with it double disgrace. Whatever expedient he may now adopt to avoid shame in the path of duty, he cannot escape long. It will certainly overtake him. "The things which shall come upon him, make haste."

Bring this subject, my hearers, home to your hearts. How do you feel when you know that others are ashamed of you? Suppose one of your companions should be ashamed to own an acquaintance with you-should blush and hide his face at the bare mention of your name-should flee at your approach-and should bolt and bar his door lest he should be disgraced by your society. To be treated thus by your equal would be trying. To be treated thus by your best friend, would be heart rending. But this is nothing. Christ the friend of sinners, who groaned and died on the cross to save you, will be ashamed of you. O, to have Christ ashamed of you! Let all your friends-Let all the world be ashamed of you-Let them cast out your name as evil-Let them point and hoot at you as you pass along the streets; still it is nothing to the punishment that is coming upon you, if you are now ashamed of Christ. If Christ were your friend, this might be easily borne. It would be nothing. You might even esteem "the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of" this world. But to have Christ ashamed of you-who can bear it?

Think too of the time when. "When he shall come in his glory." This despised Saviour whom we preach-who stood condemned before the bar of Pilate-whose religion is now despised and trampled under foot by proud, supercilious mortals, will ere long come in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. The trump of God shall sound; and the sleep

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ing dead shall all awake; "some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations." When you, a poor helpless criminal, shall stand trembling with horror at his bar-when every duty you have neglected, and every word you have spoken against religion, and its professors-when all your secret sins shall be laid open to view-when these, together with all your other crimes shall be brought to light; then the Judge of the world will be ashamed of you.

Think too of the company that will be present. You greatly dread now to be exposed to shame in the presence of your companions. But your whole conduct will be disclosed, and Christ will be ashamed of you in the presence of all your companions—in the presence of this assembly-in the presence of the whole assembled Universe. The Saviour has given you fair warning. "Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Again "He that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God." And yet again, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also, shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." He will then treat you, in the presence of that vast assembly, as you now treat him before the world. Because “I have called and ye refused"-"I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh ; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruc

tion cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you." Then, Christ will be ashamed of you.

I shall close with a short application.

Who among us, my hearers, is ashamed of Christ? Although many may be guilty, perhaps not one in this assembly is willing to acknowledge it. But beware of deceiving yourselves. You may deceive others, and you may deceive yourselves. But you cannot deceive the Saviour. He knows perfectly every feeling of your hearts. As was intimated, you may be ashamed of Christ, and yet be ignorant of the fact. One reason of this ignorance may be, that you are so indifferent to the concerns of your souls-that you think, and speak, and care so little about Christ, that you hardly know whether you are ashamed of him or not. It is not until the conscience is aroused, and the sinner sees and feels that he is in the broad road to ruin, and that he must quit his companions, and turn and flee from the wrath to come-It is not until he is convinced of his bondage to sin and Satan and the world, and begins to think of making his escape, that he sees his heart as he never saw it before. Were you to begin a life of religion now—were you put on trial this day to obey the command of God, to come out from the world and be separate, to commence a life of devotion and of self-denial, and to profess Christ before men; and at the same time, were your kindred and friends to reproach and forsake you, and cast out your name as evil-And were this the only alternative, begin to day, or be lost forever, then you might see your hearts. We hence see, why so many have hearts ashamed of Christ, and yet know it not. Their awful indifference to the con

cerns of their souls is such-they think and care so little about the subject, that they know not the wickedness of their hearts.

And now passing by these thoughtless, stupid immortals, I would speak to those, whose consciences are at times alarmed-who feel the strivings of the Spirit, and yet are ashamed to acknowledge it-who are ashamed to renounce the world, forsake their vain companions, and openly espouse the cause of Christ. My fellow immortals, if you have any regard for your souls, no longer be ashamed of Christ. Ashamed to have it known that you feel concern for your souls! I now warn you to beware. In this way, thousands have lost their concern, and lost their souls. You cannot be persuaded to forsake your companions, lest you should be accounted serious. While this is the case, I despair of your conversion. "The companion of fools, shall be destroyed." You must either renounce the world, or the Spirit of God will renounce you. "No man can serve two masters." "The friendship of the world is enmity with God. If any man will be the friend of the world, he is the enemy of God." If you cannot bear the reproach of the world, all that you do in religion with such hearts, is mere hypocrisy. You show greater respect for the world, than for Christ. With such hearts, you could not be happy, if admitted to heaven. You are ashamed of the company and employments of the heavenly world. Remaining with the thoughtless world, you are continually violating the dictates of your own consciences. Though you wish Christ to acknowledge you, and perhaps, spend sleepless nights, fearing lest you should be found on

the left hand at the last day, yet by your conduct, you are continually denying him before men. Pause and reflect on your folly.

Think of whom you are ashamed. Of him whom angels adore. Of him who died for sinners, and who alone can save you from hell. You are continually denying him—and for what? What do you gain? The good opinion of sinners-the good opinion of those who are soon to awake to shame and everlasting contempt. But nay, you do not gain even that. Let the youth come out from the world-Let him forsake the broad road-Let him return and ask the way to Zion and face a frowning world; and the conscience of every sinner whom he meets, will be constrained to bow and do him homage as he passes. He cannot but approve and admire the choice which he has made. And the scoffer cannot but despise himself for his own cowardice, that he has not courage enough to follow the dictates of his judgment and conscience in a matter of everlasting importance.

Among all who may reproach you, remember there is not even one good man. But become the friends of Christ, and you secure the friendship of all good men, of angels, and of the Saviour himself. It is true, you may meet with some ill-natured taunts, and be exposed to bitter reproaches; but what then? Remember these come only from the enemies of God. And will you follow them to destruction, lest you should incur their displeasure? If the fallen angels should ascend out of the bottomless pit, and attempt by every hellish art, to shame you out of religion, must you listen to them? Must you go and join them? Must you fear