Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XX Containing various Inferences from the subject, and persua. SECTION I. 1. God has appointed so many trials of our sincerity, let no man indulge the hope that his hypocrisy can long He concealed. Ah! there is no darkness nor shadow of death that can conceal the hypocrite. Oftentimes God discovers him by the trials he appoints in this world ; but there will be a day when God will strip him naked before the great assembly of angels and men, and all shall gaze on him and say, " Lo! this is the man that made not God his hope. This is he that wore a garment of pfofes- sion to deceive; but God has now stripped him out of it, and all men see what he is." Away then with hypocrisy! Be honest and hearty in religion; otherwise confusion of face shall be your recompense from the Lord. 2. In view of what has been said, be guarded against too much confidence, of your good estate. Your period of trial has not expired; "you have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin; beiot high- minded, but fear." '"Many persons, as was formerly hinted, are misled by the favorable opinions entertained of them by others; many, 3. If true holiness must be tried, even in this world, as gold is tried in the fire, then it greatly concerns all, at their setting out, to build upon the sure foundation, and to anticipate severe trials. If any have not done this, it behoves them to do it now. I warn you, reader, to count the cost before you attempt to build; to the test you must come, and by truth you must be judged; if you hope to endure to the end, you must have the spirit of a martyr. 4. It may be observed in view of this subject, that scandals and offences, in connection with religion, are unavoidable. " It must needs be that offences come," for all who are exposed to trials ...