CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN. 477 firmities as are the matter of their dailywatchfulness and humilia- tion. 4. Those that are so strong as to attain extraordinary degrees of grace, who are therefore comparatively called perfect, as Matt. v. 45. 5. Those that have an absolute perfection without siu; that is, the heavenly inhabitants. Among all these, it is the third sort or degree which I have here characterized, and upon the bye, the first sort, and the hypocrite. I meddle not nowwith the lapsed Christian as such; nor with those giants in holiness of extraordinary strength; nor with the perfect, blessed souls in heaven. But it is the Christianwho hath attained that confirmation in grace, and composed; quiet, fruitful state, which we might ordinarily expect, if we were industrious, whose image and character I shall now present you with. I call him ofttimes a Christian indeed, in allusion to Christ's description of 'Nathaniel, (John i. 47.) and as we commonly use that word, for one that an- swerethhis own profession without any notable dishonor or defect ; as we say such a man is a scholar indeed; and not as signifying his mere sincerity. I mean one whose heart and life are so conformed to the principles, the rule, and the hopes of Christianity, that to the honor of Christ, the true nature of our religion is discernible in his conversation; (Matt. v. 16.) in whom an impartial infidel might perceive the true nature of the Christianfaith and godliness. If the world were Huller of such living images of Christ, who, like true.regenerate children, represent their heavenly Father, Christi- anity would not have met with somuch prejudice, nor had somany enemies in the world, nor would so many millions have been kept in the darkness of heathenism and infidelity, by flying fromChris- tians, as a sort of people that are common and unclean. Among Christians, there are babes, that must be fed with milk, and not with strong meat, that are "unskillful in the wordofrighte- oneness;" (1 John ii. 2. 12-14. Heb. v. 12-14.) and novices, who are unsettled, and in danger of an overthrow ; 1 Tim. iii. 6. John xv. 3. 5, &.c. In these the nature and excellency of Christi- anity is little more apparent than reason in a little child. And thereare strong, confirmedChristians, who,by " reason ofuse, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil," (Heb. v. 13, 14.) and who show forth the glory of him that hath called them out of darkness intp his marvelous light; of whom God himself may say to Satan and theirmalicious enemies, as once of Job, " Hast thou not seen my servant Job ?" &c. This Christian indeed I shall now describe to you, both to confute the infidel's slanders of Christianity, and to unteach men those false descriptions which have caused the presumption. of the profane, and the irregularities of erroneous sectaries, and to tell you what manner of persons they be that Godis honored by, and what you must be, if you will
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