VII.

Pure religion, and undefiled, before God and the Father, is this: To visit the fatherless and widows, in their affliction; and to keep himself unspotted in the world. James i. 27.

THIS is certainly not a compleat definition of religion. Of the three parts of our duty to God, our neighbour, and ourselves, the first is wholly omitted; and neither of the others is derived, as we know they ought both to be, from faith in Christ. All therefore which St. James meant to shew in this passage was, the great value he put on practical religion; which is indeed one of his chief topics through this whole epistle.

In obedience, therefore, to his doctrine, we should be very careful never to depreciate good works; nor to preach any doctrine, which may tend to make the common people think lightly of them; as we are here assured, that pure and undefiled religion consists so much in them. A A 3

Our

Our hearers, however, cannot be cautioned too much, not to presume on these works; nor to trust our salvation on any thing, but the merits of Christ. What merit of any kind our good works may have, is not for us to assign. That must be left entirely to God.

VIII.

Charity shall cover a multitude of sins.-1Pet. iv. 8.

THE meaning of this passage is rather obscure. Some contend, that charity covers, or blots out, our own sins; others, that it covers, or conceals, the sins of our neighbours. At present, however, I mean not to enter into the obscurities of the text; but only to take occasion from it to point out the various covers for sin, which men are commonly accustomed to plead.

The hardened profligate rushes headlong into wickedness; and though he must know, that hell and destruction follow hard behind, he goes madly on, without endeavouring to procure the least cover for his sins.

There are others, again, who have some little remains of conscience left-who would wish to go to heaven; but they are wary traders, and unwilling to pay too great a price. To give up all the pleasures of the world, and lead a strict, religious life, is too much: but they are very ready to barter with God Almighty.

Some of them will ask, what almsgiving to the poor will do for them? They are willing to cover their sins by great bounty in this way; but these traders must be informed, that, as far as themselves are concerned, they might as well keep their alms in their pockets. Theirs is just the old popish practice of indulgences. In both cases, money is paid for a liberty to commit sin.

In the same manner, others endeavour to cover their sins with what they call their virtues. Their honesty-their temperance-their veracity, or some other virtue which they think they possess, they set in opposition to some favourite sins; and hope, under such cover, to escape. But these men must not be surprised to hear, that virtues arising from such motives are no virtues at all; and, instead of atoning for sins, are in fact themselves only sins in disguise:

Others again will endeavour to cover their sins, by pleading the bounty of heaven. The earth is full of good things; why may I not use them? What were they given me for?—You may use them with gratitude to God, you may use them; but in gratitude to God, be content with the use. All beyond is sinful abuse.

Another cover for sin is sometimes drawn from

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the infirmities of human nature: they are such that sin is unavoidable, and therefore excuseable. That sin is unavoidable, is certain; and hence arises the necessity of a Saviour. But how far we are to make this a cover for such sins as we wilfully continue in, is a point which, it is to be feared, will be settled at the last day much to our confusion.

Their circumstances, and situation in life, are considered with many as making a good cover for sin. While we live in the world they cry, we must in some degree follow the ways of the world. The ways of the world are not always consonant with strict duty; but we must now and then temporize, or we are nothing. — But perhaps our situation in life is not so commonly seductive as we are apt to suppose. No honest profession, I believe, has any thing in it opposite to the duties of religion. If, however, we have unhappily chosen a profession which avowedly leads us into sin, we have our option: we may take either the broad or narrow way; and serve either God or Mammon.

There are others again, who seek to cover their sins under the mercies of God; which they say are infinite, and cannot be exhausted.

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