Sermons, on the following subjects

THEY would fain have heaven and this world too; they would have salvation and the pleasures and profits of sin too. But considering heaven and the world, as GOD offers them, they will have neither. GOD offers heaven only with the self denial and difficulty which are in the way to it; and they are not willing to have heaven on these conditions. GOD offers the world, and the pleasures of sin to men, not alone, but with eternal misery in connection with them; and so neither are they willing to have the world. They would fain divide heaven from the holiness and self-denial which are the way to it, and from the holiness which reigns in it, and then they would be glad to have heaven. They would fain divide sin from hell, and then they would fully determine, forever to cleave to sin.

BUT GOD will not make such a division for them. They must have one or the other of these for their portion, as GOD offers; and therefore they never make any choice at all.—Indeed they do practically and in effect choose sin and hell. But they do not come to any resolution in their own minds which they will have for their portion, whether heaven and holiness, or the world and hell: they are always wavering and halting between two opinions. Sometimes they seem to determine for the one and sometimes for the other. In times wherein they meet with no difficulty or temptation, and can as they say, do their duty without hurting themselves or much crossing their carnal inclinations, they seem to choose heaven and holiness. At other times wherein they meet with difficulty in the way of duty, and great temptations of worldly profits or pleasures, are laid before them, then they choose the world and let heaven and holiness alone.—There are among us vast multitudes, before whom these two things have been set hundreds of times, who have never to this day come to a determination which to have.

So they have never yet determined which shall be their master, whether GOD or mammon. There are but few who have undertaken the service of GOD, and are come to a resolution and preparedness of mind to serve GOD and follow CHRIST, at all times, and to whatever difficulties it may expose them. Yet at the same time neither are they determined that they will continue to serve satan: they are afraid to draw up such a conclusion.—Thus many spend away their lives without making their choice, putting that off, though they do in the mean time practically choose the service of satan. These are the persons of whom the apostle James speaks in chap. i. 8. The double minded man is unstable in all his ways.