to God by ungrateful and rebellious men, constantly
reproving sin, weeping over the impenitence and hardness of heart of his
country-men, and even exerting his power to drive out those who were
profaning the temple. And he says, "If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross and _follow_ me." To _follow_
Christ is to imitate his example. Hence, unless we follow Christ, in his
general spirit, we have no right to be called after his name. And this
we must do _to the extent of our ability_, and at the expense of any
personal sacrifice, not excepting, if need be, even _our own lives_.
This is the true spirit of the gospel; and if it were carried out in the
life of every professor of the religion of Jesus, the millennial glory
would soon appear.

2. _We are required to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and
strength._ When we love a friend we are careful of his honor. If we hear
him defamed, or lightly spoken of, or see him ill-treated, it gives us
pain. We take part with him, and vindicate his character. But we see God
dishonored, and his goodness abused, continually. Multitudes of
impenitent sinners around us habitually cast off his authority, and
refuse to honor him as the moral governor of the universe. What can we
do more for his honor and glory than to reclaim these rebellious
subjects of his government, and bring them back to loyalty and
obedience?

3. _We are required to love our neighbor as ourselves._ We profess to
have seen the lost condition of perishing sinners. We think God has
taken our feet from the "horrible pit and miry clay." We profess to
believe that all who have not embraced Christ are every moment exposed
to the horrors of the second death. Can we love them _as ourselves_, and
make no effort to open their eyes to their awful danger, and persuade
them to flee from it? Said a young man, "I do not believe there is any
truth in what they tell us about eternal punishment; nor do I believe
Christians believe it themselves. _If they did, they could not manifest
so little concern about it._"

4. _The business of reclaiming a lost world is committed to the Church
in conjunction with the Holy Spirit._ It is the business of the Church
to apply "the truth" to the consciences of lost sinners. It is the
office of the Spirit to make it effectual to their salvation. "The
Spirit and the _bride_ [the Church] say, _come_." And even the hearer of
the word is allowed to say, "_come_."