SERMON VII.

CHRISTIAN SINCERITY.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him-behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile: John i, 47.

THE character of Nathanael, you may see from the short history just before concerning him, was that of an honest downright man, open to conviction and free of prejudice; who, as he would not believe without evidence, was as ready to believe when sufficient evidence was given. Now Philip had been telling him of their having found him, of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph. Upon this he fairly proposes his objection, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" He would reason with Philip, and offer the difficulties which suddenly rose up in his mind against the truth of what Philip had been telling him. "Nazareth is a place vicious to a proverb, no one expects any thing good from thence; besides the Messiah is not of Nazareth, but of Bethlehem." His friend's heart, we may well suppose, was too full of zeal and joy to enter into any sort of debate. He suddenly interrupts Nathanael's reasonings, and would have him come and see for himself if any good thing

could come from Nazareth, or if this were not the very Christ. Nathanael did not, as a conceited and proud mind would have been apt to have done, obstinately refuse and turn away from the invitation ; he was no more prejudiced against the truth, and so careless to search it to the bottom, than he was credulous to receive it without grounds. He goes with Philip for further inquiry, and it was upon his drawing near to Jesus with this view, that the words in the text were spoken of him, "behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile." Our Lord took occasion from this simplicity and honesty of Nathanael with regard to himself, to give his general character, to shew him to those about him for a sincere upright man without any guile, deceit, or prejudice. He was an instance of sincerity, as in this his conduct with regard to our Lord, so in all other respects. It is my design from hence to speak to you of Christian sincerity, which every one knows is a qualification of our service to God, without which it is nought, hypocritical, and unacceptable. This is a most needful inquiry, to the consolation of some, and the condemnation of others. For to know whether we be sincere or not, is to know whether we be Christians or not; whether we have or have not any grounds of confidence towards God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. With the greatest plainness therefore I possibly can use, it shall be my present endeavour to set this matter before you; and here I will,

I. Give you a general notion of sincerity.

II. I will set out some of the most distinguishing marks of it.

III. I will speak of some false and mistaken marks of sincerity, endeavouring to make the whole useful as I go along.

I

I. I am to give you a general notion of sincerity.

Now this is nothing else but being in earnest in the service of God, honest, and downright with him, studying and endeavouring to do his will and to please him. The sincere man is a humble man; he knows the place he stands in with regard to God— that God is the king and he the subject—God the master and he the servant; and he deals by God as a good subject does by his king, who labours to be obedient and dutiful, and to promote the honour and interests of his sovereign; or as a good servant goes to work with his master, in faithfulness and integrity. say the sincere man knows the place he stands in with regard to God, both as a creature entirely at the disposal of his Creator, and as a sinner saved from death by God's mercy and goodness, and accordingly the great thing he hath at heart is to serve and obey God; this is the great and principal aim he hath throughout his conduct. Would any one of you know what a sincere man is; only consider what you would wish your own servant should be towards you, and you shall have his very character before you. You would wish your servant should be very sensible it is his duty to do your business faithfully; that he should be very hearty and very honest, so as with continual consideration and diligence both to consult and act for you; that he should have your interest at heart, and consult that in all your affairs. Such a one, truly convinced of the duty he owes you, hearty

and willing in serving, and withal intent to promote your interest as much as he possibly can, you reckon a sincere, faithful, honest servant. Whereas if he has no sense of the duty he owes you, if he is unwilling to do what you would have him, and is little concerned when your affairs suffer damage, you justly reckon him unfaithful and dishonest. Sincerity therefore supposes a prevailing sense of the duty we owe to God, a hearty willingness to discharge it, with a constant endeavour and intention to promote the divine glory and God's interest as the main end of our actions. Gospel sincerity is a being pleased with the service of God, setting about it heartily, constantly, and universally, and having the honour of God the great end we propose; or in one word, seeks, endeavours, and wishes to please God in all things. The sincere person is not cold in the obedience he pays to God, as if it were of force and constraint; does not sit down satisfied if the least thing be out of order; maintains a constant and irreconcilable war with his lusts and corruptions; is constantly pressing to be more perfect than he is; hath his conscience tender to the least iniquity, not being able to endure the smallest sin; does not bear to do God the least dishonour, without a sudden uneasiness; strives earnestly that neither his own pleasure, or pride, or the flesh, or the world, should have any place within him, or defile the pure intention he hath to act for the glory of God. In short, sincerity is an honest, free, constant, entire, service paid to God; insomuch that the sincere man is able to say, "God knows my heart, he sees there that I would please him if I could;

that I desire to do what he bids me; that I have nothing so much at my heart as this; that my greatest fear is lest I should offend and displease him; that I have more concern about this than about any worldly thing which may befal me; that I am continually watching lest sin should prevail over me; that I am seeking to be more well-pleasing in his sight." Or if the sincere man be not sure that God sees all this in him, if he have some doubt about his integrity and trust in God, yet he is sure that he doth not willingly allow himself in any thing that is evil; that he seeks and tries his ways as much as he can; that he is striving to become better than he is, and more holy; that he would not have any thing at heart but the glory of God, in all he does, although he distrusts his deceitful heart, and knows not how to be confident that his heart is whole with God, and that he is so upright and uncorrupt as he would wish to be. You see now that a sincere obedience, as to the intention and purpose, as to the willingness and freedom of it, is the same thing as the most perfect obedience. The sincere man desires to be all that the perfect man shall be. If there were such a thing as a perfect obedience, it could only be the work of a heart where love was perfectly ardent, submission perfectly absolute, and the aim at the honour of God pure and unmixed; but in the sincere obedient man, a prevailing love of God gives to the soul an entire willingness to submit, and an earnest endeavour to do all things to the glory of God. By this time then I hope we may have conceived some general notion of sincerity, and we have seen it to consist in a