our daily endeavour, by the lamp of God's Word to our feet, and his throne of grace to help us, to follow our crucified Master, to walk as he walked, to live as he lived, and to do as he did in the world?

If you have not this determination, then, my friends, whatever other marks, desires, or feelings you possess, you cannot be certain that you belong to Jesus Christ. It is, and it must be, a matter of strong and perpetual doubt.

2. Secondly. In doubtful and questionable characters as to the point of conversion, it will for the most part be found, that there is a reasonable doubt on the score of religious knowledge. They do not know, understand, and believe the truth, as the faithful and spiritual people do. They may perhaps know it with a similar correctness, but not in a similar manner, not in a similar spirit, nor with the same peculiar dispo

sition. They cannot receive the truth in the love of it, because they have not the discipline of mind which would dispose them to receive it. Thus,we find Nicodemus coming to learn of our Lord: not like another disciple, in a docile, teachable mind, to sit and worship at his feet, but to answer and reply to him, "How can these things be?" and to get this rebuke in return, "If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?”* And therefore we find that he was ignorant of the principal features of Gospel truth,-the spiritual birth of the soul, and the purpose of atonement and redemption, for which the Lord had come into the world.t And thus we find Gamaliel, the learned doctor of the law, unable to solve the question, whether the doctrine were of God.

And is there not something of this with some of those I am now addressing? with those I mean that have had some careful thoughts about the soul and eternal things? Have you not, brethren, discovered that there is in revelation, a something you cannot get into, a secret you cannot find? that you hear it by the hearing of ear, but you cannot perceive and understand it? Some of its vital and saving principles are parables and hard sayings to you, and sayings you cannot receive. You cannot at least discover that beauty in them, which a spiritual mind discovers, nor humbly love them, and ardently delight and rejoice in them, as the faithful people of Jesus do. The work of redemption by the death and blood of Jesus Christ; -salvation as a sovereign gift by faith alone;—the need of a change of heart;—the mode of that change of heart by the power of heavenly grace ;-and the life of faith;-and the walk of faith ;-and the power of love; and the rejoicing in Christ with joy unspeakable and full of glory;-these are hard sayings. * John iii. 9, 12. † ib. ver. 3, 13-17.

You have not experienced what they are.

You have

never felt them, nor known their value. And therefore you are ready to say of them with Nicodemus, "How can these things be?"

If this is the present state of any to whom I speak, then here again there is room for doubt, whether you belong in reality to the faithful people of Christ, and are indeed partakers of his converting grace.

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3. One point more. There is, in the most of such cases as those which have been described, doubtful cases of conversion, there is, chiefly of all, the doubt of character. It is here, after all, that the true believer is most distinct from others. The people of God are a peculiar people." They are "called to be saints." There are many peculiar marks by which they are known, and by which they cannot be mistaken. There is a bruisedness of spirit. There is a penitent, humble mind: it practically says of them, and writes as it were, upon their forehead, "I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath."* There is a subdued and chastened conversation. There is a watchfulness of conduct. There is an evident habit of self-examination, of inward discipline, and, when they have erred, of self-reproach. There is a tenderness of conscience. There is a quietness of demeanour; "a behaving themselves as a weaned child." There is a sanctified course of desires, a spiritual appetite, and an upward eye. They cannot talk much about earthly things. There is in them a holy simplicity, a godly sincerity of mind, a purity and innocence of character, a spirit of love and charity to God, to the Church, and to all mankind.

We see not this in Nicodemus, and those rulers of the Jews. It may have been there but we do not per

*Lam. iii. 1.

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ceive it. If it had been so, it must have marked them to the rest of the council, as followers of the Lord. For "by their fruits ye shall know them." And therefore again we say to you, If you have not these marks of peculiar character; if you are not actually living as saints in the world, or at least are not caring to do so; if you have not these fruits of the Spirit, by the work of the Spirit within you, love, and joy, and meekness, and gentleness," and above all, a contrite, holy, and humble mind;-for such is the character of saints; —then, at the best, it is doubtful, whether or not you have experienced that blessed change, by which a sinner is converted, and turned from sin to righteousness, and from the power of Satan unto God. Not that any of these things are the ground of acceptance and peace with God, but as they are the fruits of his grace and Spirit, so they are evidences of it, and so if we have them not, it is a fearfully certain mark, that the Spirit is not in us.

Is this, therefore, beloved brethren, the condition of any among you, that you really are, and must admit yourself to be, in a state of uncertain and doubtful character, with respect to the work of converting grace within you? Then it behoves us, in drawing this discourse to a conclusion, to urge and implore you, by all that is worth your seeking for, not to remain in this dark and unsafe condition: not to give sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids, till you have decided that great and important question, so well expressed by a well-known Christian writer;

"Do I love the Lord or no?

Am I his, or am I not?"

and if the decision should be against yourself, and we charge and entreat you to be faithful in the verdict you come to, then to determine, that by the grace of Almighty God, you will not rest contented till you find your way to the Redeemer, and to that peaceful,