ye fully perfuaded in your own minds. Judge for yourselves what is right. Prove all things, and hold that which is good. Make the word of truth, not the opinions of men, the rule of your faith and conduct. Follow no man blindly, but look well to your goings. Judge of truth and crror-of right and wrong, not by your occafional feelings, or the current of your affections; but by the calm and fober exercife of your understanding.

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2. The Apoftle cautions us, that we be not toffed to and fro, like a fhip rolling on the waves. that wavereth," fays Saint James, "is like a wave of the fea, driven with the wind and toffed. Let not that man think that he fhall receive any thing of the Lord. The doubleminded man is unftable in all his ways." In oppofition to this unfable, fluctuating temper, we are required to "hold faft the profeffion of our faith, without wavering."

The man who, without principle, knowledge and judgment, affumes the high profeffion of the Chriftian, may appear fleady in a calm feafon : But, in times of temptation, he will be like a fhip without pilot, anchor or ballast, toffed about by the power of a tempeft. He is at the mercy of ev ery rude guft. He is driven in any direction, as the wind happens to blow. He is elevated high, or funk low, as the waves rife or fall. He makes no port; but floating at large, on the troubled element, he is, every moment, in danger of fhip. wreck.

The Chriftian, who embarks for the heavenly world, muft confider, that the ocean on which he fails, is fubje&t to changing winds, and perilous forms. He muft not promife himself fmooth waters, foft gales and clear fkies; but go provided for all kinds of weather. The word of truth must be his compafs, and faith his pilot; hope must be his anchor, and knowledge and good works his ballaft; prudence must keep the watch, and fober reafon

hold the helm. Thus he may fail with fafety in all feafons.

3. We must not be carried about with every wind of doctrine.

Falfe doctrines, like winds, are bluftering and unfteady. They blow from no certain point; but in all directions; and they frequently, and fome. times fuddenly, fhift their courfe. They make great noife and buftle, difturb the atmosphere, and, by their violent motions, they spread confufion and ruin. Light bodies are easily taken up and driven about by every wind that blows. The gale which cleanses the wheat, difperfes the chaff. The deep rooted oak ftands firm in its place, while the dry leaves beneath it are caught up, wafted around, and made the fport of every guft. So the fincere Chriftian, rooted and grounded in the truth, and grown up to maturity in faith and knowledge, is ftedfaft in his religion, whatever ftorms may affault him. He remains in his place, whatever winds may blow. But the light and chaffy Chriftian the hypocritical, unprincipled profeffor, is easily carried about by divers and ftrange doctrines. He fhifts his courfe and changes his direction, as the wind of popular opinion happens to drive.

If we would be conftant in our religion, we must be rooted in faith and love.

4. The Apostle warns us, that we are in danger from the fleight of men, and the cunning craftings whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

The true minifters of Chrift ufe great plainnefs of fpeech, and by manifeftation of the truth commend themselves to the confciences of men. Corrupt teachers ufe fleight and craft, that they may enfnare the fimple, and decoy the unfufpecting, and thus make profelytes to their party.

Chriftians fhould beware of evil workers, and watch against their difhoneft arts. That they may efcape the dangers to which they are expofed in

corrupt times, they must attend to the plain and obvious precepts and doctrines of the gospel, make these their rule, and confent to no opinion, or prac tice inconfiftent with them, however plaufibly it may be recommended. They must furnish themfelves with fuch knowledge in divine things, as to difcern the defigns, and efcape the artifice of evil men and feducers.

That Chriftians may the better fecure themfelves from feduction, the gospel has warned them of the various crafts of thofe who lie in wait for them.

Deceivers come in fheep's clothing; with an of tentation of uncommon humility, meekness and heavenlinefs; but inwardly, they are ravening wolves, whofe real aim is to fcatter and devour the sheep.

They are deceitful workers, transforming themfelves into apoftles of Christ, and minifters of righteoufnefs; and thus corrupting men from the fimplicity that is in Chrift; even as Satan transformed himself into an angel of light, and through his fubtilty beguiled Eve from her fidelity to God. Like him, they make cautious advances, not alarming men, at firft, by the groffeft errors; but leading them along, ftep by step, from smaller errors to greater. Thus they wax worfe and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

They practife not their arts directly on those, who, by reafon of use, have their fenfes exercised to difcern both good and evil; but they beguile unftable fouls, deceive the hearts of the fimple, creep into houses and lead captive the more tender fex, and, by their means, fubvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's fake.

Such teachers difcover a peculiar malignity a gainst the true minifters of Chrift. Paul speaking to the Galatians concerning the deceivers who were among them, fays, "They zealously affect you,

but not well they would exclude us, that you might affect them." Thefe crafty and defigning preachers appeared among the Corinthians. There they reprefented Paul as making the gofpel bur. deníome, while they preached it freely, and without a reward. And yet the reverfe was true. They, by their infidious arts, devoured thofe among whom they went, and even brought them into bondage; while Paul made the gospel without charge; and though he afferted his right to live of the gofpel, yet he waved the right, or ufed it with fuch moderation, as to give no caufe of complaint.

Deceivers are confined to no sphere, and governed by no rule; but ftretch themfelves beyond their line, enter into other men's labors, and build an other man's foundation. Thus they cause divifions and offences, contrary to the doctrine of peace and unity which the churches have received.

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They pretend to fuperior fancity, and fay to others, Stand by yourfelves, come not near to us; for we are holier than you;" when, in reality, "they who thus feparate themfelves, are fenfual, and have not the Spirit."

They are watchful to take advantage of any unhappy circumftance in a church, fuch as the dif cipline of an offender, the death of a minifter, or accidental contention, and, by fuch means, to introduce and establish themfelves. Paul fays to the Ephesians, among whom he had preached for feveral years, "I know that, after my departure, fhall grievous wolves enter in among you, not fparing the flock; yea, even if your own felves fhall men arife fpeaking perverfe things, to draw away disciples after them."

Such teachers labor to unfettle men's minds from the establifhed order of the gospel, and to prejudice them against the regular maintenance of the miniftry, reprefenting all order in churches as tyranny, and all stated provifion for the miniftry,

as oppreffion. They promife men liberty; but are themselves the fervants of corruption. They [peak evil of things which they understand not, and allure through the lufts of the flesh, those who were clean efcaped from them who live in

error.

The gospel has thus particularly informed us of the cunning craftings of those who lie in wait to deceive, that we may not be led away by the error of the wicked, nor fall from our own ftedfastnefs.

We have confidered the negative part of the defcription given of the mature Christian.

We will now, fecondly, attend to the pofitive part. The Chriftian, "speaking the truth in love, fhould grow up in all things into Chrift."

1. We must speak the truth in love;" or "be fincere in love;" as the margin reads. The word is of an extenfive fignification. It imports, to re ceive, retain and obey the truth, as well as to speak or profefs it. Particularly;

We should acquire a good doctrinal knowledge of the truth as it is in Jefus. We should examine the evidences of our religion, that we may be able to give an answer to every man who asks the rea fon of our faith; and we should acquaint ourfelves with the doctrines and precepts of the gofpel, that we may difcern things which differ, and approve those that are excellent.

We should be well established in the truth. The Apostle tells the Corinthians, "His preaching was not with enticing words of men's wifdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that their faith might not ftand in the wildom of men, but in the power of God." He expreffes his defire for the Coloffians, "that they might attain to the full affurance of understanding in the acknowledgment of the gofpel, left any man should beguile them with enticing words." He rejoiced to "be.