m UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES SERMONS OK SEVERAL OCCASIONS: FOUR VOLUMES. By JOHN WESLEY, M. A Late Fellow of LIXCOLN-COLLECS VOL. I. LONDON-. Printed for G. WHITFIELD, New-Chapel, City-Road, and fold at the Methodift-Preaching-HouCc? in Town and Country. v.J THE CONTENT S Of the FIRST VQLUMS. SERMONS on feveral Occafions,. SERMON I.. Salvation by Faith. Page Ephef. ii. 8. " By Grace ye are faved through Kaith." 8 S E R M.O-N II. The Almoft Chriftian. A&s xxvi. 28. "Almoft thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriftian." 20. SERMON IH. Ephef.. v. 14. " Awake thou that fleepeft;. and arife from the dead, and Chrift fhall give thee light." 391 SERMON IV. Scriptural Chriftianity. AQs Iv. 31. " And they were all filled with the Holy Ghoft." ~ 45, SERMON- CONTENTS. SERMON V. Juftification by Faith. Page Rom. iv. 5. " To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted to him for Righteoufnefs." 65 SERMON VI. The Righteoufnefs of Faith. Rom. x. 5, 6, 7, 8. " Mofes defcribeth the Righteoufnefs which is of the Law, That the man which doeth thofe things ftall live by them. But the Righteoufnefs which is of Faith fpeaketh on this wife : Say not in thine heart, Who (hall afcend into Heaven ? That is, to bring Chrifl down from above : Or, who (hall defcend into the deep ? That is, to bring up Cluiil again from the dead. But what faith it ? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart : that is the word of faith, which we preach." 80 SERMON VII. The Way to the Kingdom. Mark 5. 15. " The Kingdom of God is at hand : repent ye, and believe the gofper," 95 SERMON CONTENTS- SERMON VIII. The Firft- Fruits of the Spirit. Page Rom. VIII. i. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the flcfh, but after the Spirit." 108 SERMON IX. The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption. Rom. viii. 15. " Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear ; But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." 122 SERMON X. The Witnefs of the Spirit. DISCOURSE I. Rom. viii. 16. " The Spirit itfelf beareth witnefs with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God." 139 SERMON XI. The Witnefs of the Spirit. DISCOURSE II. Rom. viii. 16. " The Spirit iifelf beareth witnefs with ur fpitit, that we are the children of God." 15$ SERMON XII. The Witnefs of our own Spirit. a Cor. i. 12. '* This is our rejoicing, the teftimony of our confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not with flefcly CONTENTS. Page flefhly wifdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our converfation in the World." 168 SERMON XIII. On Sin in Believers. 2 Cor. v. up. " If any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature." i8t S E R M O N XIV. The Repentance of Believers. Mark. i. 15, " Repent and believe the gofpel." IQ&, S E R M O- N XV. The Great Aflize. Rom. xiv. 10. We fliall all ftand before the judgment feat of Chrift." 214; SERMON XVI. The Means of Grace. Malachi iii. 7. " Ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. 234 THE PREFACE. j. ^T^HE following Sermons contain the fub- JL llance of what I have been preaching, for between eight and nine years laft paft. During that lime I have frequently fpoken in public, on every fubjeft in the enfuing Collection : and I am not confcious, that there is any one point of doBrine on which I am accuftomed to fpeak in public, \vhich is not here, incidentally, if not profeiTcdly, laid before every Chriftian Reader. Every ferious man, who perufes thefe, will therefore fee in the cleared manner, what thefe doftrines are which I embrace and teach, as the I flentials of True Re- ligion. 2. But 1 am thoroughly fenfible, thefe are not propofed, in fuch a manner as fome may exper. Nothing here appears in an elaborate, elegant or or- atorial drefs. It it had been my defire or defign to write thus, my leifure would not permit. But in truth, I at prcfent d<-fign< d nothing lefs ; for I now write ("S 1 generally ipeak) ad populum : 10 the bulk "of mankind, to tlmfe who neither relifh nor understand the art of {peaking : bui who notwith- ftanding are competent judges of thofe truths, which are neceiTary to prcfent and future happinefs. I mention this, that curious Readers may Ipare tliem- fc-lves the labour, of feeking, for what tl.cv will not find. 3. I defign plain truth for plain people. The e- fi>re ol let purpofe I abfL.in trom ail nice and phi- lofophical fpeculaiions, from all perplex^ and intri- cate reafonings ; and as far as pofliblc, t:oin even A 2 the 4 THE PREFACE. the fhew of learning, unlefs in fometimes citing the original Scriptures. I labour to avoid all -words which are not eafy to be underftood, all which are not ufed in common life: and in particular, thofe kinds of technical terms, that fo freqnenily occur in bodies of divinity, thofe modes of fpeakmg which men of reading are intimately acquainted with, but which to common people are an unknown tongue. Yet I am not aflured, that I do not fome- times flide into them unawares : it is fo extremely natural to imagine, that a word which is familiar to ourfclves, is fo to all the world. 4>. Nay, my defign is, in fome fen To to forget all tha-t ever 1 have read in my life. I mean to (peak, in the general, as if I had never read one Author, ancient or modern (always excepting the infpired.) I am perfuaded, that on the one hand, this may be a means of enabling rne more clearly to exprefs the fentiments of my heait, while I fimply follow the chain of my own thoughts, without entangling my- felf with thofe of other men : and that, on the other, 1 (hall come with fewer weights upon my mind, with lefs of prejudice and prepoffeflion, either to fearch for my felf, or to deliver to others, the naked truths of the Gofpel. 5. To candid, reafonable men, I am not afraid to lay open what have been the inmoft thoughts of my heart. I have thought, " I am a creature of a day, pafling through life, as an arrow through the air. I am a fpirit come from God, and returning to God : juft hovering over the great gulph : till a few moments hence, I am no more feen ! I drop into an unchangeable eternity ! I want to know cne thing, the way to heaven: how to land fafe on that happv fhore. God himfell has condefcended to teach the way ; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book ! At any price give me the book of God ! J have it : here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be Homo unius libri. Here then I am, far from the bufy ways of men. I fit down alone : THE PREFACE. 5 alone : onlv God is here. In his prefcnce I open' I read his book ; for this end, to find the Wdy to heaven. Is there a doubt concerning the meaning ot what I read ? Does any thing appear daik and intricate ? I lift up my heart to the Fa; her of Lights. " Lord is it not thy word, If any man lack wifdom t let him a/k of God? Thou giveji liberally and up- braideji not, Thou haft faid, If any be willing to do thy will, he JJiall knoio. I am willing to do. Let me know thy will." I then fearch after and confider parallel paffages of fcripture, comparing fpiritual things with fpiritual. I meditate thereon, 'with all the attention and earneftnefs of which my mind is capable. If any doubt ftill remains, I con- fult thofe who are experienced in the things of God : and then, the writings whereby being dead, they yet fpeak. And what I thus learn, that I teach. 6. I have accordingly fet down in the following Sermons, what I find in the Bible concerning the way to heaven j with a view to diftinguifh this way of God, from all thofe which are the inventions of men. I have endeavoured to defcribe the true, the fcriptural, experimental Religion, fo- as to omit nothing thereto which is not. And herein it is more efpecially my defire, firft,. to guard thofe who are juft fetting their faces toward heaven, (and who having little acquaintance with the things of God, are the more liable to be turned out of the w d y) from formality, from mere outfide religion, which has alrnoft driven heart religion out of the world : and fecondly, to warn thofe who know the religion of the heart, the faith which worketh by love, left at any time they make void the law through faith, and fo fall back into the fnares of the devil. 7. By the advice and at the requeit of fome of my friends, I have prefixt to the other fermons con- tained in this Volume, three fermons of my own and one of my Brother's, preached before the Uni- verfity ot Oxford. My dcfign required fome dif- courfes on thole heads. And I preferred thefe be- A 3 fora 6 THE PREFACE. fore any others, as being a ftronger anfwer than any which can be drawn up now, to thofe who have frequently afTeried', " That we have changed our dofclrine of late, and do not preach now, what we did fome years ago." Any man of underftanding may now judge for himfelf, when he has compared the hitter with the former Sermons. 8. But fome may fay, I have miftaken the way irryfelf, although I take upon me to teach it to others. It is probable, many will think this, and it is very poffible, that I have. But I truft, where- infoever I have miftaken, my mind is open to con- viclion. I fincerely defire to be better informed. I fay to God and man, *' What I know not, teach thou me ! 9. Are you perfuaded, you fee more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may. Then, treat me, as you would defire to be treated yourfelf upon a change of circumftances. Point me out a better way than I have yet known. Shew me it is fo, by ?lain proof of fcripture. And if I linger in the path have been accuftomed to tread, and therefore am unwilling to leave it, labour with me a little, take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear. But be not difpleafed if I intreat you, not to beat me down, in order to quicken my pace : I can go but feebly and flowly at beft; then, I fhould not be able to go at all. May I not requeft of you further, not to give me hard names, in order to bring me into the right way. Suppofe I was ever fo much in the wrong, 1 doubt this would not fet me right. Rather, it would make me run fo much the farther from you, and fo get more and more out t>f the way. 10. Nay, perhaps, if you are angry, fo (hall I be too ; and then there will be fmall hopes of find, ing the truth. If once- anger arife, VTJ xintcx; (as Homer fomewheie exprefles it) this fmoke will fo dim the eyes of my foul, that I (hall be able to fee nothing clearly. For God's fake, if it be poflible to avoid it, let us not provoke one another to wrath. Let THE PREFACE. 7 Let us not kindle in each other this fire of hell ; much lefs blow it up into a flame. It' \re could dif- cern truth by that dreadful light, would it not be lofs, rather than gain ? For how far is love, even with many wrong opinions, to be preferred before truth itfelf without love? We may die without the knowledge of many truths, and yet be carried into Abraham's bofom. But if we die without love, what will knowledge avail ? Juft as much as it avails the devil and his angels ! The God of love forbid we fliould ever make the trial ! May he prepare us for the knowledge of all truth, by filling our hearts with all his love, and with all joy and peace in believing. SALVATION [ 8 ] ^^*r*^r-^-*\ SALVATION BY FAITH: A SERMON Preached at ST. MARY'S, OXFORD, before the UNIVERSITY, on June 18, 1738. EPHESIANS II. 8. " By Grace ye are faved through Faith.'* 1. A L L. the bleflings which God hath beftowed XJL upon man are oi his mere grace, bounty, or favour ; his free, undeferved favour ! favour al- together undeferved ; man having no claim to the lead of his mercies. It was free grace that " form- ed man of the duft of the ground, and breathed in- to him a living foul," and {lamped on that foul the image of God, and " put all things under his feet." The fame free grace continues to us at this day, life and breath, and all things. For there is nothing we are, or have, or do, which can cleferve the leaft thing at God's hand, "All our works thou, O God haft wrought in us." Thefe, therefore, are fo many more inllances of free mercy : and whatever righ- teoufnefs may be found in man, this is alfo the gift of God. 2. Wherewithal then fhall a finful man atone for any the lead of his fins? With his own works? No. Weie they ever fo many or holy, they are not his own, but God's. But indeed they are all unholy and finful thcmfelves, fo that every one of them needs a 'frefh atonement. Only corrupt fruit grows on a corrupt tref. And his heart is altogether corrupt and abominable ; being " come fhort of the glory of God," the glorious righteoufnefs at firft imptefred on his foul, after the image of his great Creator. Therefore, having nothing, neither righ- teoii'fnefc nor uoiks to plead, his "Mouth is utteiiy flopt befoie God." Salvation by Faith. 9 3. If then finful man find favour with God, it is grace upon grace. If God vouchfafe flill to pour frefh bleflings upon us, yea, the greateft of all bleflings, Salvation ; what can we fay to thefe things, but " Thanks be unto God for his unfpeakable Gift !" And thus it is. Herein " God commend- eth his love toward us, in that while we were yet finners, Chriii died to fave us." By grace then are ye faved through faith. Grace is the fource, faith the condition, of falvation. Now, that we fall not Ihort of the grace of God it concerns us carefully to enquire, I. What Faith it is through which we are faved ? II. What is the Salvation which is through Faith? III. How we may anfwer fome Objections. I. What Faith it is through which we are faved ? 1. And firft. It is not barely the faith of a heathen. Now God requireth of a heathen to believe, " That God is : that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him;" and that he is to be fought by glorifying him as God, by giving him thanks for all things ; and by a careful practice of moral virtue, of juftice, mercy and truth toward their fellow crea- tures. A Greek or Roman therefore, yea a Scy- thian or Indian, was without excufe if he did not believe thus much. The being and attributes of God, a future ftate of reward and puniihment, and the obligatory nature of moral virtue. For this is barely the faith of a heathen. 2. Nor, 2dly, Is it the faith of a devil, though this goes much farther than that of a heathen. For the devil believes, not only, that there is a wife and powerful God, gracious to reward, and juft to pu nifh, but alfo, that Jefus is the Son of God, the Chrill, the Saviour of the world. So we find him decraring, in exprefs terms, Luke iv. 34, "I know Thee, who thou art, the Holy One ot God." Xor can we doubt but that unhappy Spirit believes all thofe io S E R M O N I. thofe words, which came out of the mouth of the Holy One ; yea, and whatsoever elfe was written by thofe holy men of old ; of two of them he was compelled to give that glorious teftimony, " Thefe men are the Servants of the Moft High God, who ihew unto you the way of falvation." Thus much then the great Enemy of God and man believes and trembles in believing, that " God was made nianifeft in the^flem;" that he will " tread all enemies under his feet," and that " all fcripture was given by infpirauon of God." Thus far goeth the faith of a devil. 3. Thirdly, The fiith through which we are faved, in that fenfe of the word which will here- after be explained, is not barely that which the Apoftles themfelves had while Chrift was yet upon earth ; though they fo believed on him as to " leave all and follow him ; although they had then power to work miracles, to " heal all manner of ficknefs, and all manner of difeafes ;" yea, they had then *' power and authority over all devils." And which is beyond all this, were fent by their Matter to " preach the kingdom of God." 4. What Faith is it then through which we are faved ? It may be anfwered, firft, in general, It is a faith i:> Chrift ; Chrift, and God through Chrift, are the proper objeft of it. Heiein there- fore, it is fufficiently, abfolutely diftinguiihed from the faith either of ancient or modern heathens. And from the faith of a devil, it is fully diftinguifhed by this, it is not barely a fpeculative, rational thing, a coM, lifelefs aiTent, a train of ideas in the head ; but alfo a difpofition of the heart. For thus faiih the Scripture, "With the heart, man believeth unto righteoufnefs. And, If thou (halt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and (hall believe with thy heart, that God hath railed him from the dead, thou. (halt be faved." 5. And herein does it differ from that faith which the Apoillrs themfelves had while our Lord was on earth, that it. acknowledges the nectfiity and merit of his death, and the power of his ref'unefiion. Salvation by Faith. it It acknowledges his death as the only fufficient means of redeeming man from death eternal ; and his refurreftion as the reftoration of us all to life and immortality : inafmuch as " he was delivered for our fins, and rofe again for our juftification." Chriftian faith is then, not only an affent to the whole . gofpel of Chrift., but alfo a full reliance on the blood of Chrift, a truft in the merits of his life, death, and refunreftion ; a recumbency upon him as our atonement and our life ; as given for us, and living in us. It is a fure confidence which a man hath in God that through the merits of Chrift, his fins are . forgiven, and he reconciled to the favour of God ; and in confequence hereof, a doling with him! and cleaving to him, as our " Wifdom, Righteoufnefs, Sanftification, and Redemption;" or in one word our SALVATION. II. What Salvation it is, which is through this Faith, is the fecond thing to be confidered. 1. And firft, Whatfoever elfe it imply, it is a prefent falvation. It if fomething attainable, yea, actually attained on earth, by thofe who are partakers of this faith. For thus faith the Apoftle to the believers at Ephefus, and in them to the believers of all ages, not ye (hall be (though that alfo is true) but ye are faved through faith. 2. Ye are faved (to conaprife all in one word) from fin. This is the falvation which is through faith. This is the great falvation foretold by the Angel, before God brought his firft begetten into the world, " Thou {halt call his name Jefus, for he fhall fave his people from their fins." And neither here, nor in other parts of Holy Writ, is there any limitation or reftriftion. All his people, or, as it is elfewhere exprefied, all that believe in him, he will fave from their fins; from original and actual, pad and prefent fin, of the flefh and of the fpirit. Through faith that is in him, they are faved both from the guilt and from the power of it. 3. Firft from the guilt of all paft fin. For whereas all the world is guilty before God ; infomuch that ihould is SERMON!. Ihould he " be extreme to mark what is done amifs, there is none that could abide it:" and whereas *' by the Law is only the knowledge of fin," but no deliverance from it ; fo that '* by fulfilling the deeds of the Law, no flefh can be juftified in his fight : row the righteoufnefs of God, which is by faith of Jefus Chrift, is manifefled unto all that believe." Now " they are juflified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift. Him God hath fet forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood ; to declare his righteoufnefs for (or by) the remifuon of the fins that are part. Now hath Chrift taken away the curfeof the Law, being made a Curfe for us. He hath blotted out the hancl- .writing that was againft us, taking it out of the way, ^railing it to his crofs. There is therefore no con- "demnation now, to them which believe in Chrift Jefus. 4. And being faved from guilt, they are faved from fear. Not indeed from a filial fear of offend- ing; but from all fervile fear, from that fear which hath torment, from fear of punifhment, from fear of the wrath of God ; whom they no longer re- gard as a fevere Mafter, but as an indulgent Father. *' They have not received again the Spirit of bon- dage ; but the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father: the Spirit itfelf alfo bearing witnefs with their fpirits, that they are the children of God." They are alfo faved from the fear, though not from the poflibility, of falling away from the grace of God, and coming Chort of the great and precious promifes: they are " fealed with the holy Spirit of promife, which is the Earneft of their inheritance." (Eph. i. 13.) Thus have they "Peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift. They rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And the love of God is fhed abroad in their hearts, through the Holy Ghoft, which is given unto them." And hereby they are perfuaded (though perhaps not at all times, nor with the fame fullnefs of perfuafion) that " neither Salvation by Faitfe. 13 w neither death nor life, nor things prefent, nor things to come, nor heighth nor depth, nor any- other creature, fhall be able to feparate them from the love of God, which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord." 5. Again> through this faith they are faved from the power of fin, as well as from the guilt of it. So the Apoftle declares, " Ye know that he was nianifefled to take away our fins, and in him is no fin. Whofoever abideth in him, fmneth not." (John. iii. 5, c.) Again, ' Little children, let no man deceive you He that committed! fin is of the devil. Whofoever believeth is born of God. And whofoever is born of God doth not commit fin, for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, becaufe he is born of God." Once more, " We know that whofoever is born of God fmneth not : but he that is begotten of God, keepeth himfelf, and that wicked one toucheth him not." Chap, v. 18. 6. He that is by faith born of God, finneth not, i. By any habitual fin: for ail habitual fin, is fin reigning. But fin cannot reign in any that be. lieveth. Nor 2. By any wilful fin, for his will, while he abideth in the faith is utterly fet againft all fin, and abhorreth it as deadly poifon. Nor 3. By any finful defire ; for he continually defireth the holy anfl perfect will of God; and any tendency to an unho'y defire, he by the grace of God, flirkth in the biith. Nor, 4. Doth he fin by infirmities, whether in a&, word or thought. For his infirmi- ties, have no concurrence of his will ; and without this they are not properly fins. Thus, *' He that is born of God, doth not commit fin. 3 ' And though he cannot fdv, He haih not finned, yet now, ' he fmneth not." 7. This then is the Salvation whith is through Faith, even in i'\c prefent world : a falvation from fin, and the conf&quences of fin, both often ex- p relied in the word jftt/lification', which, taken in VOID I- li the 14 SERMON I. the largeft fenfe, implies, a deliverance from guih and punifhment, by the Atonement of Chrift ac- tually applied to the foul of the (inner now be- lievingon him, and a deliverance from the whole body oF fin through Chr\ft formed in his heart. So that he who is thus juftified or faved by faith, is indeed born again. He is born again of tkt Spirit unto anew life, "which is hid with Chrift in God." " He is a new creature : old things are pad away^ all things in him aie become new. And as a new born babe he gladly receives the oSoXw, fincere milk or the word, grows thereby : going on in the might of the Lord his God, from faith to faith, from grace to grace, until at length he comes unto a perfect man, unto the meafure of the ftature of the fulnefs of Chrift." III. The firft ufual Objection to this is, 1. That to preach Salvation, or Juftification by faith only, is to preach againil Holinefs and good Works. To which a fliort anfwer might be given t It would be fo, if we fpake as fome do, of a faith which was feparate from thefe. But we fpeak of a faith which is not fo, but neceflarily productive of all good woiks and all holinefs. 2. But it may be of ufe to confider it more at large : efpecially fince it is no new objeclion, but as old as St. Paul's time ; for even then it was afked, " Do we not make void the Law through FaitU ?" We anfwer, firft, All who preach not Faith, do manifeftly make void the Law; either direclly and grofsly by limitations and comments., that eat out all the fpirit of the Text: Or indireftly, by not pointing out the only means whereby it is pofilble to perform it. Whereas, fecondly, We rjiablijli ihe law ; both by mewing its full extent, and fpiritual meaning : and by calling all to that living way, whereby " the righteoufnefs of the law may be fulfilled in them." Thefe, while they truft in the blood of Chrift alone, ufe all the ordi- nances which he hath appointed, do all the " good works Salvation by Faith. * Worts which he had before prepared that they Ihould walk therein," and enjoy and manifeft all holy and heavenly tempers, even the fame mind- that teas in Chrijl jkfus. 3. But does not preaching this faith lead men into pride ? We anfwer, Accidentally it may. Therefore ought every believer to be earneftly cautioned, (in the words of the great Apoflle) " Be- caufe of unbelief, the 'fir ft branches were broken off: and thou ftandeft by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. If God fpared not the natural branches^ take heed left he fpare not thee. Behold, therefore, the goodnefs and feveriiy of God ! On them which fell, feverity ; but towards thee, goodnefs : it thou continue in his goodnefs ; otherwifc thou alfo (halt be cut off." And while he continues therein, he will remember thofe words of St. Paul, forefeeing and anfwering this very objection, (Rom. iii. 27.) " Where is boafting then ? It is excluded. By what Law ? Of Works ? Nay ; but by the Law of Faith." If a man were juftified by his works, he would have whereof to glory." But there is no glorying for him, " that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly," (Rom. iv.) To the fame effeft are the words both preceding and following the text, (Eph. ii. 4, &c.) ' God who is rich in mercy even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Chrilt (by grace ye are favedj that he might mc\v the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindnefs towards us through Chrift Jefus. For by grace ye are faved through faith. And that not of yourfelves." Of yourfelvcs comcth neither your faith nor your fal- vation. " It is the gift of God; " the free, umle- fcrvcd gift, the faith through which ye are faved, as well as the falvation, which he of his own good pleafure, his mere favour, annexes thereto. That ye believe, is one inftance of his gr^ce ; that be- lieving ye are faved, another. " Not of works, left any man (hould boaft." For all our works, all B 2 our i6 S E R M O N I. our rigbteoufnefs, which were before ourr believing, merited nothing of God but condemnation. So far were they from defetving faith ; which there- fore, whenever given, is not of works. Neither is falvation of the works we do when we believe.- For it is then God that worketh in us. And therefore, that he giveth us a reward for what he himfelf, worketh, only commendeth the riches of his mercy, but leaveth us nothing whereof to glory. 4. However, may not the fpeaking thus of the mercy of God, as faving 'or juftifying freely by faith only, encourage men in fin ? Indeed it may and will : many will continue in Jin that grace may abound. But their blood is upon their own head. The goodnefs of God ought to lead them to repen- tance ; and To it will thofe who are fmcere of heart. \Vhen they know there is yet forgivenefs with him, they will cry aloud that he would blot out their firs alfo, through faith which is in Jefus. And if they earned ly cry, and faint not, if they feek him in all the means he hath appointed, if they retufe to be comforted till he come, he will come and will not tairy. And he can do much work in a (hort time, are the examples in the Acls of the Apoflles, ol God's fhedding Abroad this faith in men's hearts, even like lightning falling from heaven. So in the fame hour that Paul and Silas began to preach, the ).il r repented, believed, and was baptized: as were three ihoufand by St. Peter on the day of Pentecolt, who all repented and believed at his h'rft preaching. And bleiTed be God, there are now many living proofs, that he is (till mighty to fave. < 5- Yet to the fame truth, placed in another view, a quite contrary objection is made ; " If a man can- not be faved by all that he can do, this will drive men to defpair." True, to defpair of being faved by their own works, their own merits or righteouf- nefs. And fo it ought ; for none can trull in the n;eiits of Chrift, till he has utterly renounced his own. He that goctJi about to tjlabltjh his ovn r;gkteou/nefs t Salvation by Faith. i/ rigktfoufnefs, cannot receive the righteoufnefs of God. The righteoufnefs which is of faith cannot be given him, while he trufted in that which is ot the law. 6.' But this, it is faid, is an uncomfortable doc- trine. The devil fpoke like himfelf, that is, with- out either tiuth or fhame. when he dared to fugged to men that it is fuch. It is the only comfortable one, it is very full of' comfort, to all felf-deftroyed, felf-condemned finners. That " wholoever be- lieveth on turn (hall not be alhamed : That the fame Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him : " here is comfort, high as Heaven, itronger than Death! What ! Meicy for all ? For Zacche'us, a public robber ? For Mary Magdalene, a common harlot ? Methinks I hear one fay, Then I, even i, may hope for mercy ! And fo thou mayeft, thou afflicted one, whom none ha'h comforted ! God will not caft ou: thy prayer. Nay, perhaps he mav fay the next hour, " Be of good cheer, thy fins a:e forgiven thee ; " fo forgiven that they Ihall reign over thee no more ; yea, and that " the holy Spirit (hall bear witnefs with thy fpirit that tl.ou ait a child of God." O glad tidings ! Tidings of great joy, which are fent unto all people. " Ho, every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters ; come ye and buy,, without money, and without price." Whatfoever your fins be, " though red, lik^ ci im- fon, though more than the hairs of your head: return ye unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you ; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." 7. When no more objections occur, then we are fimply 'oi,l, That falvation by faith only, ought not to be preached as tho fiift dolrine, or at leail not to be preached to all. But what faith the Holy Ghoft ? Other jonndittion can no man lay,- than that which is laid, even Jefus Cluiit. So then, That whofoever believeth on him Jliall be jiiiedt is and mult be the foundation of all our B 3. preaching ; i8 S E R M O N I. preaching; that is, muft be preached fir ft. " Well, but not to all." To whom then are we not to preach it ? Whom fhall we except ? The poor ? NJV, they have a peculiar right to have the gofpel preached unto them. The unlearned ? No. God hath revealed thefe things unto unlearned and igno- rant men from the beginning. The young ? By ro means. Suffer theft in any wife, to come unlo (Thrift, and forbid them not. The Tinners ? Leaft of all. " He came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance." Why then, it any, we are to except the rich, the learned, the reputable, the moral men. And it is true, they too often except themfelves from hearing ; yet we muft fpeak the wo;ds of our Lord. For thus the tenor of our commiffion runs, " Go and preach the gofpel to every creature." If any man wreft it, or any part of it to his deftruclion, he muft bear his own bur- den. But ftill, ' as the Lord liveth, vvhatfoever the Lord faith unto us, that we will fpeak." 8. At this time more efpecially will we fpeak, That by grace ye arc Jaived through Jaith : becaufa never was the maintaining this doftrine more fea- fonable than it is at this day. Nothing -but this can eff, clually prevent the increafe of the RomiJJi de- lufion among us. It is endlefs to attack one by one, ail the errors of that Church. But falvation Ly faith ftiikes at the root, and all fall at once where this is cflablifhed. It was this docVine (which our Church juftly calls the flrong Rock and Foundation of the ChnJIian Religion] that hrit drove Pope!y out of thcfe kingdoms, and it is this alone can keep it out. Nothing but this can give a check to that immorality, which hath citiffread the "land as a Jlood. Can you en pty the great Deep, drop by drop ? Then you n ay reform us, by dilTua fives fiom particular vias. But let the nglitccvfnefs which is cj God by jaith be brought in, and fo (hall its proud waves be flayed. Nothing but this can ftop the mouths of thole who " glory v Salvation by Faith. 19 in their (hame^ and openly deny the Lord that bought them." They can talk as fublimely of the Law, as he that hath it written by God in his heart. To hear them fpeak on this head, might incline one to think, they were not far from the kingdom of God. But take them out of the law into the gofpel ; begin with the righteoufnefs of faith, with Chrijl, the end of the. law to every one that bclieveth, and thofe who but now appeared almoft, if not altogether Chriftians, ftand confefled the fons of perdition ; as far from life and falvation (God be merciful unto them!) as the depth of hell from the hcighth of heaven. o.. For this reafon the Adverfary fo rages, when- ever Salvation by Faith is declared to the world. For this reafon did he ftir up Earth and Hell, to deflroy thofe who firft preached it. And for the fame reafon, knowing that faith alone could over- turn the foundations of his kingdom, did he call forth all his forces, and employ all his arts of lies and calumny, to affright that Champion oi the Lord of Hofts, Martin Luther, from reviving it. Nor can we wonder thereat ; for as that man of Godobferves, " How would it enrage a proud ftrong man armed, to be ftopt and fet at nought by a little child.coming againft him with a reed in his hand ?*' Efpecially, when he knew that little child would furely overthrow him, and tread him under foot* Even fo, Lord Jefus \ Thus hath thy itrcngth been ever made perftd in weakness I Go forth then, thou little child, that believed in him, and his iikt- kandjhall teach tkee terrible things ! Though thou art helplefs and weak as an iutant of days, the ftrong man mail not be able to ftand before thee. Thou fhalt prevail over him, and fubdue him, and overthrow him, and trample him under thy feet. Thou fhalt marcli on under the great Captain ot thy Salvation, conquering and to conquer, until ail thine enemies are dcltroyed, and Death is Jwalloic- "M up in Vitlory* Now 20 S E R M O N IL Now thanks be to God which givcth us the vic- tory through our Lord Jefus Chrift, to whom with the Father and ?he Holy Ghoft, be blotting and glory, and wifjom, and thankfgiving, and honour, and power, and might, for ever and ever. Amen. The ALMOST CHRISTIAN : A SERMON, Preached at St. MARY'S, OXFORD, before the UNIVERSITY, on JULY 2,5, 1741. ACTS XXVI. 28. " Almofl thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriflian." AN D many there are who go thus far : ever fince the Chriflian Religion was in the world, there have been many in every age and nation, who were almojl pctfuaded to be Chnjlians. But feeing it avails nothing before God, to go only thus far t it highly impoits us to confider, Firft. What is implied in being almojl t Secondly, What in being altogether a Chrijiian. (I.) i. Now, in the being almcjl a Chrijlian is implied, firft, heathen honeily. No one, I fup- pofe, will make any queflion of this ; efpcciJly, fince by heathen hone ft y here, I mca i, not t!>.t which is recommended in the writings ot their Phi- lofophers only, but fuch as the common he.nhens expetled one ot another, and many of them a&ually prafiiied. By the rules of this they were taught, that they ought not to be unjttft : not to take away their neighbour's goods, eiiher by robbery or theh : ot to opprefs the puor, neither to u(e extoi;io.i toward The Almofl Chriftian. t toward any : not to cheat or over-reach either the poor or rich, in Whatfoever commerce they had with them : to defraud no man of his right, and, if it were poflible, to owe no man anything. 2. Again, the common heathens allowed, that fome regard was to be paid to truth as well as to juilice. And accordingly, they not only held him in abomination, who was forfworn, who called God to wiinefs to a lie ; but him alfo, who was known to be a flanderer of his neighbour, who falfely ac- cufed any man. And indeed little better did they eflecm wilful liars of any foil, accounting them the difgrace of human kind, and the pefts of fociety. 3. Yet again, there was a fort of love and alFift- ance, which they expecled one from another. They expecled whatever aflifhnce any one could give another, without prejudice to himfelf. And this they extended not only to thcfe litile offices of hu- manity, which are pei formed without any expence or labour; but likewife, to the feeding the hungry, if they had food to fpare, the clothing the naked, with their own fupe'ifJuous raiment ; and in gene- ral, the giving to any that needed, fuch things as they needed not themfelves. Thus far (in the loweft account of it) heathen honefly went, the firtt thing implied in the being almojt a Chrijiian. (II.) 4. A fecond thing implied in the being almojt a Chrijiian, is the having a form of god- linels, of thnt godlinefs which is prefcribed in the gofpel of Chnft : the having the Outfidc of a real Chrijliaiit Accordingly, the Almojt Cknjhan does nothing which the gofpel foibids. He tAeth not the name of God in vain : he bleffeth and curffth not ; he fweareth not at all, but his communication ii> yea, yea; nay, nay. He piofanes not the day of the Lord, nor fuffers it to be profaned, even by the Granger that is within his gates. He not only avoids all aclual adultery, fornication, and unclean- nefs, but tveiy word or look, that either directly or indirectly tends thereto : n^y, and all idle, words, ab flaming *2 SERMON II. abftaining both from all detraction, backbiting", tale-bearing, evii-fpeaking, and from all fooliJJi talking and ye/ling, ivr^otin\'nx, t a kind of virtue in. the heathen "Moral ill's account. Briefly, from all converfation that is not " good to the ufe of edify- ing,'* and that confequently " grieves the holy Spirit oF God, whereby we are fealed to the day of, redemption." 5. He abftains from wine wherein is excefs, from revellings and gluttony. He avoids, as much as in him lies, all flrife and contention, continually endeavouring to live peaceably with all men. And if he fuffers wrong, he avengeth not himfelf, nei- ther returns evil for evil. He is no railer, no biau'ler, no fc offer, either at the faults" or infirmi- ties of his neighbour. He does not willingly wrong, hurt, or grieve any man ; but in all things a6ls and fpeaks by that plain rule, " Whatfoever thou xvoulcift not he mould do unto thee, that do not thou to another." 6. And in doing good, he does not confine him- felf to cheap and eafy ofiices of kindnefs, but labours and fuffers for the profit of many, that by ail means he may help fome. In fpite of toil or pain, " Whatfuever his hand findeth to do, he doeth it with all his might : " whether it be for his friends, or tor his enemies ; for the evil, or for the good. For, being not Jlothjul in this, or in any bujinejs, as he hath opportunity he doth good, all manner of good, to all men ; and to their fouls as well as their bodies. He reproves the wicked, in ft tufts the ig- norant, confirms the wavering, quickens the good, and comforts the afflicled. He labours to awaken thofe that flecp, to lead thofe whom God hath al- ready awakened, to the fountain opened for fin and for uncleannefs, that they may wa(h therein and bo clean ; and to itir up thofe -who are faved through faith, to adorn the gofpel of Chriil in all things. 7. He that hath ihe form of godlinefs, ufcs the means of grace ; yea, all of them, and at all op. poitunities. The Almofl Chriftian. 2J portunities. He conftantly frequents the houfe of God ; and that not as the manner of fome is, who come into the prefence of the Mod High, either loaded with gold and coftly apparel, or in all the gaudy vanity of drefs ; and either by their unfea- fonable civilities to each other, or the impertinent gaiety'of their behaviour, difclaim all pretenfions to the form, as well as to the power of godlinefs. Would to God there were none even among our- felves who fall undr the fame condemnation : who come into this houfe, it may be, gazing about, or with all the figns of the mod liftlefs, carelefs in- difference, tho' fometimes they may Jeem to ufe a prayer to God for his blefling on what they are entering upon; who during that awful fervice, are cither afleep or reclined in the mod convenient pofture for it ; or, as tho' they fuppofed God was afleep, talking with one another, or looking round, as utterly void of employment. Neither let thefe be accufed of the form of godlinefs. No ; he who has even this, behaves with ferioufnefs and attention, in every part of that folemn fervice. More efpe- cially when he approaches the table of the Lord, it is not with a light or carelefs behaviour, but \vith an air, gefture and deportment which fpeaks nothing elfe, but " God be merciful to me a firmer." 8. To this if we add, the conftant ufe of family, prayer, by thofe who are mafters of families, and the fetting times apart for private addrefles to God, with a daily ferioufnefs of behaviour : he who uniformly pra&ifes this outward religion, has the form of godlinefs. There needs but one thing more in order to his being almoji a Chrijiian, and that is, SINCERITY. (III.) 9. By Sincerity I mean, a real, inward principle of Religion, from whence thefe outward aclions flow. And indeed, if we have not this, we have not heathen honefty ; no, not fo much of it as will anfwer the demand of a Heathen Epicu- rean *4 S E R M O N II. rean Poet Even this poor wretch, in his fober in- tervals, is able to teftify, Oderunt peccare boni> virtutis amore : Oderunt pcccarc mali, formidine pana* So that if a man only abftains from doing evil in order to avoid punifhment, t Non pafces in cruce corvos, faith the Pagan ; there, " Thou haft thy reward." But even he will not allow fuch a harm- lefs man as this, to be fo much as a good heathen. If then any man, from the fame motive, viz. to avoid punifhment, to avoid the lofs of his friends, or his gain, or his reputation, mould not only abftain from doing evil, but alfo do ever fo much good, yea, and ufe all the means of grace ; yet we could not with any propriety fay, This man is even almojl a Chrijlian. If he has no better principle in his heart, he is only a hypocrite altogether. 10. Sincerity therefore is neceflarily implied in the being almojl a Chrijlian : a real defign to ferve God, a nearly defire to do his will : It is neceffarily implied, that a man have a fincere view of pleafing God in all things : in all his converfation ; in all his aHons ; in all he does, or' leaves undone. This defign, if any man be almojl a Chrijlian, runs through the whole tenor of his lite. This is the moving principle both in his doing good, his ab- ftaining from evil, and his ufmg the ordinances of God. n. But here it will probably be enquired, Is it poffible that any man living, mould go fo far as this, and nevenhelefs be only almojl a Chrijlian ? What more than this can be implied, in the being a ChiiJ- tian altogether ? I anfwer, firft, That it is poflible to go thus far, and yet be but almojl a Chrijlian ; I leain not only from the Oracles 01 God, but alio from the fure tcflimony oi Experience. * Good men avoid fin from the love of virtue : Wicked men avoid fin fiom a fear of punifhment. t Thou {halt un be hanged. 11. Brethren, The Almoft Chriftian. 25 12. Brethren, Great is my boldneft towards you in this behalf. And forgive nu this wrong, if I declare my own folly upon the houfe-top, for yours and the gofpel's fake. Suffer me then to fpeak freely of myfelf, even as of another man. I am content to be abated, fo ye may be exalted, and to be yet more vile, for the glory of my Lord. iq. I did go thus far for many years, as many of this place can teftily; ufing diligence to efchew all evil, and to have a confcierice void of offence ; redeeming the time, buying up every opportunity of doing all good to all men ; conftamly and care- fully ufing all the public and all the private means of grace; endeavouring after a fleady ferioufncfs of behaviour, at all times and in all places : And God is my record, before whom I (land, doing all this in fincerity ; having a real defign to ferve God, a hearty defire to do his will in all- things, to pleafe him who had called me to fight the good fight, and to lay hold on eternal life. Yet my own ton- fcience beareth me witnefs in the Holy Ghoft, that all this time I was butalmoft a Chriftian. II. If it be enquired, What more than this is implied in the being altogether a Chnjlian ? I anfwer, (I.) i. Firft, The love of God. For thus faith his word, " Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with ail thy mind, and with all thy flrength." Such a love of God is this, as engrolfes the whole heart, as takes up all the affections, as fills the entire capa- city of the foul, and employs the utmofl extent of all its faculties. He that thus loves the L6rd his God, his fpirit continually rejoiceth in God his Saviour. His delight is in the Lord, his Lord and his All, to whom in fiery thing he givcth thanks. All his defire is unto God, and the remembrance of his name. His heart is ever crying out, "Whom VOL. I. C have 26 S E R M O N II. have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I defire befide thee." Indeed, what can he defire befide God ? Not the world, or the things of the world. For he is " crucified to the world, arui the world, crucified to him." He is crucified to the defire of the flefh, the defire of the eye, and the pride of life. Yea, he is dead to pride of every kind : for " love is not puffed up;" but " he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him," is lefs than nothing in his own eyes. (II.) 2. The fecond thing implied in the being altogether a Chrijlian, is, The love of our neighbour. For thus faid our Lord in the following words, " Thou (halt love thy neighbour as thyfelf." If any man afk, who is my neighbour ? we reply, Every man in the world ; every child of his, who is the Father of the Spirits of all flefh. Nor may we anywife except our enemies, or the enemies of God and their own fouls. But every Chriftian loveth thefe alfo as himfelf, yea, as Chriflloveth us. He that would more fully underftand what manner of love this is, may confider St. Paul's defcriptiou of it. It is " long-fuffering and kind. It envieih not. It is not rafli or hafty in judging. It is not . puffed up," but maketh him that loves, the h-aft, the fervatit of all. Love " doth not behave it felt" unfeemly, but becometh all things to all men." She fctktth not her own, but only the good of others, that they may be faved. Love is not pro- voked. It cafleth out wrath, which he who hath, is not " made perfect in love. It thinketh no evil. // rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. // covereth all things, believeih all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (III.) 3. There is yet one tiling more that may be feparately confidered, tho' it cannot aclually be fepardte from the preceding, which is implied in the being altogether a Ckri/iian^ and that is the grouni of all, even FAITH. Very excellent things are fpokcn of this throughout the Oracles of God. The Almoft Chriflian-. 27 " Every one, faid the beloved difciple, that be- lieveth, is born of God. To as many as received him, gave he power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe in his name. And, this is the viftory that overcometh the world even our faith." Yea, our Lord himfelf declares, " He that believeth in the Son, hath everlafting life ; and comeih not into condemnation, but is paffed from death unto life." 4. But here let no man deceive his own foul. " * It is diligently to be noted, the faith which bringeth not forth repentance, and love, and all good works, is not that right living faith which is here fpoken of, but a dead and devilifh one. For even the devils believe that Chrift was born of a virgin, that he wrought all kind of miracles, de- claring himfelf very God: that for our fakes he fuffered a moft painful death, to redeem us irom death everlafting : that he rofe agdin the third day ; that he afcended into heaven, and fitteth at the right hand of the Father, and at the end of the world, mail come again to judge both the quick and dead. Thefe articles of our faith the devils believe, and fo they believe all that is written in the Old and New Teftament. And yet for all this faith, they be but devils. They remain ftill in their damnable eitate, lacking the very true chrif- tian faith." ,5. " The right and true chriflian faith is," to go on in the words of our own Chinch, " not only to believe that holy Scripture, and the articles of our faith are true, but alfo to have a fure trnil and con- fidence, to be laved from everlafting damnation by Chrift. It is a fure truft and confidence which a man hath in God, that by the merits of Chrift his fins art forgiven, and he reconciled to the favour of God, whereof doth follow a loving heart, to bey his commandments." * Homily on the Salvation of Man. s8 S E R M O N II. 6. Now, whofoever has this faith, which pur ifies the heart, (by the power of God, who dwdltth there- in,} irom pride, anger, defire, from all unrighteous- *:/j, irom all filthine/s oj flejh and fpirit ; which fills it with love ftronger than death, both to God and to all mankind ; love that doth the works of God, glorying to fpend and be fpent for all men, and that endureth with joy, not only the reproach of Chrift, the being mocked, defpifed, and hated of all men, but whatfoever the wifdom of God permits the malice of men or devils to inflia ; whofoever has this faith, thus working by love, is not almo/i only, but altogether a Chrijlian. 7. But who are the living witnefTes of thefe things ? I befeech you, brethren, as in the pre- fence oi that God, beiore whom " hell and de- ftruclion are without a covering : how much more the heans of the children of men ;" that each of you would afk his own heart, " Am I of that number ? Do I fo far praclife juftice, mercy and truth, as even the rules of heathen honeily re- quire ? If fo, have I the very outfide of a ChrilHan ? The form of godlinefs ? Do I abftain from evil, from whatfoever is forbidden in the written word of God ? Do I, whatever good my hand findeth to do, do it with my might ? Do I ferioufly ufe all the ordinances of God at all opportunities ? And is all this done, with a fincere defign and defire to pleafe God in all things ? 8. Are not many of you confcious, that you never came thus far : that you have not been even alniojl a Chrijlian ? That you have not come up to the ftandard of heathen honefty ? At leaft, not to the form of chriftian godlinefs ? Much lefs hath God feeri fincerity in you, a real defign of pleafing him in all things. You never Ib much as intended, to devote all your words and works, your bufinefs, iludies, divei fions, to his glory. You never even defigned or defired, that whatfoever you did, mould be " done in the name of the Lord Jefus," and The Almoft Chriftian. 29 as fuch, (hould be " a fpiritual facrifke, acceptable to God through Chrift." 9. But fuppofing you had, do good defigns and good dcTires make a Chriftian ? By no means, un- lefs they are brought to good effeft. " Hell is paved, faith one, with good intentions." The great queftion ot" all then itill remains. Is the love of God flied abroad in your heart ? Can you cry out, " My God and my All ? " Do you defire nothing but him ? Are you happy iu God ? Is he your glory, your delight, your crown of rejoicing ? And is this commandment written in your heart. That he who loveth God love his brother alfo ? Do you then love your neighbour as yourfelf ? Do you love every man, even your enemies, even the enemies of God, as your own foul ? As Chrift loved you ? Yea, doft thou believe that Chrift loved thee, and gave himfcM for thee ? Haft thou faith in his blood ? Believeft thou the Lamb of God hath taken away thy fins, and caft them as a ftone into the depth of the fea ? That he hath blotted out the hand-writing that was againft thee, taking it out of the way, nailing it to his crofs ? Haft tkou indeed redemption through his blood, even the remiiTion of thy fins ? And doth his fpirit bear witnefs with. thy fpirit, that thou art a child of God ? 10. The God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who now ftandeth in the midft of us, know- eth that if any man die without this faith and this love, good it were for him that he had never been born. - Awake then, thou that fleepeft, and call upon thy God : call in the day when he may be found. Let him not reft, till he '* make his good- nefs to pafs before thee, till he proclaim unto thee the name of the Loid. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and abtin* dant in goodnefs and truth ; keeping mercy lor thoufands, forgiving iniquity and tranfgreflipn and fin." Let no man perfuad thee by vain words, to reft fboit of this prize of thy high calling. But C 3 crv 3 SERMON III. cry unto him djy and night, who, while wt zuer without flrength, died for the ungodly, until them knoweft in whom thou h-ift believed, and canft fay, " My Lord and my God." Remember, " always to pray, and not to faint," till thou alfo canft lift up thy hand unto heaven, and declare to him that liveth tor ever and ever, " Lord, Thou knoweft all things, thou knoweft that I love thee." n. May we all thus experience what it is, to be not almoft only, but altogether Chriftians ! Being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus : knowing we have peace with God 'through Jefus Chiift : rejoicing in hope of the glory ot God, and having the love ot God fhed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghoft given unto us ! A SERMON Preached on SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 1742, before the UNIVERSITY of OXFORD, By CHARLES WESLEY, M. A. Student of CHRIST-CHURCH. EPHESIANS V. 14. 11 Awake thou that fleepcft, and arife from the Dead, and Chiiit ih^li give thee Light." IN difcourfing on thefe words, I (hall, with the help of God, Firft, Defcribe the fleepers to whom they are fpoken. Secondly, Enforce the exhortation, Awake, thou that Jlcepcjt, and an fe from the dead. And, Thirdly, Explain the promife made to fnch as do and anjc ; Chrijl Jhall give, thee Light. (I.) i. And Awake thou that fleepeft. 31 (I.) 1. And firft, as to the fleepers here fpoken to. By fleep is fignified the natural (late oi man : that deep fleep of the foul into which the fin of Adam hath caft all who fpring from his loins ; that fupinenefs, indolence, and ftupidity, that infen- fibility of his real condition, wherein every man comes into the world, and continues till the voic of God awakes him. 2. Now " they that fleep, fleep in the night.'* The ftate of nature is a ftate of utter darknefs ; a ftate wherein " darknefs covers the earth, and gro-fs darknefs the people." The poor unawakened fin- ner, how much knowledge loever he may have as to other things, has no knowledge ot himfelf : in this refpei, " he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." He knows not that he is a fallen fpirir, whofe only bufmefs in the prefent world, is to re- cover from his fall, to regain that image of God wherein he was created. He fees no wcejjity for the one thing needful, even that inward, universal change, that birth from above (figured out by bap- tiftn) which is the beginning of that total renova- tion, that fanctification of fpirit, foul and body, " without which no man Hull fee the Lord." 3. Full of all difeafes as he is, he fain ies himfelf in perfcl health : fall bound in mifery and iron, he dreams that he is happy, and at liberty. He fays, pe^ce, peace, while the devil, " as a ihong man armed," is in tull polfeffion ot his foul. He fleeps on (till, and takes his re{^ though hell is moved from beneath to meet htm ; though the pit, from whence theie is no return, hath opened its mouth to fwallow ! .im up : a fire is kindled around him, yet he knoweth it not ; yea it burns him, yet he lays it not to heart. ^. By one who fleeps we are therefore to under- ftiind (and uouKl tu God we might all underfiand it!) A finnei fatisfied in his fins ; contented r o re- n; -in in his fallen Itate, to live and die without the image of God : ne who is ignorant both of his i r r dileafc 32 SERMON III. difeafe, and of the only remedy for it : one who never was warned, or never regarded the warning voice of God, " to flee from the wrath to come :" one that never yet faw he was in danger of hell- file, or cried out in the earneftnefs of his foul, ' What muft I do to be faved ?" 5. If this deeper be not outwardly vicious, liis fleep is ufually the deepeft of all : whether he be of the Laodicean fpirit, neither cold nor hot ; but a quiet, rational, inofft-nfive, good-natured profef- for of the religion of his fathers ; or whether he be zealous and orthodox, and " after the moft ftraiteft feft of our religion, live a Pharifee ; " that is, according to the fcriptural account, one that^'o/I tifies him/elf; one that labours to eftablijh his own righteoujnefs, as the ground of his acceptance with God. 6. This is he, who " having a form of godli- nefs, denies the power thereof ; " yea, and proba- bly reviles it, wherefoever it is found, as mere ex- travagance and delufion. Mean while the wretched felf-drceiver thanks God, that he " is not as other men are ; adulterers, unju/1, extortioners : " no, he doth no wrong to any man. He fajls twice in a week, ufes all the means of grace, is conftant at church and facrament : yea, and gives tythes of all that he has, does all the good that he can : touch' ing the righttoufnefs of the law, he is blamelejs : he wants nothing ot godlmefs but the power ; nothing of religion, but the fpirit; nothing of chriftianity, but the truth and the life. 7. But know ye not, that however highly efteem- ed, among men, Juch a Chriftian as this may be, he is an abomination in the light of God, and an heir of .very woe, which the Son of God, yefler- day, to-day, and tor ever, denounces againlt Scripts and Phanfits, Hypocrites ? He hath " made clean the outfide ol the cup and the platter," but within is full of all filthinefs. " An evil difeafe cleav t: ,h ftill unto him, fo that his inward parts arc very 3 wickednefs." Awake thou that fleepeft. 33 wickednefs." Our Lord fitly compares him to a painted fepulchre, which " appears beautiful with- out ; " but neverthelefs is " full of dead mens bones and of all uncleannefs." The bones indeed are no> longer dry ; the finews and flefh are come upon them, and the Ikin covers them above : but there is no breath in them, no fpirit of the living God. And " if any man have not the Spirit ot Chrift he is none of his. Ye are Chrift's, if fo be that the fpirit of God dwell in you." But if not, God knoweth that ye abide in death, even until now. 8. This is another character of the fleeper here fpoken to. He abides in death, though he knows it not. He is dead unto God, " dead in trefpafTes and fins." For, " to be carnally minded is death.'* Even as it is written, " By one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin : and fo death pai- red upon all men," not only temporal death, but likewife fpiritual and eternal. " In that day that thou eateit (faid God to Adam) Thou (halt fureljr die." Not bodily (unlefs as he then became mortal) but fpiritually : thou (halt lofe the life of thy foul ; thou (halt die to God ; /halt be feparated from him, thy effential life and happinefs. 9. Thus firft was diffolved the vital union of our foul with God : infomuch that in the midjt of na- tural life, we are now in fpiritual death. And herein we remain till the fecond Adam becomes a quickening fpirit to us, till he raifes the dead, the dead in fin, in pleafure, riches, or honours. But before any dead foul can live, he hears (hearkens to) the voice of the Son of God : he is made fen- fible of his loll eftate, and receives the fentence of death in himfelf. He knows himfelf to be " dead while he liveth," dead to God, and all the things of God : having no more power to perform the actions of a living Chriftian, than a dead body to peHoim the functions of a living man. 10. And moft certain it is, that one dead in fin, has not " fenfes exercifed to difcern fpiritual good and 34 S E R M O N III and eviJ." " Having eyes, he fees not, he hatli ears and hears not." He doth not " tafte and fee that the Lord is gracious " He " hath not feen God at any time, nor heard his voice, nor bandied the word of life." In vain is the name of Jefus *' like ointment poured forth, and all his garments fmell of myrrh, aloes, and caflia." The foul that fli epeth in death hath no perception of any objects of this kind. His heart is pajl fttling, and undec- ftandeth none of thefe things. 11. And hence, having no fpiritual fenfes, no inlets of fpiritual knowledge, the natural man re- ceiveth not the things ot the fphit of God ; nay, he is fo far from receiving them, that whatfoever is fpiritually diicerned is mere foolifhnefs unto him. He is not content with being utterly igno- rant of fpiritual things, but he denies the very exiftence of them. And fpititnal fenfation itfelf is to him, the foolifhnefs of folly. " How, faith he, can thefe things be ? " How can any man know, that he is alive to God ? Even as you know, that your body is now alive. Fai'h is the life of the foul : and if ye have this life abiding in yon, ye want no marks to evidence it to yourfelf, but that Sxi/pflK np/xio{, that divine confcioufnefs, that witne/s of God, which is more and greater than ten thoufand human witnefles. 12. If he doth not now bear w'unefs with thy fpirit, that thou art a child of God, O that he might convince thee, thou poor unawakened finner, by his demonftration and power, that thou art a child of the devil ! O that as I prophefy, there might now be " a noife and a fhaking," and may " the bones come together, bone to his bone ! " Then " come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe on theie flain, that they may live! And do not ye harden your hearts, and refift the Holy Ghoft, who even now is come to convince you of fin, " becaufe you believe not on the name of the only begotten Sou of God.'' (II.) i. Where- Awake thou that fleepeft. 35 (II.) i. Wherefore, " Awake thou that fleepeft, and anfe from the dead." God calleth thee now by my moiuth ; and bids thee know thyfelf, thou fallen fpirit, thy true flate and only concern below. " What meaneft thou, O fleeper ? Arife ! Call upon thy God, if fo be thy God will think upon thee, that thou perifh not." A mighty tempeft i* ftirred up round about thee, and thou art finking into the depths of perdition, the gulph of God's judgments. If thou wouldft efcape them, caft thy- felf into them. ' Judge thyfelf, and thou (halt not be judged of the Lord." 2. Awake, awake ! Stand up this moment, left thou " drink at the Lord's hand the cup of his fury." Stir up thyfelf " to lay hold on the L.ord, the Lord thy nghteoufnefs, mighty to fave ! Shake thyfelf from the duft." At leaft, let the earthquake of God's threatenings {hake thee. Awake and cry- out with the trembling gaoler, " What muft I do to be faved ? " And never reft, till thou believed on the Lord Jefus, with a faith which is his gift, by the operation of his fpirit. 3. If I fpeak to any one of you more than to another, it is to thee, who thinkeft thyfelf uncon- cerned in this exhortation. / have a mejfage from God unto thee. In his name I warn thee to Jlec Jrom the wrath to come. Thou unholy foul, fee thy piclure in condemned Peter, lying in the dark dungeon, between the foldiers, bound with two chains, the keepers before the door keeping the prifon. The night is far fpent, the morning is at hand, when thou art to be brought forth to execu- tion. And in thefe dread circumftances, thou art faft afleep ; thou art faft afleep in the devil's arms, on the brink of the pit, in the jaws of everlafting deftruftion. 4. O may the angel of the Lord come upon thee, and the light Ihine into thy prifon 1 And mayeft thou feel the ftroke of an almighty hand, zai/ing thee with, " Aiife up quickly, gird thyfeli and 36 SERMON III. and bind on thy fandals, caft thy garment about thee, and follow me." 5. Awake, thou everlafting fpirit, out of thy dream of worldly happinefs. Did not God create thee for himfelf? Then, thou canft not reft, till thou refteft in him. Return thou wanderer. Fly back to thy ark. This is not thy home. Think not of building tabernacles here. Thou art but a ftrang- er, a fojourner upon earth : a creature of a day, but juft launching out into an unchangeable ftate. Make hafte. Eternity is at hand. Eternity depends on this moment. An eternity of happinefs, or an eternity of mifery ! 6. In what ftate is thy foul ? Was God, while I am yet fpeaking, to require it of thee, art thou ready to meet death and judgment ? Canft thou fland in his fight, " who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity ? " Art thou " meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the faints in light?" Haft thou " fought a good fight and kept the faith ? " Haft thou fecured the one thing needful ? Haft thou recovered the image of God, even righteouf- nefs and tiue holinefs ? Haft thou put off the old man and put on the new ? Art thou clothed upon with Chriit ? 7. Haft thou oil in thy lamp ? Grace in thy beart ? Doft thou " love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy foul, and with all thy ftrength ? Is that mind in thee, which was alfo in Chrift Jefus ? " Art thou a Chriflian indeed ? That is, a new creature ? Are old things paft away, and all things become new ? 8. Art thou " a partaker of the divine nature ? Knoweft thou not, that Chrift is in thee, except thou be reprobate ? " Knoweft thou, that God '* dwellcth in thee, and thou in God, by his fpirit which he hath given thee ? " Knoweft thou not, that "thy body is a temple of the Holy Ghoft, which thou haft of God ? " Haft thou the witnefs in thyfelf ? The earneft of thine inheritance ? Ait thou " fealed by that fpiiit of promife, unto the day Awake thou that fleepeft. .37 day of redemption ? " Haft thou received the Holy Ghoft ? Or doft thou ftart at the queftion, not knowing whether there be any Holy Ghoft ? 9. If it offends thee, be thou allured, that thou neither art a Chriftian, nor defireft to be one. Nay, thy very prayer is turned into fin ; and thou haft folemnly mocked God this very day, by praying for the infpiration of his Holy Spirit, when thou didft not believe there was any fuch thing to be received. 10. Yet on the auihority of God's word and our own Church, I muft repeat the queftion, " Hail thou received the Holy Ghoft ? " It thou haft not, thou art not yet a Chriftian. For a Chriftian is a man, that is " anointed with the Holy Ghoft, and with power." Thou art not yet made a par- taker of pure religion and undefiled. Doft thou know what religion is ? That it is, a participation of the divine nature, the life of God in the foul of man : " Chrift formed in the heart, Chrift in thee, the hope of glory." Happinefs and holinefs ; hea- ven begun upon earth. " A kingdom of God within thee: not meat and drink," no outward thing: " but righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft ? " An everlafting kingdom brought into thy foul ; a " peace of God, that pafTeth all undeiftanding ; a joy unfpeakable and full of glory ? " 11. Knowcft thou, that " in Jefus Chrift, nei- ther circmncifion availeih any thing, nor uncitcum- cifion ; but faith that worketh by love ; " but a new creation ? Seeft thou the neceffity of that inward change, that fpiiitual biith, thaf life from the dead? That holinefs ? And art thou thoroughly convinced, that without it, no man fhail fee the Loid ? Art thou labouring after it ? " Giving all diligence, to make thy calling and eleclion fare? Working out thy full come unto us quickly, ami remove our candleft.ck out o-f its place, except we repent and do ihc firfl works;" unlefs we re- turn to 'he principles ot d and Bifhop of 'heir fouls."* g. So i he Chriftians ot old did. They labouied, having oppoitunily, t "to do good to all men," warning them to flee from the wrath to come ; now, row, to efcape the damnation of hell. They de- clared, j| " The times of ignorance God winked at; but now he calleth all men every v/here to repent." They cried aloud, " Turn ye, turn ye from your ruin. '' They H reafoned with them of temperance and nghteoufnefs, or juftice, of the virtues oppofite to their reigning fins, and of judgment to come, of the wrath ot God which would furely be executed on evil doers in that day when he ftyculd judge the woild. 4. They endeavoured herein to fpeak to every man fcverally as he had need. To the carelcfs, to thofe who lay unconcerned in darknefs and in the iliadow of death, they thundered, "Awake thou that fleepcll ; arife from the dead, and Chrift (hall give thet light: " but to thofe who weie already awakened out of fleep, and groaning under a fenfe of the wrath of God, their language was, " We have an Advo- cate with the Father; he is the Propitiation for our fins." Mean time thofe who had believed, they " provoked to love and to good works; to patient continuance in well-doing ; and to abound more and more in that holineis, without which no man can fee the Lor;!.''** A. And their labour was not in vain in the Lord. is word ran and was glorified. It grew mightily and prevailed. " But f > much the mote did offences prevail alfo. The world in general were offended, i i!e tiiey tt (lifted of it, that the works thereof evil. " tt The men of pleafuie were offended, not only bccaufe thefe men were made, as it were, to reprove their thoughts. ('' He profefltth, faid o have the knowledge of God : he calleth li.mfi-if he child of the Lord: his life is not like * i Pet. ii. 25. t Gal. vi. 10. |] Aflsxvii. 30. Ezek. xviii. 30. \ AtU xxiv. 25, ** Hcb. xii. 14. ft John vii. 7. other Scriptural Chriftianity. 53 other men's : his ways arc of another fafliion : he abftaineth from otir'ways, as from filthinefs : he maketh his boaft, that God is his Father."*) But much more, becaufe fo many ot their companions were taken away, and would no more run with them to the fame excefs of riot, t The men of reputation were offended, becaufe, as the gofpel fpread, they declined in the efteem of the people ; and b -nufe many no longer dared to give them flattering titles, or fo pay man the homage due to God only. The men of trade called one another together, and faid, " Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. But ye fee and hear that thefe men have perfuacled and turned away much people. So that this our craft is in danger to be fet at nought." Above all, the men of religion, fo called, the men of out" fide religion, "the faints of the world." were offended and re^dy at every opportunity to cry out, j| " Mere of Ifrael, help! we have tound thefe men ! Peftilent fellows, movers of feclition throughout the world. f Thefe are the men that teach all men, every where,, again ft the people, and agdinft the law." 6. Thus it was that the heavens grew black with clouds, and the dorm gathered amain. For the more Chriftianity fpread, the more hurt was done, in the account of thofe who received it not, and the number increafed of ihofe who were more and more enraged at thefe ** M^n who thus turned the world upfide down ; infomuch that they more and more cried out, Away wiih fuch fellows from the earth ; it is not fit that they fhould live, yea, and fincerely believed, that whofoevei mould kill them would do- God feivice. 7. Mean while they did not fail to if cafl out their name as evil : fo that this |||| " feel: w.is every where fpoken againft." 5? Men faid all manner of evil of them, even as had been done of the Prophets that were before them. And whatfoever * Wifd. i. 13, 14, 15, 19. t i Pet. iv. 4. Aftsxix- * 5 , &c. jAfoxxiv. 5. lAasxxi. 28. **AQsxvii. 6r it Luke vi. 22. |jj Als xxxviii. as. 15 Ma it. v. n. . 3 any 54 SERMON IV. any would affirm, others would believe. Sothtt offences grew as the flars of heaven for raultiiude. And hence arofe, at the time fore- ordained of the Father, perfccution in all its forms. Some, tor a feafon, fufFered only fhame and rvproach ; fome, *' the fpoiling ol their goods ; fome had trials of mocking and fcourging, fome of bonds and impri- fonmcnt ; and others refilled unto blood."* 8. Now it was that the pillars of hell were fhaken, and (he kingdom of God fpread more and more. Sinners were every where " turned from daiknefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." He gave his children, " fuch a mouth, and fuch wifdom, as all their adverfaries could not refill." And their lives were of equal force with their words. But above all, their fufferings fpake to all the world. They " approved themfelves the fervants of God, in afflictions, in necefluies ; in diflrefTes ; in flripes, in imprifonments, in tumults, in labours; in perils in the fea, in perils in the wildernefs; in wearinefs and painfulnefs, in hunger and in thirft, in cold and nakednefs." t And when having fought the good fight, they were led ai fheep to the (laughter, and offered up on the facrifice and fervice of their faith, then the blood of each found a voice, and the heathen owned, He being dead, yet Jpeaketh. 9. Thus did ChrifHanity fpread itlelr in the earth. But how foon did the tares appear with the wheat ? And the myjlery of iniquity work as well as the my fiery of god line/ s ! How 'foon did Satan find a feat, even in the ttmplc of God ! " Till the woman fU'd in the wildernels, and the faithful were again ininilhed from the children of men." Here we tread a beaten path : the ftill increafing corruptions of the fuccceding generations, have been largely dtfctibcd from time to time, by thofe witnelfcsGod raifcd up, to {hew that he had " built his Chuich upon a Rock, and the gates of hell fhould not wholly prevail againfl her."J * Heb. x, 34. xi 37, &c. t 2 Cor. vi. 4, &c. $ Mat. xv i. 18. III. i. But Scriptural Chriftianity. $5 III. i. But (hall we not fee greater things than thele ? Yea, greater than have been yet from the beginning of the world. Can Satan caufe the truth of God to fail, or his promifes to be of none effeft ? If not, the time will come, when Chriftianity will prevail over all, and cover the earth. Let us Hand a little, and furvey (the third thing which was pro- pofcd) this ftrange fight, a Chnflian world. " Of this the Prophets of old enquired and fearched dili- gently : * of this the fpirit which was in them tefli- fied, It (hall come to pafs in the laft d ys. that the mountain of the Lord's houfe (hall be eftabiHhed in the top of the mountains, and (hall be exalted above the hills, and all nations (hall flow unto it. And they fhall beat their fwords into plough-fhares, and their fpears into pruning-hooks. Nation fhall not lift up fword againil nation; neither (hall they learn war any tnore.t In that day there (hall be a Root of Jefle, which (hall ftand for an Enfign of the people. To it mall the Gentiles feek, and his reft (hall be glorious. And it (hall come to pafs in that day, that the Lord (hall fet his hand again to re- cover the remnant of his people ; and he (hall fet up an Enfign for the nations, and fhall aiTeinble the outcafts of Ifrael, and gather together the difperfed of Judah, from the four come; s of the earth. The wolf (hall then dwell with the lamb, and ihe leopard (hall lie down with the kid : r.nd the calf and the young lion and the falling together ; and a liitle child (hall lead them. They (hall not hurt nor de- ihoy, faith the Lord, in all my holy mountain. For the earth (hall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea." (j 2. To the fame efflft are the words of the great Apoftle, which it is evident ruve never yet been fulfilled. " Hath God caft awav his people? God. ioibid. But thrrugh their fall Ci)v,,tion is come to the Gentiles. And if the diminilhing of them be * l Pet. i. JO, 11, &c. t Tfa. ii. 2, 4. 4 Ifa. xi. 10. n, 12. || Ifa. xi. 6. 3. the 5 6 S' E R M O N IV. the riches of. the Gentiles, how much more their fulnefs ? For I would not, brethren, that ye fhould be ignorant of this my fiery, That blindnefs in part is happened to Ifrael, until the fulnefs of the Gen- tiles be come in : and fo all Ifrael (hall be faved."* 3.- Suppofe now the fulnefs of time to be come, and the prophecies to be accomplifhcd, What a profpel is this ? All is peace, quietnefs, and ajfu- rance for ever. Here is no din ot arms, no con- Juf~d noi/e, no garments rolled in blood. Deftruc- tions are come to a perpetual end : wars are ceafed from the earth. Neither are there any inteiline jars remaining ; no brother rifing up again/1 brother ; no country or city divided ag-mift itfelf, and tearing out its own bowels. Civil difcord is at an end tor evermore, and none is left either to deftroy or hurt his neighbour. Here is no oppreffion to make everr the wife man mad ; no extortion to grind the face of the poor ; no robbery or wrong; no rapine or in- juftice ; for all are content with fuck things as the\ pojjejs. Thus rightcoufiiefs and peace have kijjrd each other ; ~r they have taken root and filled the: land : righteoufnefs flourifhing out of the earth, and peace looking down from heaven. 4. And with righteoufnefs or juftice, mercy is alfo found. The earth is no longer full of cruel habitations. The Lord hath deftroyed both the blood-thirfty and malicious, the envious and re- vengeful man. Were there aiiy provocation, there is none that now knoweth 10 return evil for evil : but indeed there is none doth evil, no not one ; for ail-are harmlefs as doves. And being filled with peace and joy in believing, and united in one body, by one f|-c are to (hew forth unto us the Lord our Governor. Are all the thoughts of your hearts, all your tempers and de- fires, fuittble to your high calling ? Are all your words like unto thofe which come out of the mouth 6 o S E R M O N IV. inouth of Gorl ? Is tin re, in all your aflions, dignity and love ? A gieatnefs which words can- not exprel.s, which can fl w only from an heart full ot G arid yet confident with the character of " Man tL.t is a worm, and the fon of man that is a wo.m !" 6. Ye venerable men, who are more efpecially c;;V <\ to form t e tender minds of youth, to dii- pe! thence the (hades of ignorance and error, and train them up to be wife unto falvation, Are you filed with (he Holy Ghojl ? With all thefe/raifc of the Spirit, which your important office fo indif- penfibly requites ? Is your heart whole with God ? Full of love and zeal to fet up his kingdom ort earth ? Do you continually remind thofe under your care, that the one rational end of all our Itudies, is to know, love, and ferve " the only true God, and Jefus Chrill whom he hath fent ?" Do you incuica'e upon them, day by day, that love alone never faileth ? (Whereas, whether there be tongues, they fhall fail, or philosophical know. ledge, it ihall vanifh away :) an that without love, all learning is but fplendid ignorance, pompous folly, vexation ot fpiiit. Has all you t ach an' aclual tendency to tl/ love of God, and of all man- kind for his fake ? Have you an eye to this end in whatever you piefcribe, touching the kind, the manner, and the meafuie of their ftudies ; de- firing and labouring, th.a wherever the lot of thefe youn^ (oldieis ol Chi ill is caft, they may be fo many " burning and fhining lights, adorning the gofpel ot Chriilin all things?" And permit me to afk, Do you put foith all your ftrength in the vaft work you have u-idei taken f Do you labour herein with all youi might ? Exerting every faculty of your foul ? Ufing every talent which God hath lent you, ai:d that to the utiermoft of your power ? 7. Let it not be faid, that I fpeak here, as if all under your care were intended to be Clergymen. Not fo : I only fpeak as if they were all intended to Scriptural Chriftianity. 91 to he Chriftians. But what example is fet them by us who enjoy the beneficence of our forefathers ? by Fellows, Students, Scholars ; more efpecially thofe who are of fome rank and eminence ? Do ye, brethren, abound in the fruits of the Spirit, in low- linefs of mind, in felf-denial and mortification, in ferioufnefs and compofure of fpirit, in patience, meeknefs, fobriety, temperance; and in unwearied, reftlefs endeavours, to do good, in every kind, unto all men ; to relieve their outward wants, and to bring their fouls to the true knowledge and love of God ? Is this the general character of Fellows of Colleges ? I fear it is not. Rather, have not pride and haughtinefs of fpirit, impatience and peevifhnefs, floth and indolence, gluttony and fen- fuality, and even a proverbial ufelefTnefs, been objected to us, perhaps not always by our enemies, nor wholly without ground ? O that God would roll away this reproach from us, that the very memory of it might perim forever ! 8. Many of us are more immediately confe- Crated to God, called to minifter in holy things. Are we then patterns to the reft, " in word, in con- verfation, in charity : in fpirit, in faith, in purity ?*" Is there written on our forehead and on our heart, " Holinefs to the Lord ?" For what motives did we enter upon this office ? Was it indeed with a fmgle eye " to ferve God, trufting that we were inwardly moved by the Holy Ghofl., to take upon us this miniftration, for the promoting of his glory, and the edifying of his people ?" And have we *' clearly determined, by God's grace, to give our- felves wholly to this Office ? Do we ibrfake and fet afide, as much as in us lies, all worldly cares an;l fludies ? Do we apply ourfelves wholly to this one thing, and draw all our cares and fludies this way ?" Are we apt to teach ? Are we taught of God, that we may be able to teach others alfo ? 'Do we know God ? Do we know Jefus Chnft ? VOL. I. F Hath. I Tim, ir. it* oa S E R M O N IV. Hath " God revealed his Son in us ?" And hath he " made us able Minifters of the new Covenant ?" Where then are the " feals of our Apoftlelhip ?" \Vho that were dead in trefpaffes and fin, have been quickened by our word ? Have we a binning zeal to fave fouls Irom death, fo that for their fake we often forget even to e-t our bread? Do we fpeak plain, " by manifeflation of the truth, corn- mending ouifelvcs to every man's confcience in the fight of God ? "* Aie we dead to ,the world and the things of the world, " laying up all our trea- fure in heaven ?" Do we lord over God's heritage ? Or are we the lea ft, the fervants of all ? When we bear the reproach of Chrift does it fit heavy upon us ? Or do we rejoice therein ? When we are fmitten on the one cheek, Do we refent it ? Are we impatient of affronts ? Or do we turn the other alfo ; not refilling the evil, but overcoming evil with good ? Have we a bitter zeal, inciting us to drive fhaiply and paflionately with them that are out of the way ? Or is our zeal the flame of love, fo as to direcl: all our words with fwcetnefs, lowlinefs, and meeknefs of wifdom ? 9. Once more, What (hall we fay concerning the youth of this place ? Have you either the form or the power of Chriflian godlinefs ? Are you hum- ble, teachable, advifeable : or flubborn, felf-willed, heady, and high-minded ? Are you obedient to your fupeiiors as to parents ? Or do you defpife thofe to whom you owe the tendered reverence? Are you diligent in your eafy bufinefs, purfuing your flu-lies with all your ftrength ? Do you re- deem the time, crowding as much work into every day as it can contain ? Rather, are ye not con- fc.ous to vourfelves, that you wade away day after day, either in reading what has no tendency to Chriftianity, or in gaming, or in vou know not what ? A>e you belter managers of your fortune of your time ? Do you, out of principle, * Cor. it. > Hkc Scriptural Chriftianity. 93 take care to owe no man any thing ? Do you " re- member the Sabbath-day to keep it holy ;" to fpend it in the more immediate worfhip of God ? When you are in his houfe, Do you confider that God is there ? Do you behave, " as feeing him that is invifible ?" Do you know how to " po fiefs your bodies, in fanclification and honour ?" Are not drunkennefs and uncleannefsfoundamongyou? Yea, are there not a multitude of you who " glory in their fhame?" Do not many ot you " take the name of God in vain, perhaps habi'ually, without either remorfe or ferir ? Yea, are there not a multitude of you that are forfworn ? I fear, a fwiftly-increafing multitude. Be not furprifed, brethren. Before God and this congregation, 1 own myfelf to have -.. been of the number ; folemnly f wear ing to ob-> ferve a'l thofe cufloms, which I then knew no- thing of ; and thofe ftatutes, which I did not fo- much as read over, either then, or tor fome years after. What is perjury, if this is not? But if it be, O what a weight of fin, yea, fin of no com- mon dye, .lieth upon us ! And doth not the MoU High regard it ? 10. May it not be one of the confequences of this, that fo many of you are a generation of ti iflers ; triflers with God, with one another, an'l with your own fouls ? For how few of you fpend from one week to another, a finale hour in private prayer ? How few have any thought of God in the general tenor ot your converlation ? Who of you is, in any degree, acqua ; med with the work of his Spirit, his fupernatur-al work in the fouls of men ? Can you bear, unlefs now and then, in a Church, any talk of the Holy Spirit ? Would you not take it for granted, if one beiran fuch a converfa:ion, that it was either Hypocrify, or Enthufiaf u ? In the name of the Lord God Almighty, I afk, What Religion are you of ? Even the talk of Chiiftianity, ye can- not, will not bear. O my brethren ! What a F a Chriftian 94 S E R M O N IV. Christian city is this ? " It is time for thee, Lord, to lay to thine hand !" 11. For indeed, what probability, what poflibility rather, (fpeaking after the manner of men) is there that Chriflianity, Scriptural Christianity, mould b again the religion of this place ? That all orders cf men among us mould fpeak and live as men, " filled with the Holy Spirit ?" By whom Should this Chriftianity be reftored ? By thofe of you that are in authority ? Are you convinced then that this is Scriptural Chriflianity ? Are you defirous it fhould he reftored ? And do ye not count your fortune, liberty, life, dear unto yourfelvcs, fo ye may be inilrumental in the refloring of it ? But fuppofe ye have this defiie, who hath any power propor- tioned to the eflefl? Perhaps foine of you have r,vck a few faint attempts, but with how fmall fuccefs ? Shall Chriflianity then be reftored by young, unknown, inconfiderable men ? I know not whether ye yourfelves could fuffer it. Would not fome of you cry out, " Young man, in fo do- ing thou reproacheft us ?" But there is no danger of your being put to the proof; fo hath iniquity oveifpread us like a flood. Whom then Shall God fend ? The famine, the peflilence, (the laft Mef- fengers of God to a guilty land) or the fwoid ? The armies of the Romifh Aliens to reform us into our firSt love ? Nay, " rather let us {all into thy hand, O Lord, and let us not fall into the hand of man." Lord, fave or we perifh ? Take us out of the mire that we fink not ! O help us againft thefe enemies J for vain is the help of man. Unto thee all things are poffible. According to the greatnefs of thy power, piefetve thou thofe that are appointed to die ; and prcferve us in the manner that fcerneft to thee good ; not as we will, but as thou wilt. Justification C 95 ] yvwvv^^ Juftification by Faith, A SERMON, On ROMANS iv. 5. " To him that worketh not, but believcth on htrQ " that juftifieth the Ungodly, his Faith is counted- " to him for Righteoufneis." i. T TOW a finner may be juftified before God jLJL the Lord and Judge of all, is a queftion of no common importance, to every child of man. It contains the foundation of all our hope ; in as much as while we are at enmity wish God, there can be no true peace, no folid joy, either in time or in eternity. What peace can there be, while our own heart condemns us ? And much more, He that is " greater than our heart and knoweth all things ?" What folid joy, either in this world or that to come, while " the wrath of God abideth on us ?" 2. And yet how little hath this important queftion been underftood ? What confufed notions have many had concerning it ? Indeed not only confufed, but often utterly falfe ; contrary to the truth, as light to darknefs : notions abfolutely inconfiftent with the Oracles of God, and with the whole ana- logy of Faith. And hence, erring conceining the very foundation, they could not poffibly build there- on : at leaft, not gold, Jilver, or precious Jlones\ which would endure when tried as by fire ; but only hay and Jlubble, neither acceptable to God, nor profitable to man; 3. In order to do juftice, as far as in me lies, to the vaft importance of ihe fubjeft, to fave thofe that feek the truth in fincerity, from vain jangling- and jtrife of words, to clear the confuiednels oi" thought, into which fo many have already been led thereby, and to give them true and juit conceptions F 3 of 9 G S E R M O N V. of this great myficry of godlinefs, I fhall endeavoOT; to fhew, Firft, What is the general ground of this whole Doctrine of Juftification. Secondly, What Juftification is. Thirdly, Who they are that are juftified. And* Fourthly, On what Terms they are juftified, . I. I am firft, to fhevv, What is the general ground of this whole Doctrine of Juftification. 1. In the image of God was man made only as hethat created him is holy ; merciful as the Author of all is merciful, perfect as his Father in heaven is perfect. As God is love, fo man dwelling in love, dwelt in God, and God in him. God made him to be an image of his own eternity, an incor- ruptible picture of the God of glory. He was ac- cordingly pure, as God is pure, from every fpot of fin. He knew not evil in any kind or degree, but was inwardly and outwardly finlefs and undefiled. He " loved the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his mind, and foul, and ftrength." 2. To man thus upright and perfect, God gave a perfect law, to which he required full and perfect obedience. He required full obedience in every point, and this to be performed without any inter- miflion, from the moment man became a living foul, till the time of his trial fhould be ended. No allow- ance was made for any falling fhort. As indeed there was no need of any ; man being altogether equal to the tafk afiigned, and thoroughly lurnifhed for every good word and work. 3. To the entire law of love which was written in his heart (againft which perhaps he could not fin directly) it feemed good to the fovcreign wifdom of God, to fupeiadd one pofitive law : " Thou (halt not eat of the fruit of the tree that groweth in the Hiidft of the garden," annexing thut penalty thereto-, In the day thou eateit thereof, thoj fhalt furely means imply, that God judges concerning us, con- trary to the real nature of things : that he efteems us better than we really are, or believes us righteous, when we are unrighteous. Surely no. The judg- ment of the all-wife God, is always according to truth. Neither can it ever confift with his unerring wifiiom, to think that I am innocent, to judge thot I am righteous or holy, becaufe another is fo. He cnn no more in this manner confound me with Chrift, than with David or Abraham. Let any man to whom God hath given understanding, weigh this without prejudice : and he cannot but perceive, that fuch a notion of Ju unification, is neither reconcilca- ble to Reafon or Scripture. 5. The plain fcriptural notion of Juftification is pardon, the forgive nefs of fins. It is that aft of God the Father, whereby fur the fake of the P;O- piiiation made by the blood of his S^n, he " Ihew- eth forth his righteoufnefs (or mercy) by the remif- fion of the fins that are pad." This is the e-ify, natural account of it given by St. Paul, through- out this whole Epiftle. Soheexpln'ns it himlelF, more particularly in this, and in the following chap- ter. Thus in the next verfes but one to the text, *' BlefTed are they, faith he, whofe iniquities are forgiven, and whofe fins are covered : bleifed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute fin." To him that is juflified or forgiven, God will not im- pute fin to liis condemnation. He will not con- demn him on that account, either in this world or in that which is to come. His fins, all his part fins, in thouoht, word and deed, are covered, are blotted out: lhall not be remembered or mentioned againft him, any more than if they had not been. God will not inflift on that finner what he deferred to fuffer, becaufe the Son of his love hath flittered for him. And from the time we are accepted through the Beloved ', reconciled to God throvgh his blood* he Juftification by Faith. 101 he loves and blefles and watches over us for good, even as if we had never finned. Indeed the Apoftle in one place feems to extend the meaning of the word much farther ; where he fays, " Not the hearers of the Law, but the doers of the Law (hall be juftified." Here he appears to refer our Juftification, to the fentence of the great day. And fo our Lord himfelf unqueftionably doth, when he fays, " By thy words thou flialt be jufti- fied :~" proving thereby, that for " every idle word men (hall fpeak, they (hall give an account in the day of judgment." But perhaps we can hardly pro- duce another inftance, of St. Paul's ufing the word in that diftant fenfe. In the general tenor of his writings, it is evident he doth not. And le^ft of all in the text before us, which undeniably fpeaks, not of thofe who have already finijhed thdr courje, but of thofe who are now jiift'^nf/tW out, juft be* ginning to run the race which is Jet before them. III. i. But this is the third thing which was to be confidered, namely, who are they that are jufti- fied ? And the Apoftle tells us exprefsly, the un- godly: t He, that is, God, juftifieth the ungodly:'* the ungodly of every kind and degree, and none but the ungodly. As " they that are righteous need no repentance," fo theyjneed no forgivenefs. It is only finners that have any occafion for pardon : it is fin alone which admits of being forgiven. For- givenefs therefore has an immediate reference to fin, and (in this refpeft) to nothing elfe. It is our unrighteoufnefs to which the pardoning God is merciful ; it is our iniquity which he remem^ brdh no more. t. This feems not to be at all confidered by thofy who fo vehemently contend, that a man muft b fanftified, that is, holy, before he can be juftified { efpecially by fuch of them as affirm, that univer- fal Holinefs or Obedience muft precede Juftifi. cation (unlefs they mean, that Juftification at tho bft day, which ia wholly out of the prcfent quef* tionj 102 SERMON V. tion) fo far from it, that the very fuppofition, is not only flatly impoflible (for where there is no love of God, there is no holinefs ; and there is no love of God, but from a fenfe of his loving us, but alfo grofsly, intrinfically abfurd, con- tradidlory to itfelf. For it is not a Saint but a Sinner that is forgiven, and under the notion of a (inner. God jujlifietk not the godly, but the un- godly; not thofe that are holy already, but the unholy. Upon what condition he doth this, will be confidered quickly : but whatever it is, it can- not be holinefs. To aflert this, is to fay, the Lamb of God takes away, only thofe fins which were taken away before. 3. Does then the good Shepherd feek and fave only thofe that are found already ? No. He feeks and faves that which is loll. He pardons thofe who need his pardoning mercy. He faves from the guilt of fin (and at the fame time from the power) finners of every kind, of every degree : men who till then were iltogcther ungodly ; in whom the love of the Father was not ; and con- fequently, in whom dwelt no good thing, no good or truly Chriflian temper : but all fuch as were evil and abominable, pride, anger, love of the tvorld, the genuine fruits of that carnal mind which enmity again/I God. 4. Thefe who are fick, the burden of whofc fins is intolerable, are they that need a Phyfician ; thefe who are guilty, who groan under the wrath of God, are they that need a pardon. TheFe who are condemned already, not only by God, but alfo by their own confcience, as by a thoufand wit- nefles, of all their ungodlinefs, both in thought and word and work, cry aloud for him that jujlijietk the ungadly t through the redemption that is in Je/us: the ungodly and him that worketh not ; that worketh not before he is juftified; any thing that is good, that is truly virtuous or holy, but only evil con- tinually. For bis heart it neceflarily, eflentialh/ evil, Juflification by Faith." 73 evil till the love of God is ihed abroad therein. And while the tree is corrupt, fb are the fruits ; " for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit." 5. It it be objected, " Nay, but a m^n, b< fore he is juftiried, may feed the hungry, orclohethe naked; and thefe are good works :" the anfwet is eafy. He may do thofe, even before he is juftified'. And thefe are, in one fenfe, good works; they are good and unprofitable to men. But it does. not follow, that they are, flri&ly fpeakiug, good la themfelves, or good in the fight of God. Ail truly good works (to ufe the words of ou; Church) follow after Juflification. And they are therefore good and acceptable to God in C/iri/t, becauic they Jpring out of a true and living faith. By a- parity of Reafon, all works done bejore Ju/HJu alien, are ?wf good, in the Chriftian fenfe* fprajmuch as they faring not of faith in Jcfus Chnjt (though often trom fome kind of faith in God they may fpiing) " yea, rather, for they are not done, as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not (how flrange foever it may appear to fomej but they have the nature of fin." 6. Perhaps thofe who doubt of this, hive no! duly confidered the weighty reafon which is here afligned, why no works done before Juflification, can be truly and properly good. The Argument plainly runs thus : No Works are good which are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done : But no Works done before Juflification are done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done : Therefore no Works done befqre Juflificatioa are good. The fir ft Propofition is felf-evident. And the fec-ond, That no Works done before Juflification, are done as God hath willed and commanded ihem to be done, will appear equally plain and undeni- able, if we only cuufider God hath will, VOL. I. G com. 74 S E R M O N V. commanded, that all our works fhould be done, in charity, ( ! yxmi> ) in love, in that love to God which produces love to all mankind. But none of our works can be done in this love, while the love of the Father (of God as our Father) is not in us. And this love cannot be in us, till \ve receive the 44 Spirit of Adoption, crying in our heaits, Abba, Father." If therefore God doth not ju/lify the ungodly, and him that (in this fenfe) worhet'h not, then hath Chrift died in vain; then nuwuh- ftanding his death, can no flefh living be juftified. IV. i. But on what terms then is he juftified, who is altogether ungodly, and till that time, zccrk- eth not ? On one alone, which is Faith, He " be- lieveth in him that juflifieth the ungodly." And " he that believeth is not condemned : yea, he is pafled from death unio life." " For the righteouf- nefs (or mercy) of God is by Faith of Jefus Chrift, unto all and upon all them that believe : whom God hath fent forth for a Propitiation, through faith in his blood : that he might be juft, and (confiftently with his juftice) the Juftifier of him which believeth in Jefus : therefoie we con- clude, that a man is juflihed by Faith, without the deeds of the law:" without previous obedience to the Moral Law, which indeed he could not till now perform. That it is the Moral Law, and that alone which is here intended, appears evidently from the words that follow. " Do we then make void the Law through Faith ? God forbid ! Yea, we efta- bliih the Law." What Law do we eitablifh by Faith ? Not the Ritual Law : not the Ceremonial Law of Mofes. In no wife ; but the great un- changeable law of Love, the holy love of God and of our neighbour. 2, Faith in general is, a divine, fupernatural fts/X<*. evidence or conviftion of things not feen, nor difcoverable by our bodily fenfcs, as being either pad, future, or fpiritual. Juflifying faith implies, not only a divine evidence or conviction, that Juftification by Faith. 75 that " God was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himfelt," but a fure truft and confidence, that Chrifr died for my fins, that he loved me and gave himfrlf for me. And at what time foever a firmer thus believes, be it in earl}' chiid'uood, in the ftrength or' his years, or when he is old and hoary-haired, God juft.ifieth that ungodly one: God for the fake ot his Son, pardoneth and ab- iolveth him, who had in him till then no good thing. Repentance indeed God hath given him IK- fore ; but that repentance was neither more nor lefs, than a deep fenfe of the want of all good, and the prefencr of all evil. And whatever good he hath or doth from tlut hour, when he firfi be- lieves in God through Chrifr, Faith, does not find, but bring. This is the fruit of Faith. Fiifl the tree is good, and then the fiuit is good ,ilfo. 3. I cannot defcribe the n.riure of this Faith bet- ter, than in the words of our own Church. " The only infiiurnem of falvation" (whereof Juflifica- lion is one branch) " is Faith : that is, a lure truft. and confidence, that God both hath and will for- give our fms, (hat he hath accepted us again into his favoui, for the merits of Chrift's death and padion, But here we muft take heed that we do not halt with God, through an inconftant,. waver- ing Faith. Peter coming to Chrift upon the water, becaufe he fainted in Faith, was in danger of drown- ing. So we, it we begin to waver or doubt, it is to be feared, that we fliould fink as Peter did, not into the water, but into the bottomlefs pit of ikll-fiie.'*' Second Sermon on the Paffion. " There- fore have a fure and conftant Faith, not only that the death of Chrift is available for all the world, but that he hath made a full and fufEciem facrifice for thee, a perfeft cleanfing of thy fins, fo that thou may eft fay with the Apoftle, he loved thcf and gave bimfelf' for thee. For this is to make Chrift tkine own, and to apply his merits unto thy-- Jeff" Sermon on the Sacrament, fuft Part. G 2 4. By 76 S E R M O N V. /}. By affirming that this Faith is the term or Con" dition of Juflification, I mean, firft, that there is no Jufiification without it. " He that believeth not is condemned already;" and fo long as he believeth not, that condemnation cannot be re- moved, but the wrath of God abideth on kirn. As " there is no other name given under heaven than that of Jefus of Nazareth," no other merit whereby a condemned finner can ever be fated from the guilt ot fin ; fo there is no other way of obtaining a (hare of his merit, than by Faith in his name. So that as long as we are without this Faith, we are " flrangers to the Covenant of promife, we are aliens from the common-wealth of Ifrael, and without God in the world." Whatfoever virtues (fo called) a man may have, I fpeak of thofe unto whom the gofpel is preached ; for "what have I to do to judge them that are without?" Whatfo- evcr <>ood woiks (fo accounted) he nuy do, it pu/fiteth not; he is ftiil a child of wrath, ftill un- der -hr cuife, till he believes in Jefus. 5. Faith theiefore is the nectffary condition of Jultification. Yea, and the only ncceffary con- dition thereof. This is the fecond po ; nt caiefully to he obftrved ; that the very moment God givetu Faith (for it is the gift of God) to the ungodly, that workfth not, that Faitk is counted to him J or righteoufitfjs. He hath no righteoufnefs at al), aniecedem to this, not fo much as negative righ- teoufneJs or innocence. But Faith zs imputed te him for righteoufnefs, the very moment that he believeth. Not that God (as was obferved before) thinketh him to be, what he is not. But as he made Chn/i to tie a fin- offering for us, that is, treated him as a fmner, puiuihed him for our fins, fo he counteth us righteous, from the time we believe in him : that is, he doth not punifb us for cur fins, yea, treats us as though we were guiltlefs and righteous. 6. Surely Justification by faith. 77 6. Surely the diffrctrlty of afleming to ihe-.ppo- pofition, That Faith is the only condition of Jufli- fkation, *muft arife from not underitandiug it. We mean thereby thus much, That it is the only thin^ without which no one is juftihecl ; the only thing ;hjt is immediately, indifpenfably, abfolutely requifite in order to pardon. As on the one hand, though a man fhould have every thing elfe, with- out Faith, yet he cannot be juftified; fo on the other, though he be fuppofed to w.nit every thing elfe, yet if he hath Faith, he caTinot but be juftified. For fuppofe a finner of any kind or degree, in a full fenfe of his total ungodlinefs, of his utter inability to think, fpe..k, or do good, and his abfo- lute mcetnefs for helil-fire : -fuppofe, I Ly, this finner, helplefs and hopeleds., calls himfulf wholly on the mercy of God in Chrifl (which indeed he Gannot do but by the grace of God) who can doubt,' but he is forgiven in that moment ? Who will affirm, that any more is indifpenfably rtqidnid, be- lore that finner can be juflified ? Now if there ever was one fuch inflancfc from the beginning of the world.. (And have there not been, and are there nest ten thoufand times tea thousand ?) it plainly follows, that Faith is, in the above fenfe, the fole condition of Juftification. 7. It does not become poor, guilty, fitiful worms, who receive whaitbever bieilings they enjoy, (from the leaft drop of water that cools out tongue, to the inirnenfe riches of glory iin eternity) ol grace, ef mere favour, and not of debt, to aik of God the reafons of his conduit. It is not meet far uj to call him in queft'.on, " who giveth accoant fo Done of his ways ;" to demand, Why didft tlu;u uiake Faith the condition, the only condition oi" Jollification ? Wherefore didft thou decree, He that beiievfth, and he on\y,Jhall be favtd? This ifs the very point on which St. Paul fo ftmngly in- fifts in the nimh chapter of his Epiftle^ vi-z. That G 3 the ;8 S E R M O N V. the terms of pardon and acceptance muft depend, not on us, but on him that calleth us : that there is no unrighteoufnefs with God, in fixing his own terms, not acccording to ours, but his own good pleafure : who may juflly fay, " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy," namely, on him who believeth in Jefus. So then it is not of him. that willeth, or of him that runneth, to caufe the condition on which he fhall find acceptance ; but of God that Jherveth mercy, that accepteth none at all, but of his own free love, his unmerited goodnefs. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, viz. on- thofe who believe on the Son of his love : and whom he will, that is, thofe who believe not, he hardentth, leaves at laft to the hardnefs of their hearts. 8. One reafon, however, we may humbly con- ceive, of God's fixing this condition of Juflifica- tion, if thou believeft in the Lord Jefus Chrill thou (halt be faved," was to hide pride from man. Pride had already deflroyed the Angels of God, had caft down a third part of the Jlars of heaven. It was likewife in great meafure owing to this, when the Tempter laid, Ye /hall be as Gods, that Adam fell from his own fledfaftnefs, and brought fin and death into the world. It was therefore an, inftance of wifdom worthy of God, to appoint fuch a condition of reconciliation, for him and all hispoflerity, as might effectually humble, might abafe them to the duft. And fuch is Faith. It is pecu- liarly fitted for this end. For he that comeih unto God by this Faith, muft fix his eye fingly on his own wickednefs, on his guilt and helplefToefs, without having the leaft regard to any fuppofed good, in himfelf to any virtue or righteoufm-fs w.hatfoever. He muft: come as a mere finner in- wardly and outwardly, fejl-deflroyed and {elf-con- demned, bringing nothing. o God but ungodlinefs only, pleading nothing of his own but fin and mifery. Juftification by Faith. 79 Hlifery. Thus it is, and thus alone, when hi* mouth is Jlopped, and he (buds utterly guilty before God, that he can look unto Jrfus, as the whole and fole Propitiation for his /ins. Thus only can he be found in him, and receive the rightcoufncfs which is of God by Faith. 9 Thou ungodly one, who heareft or readeft thefe words, thou vile, helplefs, miferable (inner, I charge thee before God the Judge of all, go ftrait unto him, with all thy ungodlinefs. Take heed thou deihoy not thine own foul by pleading thy righteoufnefs, more or lefs. Go as altogether ungodly, guilty, loft, deftroyed, deferving and dropping into hell : and thou (halt then find favour in his fight, and know that he juftifieth the un- godly. As fuch thou (halt be brought unto the blood offprinkling, as an undone, helplefs, damned (inner. Thus look unto Jtfus I There is the Lamb of God t who taktth away thy jins ! Plead thou no works, no rigrueoufnefs of thine own ! No humility, contrition, fincerity. In no wife. That were, in very deed, to deny the Lord that bought thee. No. Plead thou fingly, the blood of the Covenant, the ranfom paid tor thy proud, ftub- born, finful foul. Who art thou, that now feefi and feeleft both thine inward and outward ungod- linefs ? Thou art the man! I want thee for my Lord. I challenge thee for a child of God by Faith. The Lord hath need of thee. Thou who fteleft thou art juft fit for hell, art juft fit to advance his glory : the glory of his free grace, jufti- fying the ungodly and him that worketh not. O come quickly i Believe in the Lord Jefus : and. thou> even thou art reconciled to God. The Rigiiteoufnefs of Faith, A S R M O N. ROMANS X. 5, 6, 7, 8. " Mofes (Je f cribcth 'he Rio tpoif;iefs which is of " the Law Til** the man \\hkh doeth thofe 11 Things fh 11 I've t>\ them. * But th- R ghieonin. > which is of Faith fpeaketh " n i- wife ; S-ay hot in tliine heart, Who "a 1 all 'nd into Heaven ? that is, 10 bring " C i!' <) u'-n from above : " O . Who (hall defcerhi into he I>eep ? that is, to ;ii-ii Believe and thou (halt be faved ; now faved both horn the guilt and power of fin, and, of confe- qucnce, from the wages of it. 4, And how many are equally ignorant now, even ;:mong thofe who are called by the name of Chrift ? How many who have now a zeal fcr God t yet have it not according to knowledge: but are itiil Jtc/ang to ejiablijh their own rightcoujnefi, as the ground of their pardon and acceptance ; and theiefore vehemently refufe to fubmit thcmfelvfs to the righteovjnejs of God? Surely my heart's de- fire, and prayer to God lor you, brethren, is, that ye may be faved. And in order to remove this. grand llumbling-block out of your way, I will en- deavour to (hew, Firft, What the rightcou/nrfs is, zvhich is of the Law, and what the rigkteoujncfs which is cf Faith : Secondly, The folly ot dulling in the. righ- 8s S E R M O N VI. rigkteoTtfnefs of the law, and the wifdom of Jiib- to that which is of Faitk. 1. i. And, firfl, " The righreoufnefs which is of the law, faith. The man which dorh thcl'e things, ffcali live by them." Confla-ntly and perfectly ob- ferve all thefe tilings to do them, and then thou ftialt live for ever. This Law or Covenant (ufual- Jy called, The Covenant of works) given by God to nun in paradife, required an obedience, per- fet in aM its p.irts, entire and wanting nothing, as the condition of eternal continuance in the holi- nefs and happim-fs wherein he was created. 2. It required, Thai man Ihould fulfil all righ- teoufnefs, inward and outward, negauve and pofi- tive : Tiut he (hould not only abfhain from every idle word, and avoid every evil work, hut fhould keep every affe8ion, every defire. every thought in obedience to. the will ol God. That he fhouid continue holy, as he which had created him was holy, both in heart and in all manner of con- n; that he {hould be pure in heart, even as God Is pure ; peiftfcl as his Father in heaven was perfecl : That he fliould love the Lord his God with ail his heart, with all his foul, with all his mind, and with ali his flrength : that lie {hould love every foul which God had made, even as God liad loved him : that by ihis univerfal benevolence, he fhould dwell in God (who is love) and God in him : that he fhould feive the Lord his God wi:h all his flrength, and, in- ail things fingiy aim at his glory. 3. Thefe were the things which the rightcoufnefs of ihe law requiicd, that he who did them might live thereby. But it farther required, That this entire obedi' nee to God, this inward and outward holinefs, tliis conformity both of heurt and life to his will, fhould he perfect in d&gree. No abjte- iTicnt, no allowance could poflibly be made, or falling flrort in any degree, as lo any jot or tittle cither The Righteoufnefs of Faith. 83 cither of the outw^r-i or the inward law. If every commandment relating to outward things was obeyed, yet that was not fuffictent, unl--fs tveiy one was obeyed wiih all the flrength, in the higheft mea'uie, and mod perfect nunncr. N r did it aniwer the demand of this Covenant, to love God \vi h e-. eiy power d in trefpafTes and fins, but when he was alive to God, when he knew no fin, but was holy as God is holy : who forget, that it was never defigned for the recovery of the favour and life of God once loft, but only for the continuance and increafe thereof, till it (hould be compleat in life ever- iallinj. 2. Neither do they confider, who are thus feet- ing to eftablijh their own righteoufnefs which is of the Law, what manner of obedience or righteoul- Jiefs that is, which the Law indifpenfably requires. It muft be perfefl and entire, in every point, or it anfwers not the demand of the Law. But which of you is able to perform fuch obedience ? Or, confequently to live thereby ? Who among you fulfils every jot and tittle even of the outward com- mandments of God ? Doing nothing, x great or fmall, which God forbids ? Leaving nothing un- done which he enjoins ? Speaking no idle words ? Having your converfation always meet to minifler grace to the hearers ? And whether you eat or- drink, cr whatever you do, doing all to the glory of God ? And how much lels are you able to fulfil all the in- vard commandments of God ? Thofe which re- quire, that every temper and motion of your foul fhould be holinefs unto the Lord ? Are you able, To love God with all your heart ? To love all man- kind as your own foul ? To pray without ccafing? In every thing to give thanks ? To have God always before The Righteoufnefs of Faith. 89 before you ? And to keep every affe&ion, defire and thought, in obedience to his Law ? 3. You mould farther confider, That the righ- teoufnefs of the Law requires, not only the obey- ing every command of God, negative and pofitive, internal and external, but likewife in the perfect degree. In every inftance whatever, the voice of the Law is, Thou (halt ferve the Lord thy God with all thy flrength. It allows no abatement of any kind. It excufes no defeft. It condemns every coming fhort of the full meafure of obedience, and immediately pronounces a cutfe on the offender. It regards only the invariable rules of Juftice, and faith, " I know not to fliew mercy." 4. Who then can appear belore fuch a Judge, which is extreme to mark zthat is done amifs ? How weak are they who defiie to be tried at the bar, where no JleJJi living can be jnjtified? None of the offspring ot Adam. For fuppofe we , did now keep every commandment with all our flrength : yet one~ fingle bieach which ever was, tit'erly de- ftroys our whole claim to life. If we have ever offended in any one point, this righteoufnefs is at an end. For the Law condemns all who do not perform uninterrupted as well as perfeft obedience. So that according to the fentence of this, for him who hath once finned, in any degree, there re- maineth only a fearful looking for af fiery indigna- tion, which Jhall devour the adverfaries oj God. 5. Is it not then the very foo!ifhnefs of folly, for fallen man to fee k life by this righteoufnefs ? For man, who was " fhapen in wickednefs, and in fin did his mother conceive h:m :" man, who is by nature all .earthly, fenfual, dtvili/h, altogether corrupt and abomidbU : in whom, till he find grace-, dii.elldh no good thing ; nay,- who cannot ot hiia- felf think one good thought ? Who is indeed all fin, a mere lump of ungodlinefs, and who com- mits fin in every breath he draws ; whofe a&ual tranfgreffions, in word and deed, are more in num. H 3 ber $3 S E R M O N VI. her than the hairs of his head ! What ftupidlty, what fenfeleffnefs muft it be for fuch an unclean, guilty, helplefs worm as this, to dream of feeking acceptance by his own righteoufnefs, of living by the righteoufnefs which is of the Law ? 6. Now whatfoever confederations prove the folly of tru fling in the righteoufnefs which is of the Law* prove equally the wifdom of fubmitting to the righ- teoujntfs which is of God by Faith. This were eafy to be (hewn wiih regard to each of the pre- ceding confiderations. But to wave this, the wif- dom of the firft ftep hereto, the difclaiming our own righteoufnefs, plainly appears from hence, That it is afting according to truth, to the real nature of things. For what is it more, than to acknowledge with our heart as well as lips, the true ftate wherein we are ? To acknowledge, that we bring with us into the world, ai corrupt, finfui nature; more conupt indeed than *ve can eafily conceive or find words to exprefs ? That hereby we are prone to all that is evil, and averfe from all that is good ; that we are full of pride, fclf-will, unruly paffions, foolifh defires, vile and inordi- nate affeftions ; lovers of the world, lovers of plea- fure more than lovers of God ? That our lives have been no better than our hearts, but many ways ungodly and unholy ; infomuch that our aftual fins, both in word and deed, have been as the ftars of heaven for multitude : that on all thefe accounts, we are unpleafing to him. who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity ; and deferve nothing from him, but indignation and wrath and death, the due wages ot fin ? That we cannct by any oi our righteoufnefs, (lor indeed, we have none at all) r.or by any of our works (for they are as the tree from which they grow) appeafe the wrath of God, or avert the puniihment we have juftly defcivel ; yea, that, if left to ourfelves, we lhall only wax worfe and worfe, fink deeper and deeper into fin, offend God moie and more both with our evil works, and The Rigtiteoufnefs of Faith. fa and with the evil tempers of our carnal mind, till we fill up (he meafure of our iniquities, and bring upon ourfelves fwift deftruclion ? And is not this the very ftate wherein by nature we are ? To ac- knowledge this then, both with our heart and lips, that is, to difclaiin our righteoufnefs, the righteouf- nefs which is of the. Law, is to aft according to the real nature of things, and confequently is an in- fiance of true wifdom. 7. The wifdom of fubmitting to the righteoufnefs of Faith, appears farther from this conh'deration. That it is the righteoufnefs of God : I mean here, It is that method of reconciliation with God, which hath been chofe and eftablifhed by God himfelf, not only as he is the God of wifdom, but as he is the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, and of every creature which he hath made. Now as it is not meet for man to fay unto God, what doft thou ? As none who is not utterly void of underftanding, will contend with one that is mightier than he, with him whofe kingdom ruleth over all ; fo it is true wifdom, it is a mark of found underftanding, to acquiefce in whatever he hath chofen, to fay in this, as in all things, *' It is the Lord ; Let him do what feemeth him good." 8. It may be farther confidered, That it was of mere grace, of free love, of undeferved mercy, that God hath vouchfafed to fmful man, any way of reconciliation with himfelf, that we were not cut away from his hand, and utterly blotted out of his remembrance. Therefore whatever method he is plcafed to appoint, of his tender mercy, of his unmerited goodnefs, whereby his enemies, who have fo deeply revolted from him, fo long and ob- ftinately rebelled againil him, may ftill find favour in his fight, it is doubtlefs our wifdom to accept with all thankfulnefs. 9. To mention but one confideration more. It is wifdom to aim at the beft end by the beft means. Now the bell end which any creature can purfue, is 92 S E R M O N VI. is happinefs in God. And the beft: end a fallen creature can purfue is, The recovery of the favour and image of God. But the beft, indeed the only means under heaven given to man, whereby he may regain the favour of God, which is better than life itfeif, or the image of God which is the true life of the foul, is the fubmitting to the rigliteoufnefs which is of Faith, the believing in the only be- gotten Son ot God. III. i. Whofoever therefore thou art who de- fireft to be forgiven and reconciled to the favour of God ; do not fay in thy heart, " I rnuft firjl do thi\ ; I muft Jirjl conquer every fin ; break off every evil word and work, and do all good to all men : or, I muft firjl go to Church, receive the Lord's fupper, hear more fermons, and fay more prayers." Alas, my brother, thou art clean gone out of the way. Thou art ftill ignorant of the righteou/nefs of God, and art faking to ejlablijli thy own right eoufnejs* as the ground ot thy reconcili- ation. Knoweft thou not, that thou canfl do nothing but fin, till thou art reconciled to God ? When iWe then doft thou fay, I [mu/l do this and this firjl, and then I (hall believe. Nay, but Fir ft. Believe. Believe in the Lord Jefus Chnft, the Propitiation for thy fins. Let this good foundation firjl be laid, and then thou (halt do all things well. 2. Neither fay in thy heart, " I cannot be ac- cepted yet, becaufe I am not good enough." Who is good enough ? Who ever was ? To merit ac- ceptance at God's h.nds ! Was ever any child of Adam good enough for this ? Or, will any, till the confunnnation ot all things ? And as for thee, thou ait not good at all : there dwelleth in thee no good thing. And thou never wilt be, till thou believe in Jefus. Rather thou wilt find thyfelf ' \vorfe and worfr. But is there any need of being worfe, in order to be accepted? Art thou nvtbad enough already ? Indeed thou art, and thai God The Righteoufnefs of Faith. 93 God knoweth. And thou thyfelf canft not deny it. Then detay not. All things are now ready. Arife and zvaJJi away iky fins. The fountain is open. Now is the time, to walh thee while in the blood of the Lamb. Now he (hall purge thee as with h\(Jop, and ihoti JJialt be clean ; he (hall wajh thee, and thou Jlialt be whiter than fnow. 3. Do not fay, " But I am not contrite enough: I am not fenfible enough of my fins." I know it. I would to God, thou wert more Jenfible ot them, more contrite a thou (and fold than thou art. But do not (lay for this. It may be God will make thee It), r.ot before thou believed, but by believing. It may be, thou wilt not weep much, till thou loveft much, becaufe thou had had much forgiven. In the mean time, look unto Jefus. Behold how he loveth thee! What could he have done more for thee which he hath not done ? " O Lamb of God, was ever pain, Was ever love like thine ! " Look fleadily upon him, till he looks on thee, and breaks thy hard heart. Then mail thy head be wa- ters^ and thy eyes fountains of tears. 4. Nor yet do thou fay, "I mud do fomething more, before I come to Chrid." I grant, fuppof- ing thy Lord (hould delay his coming, it were meet and right to wait for his appearing, in doing fo far as thou had power, whaifoever he hath com- manded thee. But there is no neceffity for making fuch a fuppofition. How knowell thou that he will delay ? Perhaps he will appear, as the day- fpring from on high, before the morning- light. O do not fet him a time. Expel him every hour. Now, he is nigh ! Even at the door ! 5. And to what end would ft thou wait for more, fincerity, before thy fins are blotted out ? To make thee more worthy of the grace of God ? Alas, thou art dill cjlablifliing thy own rightioufnefs* He will have mercy, not becaufe thou art worthy of 94 S E R M O N VI. of it, but becaufe his companions fail not : nor be- caufe thou art rigl teous ; but becaufe Jefus Chrift hath atoned for thy fins. Again, if there be any thing good in fincerity, why doft thou expect it before thou hail Faith ? Seeing Faith itfelf is the only root of whatever is really good and holy. Above all, How long wilt thon forget, That whatfoever thou doft, or whatfoever thou haft, be- fore thy fins are forgiven thee, it avails nothing with God, toward the procuring of thy forg:ve- nefs ? Yea, and that it muft all be caft behind thy back, trampled under foot, made no account of, or thou wilt never find favour in God's fight ; be- caufe until then thou canft not a(k it, as a mere finner, guilty, loft, undone, having nothing to plead, nothing to offer to God, but only the merits of his wel^bcloved Son, who loved thee, and gave him/elf for thee. 6. To conclude. Whofoever thou art, O man, who haft the fentence of death in thyfelf, who feeleft thyfelf a condemned finner, and haft the wrath of God abiding on thee : unto thee faith the Lord, Not, Do this : perfectly obey all my com- inands and live : but, " Believe in the Lord Jcfus Chrift, and thou {halt be faved." The word of Faith is nigh unto thee; now, at this inftant, in the prefent moment, and in thy prefent flate, finner as thou art, juft as thou art, Believe the gofjpel : and / will be merciful unto thy unrightcoujnefs and thy- will I remember no more. The C 95 ] ^^<-^v*v^ The Way to the Kingdom, A SERMON. MARK I. 15. " The Kingdom of GOD is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gofpel." THESE words naturally lead us to confider, Firft, The Nature of True Religion, here termed by our Lord, The Kingdom of Gcd, which, faith he, is at hand: And fecondly, The way there- to, which he points out in thofe words, Repent ye t and believe the Gofpel. II i. We are Firft, to confider, The Nature of True Religion, here termed by our Lord, The Kingdon of God. The fame expreflion the great ApoiHe ules in his Epiftle to the Romans, where he likewife explains his Lord's words, faying, " The kingdom of God is not meat and drink ; but righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft," chap. xiv. 17. 2. The kingdom of God, or True Religion, is not meat and drink. It is well known, that not only the unconverted Jews, but great numbers of thofe who had received the Faith of Chrift, were notwithftandjng zealous of the Law, (A6ls xxi. 20.) even the Ceremonial Law of Moles. Whatfo- ever therefore they found written therein, either concerning meat and drink-offerings, or the dif- tincnon between clean and undean meats, they not only dbferved themfelves but vehemently prefTed the fame, even on thofe among the Gentiles (or Heathens) who were turned to God. Yea, to fuck 2 a degree, 96 SERMON VII? a degree, that feme of them taught, wherefoever they came among them, Except ye be circumcifrd, and keep the Ldw, (the whole Ritual Law] ye can- not be faved, Afcls. xv. i. 24. 3. In oppofition to thefe, the Apoftle declares, .both here and in many other places, That True . Religion does not con fi ft in meat and drink, or in any Ritual obfervances : nor indeed in any out- ward thing whatever, in any thing exterior to the heart; the whole fubftjnce 'hereof lying in righ- ttoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy GhejL 4. Not in any outtuard thing; fuch as Forms or Ceremonies, even of the mofl excellent kind. Sup- pofing thefe to be ever fo decent and fignificant, ever fo expreffive of inward things : fuppofmg them ever fo helpful, not only to the vulgar, whofe thought reaches little farther than their fight ; but even to men of undemanding, men of ftronger capacities, as doubtlefs they may fometimes he : yea, fuppofing them, as in the cafe of the Jews, to be appointed by God himfelf; yet even during the period of time wherein that appointment re- mains in force, True -Religion does not principally confift therein ; nay, flriftly fpeaking, not at all. How much more muft this hold concerning fuch Rights and Forms, as are only of human appoint, ment ? The Religion of Chrifl rifes infinitely higher, and lies immenfely deeper than all thefe. Thefe are good in their places; juft fo far as they are in fa ft fubfervient to true Religion. And it were fuperftition to ohjeftagainft them, while they are applied only as occafional helps to human weakness. But let no man carry them further*. JLet. no man dream, that they have any intrinOc worth ; or that religion cannot fubfilt without them. This were to make them an abomination to the Lord. f } . The nature of Religion is fo far from con- Citing in thefe, in Forms of wormip, or Rites and' Ctr.wiics, that it does not properly confift in any culward The WAY to the KINGDOM. g? tutward a&ions, of what kind foever. It is true* a man cannot have any Religion, who is guilty of vicious, immoral aftions ; or who does to others, what he would not they mould do to him, it he were in the fame circumftance. And it is alfo true, that he can have no real Religion, who know* to do good, and does it not. Yet may a man both abilain from outward evil, and do good, and ftilf have no religion. Yea, two perfons may do the fame outward work ; fuppofe, feeding the hungry or clothing the naked: and, in the mean time,, one of thefe may be truly religious, and the other have no religion at all : for the one may aft from the love of God, and the other from the love of praife. So manifeil it is ; that although true re- ligion naturally leads to every good word and work, yet the real nature thereof lies deeper ftill, even in- the hidden man of ike heart. 6. I fay of the. heart* For neither des Religion, confift in Orthodoxy or right Opinions ; which al- tho' they are not properly outward things, are nofc in'the heart, but the underftanding. A man may be orthodox in every point ; he may not only efpoufe right Opinions, but zealoufly defend them againft all oppofers : he may think juftly concern* ing the incarnation of our Lord, concerning the ever blefled Trinity, and every other dc6trine, contained in the Oracles of God: he mayafTentto all the three Creeds ; that called the Apoftles, th Nitcne, and the Athanafi&n : and yet it is poffibk% he may have no Religion at all, no more than a Jew, Turk, or Pagan. He may be almoft as or* thodox as the Devil; (though indeed not al- together. For every man errs in fomething; whereas we cannot well conceive him to hold any erroneous opinion) and may all the while be a9 great a ftrangcr as he to the religion of the heart. 7. This alone is Religion, truly fo called : this alone is in the fight of God of great price. The Apoftle fums it all up in three particulars, righ- VOL. I. I tcoujhejs, c8 S E R M O N VII. ttonfttc/S, and peace, and joy in the Holy Gho/l. And firft, righteoufvefs. We cannot be at a lofs concerning this, it we remember the words of our Lord defcribing the two grand blanches thereof, on which hang all the Law and the Prophets. *' Thou fhalt love the Loid thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy foul, and with all thy * ftrength. This is the firft. and , great commandment," the firft and great branch of Chriftian right ecu fnefs. Thou fhah delight thy- felf in the Lord thy God; thou (halt feek and find all happinefs in him. He fhall be thy Jhield and exceeding great reward, in time and eternity. All thy bones (hall fay, " Whom have I in heaven but thec ? And there is none upon earth that I defire befide thee !" Thou fhalt hear, and fulfil his word who faith, " My fon, give me thy heart." And having given him thy heart, thy inmoft foul, to reign there without a rival, thou mayeft well cry out, in the fulnefs of thy heart, " I will love thee O Lord, my ftrength. The Lord is my ftrong Rock, and my defence; my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trufl; my buckler, the horn alfo of my falvation, and my refuge." 8. And the Second Commandment is like unto this ; the fecond great branch of Chriftian righ- teoufnefs is clofely and infeparably connected there- with, even " Thou (halt love thy neighbour as thy- felf." Thou fhalt love Thou fhalt embrace with the moft tender good-will, the moft earneft and cordial affefHon, the moft enflamed defires of pre- venting or removing all evil, and of procuring for him every poffible good Thy neighbour that is, not only thy friend, thy kinfman, or thy acquain- tance ; not only the virtuous, the friendly, him that loves thee, that prevents or returns thy kindnefs; but every child of man, every human creature, every foul which God hath made: not excepting Itim whom thou had never feen in the flcfh, whom Mark xiii. 30. thou The WAY to the KINGDOM. 99 thou knoweft not either by face or name : not ex- cepting him whom thou knoweft to be evil and unthankful, him that flill defpitefully ufes and per- iecutes thee. Him thou (halt love as tkyfelf; with the fame invariable thirft alter his happinefs in every kind ; the fame unwearied care to fkreen him from whatever might grieve or hurt either his foul or bo'ly. 9. Now is not this love The fulfilling of the Law? The fum of all Chriftian righte >ufnefs ? Of all in- ward Qghteimfuefs ; for it necefTirily implies bowels of mercies, humblenefs of mind (feeing love ij not puffed up) gentlent/s, meeknefs, loxg.'/it/ering, (for luve is not provoked but believeth, hopeth, enduretk all things) and of all outwatd righteoufnefs ; fur love worktth no evil to his neighbour, e'tber by word or deed. It cannot willingly either hurt or grieve any one. And it is zealous of good works. Every lover of mankind, as he hath joppor: unity, doth good unto all men, being (without partiality and zathout hypocrifyj J^ll oj mercy and good Jruits. 10. But true Religion, or a heart right toward God and man, implies happinefs as well as holi- nefs. For it is not only rightcou/hefs, but alfo peace and joy in the Holy Ghojl. What peace? The peace oj God, which God only can give and the world cannot take away : the peace which pa/ftth all understanding, all (barely) rational conception ; being a lupernatuial fenfation, a divine tafte of ths 'powers of the. world to come : fuch as the natural man' knoweth not, how wife foever in the things of this world : nor indeed can he know it, in his prefeut flate, becaufe it is fpiritually difcerned. It is a peace that banifhes all doubt, all painful uncer- tainty ; the Spirit of God bearing witnefs with the foiritm. a Chriftian, that he is a child of God. And it banifhes fear, all fuch fear as ha;h torment the fear of the wrath of God, the fear of hell, th e fear of the Devil, and in particular, the fear o I a Death: ioo SERMON VII. Deatli : he that hsth the peace of Qo&,df firing (if it were the will of God) to depart and to be with God. 11. With this peace ut God, wherever it is fixed in the foul, there is alfo joy in the. Holy Gh?j1 : joy wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghoft, by the ever blelfed Spirit of God. He it is that worketh in us that calm, humble rejoicing in God, through Chi ill Jeius, by whom we have now received the Atonement, M&fcf&gytf^ the reconciliation with God ; and that enables us boldly to confirm the tuth of the royal Pfaltnifl's declaration, " Bleffed is the man (or rather happy) UPf, iTil'K, whofe un- ri^hteou'ncfs is forgiven, and whole (in is covered." He it is that infpires the Chriftian foul, with that even, folid joy, which arifes from the teftimony of the Spirit, that he is a child of God : and that gives him to rejoice with joy unjpeakable, in hope of the glory of Gad : hope both of the glorious image ol God, which is in part and (hall be fully re- vealed in him ; and of that crown of Glory, which Jadeth not away, referved in heaven lor him. 12. This holinefs and happinefs joined in one, ttve fometimes (tiled in the infpired Writings, the kingdom of God, (as by our Lord in the text) and iometimes, The kingdom oj heaven. It is termed the kingdom of God, becaufe it is the immediate fruit or God's reigning in the foul. So foon as ever he takes unto hirufeli his mighty power, and 'fets up his throne incur hearts, they are inftantly filled with this righteoufnefs and pe^tce and joy in the Holy Gho/l. It is called the kingdom of heaven, becaufe it is (in a degree) heaven opened in the foul. For whofoever they are that experience this, they can aver before angels and men, ^^ Everlafting life is won : Glory is on earth begun : According to the conftant tenor x>f Scripture, which t- very where bears record, God hath given unto us tternal life, and tltii lift is in his Son. He that hath' the The WAY to the KINGDOM. 101 the Son (reigning in his heart) hath life, (even life evei lading) i John v. 11, 12, For this is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and eterna, to now tee, te ony rue o, an eus Chri/l zv/iom thou hajifent, John xvii. 3. And they to whom it is given, may confidently addrefs God, thuugli they were in the midft of a fiery furnace, " Thee Lord, fafe fhielded by thy power, Thee, Son of God, JEHOVAH, we adore ; In form of man descending to appear : To thee be ceafelefs hallelujah's given. PraifV, as in heaven thy throne, we offer here ; For where thy prefenoe is difplay'd, is heaven. " 13. And this kingdom of God, or of heaven, is at hand. As thefe words wese originally fpoken, they implied, that the time uas \\\en fulfilled, God being made mamjeji in the Jlejh, when he would fet up his kingdom among men, and reign in the hearts of his people. And is not the time now fulfilled ? For/o/ faith he, lam with you always, you who preach remiffion of fins in my zume, even unto t he- end of the world. (Mait. xxviii. 20.) Wherefo- ever therefore the gofpel of'Chiift is preached, this hi's kingdom is nigh at hand. It is not tar from every one of you. Ye may this hour enter there- into, if fo beye hearken to his voice, " Repent ye, and believe J^e Gofpel." II. i. This is the way. Walk ye in it. And firft, Repent, that is, Know yourfelvcs. This is the fh nVRepemance, previous to Faith : even con- viclion, or felt-knowledge. Awake then thou that fleepeft. Know thyftlf to be a (inner, and what manner of fitmer thou art. Know that corruption of thy inmoft nature, whereby thou art very far gone from 01 iginal i ighteoufnefs, whereby the JleJJi lujltth always contrary to the Spirit, through that carnal mind which is enmity againjl God, which is not /ubjett to the Law oj Gnd, neither indeed can ie. Know that thou art corrupted in every power, J3 in ic* S E R M O N VII. in every faculty of thy foul ; that thou art totally corrupted in every one of thefe, all the foundations being out of courfe. The eyes of thine under- ftanding are darkened, fo that they cannot difcern God or the things of God. The clouds of igno- lance and error reft upon thee. and cover thee with the (hadow of deaih. Thou knowell nothing yet, as thou oughteft to know, neither God, nor the world, nor thyfeJf. Thy will is no longer the will of God, but is utteily pervufe and diftorted, averfe from all good, from all which God loves, and prone to all evil, to every abomination which God bateth. Thy affections are alienated from God, and fcattercd abroad over all the earth. All thy pafTions, both thy defires and averfions, thy joys and forrows, thy hopes and fears, are out of frame, are either undue in their degree, or placed on un- due objects. So that there is no foundnefs in thy foul; but from the crown of the head to the fole ef the foci (to ufe the ftrong expreflion of the Pro- "phet) there are only rounds and bruifcs and putrefy- ing fores. 2. Such is the inbred corruption of thy heart,, of thy very inmoft nature. And what manner of branches canft thou expect to grow, from fuch an evil root ? Hence fprings unbelief, ever departing from the living God: faying, "Who is the Lord that I fhouJd ferve him? Tufh ! Thou God, careffc not for it." Hence independence, affecting to be like the Moft High ; hence pride in all its forms, "teaching thee 10 fay, " I am rich, and increafed in goods, ard hjve need of nothing." From this evil fountain flow forth the bitter fl reams of 'vjni'y, thiift of praife; ambition, covetoufnefs ; the lufl of the fldh, the luft of the eye, and the pride of life. Fn m this arife anger, hatred, malice, revenge, envy, jea'ojfy, evil furmifings : from this all the foolifh arul huitl'ul lufls, \\idly\o\v pierce thee tkrovgh wtih. many for rows, and if not timely prevented,. The WAY to the KINGDOM. 103 prevented, will at length drown thy foul in ever- lofting perdition. 3. And what fruits can .grow on fuch branches as thefe ? Only fuch as are bitter and evil continu- ally. OF pride cometh contention, vain boafting, feeking and receiving praife of men, and fo rob- bing God of that glory which he cannot give uniO' another. Of the luft of the flefh come gluttony or drunkennefs, luxury or fenlualiiy: fornication, uncleannefs, vaiioufly defiling that body, which was defigned for a temple of the Holy Ghoft : of unbelief, every evil word and work. But the time would tail, fhouldft thou reckon up all; all the idle words thou haft fpoken, provoking the Mofl High, grieving the holy One of Ifrael : all the evil woiks- thou haft done, either wholly evil in themfelves, or at leaft, not done to the glory of God. For thy aclual fins are more than thou art able to .exprefs, more than the hairs of thy head. Who can number the fands of the fea, or the drops cf rain, or thy iniquities? 4. And knoweft thou not that " the wages of fin is death ?" Death not only temporal, but eternal, " The foul that finneth, it (hall die :" for the mouth of the Lord hath fpoken it. It (hall die the fecond death. This is the fentence, to be funiflied with never-endingdeatb, " with everlafting deftruclion from the prefence of the Lord, and from the gloiy ot his power." Knoweft thou not that every firmer, *o%o? ! r4 yiltw T wyfoY; not properly is in danger of htll-jire, that expreflion is far : oo vvedk: but rather, is, under the ftnUnce cf hell-firs, doomed already, juft diagging to exe- cution. Thou art guilty ot evorlaft'ing death. It is the juft icward of thy inward and outward wick- tdnefs. It is juft, that the fentence (hould now take place. Doft ihou fee, doft thou feel this ? Art. thou thoroughly convinced, that thou dr- fcrveft God's wiath and evedafting danmation ? Wo'uld God do thce any wrong, if he commanded the 104 SERMON VII. the earth to open and fwallow thee up ? If thou \vert now to go down quick into the pit, into the fire that never fhall be quenched ? If God hath given thee truly to repent, thou haft a deep fenfe that thefe things are fo ; and that it is of his mere mercy ihou art not confumed, fwept away from the face of the earth. 5. And what wilt thou do to appeafe the wrath of God, to atone for all thy fins, and efcapc the punifhment thou haft fo juftly deferved ? Alas, thou canft do nothing : nothing that will in any wife make amends to God, for one evil work, or word or thought. If thou coulclft now do all things well, if from this very hour, till thy foul fhould return to God, thou couldft peiibrm per feel unin- terrupted obedience, even this would not atone for what is paft. The not increasing thy debt would not difcharge it. It would ftill remain as great as ever. Yea, the prefent and the future obedience of all the men upon earth, and all the angels in heaven, would never make fatisu6lion to the juftice of God for one 1 fingle fin. How vain then was the thought, of atoning for thy own fins by any thing thou couldft do ? It cofteth far more to re- deem one foul, than all mankind is able to pay. So that were there no o her help for a guilty Tinner, without doubt he muft have perifhed eveilaflingly. 6. But fuppofe perfecl obedience for the lime to come, could atone for the fins that are paft, ihis would profit nothing ; for thou art not able to per- form it ; no, not in any one point. Begin now. Make the tri;il. Shake off that outward fin that ib eafily befetteth thee. Thou canft riot. How then wilt thou change thy life from all evil to all good ? Indeed, it is impoffiblc to be done, unlefs full thy heart be changed. For fo long as the uce remains evil, it cannot bring forth good truit. But art thou able to change thy own heart, from atl fin to all holinefs ? To quicken a foul that is dead in fin ? Dead to God and alive only to the world ? No more The WAY to the KINGDOM. g more than them art able to quicken a de^d body, to raife to life him ihat liveth in the grave. Yea, thou art not able to quicken thy foul in any degree, no more than to give any degree of Hie to the dead body. Thou canfl do nothing more or le(s, in this matter ; thou ait utterly without flrength. To he deeply fenfible of this, how belplffs thou art, as well as how guilty and how finfui, tins is that licptntance. not to be repented of, which is the Fore- runner of the kingdom or God. 7. If to this lively conviction of thy inward and outward fins, of thy utter guiltinefs and helpieiTnef*, there be added fuiiabie arTeclions, forrow ol heait, for having defpifed thy own mercies, lemorfv. 1 and felf-condetnnation, having the mouth llopped, ibanje v to lift up thine eyes to heaven ; fear ot the wrath of God abiding on thee, of his curfe hanging over thy head, and of the fiery indignation ready to devour thofe who forget God, and obey not our Lord Jefus Chrift: earneft defire to efcape from that indignation, to ceafe from evil and learn to do well : then I fay unto thee in the name of the Lord, " Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." One ftep more and thou (halt enter in. Thou doft repent. Now, Believe the Go/pel. 8. The GoJ'pd (that is, good tidings, good news for guilty, helplefs fmners) in the largeft fenfe of the word, means, the whole Revelation, made to man by Jefus Chrift : and fometimes the whole account ot wh:U our Loid did and fuffered, while he tabernacled among men. The fubllance ot all is, " Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave fm- ners." Or, " God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end we might not perifl), but have everlafting life." Or, " he was bruifed for our tranfgreflion.s, he was wounded for our iniquities *. the chuiiifement of our peace was upon him, and with his fliipes we are healed." 9. Believe this and the kingdom of God is thine.. By faith thou attaineft the promLfe. " He par- doneili io6 S E R M O N VII. done'h and abfolveth all that truly repent and un- feignerlly believe his holy gofpel." As Toon as ever God hath fpoken to thy heart, " Be of good cheer, thy fins are forgiven thee," his kingdom Cjtnes; thou haft righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. 10. Only beware thou do not deceive thy own foul, with regard to the nature of this Faith. It is not (as Tome have fondly conceived) a bnre .ilf. nt to the truth of the Bible, of the Articles of our Creed, or of all that is contained in the Old and New Teflament. The Devils believe this, as well as I or thou ? And yet they are Devils flill. But it is, over and above this, a fure truft in the mercy of God through Chrift Jefus. It is a confidence in a pardoning God. It is a divine evidence or con* viclron, that " God was in Chrill reconciling the world to himfelf, not imputing to them tlieir former trefpaifes .:" and in particular, that the Son of God liath loved me and given himfelt tor me: and that I, even I, am now reconciled to God by the blood of the crofs. 11. Dolt thou thus believe ? Then the peace of God is in thy heart, and forrowingand fighing flee away. Thou art no longer in doubt of the love of God : it is clear as the noon-day fun. Thou cryeft out, " My fong fhall be always of the loving kindnefs of the Lord : with my mouth will I ever be telling of thy truth, from one generation to another." Thou art no longer afraid of hell, or d.ath, or him that had once the power of death, the devil : no, nor painfully afraid ot God h;m- felf ; only thou hall a tender, fili.il fear of offend- ing him. Doft thou believe ? Then thy " foul doth magnify the Lord, and thy fpirit rejoiceth in God thy Saviour." Thou rejoicelt in that thou lull " redemption through his blood, even the for- givenefs of fins." Thou rejoiceU in that " Spit it of Adoption, which crieth in thy heart, Abba, father!" Thou rejoiccft in a hope full oj immor- tality, The WAY to the KINGDOM. 107 tality, in reaching forth unto the mark of the prize of thy high calling ; in an earned expectation of all the good things which God hath pjepared for them that love him. 12. Dofl thou now believe? Then the love of God is \-\Q\V Jhed abroad in thy heart. Thou loveft him, becaufe he fir ft loved us. And becaufe thou loveft God, thou loveft' thy brother alfo. And being filled with love, peace, joy, thou art alfo filled with long-fit^ffering, gentlencfs, fidelity, good" nrfs, mecknefs, temperance, and all the other fruits of the fame Spirit : in a word, with whatever dif- pofuions are holy, are heavenly, or divine. For while thou beholdeft with open, uncovered face, (the veil now being taken away) the glory of the Lordj his glorious love, and glorious image wherein thou waft created, " thou art changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Loid." 13 This repentance, this faith, this peace, joy, love ; this change from glory to glory, is what the wifdom of the world has voted to be madnefs, mere enthufiafm, utter diflralion. But thou, O man of God, regard them not : be thou moved by none of thefe things. Thou knoweft in whom thou haft believed. See that no man take thy crown. Whereunto thou haft already attained holdfaft; and follow, till thou attain all the great and precious promifes. And thou who haft not yet known him, let not vain men make thee afhamed of the gofpel of Chrift. Be thou in no- thing terrified by thofe who fpeak evil of the things which they know not. God will foon turn thy heavinefs -into joy. O let not thy hands hang down. Yet a little longer, and he will take away thy fears, and give thee the fpirit of a found mind. lie, is nigh that jujhfieth : zvno is he that condemnelh ? It is Chrijl that died ; yea, rather that rofe again ; who is even now on the right hand of God, making inUrceJjion Jor thee. Now caft tbyfelf on the t Lamb loS SERMON VIII. Lamb of God, with all thy fins, how many fo. ever they be ; and an entrance Jhall now be mini/ler- td unto tlice, into the. kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chriji! The Firft-Fruits of the Spirit, A SERMON. ROMANS VIII. i. ** There is therefore now no Condemnation fo " them which are in Chrill Jefus, who walk not * after the Flefti, but after the Spirit." 1. T> Y them which are in Chrifl Jefus, St. Paul J[3 evidently means, Thofe who truly believe in him : thofe who being juflificd by faith, have peace with God, through our Lord jefus Chrijl. They who thus believe do no longer walk after the jlcjh, no longer follow the motions of corrupt na- ture : but after the Spirit: both their thoughts, words and works, are under the direction oi the blefled Spirit of God. 2 . There is therefore now no condensation to thefe. There is no condemnation to them from God : for he hath ju/lified them freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Je/us. He hath for- given all their iniquities, and blotted out all their fins. And there is no condemnation to them from within : for they " have received not the fpirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that they might know the things which are freely given to them of God :"* " which Spirit beareth witness * i Cor. ii. it. with The Firft-Fruits of the SPIRIT. 109 with their fpirits, that they are the children of God." And to this is added,* " the teflimony of their confcience : that in fmiplicity and godly fin- cerity, not with flefhly wifdom, but by the grace of God, they have had their converfation in the world." 3. But becaufe this Scripture has been fo fre- quently mifunder flood, and that in fo dangerous a manner, becaufe, fuch multitudes of unlearned and unjlable men, (*o /**9j a ?, men untaught of God, and confequently uneftablifhed in the truth which is after godlinefs] have wrejted it to their own dejlruaion, I propofe to (hew as clearly as I can, Firft, Who thofe are " which are in Chrift Jefus, and walk not after the flefh, but after thefpirit;" and Secondly, How there is no con- demnation to thefe. I (hall conclude with fome practical inferences. 1. i. Firft I am to (hew, Who thofe are that are in Chrift Jefus. And are they not, Thofe who believe in his name ? Thofe who are " found in him, not having their own righteoufnefs, but the righteoufnefs which is of God by Faith ?" Thefe, who have redemption through his blood, are pro- perly faid to be in Him. For they dwell in Chrijl and Chrijl in them. They are joined unto the Lord in one Jpirit. They are ingrafted into him as branches into the vine. They are united, as Mem- bers to their Head, in a manner which words can- not exprefs, nor could it before enter into their hearts to conceive. 2. Now " whofoever abideth in him, finneth not; walketh not after the flefli." The flefh, in the ufual language of St. Paul, fignifies corrupt na- ture. In this fenfe, he ufes the word, writing to the Galatians. " The works of the flefh are mani- feft," Gal; v. 19. And a little before, " Walk in the Spirit, and ye fliall not fulfil the luft (or * a Cor. i, ia. VOL. I. K , deCrej uo SERMON VIII. defire) of the flefh," (v. 16.) To prove which, namely, that thofe who rualk by the Spirit, do not fulfil flit lit/ls of the jle.fli, he immediately adds, For the flijli Injleth again/I the fpirit ; but the fpirit lufteth again/I the Jlejh (for theje are contrary to each other) that ye may not do the things which ye would. So the words are literally tranflated, ( foi a.v StXiilt, TtT WOJSJTI.) Not, So that ye cannot do the things that ye would, as if the flefh overcame the fpirit : a tranflation which hath not only nothing to do with the original text of the Apoflle, but likewife makes his whole argument nothing worth, yea, afTerts juft the reverfe of what he is proving. 3. " They who are of Chrift, who abide in Him, have crucified the flefli with its affecYions and lufts." They abftain from all thofe works of the flelh ; fiom adultery and fornication, from uncleannefs and tafcivioujhejs ; from idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance; fiom emulations, wrath, Jlrife, fedition, hertfies, envyings, murders, drunkennefs, r mil- lings : from every defign, and word, and work, to which the corruption oi nature leads. Altho' they feel the / root of bitternefs in themfelves, yet are they endued with power from on high, to trample it continually under foot, fo that it cannot fpnng tip rt trouble them : infomuch that every frelh af- fault which they undergo, only gives them frefli occafion of praife, of crying out, " Thanks be un- to God, who giveth us the viftory, through Jefus Chrift our Lord." 4. They now walk after the Spirit, both in their hearts and lives. They are taught of him to love God and their neighbour, with a love which is as " a well of water, fpringing up into everlafting life." And by him they are led into every holy defire, ii\to every divine and heavenly temper, till every thought which arifes in their heart is holinefs unto the Lord. 5. They who walk after the Spirit, are alfo led by him, into all holinefs of converfation. Their fpecch . ' The Firfl-Fruits of the SPIRIT. Hi fpeech is always in gr ace, feafoncduilh fait, with the love and fear of God. " No corrupt communication comes out of their moutli, but only that which is good ;" that which is to the ufe of edifying, which is meet to mini/ler grace to the hearers. And herein likewife do they exercife themfelves day and night, to do only the things which pleafe God : in all their outward behaviour to follow him, " who left us an example that we might tread in his fleps :" in all their intercourfe with their neighbour to - walk in juflice, mercy and truth ; and whatfoevcr they do, in every circumftance of life, to do all to the j^lory of God. 6 Thefe are they who indeed walk, by the fpirit* Being filled with faith and with the Holy Ghoh\ they potfefs in their hearts, and fhew forth in their lives, in the whole courfe of their words and aftions, the genuine fruits of the Spiiit of God, namely, " love, joy, peace, lung- fuffei ing, gentlenefs, good- nefs, fidelity, meeknefs, temperance," and what- foever elfe is lovely or praife- worthy. They " adorn in all things the gofpel of God our Sa- viour ;" and give full proof to all mankind, that they are indeed actuated by the fame fpirit, " which railed up Jefus from the dead." II. i. I propofed to fhew, in the fecond place. How " there is no condemnation to them, which are thus in Chrift Jefus, and thus waik, not after the fletti, but after the fpirit." And, fir ft, To believers in Chrifl, walking thus, there is no condemnation on account of their paft fins. God condemneth them not for any of thefe ; they are as tho' they had never been. They are caft " as a ftone into the depth of the fea," and he re- membereth them no more. God having " fet forth his Son to be a propitiation for them, thro* faith in his blood, hath declared unto thern, his righteoufnefs, for the remiflion of the fins that are paft." He layeth therefore none of thefe K 2 to ii2 S E R M O N VOL to their charge; their memorial is perifhed with ihem. 2. And there is no condemnation in their ov:n bread; no fenfe of guilt, or dread of the wrath of God. They have the u'itnefs in themfeives ; they are confcious of their intereft in the Blood of Sprinkling. " They have not received again the Spirit of Bondage ,unto. fear," unto doubt and racking uncenainty ; but they " have received the Spiiit of Adoption, crying in their hearts, Abba, father." Thus being jujlified by Faith> they have \hepeace of God ruling in their hearts: flowing irom a continual fenfe of his pardoning mercy, and " the anfwer of a good confcience toward God." 3. If it be faid, but fometimes a believer in Cmift, may lofe h'is fight of the meicy of God; fomctimes fuch darknels may fall upon him that he no longer fees Him that is invisible, no longer feels that witnds in himfelf of his part in the aton- ing Blood ; and then he is inwardly condemned, he hath again the fentence of death in himfelf': -I anfwer, fuppofing it fo to be, fuppofing him not to fee the mercy of God, then he is not a believer : for faith implies light; the light of God fhining upon the foul. So far therefore as any one lofes this light, he for the time lofes his faith. And no doubt a true believer in Chiifl, may lofe the light of faith. And fo far as. this is loft, he may fora time fall again into condemnation. But this is not the cafe of them who now art in Chrijl Jefus, who now believe in his name. For fo long as they believe and walk after the fpirit, neither God con- demns them nor their own heart. 4. They are not condemned, fecondly, for any prefent fins, for now tranfgrefling the command- ments of God. For they do not tranfgrefs them : they do not " walk after the flefh hut after the fpirit." This is the continual proof of their love of God, that they keep his commandment* : even as St. The Firft-Fruits of the SPIRIT. 113 St. John bears witnefs, " whofoever is born of God doth not commit fin. For his feed remaineth in him, and he cannot fin, becaufe he is born of God :" he cannot, fo Icng as that feed of God, that loving, holy faith remaineth in him. So long as he keepeth himfdj herein, " that wicked one toucheth him not." Now it is evident, he is not condemned tor the fins which he doth not com- mit at all. They therefore who are thus " Jed by the Spirit, are not under the law," (Gal. v. 18.) Not under the curfe or condemnation of it; for it condemns none but thofe who break it. Thus, that law of God, " Thou (halt not fteal," con- demns none hut thofe who do fteal. Tims, " Re- member the Sabbath day to keep it holy," condemns thofe only who do not keep it holy. But again (I the fruits ot the Spirit, " there is nt) law;" (v. 23.) As the Apoftle more largely declares, in thofe memorable words of his tormer epiftle to Timothy. We know that the law is good, if a man life it law- fully ; knowing this, (it while he tifes the law of God, in order either to convince or direft, he knows and remembers this) cm and now his hands bind up Here ends alfo that bondage unto tear ; for " his heart ftandeth faft, believing in the Lord." He cannot fear any longer the wrath of God ; for he knows it is now turned away from him, and looks upon him no more as an angry Judge, but as a loving Fa: her. He cannot fear the Devil, knowing he has " no power, except it be given him from above." He fears not helJ, being VOL. I. , M an ,34 S E R M O N IX. an heir of the kingdom of heaven ; confe he has no fear of death : by reafon whereof* he was in time paft, for fo many years fttbjett to bondage. Rather, knowing that " if the earthly houfe of this tabernacle be diilolved, he hath a building of God, a houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. He groaneth earneftly, defiring to be clothed upon, with that houfe which is from heaven." He gn ans to {hake off this houfe of earth, that mortality may kefwallowed up oj life: knowing that God " hath wrought him tor the fell fame thing : who hath ulfo given him the earned of his fpirit." 5. And " where the fpirit of the Lord is, there is liberty ;" liberty not only from guilt and fear, but from fin, from that heavieft of all yokes, that bafefl of all bondage. His labour is not now in vain. The fnare is broken and he is delivered. He not only ftrives, but likewife prevails ; he not only fights, but conquers alio. " Henceforth he doth not ferve fin" (chap. vi. 6. &c.) " He is dead unto fin and alive unto God, fin doth not now reign, even in his mortal body, nor doth he obey it in the defires thereof." He docs not " yield his members as inltruments of unrighteoufnefs unto fin, but as inftruments of righteoufnefs unto God. For being now made free Irom fin, he is become the fervant of righteoufnefs." 6. Thus " having peace with God, through our Loid Jefus Chrift, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God," and having power over all fin, over every evil defire, and temper, and word, and work, he is a living witnefs of the " glorious liberty of the. fons of God :" all whom being partakers of like precious Jatthy bear record with one voice, " We have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Fathei !" 7. It is this Spirit which continually " worketh in them, both to will and to do of his good plea- fure." It s he that (beds the love of God abroad in their hearts, and the love of all mankind ; thereby Spirit of Bondage and Adoption. 135 thereby purifying their hearts from the love of the world, from the luft of the flefh, the lull of the eye, and the pride of life. It is hy him they are delivered from anger and pride, from all vile and inordinate affetlions. In confequence, they are delivered from evil words and works, from all un- holinefs of converfation : doing no evil to any child of man, and being zealous of all good works. 8. To fum up all. The natural man neither fears nor loves God ; one under the Law, fears ; one under Grace, loves him. The firft, has no light in the things of God, but walks in utter clark- nefs ; the fecond, fees the painful light of hell ; the thi;d, the joyous light of heaven. He tlm fieeps in death, has a falfe peace. He that is awakened has no peace at all. He that believes has true peace, the peace ot God filling and ruling his heart. The Heathen, baptized or unbaptized, hath a fancied liberty, which is indeed liccntiouf- nefs : the Jew (or one under the Jewifh diipenfa- tion) is in heavy, grievous bondage : the Chriflian enjoys the true glorious liberty of the Sons of God. An unawakened child of the Devil, fins willingly : one that is awakened fins unwillingly: a child of God finneth not, but ketpeth himfelf, and the wicked one touchetk him not. To conclude; the natural man neither conquers nor fights; the man under the Law fights with fin, but cannot conquer : the man under Grace fights and con- quers, yea, is " more than conqueror, through him that loveth him." IV. i. From this plain account of the three- fold fhte of man, the natural, the legal, and the evangelical, it appears, that it is not lufficient, to divide mankind, into fincere and infincere. A man may be fincere in any of thefe ftates ; not only when he has the Spirit of Adoption, but while he has the Spirit of Bondage unto Fear. Yea, while he has neither this fear, nor love. For undoubtedly there may be fincere Heathens, as well as fincere M 2 Jews I3 6 SERMON IX. Jews or Chriftians. This circumftance then, does by no means prove, that a man is in a ftate of ac- teptance with God. Examine your [elves therefore, not only whether ye are fincere, " hut whether ye be in the faith." Examine narrowly ; for it imports you much. What is the ruling principle in your foul ? Is it the love of God ? Is it the fear of God ? Or is it neither one nor the othei ? Is it not rather, the love of the woild ? The love of pleafure ? Or gain ? Or eafe ? Or reputation? If fo, you are not come fo far as a J<-W. You are hut a Heathen ftil!. Have you heaven in your heart ? Have you the Spirit of Adoption, ever crying, Abba, Father? Or do you cry unu> God, as " out of the belly of hell," overwhelmed with fonow and fear ? Or are you a ilranger to this whole affair, and cannot imagine what I mean ? Heathen, pull off the mafk. Thou haft never put on Chrift. Stand barefaced. Look up to heaven. And own before him that liveth for ever and ever, thou haft no part either among the fons or fervants of God. Whofoever thou art, Doft thou commit fin, or croft thou not ? If thou doft, is it willingly or un- willingly ? In either cafe God hath told thee whofe thou art. " He that committeth fin is of the devil." If thou commitkft it willingly, thou art his faithful fervant. He will not fail to rexv.srd thy labour. It unwillingly, ftill thou art his fervant. Cod delivi-r thee out of his hands ! Ait thou daily fighting againft all fin? and daily rnore than conqueror ? I acknowledge thee for a child of God. O ftand {aft in thy glorious liberty. Art thou figh'.ing, but not conquering; ftriving for the maftery, but not able to attain ? Then thou art not yet a believer in Chrift ; but follow on ; and thou fhalt know the Lord. Art thou not fighting at all, but leading an eafy, indolent, fafhionable life? O how haft thou dared to name the name of Chrift ? Only to make it a u-proach among the Heathen ? Awake Spirit of Bondage a.nd Adoption. 137 Awake thou deeper ! Call upon thy God : before the deep fwallow thee up. 2. Perhaps one reafon why fo many think of themfelves more highly than they ought to think, why they do not difcern what flate they are in, is, becaufe thefe feveral ftates of foul, are often min- gled together, and in fome meafure meet, in one and the fame perfon. This experience fhews, that the legal (rate, or flate of fear, is frequently mixt with the natural. For frw men are fo fait afleep in fin, but they are fometimes, more or lels awak- ened. As the Spirit of God does not " wait for the call of man," fo at fome times he will be heard. Hepuis them in fear, fo that for a fcafon, at leaft, ihe Heathen " know themfelves to be but men." They feel the burthen of fin, and earned ly defire to flee from the wrath to come. But not long. They feldom fuffer the arrows of convilion to go deep into their fouls ; but quickly itifie the grace of God, and return to their wallowing in the mire. In like manner, the evangelical flate, or flate of love, is frequently mixt with the legal. For few of thofe who have the fpirit of bondage and fear, remain always without hope. The wife and gracious God rarely fuffeis this ; for he remembereth that we are but dull. And he willeth not that " the flefli fhould fail before him, or the fpirit which he hath made." Therefore at fuch times as he feeth good, he gives a dawning of light unto them that fit in darknefs. He caufes a part of his goodnefs to pafs before them, and fhews he is a God tkat heareth their prayer. They fee the promife which is by faith in Chrifl Jefus, though it be afar off: and hereby they are" encouraged to " run with patience the race which is fet before them." 3. Another reafon why many deceive themfelves, is, becaufe they do not confider how far a man may go, and yet be in a natural, or at bed a legal flate. A man may be of a compaflionate and a benevolent temper, he may be affable, courteous, generous, M 3 iricadlyj $8 SERMON IX. friendly ; be may have Come degree of meek- nefs, patience, temperance, and of many other moral virtues. He may feel many defires of mak- ing off all vice, and of attaining higher degrees of virtue. He may abfiain from much evil ; perhaps from all that is grofsly contrary to juftice, mercy or truth. He may do much good, may feed the hungry, clothe the naked, relieve the widow and iatherlefs. He may attend public worfhip, ufe prayer in private, read many books of devotion : and yet for all this, he may be a mere natural man, knowing neither himfelf nor God ; equally a Granger to the fpirit of fear and to that of love ; having neither repented nor believed the gofpel. But fuppofe there were added to all this, a deep conviction of fin, with much fear of the wrath of God; vehement defires to carl off every fin, and to fulfil all righteoufnefs ; frequent rejoicing in hope, and touches of love often glancing upon the foul : yet neither do thefe prove a man to be under Grace, to'havetrue, living, chriftian Faith, unlefs the Spirit of Adoption abide in his heart, unlefs he can continually cry, Abba, Father ! 4. Beware then, thou who art called by the name oi Chrift, that thou come not fhort of the mark of thy high calling. Beware thou reft not, either in a natural ftate, with too many that are accounted good Ckrijlians : or in a legal ftate, wherein thofe who are highly eflecmed of men, are generally con- tent to live and die. Nay but God hath prepared better things for thee, it thou follow on till thou attain. Thou art not called to fear and tremble, like devils, but to rejoice and love, like the Angels of God. " Thou (halt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy fhength." Thou ihalt rejoice evermore. Thou fhalt pray without tea/tng. Thou fhalt in every thing give thanks* Thou (halt do the will of God on earth, as it is j[0ne in heaven* " O prove thou what is that good and The WITNESS of the SPIRIT. i^ and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now pre- fent thyfelf a living facrifice, holy, acceptable to God. Whereunto thou haft already attained, hold faft, by reaching forth unto thofe things which exts, with the experience of all real Chriftians fufnciendy evince, that there is in every believer, both the teftimony of God's Spirit, and the teilimony oi his own, that he is a child of God. 2. With regard to the laiter, the foundation thereoi is laid in thofe numerous texts of fcripture, which defcribe the marks of the children of God, and that fo plain, that he which runneth may read tht;m. Thde are alfo collected together, and placed in the fhongeft light, by many both ancient and modern writers. If any need tatther light, he may receive it by attending on the miniftry of God's word ; by meditating thereon before God in fecret, and by conveifing with thofe who have the know, ledge of his v.-ays. And by the Reafon or Under- ftanding that God has given him (which religion was defigned not to extinguilh, but. to pt-rfetl : ac- cording to that of the Apoftle, " Brethren be not children in underftanding ; in malice [or wicked- nefs] be ye children; but in underftanding be ye men^" i Cor. xiv. 20. Every man applying thofe fcriptural matks to himfelf, may know, whether he is a child of God. Thus if he know, Firft, as many as are led by the fpirit of God, into all holy tempers and actions, they are the Jons of God, (for which he has the infallible aiTurance of holy writ ;) Second- ly, I am thus led by the Spirit of Gods he will eafily conclude, therefore I am a Son of God. 3. Agreeable to this are all thofe plain declarations of St. John in his firflepiftlc. " Hereby we know, that we do know him, it .we keep his command- ments," 142 S E R M O N X. ments," ch. ii. ver. 3. "Whofo keepeth his word* in him verily is the love of God perfected ; hereby we know that we are in him," that we are indeed the children of God, ver. ,5. " If ye know, that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteoufnefs is born of him," ver. 29. "We know, that we have patted from death unto life, becaufe we love the brethren," ch. iii. 4. " Hereby we know, that we are of the truth, and fhall alfure our hearts before him," ver. 18. Namely, becaufe we love one another, not in word, neither in tongue ; but in deed and in truths " Hereby know we, that we dwell in him, becaufe he hath given us of his ("loving] Spirit," ch. iv. 13. And, " Hfivby we know that he abideth in us by the [obedient] Spirit which he hath given us," ch. iii. 2^. 4. It is highly probable, there never were anv children of God, from the beginning of the world unto this day, who were faither advanced in the gnue of God, and the knowledge of oar Lord Jefus Chrift, than the Apoftle John at the time when he wrote thefe words, and the Fathers in Chrifl o whom he wrote. Notwithflanding which, it is evi- dent, both the Apoftle himfelf and all thofe pillars in God's temple, were very far from defpifing thefe marks, of their being the children of God; and that they applied them to their own fouls for the confirmation of their faith. Yet all this is no other than rational evidence, the witnejs of OUT fpirit, our reafon or underftanding. It all refolves into this : thofe who have thefe marks, they are the children of God. But we have thefe maiks: there- fore we are children of God. . But how docs it appear, that we have thefe marks ? This is a queftion which flill icmain-s. How does it appear, that we do Jove God and our neighbour ? .And that we keep his commandments? Obieive, that the meaning of the queftion is, How does it appear to ourfelies ? (not to others.} 1 would afk him then that projiofes this qiieftion, How does The WITNESS of the SPIRIT. 143 does it appear to you, That you are alive ? And that you are now in eafe, and not in pain ? Are you not immediately confcious of it ? By the fame im- mediate confcioufnefs you will know, it your foul is alive to God : if you are faved from the pain of proud wrath, and have the eafe of a meek and quiet Spirit. By the fame means you cannot but per- ceive, if you love, rejoice, and delight in God. By the fame, you muft be direftly allured, if you love your neighbour as yourfelf ; if you are kindly affec- tioned to all mankind, and full of gentlenefs and, long-fuffering. And .with regard to the outward mark of the children of God, which is (according to St. John) the keeping his commandments, you undoubtedly know in your own breaft, if, by the grace of God, it belongs to you. Your confcience informs you from day to day, if you do not take the name of God within your lips, unlefs with ferioufnefs and devotion, with reverence and godly fear : if you remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy : if you honour your father and mother ; it" you do to all as you would they fhould do unto you : polfefs your body in fanclification and honour : and it wheiher you eat or drink, you are temperate therein, and do all to the glory of God. 6. Now this is properly the tfflimony of our own fpirit : even the teltimony of our confcience, that God hath given us to be holy of heart, and holy in outward converfation. It is a confcioufnefs of our having received, in and by the fpirit of adoption, the tempers mentioned in the word of God, as belonging to his adopted children : even, a loving heart toward God, and toward all mankind, hanging with child-like confidence on God our Father, defir- ing nothing but him, calling all our care upon him, and embracing every child of man, with earneft, tender affedhon ; fo as to he ready to lay down our life tor our brother, as Chrifl laid down his life for ui: a confcioufnefs, that we are inwardly conform, cd, by the Spirit of God, to the image of his Son, i-H S E R M O N X. Son, and that we walk, before him in jufiice, and truth, doing the things which aie pleafing in his fight. 7. But what is that teflimony of God's Spirit, which is fuper-added to and conjoined with this P How does he bear vitnefs with our fpirit, that we are the children of God? It is hard to find words in the language of men, to explain the deep things of God. Indeed there are none that will adequately exprefs, what the children of God experience. But perhaps one m'ght fay (defiring any who are taught of God, to correft, to fo!ten, or frrengthen the expreffion) The teftimony of the Spirit, is ati inward impreffion on she foul, wherehy the Spirit of God dire&ly " witncffes to my fpirit, that I am a child of God;" that Je'us Chrift hath loved me, and given himfelf for me: and all my fins are blotted out, and I. even I, am reconciled to God. 8. That this Tejlimony of the Spirit of God muft needs, in t^e veiy nature ot things, be antecedent to the tejlimony that we are inwardly and out- wardly holy. But we muft love God, before we can be holy at all ; this being the root of all holi- ncfs. Now we cannot love God, tiil we know he )oves us. " We love 'him, becaufe he firft loved us." And we cannot know his pardoning love to us, till his fpirit witnefles it to our fpirit. Since theiefore this tejlimony of his f pint muft precede the love of God and all holinefs, of confequence it muft precede our inwaid confcioufnefs thereof, or, tl'e ttjlimony of cur fpirit concerning them. g. Then, and net till hen, when the Spirit of God heareth ihat witnefs to our fpirit, " God hath loved thee, and given his'own Son to be the pro- pitiation for tin iius ; the Son of God haiii loved thee, and hath waihed thee from thy fins in his blood :" The WITNESS of the SPIRIT. 145' blood :" " We love God, becaufe he firft loved us," and for his fake we love our brother alfo. And of this we cannot but be confcious to onrfelves : we " know the things that are freely given to us of God." We know that we love God and keep his commandments. And " hereby alfo we know that we are of God." This is that teflimony of our own fpirit; which, fo long as we continue to love God and keep his commandments, continues joined with the teflimony of God's Spirit, " that we are the children of God." 10. Not that I 'would, by any means, be under- ftood, by any thing, which has been i'poken con- cerning it, to exclude the operation of the Spirit of God, even from the " teftimony of our own fpirit.' 1 In no wife. It is he that not only worketh in us every manner of thing that is good, but alfo mines upon his own work, and clearly mews what he has wrought. Accordingly this is fpoken of by St. Paul, as one great end of our receiving the Spirit, " That we may know the things which are freely given to us of God :" that he may ftrengthen the teftimony of our confidence, touching our Jimplicity and godly fincerity, and give us to difcern in a fuller aad ftronger light that we now do the things which pleafe him. 11. Should it ftill be enquired, How does the Spirit of God, bear witnefs with our fpirit, that we. are the children of God, fo as to exclude all doubt, and evince the reality of our fonfhip ? The anfwer is clear, from what has been obferved above. And firft, as to the witnefs of our fpirit. The foul as intimately and evidently perceives, when it loves, delights, and rejoices in God, as when it loves and delights in any thing on earth. And it can no more duubt, whether it loves, delights and rejoices, or no, than whether it exifts, or no. If therefore this be juft reasoning. VOL. I. N He -* 4 G SERMON X. He that now loves God, that delights and re^ joices in him, with an humble joy, an holy dcl'ght, and an obedient love, is a child of God : But I thus love, delight, and rejoice in God ; Therefore I am a child of God : Then a Chriftian can in no wife doubt, of his be- ing a child of God. Of the former propofition, he has as full an aflurancc, as he has that the Scriptures are of God. And of his thus loving God, he has an inwaid proof, which is nothing (hott of felf-evidence. Thus the " the teflimony of our own fpirit," is with the mod intimate con- viftion manifefled to our hearts, in fuch a man- ner, as beyond all reafonable doubt, to evince the reality of our fonftiip. 12. The -manner how the divine teflimony is manifefted to the heart, I do not take upon me to explain. " Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me : I cannot attain un;o it. The wind blowcth : and I hear the found thereof. But I cannot tell how it cometh, or whither it goeth." As no one knoweih the things of a man, fave the fpirit of a man that is in him ; fo the manner of the things of God knoweth no one, fave the Spirit of God. But the lac! we know : namely, that the Spirit of God does give a believer fuch a tc-flimony of his adoption, that while it is prefent to the foul, lie can no more doubt the reality of his fonfhip, than he can doubt the ftiining of the fun, while he flands in the full blaze of his beams. II. i. How this joint teflimony of God's Spirit and our fpirit, may be clearly and folidly diftinguifh- ed, from the prefumption of a natural man, and from the delufion of the devil, is the next thing to be confideted. And it highly imports all who de- fire the falvatio,n of God, to confider it with ihe deepeft attention, as they would not deceive their own fouls. An error in this is generally obferved, to have the mod fatal confequences : the rather, becaufe The WITNESS o! the SPIRIT. 147 becaufe he that errs feldom difcovers his miftak*. till it is too late to remedy it. 2. And firft, how is this teftimony to be d f- tinguithed from the prefumption of a natural man * It is certain, one who was never convinced of fin, is always ready to flatter himfelf, and to think of himfelf, efpecially in fpiritual things, more highly than he ought to think. And hence, it is in nd wife ftrange if one who is vainly puffed up by hi-? flefhly mind, when he hears of this privilege of true Chriftians, among whom he undoubtedly ranks himfelf, fhould foon work himfilf up into a per- fuafion, thut he is already pofTeft thereof. Such inflances now abound in the world, and have abounded in all ages. How then.mjy the real teftimony of the Spiiit with our fpirit, be dif- tinguilhed from this damning prefumption ? 3. 1 anfwer, the holy Scriptures abound with marks, whereby the one may be diftingui(hed ironi the other. They defcribe in the plaineft manner the circumftances which go before, which ac- company, and which follow, the true, genuine teflimony ol the Spirit of God with the fpirit of a believer. Whoever carefully weighs and attends to thefe, will not need to put darknefs for light. He will perceive fo wide a difference with refpect to all thefe, between the real and the pretended witnefs of the Spirit, that there will be no danger, 1 might fay, no poflibility, of confounding the one with the other. 4. By thefe, one who vainly prefumes on the gift of God, might fuiely know, if he really de- fired it, that he hath been hitherto given up to Of Jirotig dehijion, and fullered to bilieve a lie. Jt'or the Scriptures lay down thofe clear, obvious marks, as preceding, accompanying, and following that gilt, which a Tittle reflection would convince him, be- yond all doubt, were never found in his- foul. For inilance, the Scripture defcribes Repentance, or Conviftion of (in, as conlLntly going before this N 2 witnefs j 4 S S E R M O N X. witnefs of P;.rdon. So, " Repent ; for the king- dom of hea\c reprobate filver. Thou art not lowly of heart* Therefore thou haft not received the fpirit of Jefur unto this day. Thou art not gentle and meek ; therefore thy joy is nothing worth : it is not joy in,, the Lord. Thou doft not keep his commandments; therefore thou loveft him not, neither art thou par- taker of the Holy Ghoft. It is confequently, as certain and as evident, as the oracles of G<>d can make it, his Spirit does not bear witnefs with thy fpirit, that thou art a child of God. O cry unto him that the fcales may fall off thine eyes, that thou mayeft know thy felt' as thou art known ; that thou mayeft receive the fentence of death in thyfelf, till thou hear the voice that raifes the dead, faying, ' Be of good cheer : thy fins are forgiven ;. thy faith hatn made thee whole." p. " But how may one who has the real witnefs in himfelt diitmguim it from prefurnpt ion :" how, I pray, do you diflinguim day from night ? How do you diftinguith light from darknefs ? Or the light of a ilar, or glimmer ing taper, from the light of the noon day fun ? Is there not an inherent, obvious, efl'ential difference between the one and- the other? And do you not immediately and direftly perceive tha.. dtffeience, provided your fenfes are rightly difpofed? In like manner, there is an in- herent, eflential difference between fpimual light and fpiritual darknefs : and between the light where- with the Sun of Righteoufrefs ihines upon our heart, and that glimmering light, which anfes only, from Jparks of our own kindling. And this- differ- ence alfo is immediately and directly perceived, if our fpiritual fenfes are rightly difpofed. 10. To require a moie minute and philofophical account of ilie mat.ner whereby we difhnguilh thefe, and of the Criteria, or intrinfic marks, v, hereby we know the voice ot God, is to make a denianu > hich can never be anfwered; no, not by one who has the deepeft knowledge of God. S\ippofe, when Paul aiilwered before Agrippa, the wile. Roman I i.i J, i ; :2 SERMON X. "Thoutalkeft of hearing the voiceof the Son of God. How dofl thou know, it was his voice? By what Criteria, what intrinfic marks, doft thou know the voice of God ? Explain to me, the manner of dif- tinguiming this, from a human or angelic voice." Can you believe, the Apoflle himfelf would have once attempted to anfwer fo idle a demand ? And yet doobtlefs the moment he heard that voire, he knew it was the voice of God. But how lie knew this, who is able to explain ? Perhaps neither man nor angel. 1 1 . To come yet clofcr. Suppofe God were now to fpeak to any foul, " Thy fins are forgiven thce." Hemufl be willing that foul fhould know his voice;, oihelwife he would (peak in vain. And he is able to efFccl this ; for whenever he wills, to do is pre- fent with him. And 'he does effedl it. That foul is abfokitely affured, " This voice is the voice of God." But yet he who hath th Now what is the matter of difpute concerning this ? Not, whether there be a witnefs or teflimony of the Spirit ? Not, whether the Spirit does teftify with our fpirit, that we are the children of God ? None can deny this, with< ut flatly contradicting the fcriptures, and charging a lie upon the God of truth. Therefore that there is a r teftimony of the Spirit, is acknowledged by all partis. 6. Neither is it queflioned, whether there is an indirctt witnefs or teflimony, irut we are the chil. dren of God. This is nearly, if not exafclly the fame with the tejlimpny oj a gocd confcitnct towards God \ and is the refuk of reafon, or reflection on what we feel in our own fouls. Smelly fpeaking, it is a conclufion drawn partly from the word of God, and partly from our own experience. The word The WITNESS of the SPIRIT. 157 word oF God fays, every one who has the fruit of the Spirit is a child of God. Experience or in- ward confcioufnefs tell me, that. I have the fruit of the Spirit. And hence I rationally conclude, therefore I am a child of God. This is likewife allowed on all hands, and fo is no matter of con- troverfy. 7. Nor do we aflert, that there can be any real teftimony of the Spirit, without the fruit of the Spirit. We ailert, on the contrary, that the fruit of the Spirit immediately fprings from this teftU mony : not always indeed in the fame degree, even *vhen the teftimony is firft given. And much lef afterwards ; neither joy nor peace are always at one ftay. No, nor love : as neither is the tefli. mony itfelf always equally ftrong and clear. 8. But the point in quaftion is, whether thera be any dirtEl teftimony of the Spirit at all ? Whe- ther there be any other teftimony of the Spirit, than that which aiifes from a confcioufnefs oi thp fruit ? IIL i. I believe there is, becaufe that is the plain, natural meaning of the text, " the Spirit it- felf beareth witnefs with our fpirit, that we are the children of God." It is manifeft, here are two witnefles mentioned, who together teftify the famo thing, the Spirit of God, and our own fpirit. Tha late Bifhop of London in his fermon on this text, feems allonifhed that any one can doubt of this, which appears upon the very face of the words. Now, " The lejlimony of our own fpirit, fays the BHhop, is one, which is the confcioufnefs of our own fincerity;" or to exprefs the fame thing a little more clearly, the confcioufnefs of the fruit of the Spirit. When our Spirit is confcious of this, of love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentlenefs* goodnefs, it eafily infers from thefe premifes, that we are the children of God. VOL. I. O 8 . Ie 158 S E R M O N XI. 2. It is true, that great man fuppofes the oilier witnefs to be " The confcioufnefs of our own good works." This, he affirms, is the tr//imonv of God's Spirit. But this is included in the teltiiiiony of our own fpirit : Yea, and in fincerity, even ac- cording to i he common fenfe of the word. So the Apoflle, " Our rejoicing is this, the teftimony of our confcience, that in Simplicity and godly fin- cerity we have had our conveifation in the world :" where it is plain, fincerity refers to our words and actions, at leafl as much as to our inward difpo- fitions. So that this is not another wimcfs but the very fame that he mentioned before : the con- fcioufnefs of our good works being only one branch of the confcioufnefs of our fincerity. Con- fequently here is only one witnefs ftill. If there- fore the text fpeaks of tnk'o witnefTes, one of thefe is not the confcioufnefs of our good works, nei- ther of our fincerity : all this being manifcilly con- tained in the tejlimony of our Spirit. 3. What thf n is the other witnefs ? This might cafily be learned, if the text itfelf were not fuffi- c-iently clear, from the verfe immediately preceding. " Ye have received, not the Spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." It follows, " The Spirit itfelf Jaeareth witnefs wi.h our fpirit, that we are the children of Cod." 4. This is farther explained by the parallel text, Gal. iv. 6. " Becaufe ye are fons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, cry- ing Abba, Father." Is not this fomething im- mediate and dirctt, not the rcfult of reflection or argumentation ? Does not this Spirit cry " Abba, Patber, in our hearts," the moment it is given ? Antecedently to any reflection upon our fincerity, yea, 10 any reafoning whatfoevei ? And is not this the plain, natural fenfe *o! the words, which fhikes any one, as foon as he hears them ? All tliefc texts then, The WITNESS of the SPIRIT. 159 then, in their mofl obvious meaning, defcribe a direti teflimony of the Spirit. 5. That the teflimony of thz Spirit of God, muft in the very nature of things, be antecedent to the ttjlimony cj our own fpirit, may appear from this Jingle consideration. We mull be holy in heart and life, before we can be confcious that we are fo. But we muft love God before we c^n be holy at all, this being the root of all holmefs. Now we cannot love God, 'till we know he loves us ; " we love hiii, becaufe he firfl loved u3." And \ve cannot know his love to us, 'till his Spirit wit- neffes it to our fpirit. 'Till then we cannot believe it : we cannot fay, " the life which 1 now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and give himfejf tor me." Then, only then we feel Our intereit in his blood, And cry with joy unfpeakable, Thou art my jLord, my God. Since therefore the teft'mony of his Spirit mtifl precede the love of God and all holinefs, of con- fequence it muft precede our confciqufnefs thereof. 6. And here properly comes in, to confirm this fcriptural doftrine, the experience of the children of God : the experience not of two or three, not of a few. but of a great multitude which no man can number. "' It has been confirmed, both in this and in all ages by a cloud of living and dying witTiefleS. It is confirmed by your experience and mine. The Spirit itfelf bore witnefs to my fpirit, that I was a child of God, gave me an evidence hereof, and I immediately cried, Abb a > Father I And this 1 did, (and fo did you) before I reflected on, or was con- fcious of any fruit of the Spirit. It was from this teftimony received, that love, joy, peace, and the whole fruit of the Spirit flowed. Fiift I heard, Thy fins are forgiven ! Accepted thou art ! I liflened, and heaven Sprung up in my heart. O 2 7. But i6o S E R M.O N XL 7. But this is confirmed, not only by the ex- perience of the children of Cod, thoufands of whom can declare, that they never did know them- felves to be in the favour of Sod, 'till it was t!irclly witneffed to them by his Spirit: bu? by all thofe who are convinced of fin, who feel the wrath of God abiding on them. Thefe cannot be fatisfi- ed with any thing lefs than a direcl teftimony from his Spirit, that he is " merciful to their unrighteouf- nefs, and remembers their fins and iniquities no more, Tell any of thefe, " You are to ktiow you are a child, by reflecting on what he has wrought in you, on your love, joy, and peace :" and will he not immediately reply, By all this I know, I am a child of the devil. I have no more love to God than the devil has : my carnal mind is enmity againft God. I have no joy in the Holy Ghoit: my foul is forrowful even unto death. I have no peace ; my heart is a troubled fea : I am all ftorm and tempeft. And which way can thefe fouls pofTibly be comforted, but by a divine teftimony, (not that they are good, or finccre, or conformable to the fciipture in heait and life, but) that God jvjtifieth the ungodly: him that 'till the moment he is juftified, is all ungodly, void ot all true holincfs? Him that worketh not, that woiketh nothing that is truly good, 'till he is confcious that he is accepted, not'jor any works of righttoufnefs zvhuA he hath done, but by the mere, free mercy of God ? Wholly and folely for what die Son of God hath done and fuffered for him ? And can it be any otherwife, if " a man is juilified by faith, with- out the works of the law ?" If fo, what inlaid or outward goodnefs can he be confcious of antece- dent to his juftification ? Nay, is not the having nothing to pay, that is, the being confcious thf^ [whether they walk by this rule, or not ;] and their thoughts thl mean while accufeng, or even cxiujing, [acquit- ting, defending them (5 x a7ro>oyt?/>A;) Rom. ii. 14, 15. But the ChriJlian Rule ot right and wrong is the Word ot God, the writings ofthe Old and New Teflament: all which the Prophets and holy men of old wrote, a s they were moved by the Holy Ghoft : all that Scripture which was given by in/piration of God, and which is indeed profitable j or dotlnnc, or touching the whole will ot God : Jor n proof o\ wha The WITNESS of our O\VN SPIRIT. 171 is contrary theieto ; for correction of error, and for in/lrudion (or training us up) in righteoufncfs, z Tim. iii. 16. This is a lantern unto a Chriflian's feet, and A light in all his paths. This alone he icceives as his rule of right or wrong, of whatever is really good or evil. He efteems nothing good, but what is here enjoined, either direftiy or by plain con- fequences. He accounts nothing evil but what is here forbidden, either in terms, or by undeniable inferences. Whatever the Scripture neither for- bids nor enjoins, (either direclLly or by plain cor- fequence) he believes to be of an indifferent nature, to be in i'tfelf neither good nor evil : this being the whole and fole outward jr.rr, whereby his confcience ^ > i/tr dircficof in ait things. 7. And if it be. dirrfted thereby in fa>, then hath he tkt anfwer of a good conlcume toward God, A good conjcience ;s what is eiiewheve termtd by the Apoftle, a con/ciencc void of ojfence. So, what he at one time exprelles thus, "I have lived in all good conicience before God until this day," A61s xxni- i. he denotes at another, by ihdt expiefliDt), " heroin do 1 ex'-'icife myfelf, to h ive a confcience void of offence toward God and toward man," chap, xxiv. 16. Now in order to this, theie is ahiolutely required, Firft, a right underftanding of the word of God, ot his holy and acceptable and perff.El will concerning us, as it is revealed therein 'For it is impodible we ftiould walk by a rule, if we do not know what it means. There is, Secondly, required (which how few have attained ) a true knowledge ofourfelves; a knowledge both of our hearts and lives, of our inward tempers and outward conver- fation : feeing if we know them not, it is not poffiblq that we (hould compare them with our rule. There is required Thirdly, an agreement of our hearts and lives, of our tempers and converfation, of our thoughts, and words, and works with that rule, with the written word of God. For without this, if we P 2 have 7-.J SERMON XII. have any confcience at all, it can be only an evil conference. There is, Fourthly, required, an in- ward perception, of this agreement with our rule. And this habitual perception, this inward confciouf- uefs itfelf, is properly a good confcience ; or (in the other phrafe of the Apoftle) *' A confcience void of offence, toward God and toward man." 8. But whoever defires to have a confcience ihr.s void of offence, let him fee that he lay the right foundation. Let him remember. Other 'foundation of this can no man lay, than that which is laid, even Jefus Chri/L And let him alfo be mindful, that no man buildeth on him but bv a living faith ; that r.o man is a partaker of Chnfr. until he can clearly teftify, " The 'lie which \ row live, 1 live by faith in the Son of God ; " in him who is now revzaled in my heart ; who loved mt, and gave himfeLf for me. Faith alone is that evidence, that conviction, that demon ftration of things invifible, whcrebv the eyes of our underftanding being opened, and divine light poured in upon them, vrefee the wondrous things of God's law, the excellency and purity of it ; the height and depth, and length and breadth thereof, and. of every commandment contained therein. It is by f'dith, that beholding the light of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chn/i, we perceive as in a glafs, all that is in ourfelves, y ea i tne inmpft motions of our fouls. And by this alone can that bleffed iove of God bejhed abroad in our hearts, which enables us fo to love one another as Chrift loved us. By this, is that gracious promife fulfilled, r.:-,to all the 'Ifraelot God, / will put my laws into th-ir minds, 'and write (or engrave) them in their hearts, Heb. viii. 10. Hereby producing in their fouls, an entire agreement with his holy and perfect law, and bringing into captivity, every thought to the obedience of Ckrtft. And as an evil tree cannot bring forth good inut, fo a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. As the heart therefore of a believer, fo likewife his lite is thoroughly The WITNESS of our OWN SPIRIT. 173 thoroughly conformed to the rule of God's com- mandments. In a confcioufnefs whereof, he can give glory to God, and fay, with the ApolUe, This is our rejoicing, the tejiimony of our con/acne e, that in ftmplicity and godly flncerity, not with Jltjhly wi/dom, but by the grace of God, we have had our converfatiomn the world. 2 Cor. i. 12. 9. We have had our converfation. The Apoftle in the Original, exprefles this by one fingle word (vrf*p>!/*?.) But the meaning thereof is exceeding broad, taking in our whole deportment, yea, every inward as well as outward circumftance, whether relating to our foul or body. It includes every motion of our heart, of our tongue, of our hands and bodily members. It extends to all our atiions and words ; to the employment of all our powers and faculties; to the manner of ufing every talent we have received, with refpeft either to God or man. 10. We have had our converfation in the world ; even in the world of the ungodly: not only among the children of God (that were, comparatively, a little thing:) but among the children of the devil, among thofe that/ze in wickednefs, i ri in the Wicked One. What a world is this! how thoroughly impregnated with the fpirit it continually breathes ! as our God is good and doth good, fo the god of this world, and all his children, are evil, and do evi^ (fo far as they are fuffered) to ail the children of God. Like their father, they are always lying in wait, or walking about, fceking whom they may de- vour', ufing fraud or force, fecret wiles or open vio- lence, to deftroy thofe who are not of the world : continually warring againfl our fouls, and by old or new weapons and devices of every kind, labouring to bring them back into the fnan of the devil, into the broad road that leadeth to deftruftion. 11. Wt have had our whole converfation in fuch a world, in Jimplicity and ^odly Jincerity. Firft, in Jimplicity. This is what our Lord recommends, P 3 under 174 S E R M O N XII. under the name of a /ingle eye. " The light of the bcx'v, laith he, is the eye. If therefore thine eye he (ingle, thy whole body Thall be full of light." The meaning whereof is this. What the eye is to the body, ih*t th<- intention is, to all the words and acli'-m. If therefoie this eye of thy foul be Tingle, all thy aftions and converfauon (hall be full of light ', of the light of heaven ; of love, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. We are ihcn fimple of heart, when the eye of our mind is fingly fixt on God : when in all things we aim at God alone, as our God, our Portion, our Strength, our Happinefs, our exceeding great Ke- waxi, our All, in timeandeternity. Thisisfimplicityj when a (K ddy view, a Tingle intention of promoting his glory, of doing and Tuffering his blefled will, runs through our whole foul, fills all our heart, and is the conftant Tpring of all our thoughts, defires and purpofes. 12. We have had our conversation in the .world \ Secondly, in godly fincetily The difference betw.een fimp.icity and (incerity, Teems to be chiefly this: fimplicity regards the intention itfelf, Tinceriiy, the execution of it. And this fincerity relates .not barely to our words, but to our whole converfation, as defcribed above. It is not here to be underftood in that narrow TenTe, wherein St. P;ve the ieait invitation, that they had loft their faith. Nay, he manii'cflly declares, they had not ; for then they would not have betn babes in ChriU, And (wi-at is nioft remarkable of all; he fi-ea!;s of being carnal and babes in Chriit, as one and the fdmethinj'j plainly fliewing that every believer is (in a degiee; wliilc lie is only a babe in Chrill. 3. Indeed Sin in Believers. 185 3. Indeed this grand point, that there are two contrary principles in believers, na'ur'e and grace, the flefh and the Spirit, runs through all the epilUes of St. Paul, yea, through all the Holy Scriptures : almoft all the directions and exhortations therein, are founded on this fuppofuion : pointing at wrong tempers or practices in thofe, who are notwith- ftanding acknowledged by the infpired wri ers to be believers. And they are continually exhorted to fight with and conquer thefe, by the power of the faith which was in them. 4. And who can doubt, but there was f;iith in the angel of the church of Ephefus, when our Lord faid to him, " I know thy works, and thy patience : thou haft patience, and for my name's fake haft la- boured and has not fainted," Rev. ii. 2, 3, 4. But was there meantime no fin in his heart ? Yea, or Chrill would not have added, " Neverthelefs 1 nave fomewhat againil thee, becaufe thou haft left thy firft love." This was a real fin which God faw in his heart (of which accordingly he us exhorted to repent.) And yet we have no authority to fay, that even then he hid no faith. $. Nay, the angel of the church at Pergamos alfo, is exhorted to repent, which implies fin, though our Lord expiefsly fays, " Thou haft not denied my faith," ver. 13, 16. And to the angel of the church in Sardis, he lays, " Strengthen the things whvn re- main that are ready to die." The good which re- mained was ready to die; but was not actually dead, chap. iii. 2. So there was ftill a fpark. of fjtth even in him ; which he is accordingly comma ed to hold /aft, vcr. 3. 6. Orfce more. When the npoflle exhort* be- lievers to cleanfc themfelves from all fi.cfin,f/s of Jlejh and /pint, (2 Cor. vii. i.J he ^iciiniy it- tchcs, that thofe believers were not yet Je^n' d there trom. Will you anfwer, " He that abj'ui- s / ,, : all - pearancc of evil, does ipfo Jaflo cle,>nie nin.feli from all hkhinefs." Not in any wife. For in. Q 3 fiance : i86 SERMON XIII. ftance : a man reviles me ; I feel refentrnent, which is filtkintjs of /pint. Yet I fay not a word. Here I ab/iain from all appearance of evil. But this does not cleanfe me tiom that filthmefs ot fpirit, as I experience to rny fonow. 7. And as this pofuion, there is no fin in a be- liever, no carnal mind, no bent to backfliding, is thus contrary to the word of God, fo it is to the ex- perience of his children. Thefe continually lee) a heait bent to backfliding, a natural tendency to evil; a pronenefs to depart from God, and cleave to the things of earth. They are daily fenfible of fin remaining in their heart, pride, felf-will, un- belief : and of fin cleaving to all they fpeak and do, even their beft aftions and holiefl duties. Yet at the fame time they know they are of God ; they can- not doubt of it for a moment. They fee/ his Spirit clearly witnejfing with their [pint, that they are the children of God. They rejoice in God through Chiijl Jejus, by whom they have now received the atonement. So that they are equally affined, that fin is in them, and that Chrift is in them the hope of glory. 8. " But can Chrift be in the fame heart where fin is ?" Undoubtedly he can. Otherwife it never could be faved therefrom. Where the fickuefs is, there is the ph) fician, Carrying on his work within, Striving till he caft out fin. Chrift indeed cannot reign, where fin reigns; neither \vill he dwell where any fin is allowed. But he is and dwells in the heart of every believer, who is fighting agd ui ft ah fin; although it be not yet puri- fied, according to the puiific^iion ot ihe fancluary. y. It has been oblerved before, that the oppofite doctrine, "That there is no fin in belie VCMS," is quite new in the church of Chritt : tirat it was never heard of for. fevemetn hundred yeais, nc-vcr till it was discovered by Count Ziiizejidorf, I do nut Sin in, Believers i8/ not remember to have feen the Kaft intimation of it, either in any antient or modern writers : un- lefs perhaps in fome of the wild. laming Antino- mians. And thefe likewife Ly .jnd unfn', ac- knowledging there is fin in their Jl.jk, *lih,;ugh no fin in their heart. But wu.uve' doVine is new rnuft be wrong : for the old religion is the only true one. And no doctrine can be fight, unlefs it is the very lame wh;cli was ft em the beginning. ,10 One argument more agasnft his new, un- fcriptural 9 they were not wafned, not inwardly ch an/Id fro-u envy, eviUfurmifing, partiality. " But lure they had not a new heart and an old heart toge'her." It is mod Cure, they had. For at that very time, their heatts were truly, yet not entirely renewed. Their cainal mind was nailed to the ciofs. Yet it was not wholly deftroyed. " But could they be unholy, while they were temples oj the Holy Gho'jl?" Yes, That tlv. y were temples of tue Holy Gho/t, is certain, (i Cor. vi. 19.) And it is equally cer- tain, they weie, in fome degree, carnal, that is, unli<}[\. 2. " However, there is one fcripture more which will put thi- muter out ot qweftion. " It any man be [a believer] in Chrift, he is a new cifa ure. Old things are pad away : behold ail things are become new," i Cor. v. 17. Now certainly a man cannoi be a new creature and an old creature at once." Yes, he may. He ma\ be partly re- newed, whkh was the very cale ot tho'e at Corinth. They wer.' doublets renewed in the fpirit of their mind, or they could not have been f > mucu as babes in Chnjl. Yr't they had nut the who.i mind which was in Clirift, lor they envied one another. " But i; is laid ex|)iefs.'y, O.d iUin^s ate paft awa\ : all things are. become neti>." But we muft not fo in- teipret the apottle's w rds, as to m-ike him con- t adicl himfeif. And it we will m'iise him con- fident with himfclt, the plain meaning of the words is this. HIS old judgments concerning juf- tification, holinels, happmeis, (indeed concerning the things of God in general) is now pajt away. So are his old dejircs, a'e/igns, and afftttions, temper 5 > and cortverfatiun. All thcfe are undeniably become new, greaily changed from what they were. And yet, though they are new, they are not wholly new. Still he tells to his iorrow and (hame, remains ot the old man, too manifeft taints of his former tem- pers and affections, though they cannot gain an 190 SERMON XIII. advantage over him, as long as he watches unto prayer. 3. This whole argument, " If he is clean, he is clean," "it he is holy, he is holy;" (and twenty more expreflions of the fame kind may eafily be heaped together) is really no better than playing upon words : it is the fallacy of arguing f o'n a particular to a general ; of inferring agemralcon- clufion, fr*om particular premises. Propo'e the fentence entire, and it runs thus : " If he is holy at all, he is holy altogether." That does not fol- low : every babe in Chrift is holy, and yet not altogether fo. He is faved "from fin; yet not in- tirel) : it remains, though it does not reign. If you think it does not rematn (in babes at leaft, what- ever be the cafe with young men, or jut her 5} you certainly have not confident- d the height and depth and length and breadth of the law ot God ; (even the law of love, laid down 'by St. Paul in the thirteenth of Corinthians) und that every Utopia, dif- conformity to, or deviation from this law, is /in. Now, is theie no difconfonmty to this in the heart or life of a believer ? What may be in an adult Chriflian is another queftion. But what a Granger muft he be to human nature, who can poflib.ly ima- gine, that this is the cafe with every babe in Chiift ? 4. " But believers walk after the Spirit. * Rom. viii. i. and the Spirit of God dwells in them. Confequently they are delivered from the guilt, the power, or in one word, the being ot fin." Thefe are coupled together, as it they were the fame thing. But they are not the fame thing. The guilt is one thing, the power another, and the being yet another. That believers are belivered from the guilt and power of fin we allow; that they are de- livered from the being of it we deny. Nor does it * What foHows for fome pages is an anfwcr to a paper, publifhcd in the Chriftian Magazine, p. 577582. I am furprizcd Mr. Dodd, ihould give fuch a paper place in his Magazine, which is contrary to our ninth article. in Sin in Believers. 191 in any wife follow from tliefe texts. A man may have the Spirit of God dwelling in him, and may walk after the Spirit, though he ftill feels the fejjt lu/iing a^ainjl the Spir.t. c. " But the church is the body of Chrift, Col. i. 2n may be in God's favour though he feel fin ; but not if he yields to it. Having Jin does not for- feit the favour of God ; giving way to fin does. Though the flefh in you lujt agaui/i the Spirit, you - may ftillbea child of God. Bui if you walk after the flejki you are a child of the devil. Now this di.ftrine does not encourage to obey fin, but to refill it with all your might. V. 1. The fum of all is this. There are in every perfon, even after he is juflified, two contrary prin- ciples, nature and grace, termed by St. Paul, the fUJh and the Spirit. Hence although even babes Sin in Believers. 195 ^in Chriil ttzfantlijicd, yet it is only in part. In a, ' degree, according to the meafure of their faith, they are fpiritual: yet in a degree they are carnal. Ac- cordingly, believers are continually exhorted to watch againlt the fleih, as well as the world and the devil. And to this agrees the conftant experience of the children of God. While they teel this,- witnefs in the.nfelve.s, they feel a will not wholly refigned to the will of God. They know they are in him, and yet find a heart ready to depart from him, a pronenefs to evil in many inflances, and. a backwai duel's to that which is good. The contrary docliine is wholly new: never heard of in the church of Chrift, from the lime of his coming into the world, till the time of Count Zmzendort. And it is attended with the moil tatal coniequences. It cuts off all witching aga-nlt our evil nature, again 11 the Delihh, which v\e ate told is gone, though Hie is Hill lying in our boforn. It tears away t'ie t'hicKl ut w<.ak believers, 'deprives them of toeir faith, and fo le-ves them expoled to all the affuuits of the world, the flelh, an-l the devil. 2. Let us therefore hold fall the found doclrine " once c'elivered to the faints," and delivered down by them with the written word to all fucceeding genet dt:ons : that although we aie renewed, ckvinfed, purified, fanftified, the moment we truly believe in Chrift, yet we are not then renewed, cleanfed, puri- fied altogether: but the flelh, the evil nature Itill remains (ihough fubdued) and wars againjl the Spirit. So much the moie, let us ufe all diligence in " fighting the good fight of faith." So much the more earneflly let us watch and pray, againfl the enemy within. The more oiefully Jet us takeio ourfelves, and " put on the whole armour of God :" that although "we w re ill e" both "with flefh and blood, and with principalities and powers, and, wicked fpirits in high places," we may be able to with- ftand in the evil day, and having done all, to ftand." R 2 SERMON [I 9 6] ^^^>xs^^w SERMON XIV. THE REPENTANCE OF BELIEVERS. MARK I. 15. " Repent, and believe the i. T T is generally fuppofed, That Repentance and A Faith are only the Gate of Religion ; that thry are neceflary only at the beginning of our Chriftian Courfe, when we are fetting out in the way to the kingdom. And this may feem to be con- firmed by the great Apoille, where exhorting the Hebrew Chriftians to go on to perfettion, he teaches them to leave thefe jirjl principles of the dcflrine of Chrift ; " not laying again the foundation of re- peoiance from death works, and faith toward God :" which muft at leait mean, that they (hould com r paratively leave thefe, that at firft took up all their thoughts, in order to " prefs forward toward the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus." 2. And this is undoubtedly true, that there is a Repentance and a Faith, which are more efpecially necefiary at the beginning. A Repentance which is a conviction of our utter finfulnefs, and guilti- nefs, and helplefTnefs: and which precedes our re- ceiving that kingdom of God, which our Lord ob- ferves is within its ; and a Faith, whereby we re- ceive that kingdom, even righteoufntfs> and peace> and joy in the Holy Ghoji." 3. But notwithflandmg this, there is alfo a Re- pentance and a Faith, (taking the words in another foufe, a fenfe not quite the fame, nor yet ent ; rely d'ifFerent,) Repentance of Believers. 197 different,) which are requifite after we have believed the go/pel: yea, and every fubfequent ftage of our Chnftian courfe, or we cannot run the race which, is fet before wr. And this Repentance and Faith are full as neceffary in order to our continuance arid growth in grace, as the former Faith and Re- pentance were in order to our entering in:o the Kingdom or God. But in.wh.it fenfe are we to repent and believe, after we are juftified? This is an important queftion, and worthy of being confideied with the utmofl attention. I. And firfl, in what fenfe are we to repent ? 1. Repentance frequently means, an inward change, a change of mind from fur to holinefs. But we now fpeak of it in quite a different fenfe, as it is one kind of Self-knowlevtge, the know- ing omfelves finnets, even though we know we ate children of God. 2. Indeed when we firfl know this, when, we firit find redemption thro' the blood of Jefus, when the Love of God is firit fhed abroad in our he-arts, and his kingdom fet up therein, it is natural to furpofe that we are no longer finntrs, that all our fins are not only covered but deftroyed. As we do not then feei any evil in our hea ts, we readily imagine, none is there. Nay fome well-meaning men have imagined this, not only at that time, but ever after: having perfuaded themfelves, that when they were j unified, they were entirely (ancli- lied. Yea, they have laid 'it dow'u as a general rule, in fpite of Scripture, Reaion and Experience; Thefe {tnctrely believ. and earuv-uly maintain, that all fin is cieftroyed when we are jufliried, a;:d that there is no fin in the heait of a beuever, but that it is altogether clear from th,.t moment. But though we'-rea-culy acknowledge, ' he that beiieveth is born of God, and he that rs born of God doth not commit I'm :" yet we cannot allow that lie ,loes R 3 not 198 SERMON XIV. not feel it within: it does not reign, but it does remain. And a conviction of the fin which re- mains in our heart, is one great branch of the Re pentance we are now {peaking of. 3. For itisfeldom long, before he who imagined all fin was gone, feels there is (till Pride in his heart. He is convinced both that in many re- fpefts he has thought of himfelf more highly than he ought to think, and that he has taken to himfelf the praife of fomething he had received, and glori- fied in it as though he had not received it. And yet he knows, he is in the favour of God. He caflnot and ought not to ca/l away his confidence, Tke Spit it dill uitne/es ivith his fpirit, that he it a child oj God. 4. Nor is it long before he feels Self will in his heart, even a Will contrary to the Will of God. A Will every man mufl inevitably have, as long as he has an Umlei (landing. This is an elfentnl pan of human Nature, indeed of the nature of eveiy intelligent Being. Our bleffed Lord himfeif had a Will as a man : otherwife he had not been a man. But his human Will was invariably fiibjeft to ihe Will of his Father. At all times, and on all oc- cafions, even in the deepeft affliction, he could iay, " Not as I will, but as thou wilt." But this is not the cale at all times, even with a true be- liever in Chi in 1 . He frequently finds his will more or lefs exalting itfelf againft the W T ill of God. He wills fomething becaufe it is pleafing to nature, which is not pleafing to God. And he wills (is averfe from) fomething, becaufe it is painful to nature, which is the will of God concerning him. (Indeed) fuppofe he continues in the faith) he fighis againit it with all his might. But this very things implies, that it really exiits, and that he is cohlcious of it. . Now Self-will, as well as Pride, is a fpecies of Idolatry ; and both are directly contrary to the love of God. The fame cbfervation may be made, concerning Repentance of Believers. jgg concerning the, Love of the world. But this like. wife even true believers are liable to feel in them- Jfelves : and every one of them does feel it, more or lefs, fboner or later, in one branch or another. It is true, when he firfl paffes from death unto lite, lie dcfires nothing more but God. He can truly fay, " All rny-defire is unto thee, and unto the re- membrance of thy name. Whom have I in hea- ven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I defire befide thee !" But it is not fo always. In procefs of lime he will feel again, (though per- haps only for a few moments) either " the defire of the flefh, the defire of the eye, or the pride of lire." Nay, if he does not continually watch and pray, he may fin-1 Lvjl reviving ; yea, and thru fl- ing fore at him that he may fall, till he has fcarce any fbength left in him. He may feel the a {faults of inordinate djfeflion, yea a flrong pro- pen fity to " love the crea.ure more than ihe Crea- tor :" whether it be a child, a parent, a hufband or wife, or " the Friend that is as his own foul." He may feel in a thoufand various ways, a defire of earthly things or pleafures. In the fame pror portion he will forget God, not feeking his hap. pinefs in him, and consequently being a " lover of pleafure more than a lover of God." 6. If he does not keep himfelf every moment, he will again feel the Defire of the Eye, the de- fire of gratifying his imagination, with fame* hi ng great, or beautilul, or uncommon. In how many ways does this defire affault the foul ? Perhaps wiih regard to the pooreft trifles, fuch as drefs, or furni- tuie: things never defigned to fatisfy the appetite of an immortal Spirit. Yet how natural is it for us, even after we have " tafted of the powers of the world to come,'' to fink again into thefe foohlh, low defires, of things that perifh in the ufing ? H-nv hard is it, even for thofe who know irj whom they have believed, to conquer but one branch oi ihe defire of the eye, Curiofity ? Conftamly to trample 200 SERMON XIV. trample it under their feet ? To defire nothing, merely becaufe it is new ? 7. And how hard is it even for the children of God wholly to conquer the pride of life ? St. John feems to mean by this, neaily the fame with what the world terms the fenfe of honour. This is no other than a defiie of and the delight in " the honour that Cometh of men." A defiie and love of praife, and (which is always joined with it) a pro- poitionable fear cf difprai/e. Nearly allied to this is e vil Jhame : the being afharned of that wherein we ought to glory. And this is feldom divided from the fear of man, which brings a thoufand fnare-, upon the foul. Now where is he even among thofe that It-em ilrong in taith, who does not find in himft-lf a degree of all thefe evil tem- pers ? S'i that even thefe are but in part crucified to the world : for the evil root Hill remains in their heart. 8. And do we not feel other tempers, which are as contrary to the love of our neighbour, as thefe are to the love of God ? The love of our neigh- bour, tkinkelh no evil : Do not we find any thing of. the kind ? Do we never find any jeafou/if.s, any evil fu-r mi/ings, any groundless or unreafonable fuf- picums ? He that is clear in thefe refpefts let him cart the f\.li ftone at his neighbour. Who dues not fomeumes ted other tempers or inward motions, which he knows are contrary to brotherly love ? If nothing of malice, halted, or bitternefs, is there no touch of envy ? .Paiticularly towaiH thofe who enjoy foii.e (real or fuppofed) good, which we de- fiie but cannot attain ? Do we never find any de- gree of rcfentment, when we are injured or affiont- ed ? Efpeci.Jl) by thofe whom we peculiarly loved, aii'i whom we had moil laboured to help or oblige. Does iniuflice or ingraiitude never excite us to any deiiu* oi levtnge? Any dtfire of returning evil for evil, infiead of overcoming evil with good ? This Repentance of Believers. 201 This alfo fhcws, how much is flill in our heart, which is contrary to the love ot oiir neighbour. 9. Covetcufnejs in every kind and degree TS tJr* tainly as contrary to this as to the love of God. Whether f ixg>^i, the love of money, which is too frequently the root of all tvils, or wXio|, literally, A defire of having more, or increafing in Jub- ilance. And how few even of the real children of God, are entiiely free from both ? Indeed one great man, Martin Luther ufed to fay, He " never had any covetoufnefs in him, (not only in his con- verted ftate, but) ever fince he was born." But if fo, I would not fcrnple to fay, He was the only man born of a woman, (except him that was God as well as man) who had not, who was born with- out it. Nay, I believe, never was any born ot God, that lived any confiderable time after, who did not feel more or lefs of it m^ny times, efpeciai- ly in the latter fenfe. We may therefore fet it down as an undoubted truth, that covttoufnefs, to- gether with pride, and felf-will, and anger, remain in the hearts even of them that are juflitied. 10. It is their experiencing this which has in- dined fo many ferious perfons, to underfland the Jatter part of the feventh chapter to the Romans, not of them that are under the law, that arc con- vinced of fin, which is undoubtedly the meaning ot the Apoftle, but of them tha: are under grace, that are " juJlified freely through the redemp- tion that is in Chiift." And it is mod certain, they are thus far right : there does iHli remain even in them that are juftified, a mind which is in feme meafure carnal; (To the Apollle tells even the he, lievers at Corinth, Ye are carnal :) an heait bent to backjiiding, flill ever reddy to depart from t-^e liv~ ing God ; a propenfity to pride, felt-will, anger, revenge, love of ihe world, yea and all evil ; a root of bitternefs, which if the reftiaint were taken off for a moment, would inftamly Ipring up : Yea, fuch a depth of conuption, as without clear light from 202 SERMON XIV. from God we cannot poinbly conceive. And a conviction ot all this fin remaining in their hearts, is the repentance which belongs to them that are juftified. 11. But we fhould likewife be convinced, that as fin remains in our hearts, fo it cleaves to all our words and aclions. Indeed it is to be feared, that many of our words are more than mixt with fin ; that they are all finfal altogether; for fuch un- doubtedly is all uncharitable converfation ; all which does not fpring from brotherly love: all which does not agree with that golden rule, " What ye would that others fhould do to yon, even fo do unto them." Of this kind is all back-biting, afl tale-beaimg, all whifpering, all evil-fpeaking ; th'at is, repeating the fuilts of ahfent perfons : For none would have others repeat las faults when he is ab- fent. Now how few are there, even among be- lievers, who arc in no degree guilty of this ? Who lleadily obfrrve the good old rule, " Of the dead and the ablent fp^ak nothing but good." And fup- pofe thev do, do they likewife abflain from un- profitable converfation ? Yet all this is unq'iefti- onably finful, and grieves the holy Spirit of Gad'. yea, and " lor every idle word that men Ihall fpeak, they fhall give an account in the day of judgment." i?-. But let it he fuppofed, that they continually wa'.ch and pray, and fo do not enter into this temp- tation ; that they conftantly fct a watch before their month, and keep the door of their lips : fuppofo they exercife themfelves herein, that all their " convcrfation may be in gr.ce, leafoned with fait, and meet to miniller grace to the hearers ;" yet do they not daily flide into ufelefs difcourfe, notwith- ftandmg all their caution? And even when they endeavour to fpeak for GoH, are their words pure, free from unholy mixtures ? Do they find no- thing wrong in their very Intention ? Do they fpeak merely to pleafe God, and not partly to pleate them." Repentance of Believers. 203 themfelves ? Is it wholly to do the will of God, and not their own will alfo ? Or, if they begin' with a fingle eye, do they go on looking unto Jtfusi and talking with him all the time they aie with their neighbour ?" When they are reproving fin, do they Feel no anger or unkind temper to the fin- ner ? When they are inftrufting the ignorant, do they not find any pride, any felf-prefercnce ? When they are comforting the afflifted, or provoking one another to love and to good works, do they never perceive any inward felt-commendation, ' Now you have fpoke well?" Or any vanity, a defiie that others mould hink fo, and efleem them on the account ? In fome or all thefe refpetts, how much fin cleaves to the beft converfation even of be- lievers ? The coriviftion of which is another branch of repentance which belongs to them that are juftified. 13 And how much fin, if their 'confcience is thoroughly awake, may they find cleaving to their ailions -MQ! Nay, are there not many of thefe, which though they are fuch as the world would not condemn, yet cannot be commended, no nor ex* cu r ed, if we judge by the word oi God ? Are there not many of ibrir aftions, 'which they them-i felves know, are not to the glory of God? Many, wheiein they did no even aim at tiiis, which were not undertaken with an eye to God ? And of thofe that were, art- there not many, wherein their eye is not fingly fixt on God ? Wherein they are doing their own will, at lead as much as his, and feeking to pleafe themfelves as much, if not more; thdn to pleafe God ? And while they are endeavour- ing to do good to their neighbour, do they not feel wioii'j; tempers of various kinds? Hence their good actions,- fo called, are far from being ftriclly iuch, being polluted 'with fuch a mixture of evil ! Such are their works of mercy I And is there not the fame mixture in their woi ks of piety ? While they are hearing the word which is able to fave their 204 S E R M O N XIV. their fouls, do they not i'.equently find fuch thoughts, as make ti cm afraid, left it (hould turn to their condemnation, rather th,n their falvafion ? Is it not often the fiine cafe, while they are en- deavouring to offer up their prayers to God, whether in public or private ? Nay, while they are engaged in the mod folemn fer.vice : even while ihey are at the table of the Lord, what manner of thoughts arife in them? Arc not their hearts fometimes wandering to the ends of the earth, fornetimes tilled with furh imaginations, as make them fear, left all their facrifice mould be an abomination to the Lord. So that they are more alhamed of their beft duties, than they were once of their worft fins. 14. Again. How many fins of omiffion are they char^eible with ? We know the words of the apoftle, "To him that kno.-eth to do good, and doth it not, t him it is fin." Sut do they not know a thoufand inftances, wherein they might have done good, to enemies, to Grangers, to their brethren, either wiih regurd to their bodies or their fouls, and they did it not ? How many omilliom have they been guilty of, in their duty towards God ? How many opportunities of com- municating, of heaiing his word, of public or pii- va'e prayer, have they neglecled ? So great reafon had even that holy man bifhop Ufher, alter all his labours for God, to cry out, almoft with his dying breath, " Lord, forgive me my fins of omiflion." 15. But hefides ihefe outward omiflions, may they not find in themfelves inward dc/efls without number? Dc-rfefts of every kind: They have not the love, the fear, the confidence, they ought to have toward God. They have not the love which is due to their neighbour, to every child ot man : No, nor even that which is due to their brethren, to every rh Id of God ; whether thofe that aie at a dif- tancefiorn them, or thofe with whom thoy are im- inediatc'y connected. They have no holy temper in the degree they ought ; they are deleftive in every Repentance of Believers. 105 every thing : In a deep confcioufnefs of which they are ready to cry out with Mr. De Renty, " I am a ground all over-run with thorns :" or with Job, " I am vile; I abhor rnyfelf, and repent as in duft and afhes." 16. A conviftion of their guillinefs, is another branch of that repentance which belongs to the children of God. But this is cautioufly to be un- derflood, and in a peculiar fenfe. For it is cer- tain, " there is no condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus ;" that believe in him, and in the power of that faith, " walk not after the flefli, but after the Spirit." Yet can they no more bear the Jlrifl. jii/licc of God now, than before they believed. This pronounces them to be ftill worthy of death, on all the preceding accounts. And it would ab- folutely condemn them thereto, were it not for the atoning blood. Therefore they are ihoroughly con- vinced, that they ftill deferve uuniihment, although it is hereby turned afide from them. But here there are extremes on one hand and on the other, and few fleer clear of them. Moft men ftrike on one or the other, either thinking themfelves con- demned, when they are not, or thinking they de- Jerve to be acquitted. Nay, the truth lies between: they ftill de/erve, ftriftly fpeaking, only the dam. nation of hell. But what they deferve does not come upon them, becaufe they " have an advocate with the .Father." His life, and death, and in- terceflion, flill interpofe between them and con- demnation. 17. A conviclion Q> their utter helplfjfnefs, is yet another branch of this repentance. I mean hereby two things : i. That they are no more able now of tkemftlves to think one good thought, to form one good defire, to fpeak one good word, or do one good work, than before they were jultified : that they flill have no kind or degree of ftrength of their own ; no power either to do good or re- iifl evil ; no ability to conquer or even wiihftand VOL. I. S the , 2o6 SERMON XIV. the world, the devil, or their own evil nature. They can, it is certain, do all thefe things ; but it is not by their own Jlrength. They have power to overcome all thefe enemies ; for Jin hath no more dominion over them. But it is not from nature, either in whole or in part : it is the mere gift of God; nor is it given all at once, as if they had a flock laid up for many years ; but from moment to moment. 18. By this helpleffnefs I mean, Secondly, An abfolute inability to deliver ourfelves, from that guiltinefs or defert of punifhment whereof we are flill confcious : Yea, and an inability to remove, by all the grace we have, (to fay nothing of our natural powers) either the pride, felf-will, love of the world, anger, and general pronenefs to depart from God, which we experimentally know to re- main in the heart, even of them that are regenerate ; or the evil which in fpite of all our endeavours, cleaves to all our words and aftions. Add to this, an utter inability wholly to avoid uncharitable, and much more, unprofitable conversation : and an inability to avoid Sins of Omijpon, or to fupply the numberlefs dtfcfls we are convinced of, efpecially the want of Love and other right tempers, both to God and man. 19. If any man is not fatisfied of this, if any believes that whoever is juftified, is able to remove thefe fins out of his heart and life, let him make the experiment. Let him try, whether by the grace he has already received, he can expel Pride, Self-will, or inbred Sin in general. Let him try, whether he can cleanfe his words and actions from all mixtures of evil : Whether he can avoid all uncharitable and unprofitable conversation, with all the fins of omiflion : and laftly, whether he can fupply the numberlefs defefts which he ftill finds in himfelf. Let him not be difcouraged by one or two experiments, but repeat the trial again and again. And the longer he tries, the more deeply will Repentance of Believers. 207 will he be convinced of his utter helpleflnefs in aU thefe refpefts. 20. Indeed this is fo evident a truth, that well nigh all the children of God fcattered abroad, how- ever they differ in other points, yet generally agree in this, that although we may, by the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, refift and conquer both out- ward and inward fin, although we may weaken our enemies day by day, yet we cannot drive them out. By all the grace which is given at juftification, we cannot extirpate them. Though we watch and pray ever fo much, we cannot wholly cleanfe either our hearts or hands. Mod fure we cannot, till it (hall pleafe our Lord, to fpeak to our hearts again, to " fpeak the fecond time, Be clean" And then only the leprofy is cieanfed. Then only the evil root, the carnal mind, is deftroyed, and inbred fin fubfifts no more. But if there be no fuch fecond Change, if there be noinftantaneous Deliverance after Juftifi- cation, if there be none but a gradual work of God (that there is a gradual work none denies,) then we muft be content as well as we can, to remain full of fin till death. And if fo, we muft remain guilty till death, continually deferving puniftiinent. For it is impofiible, the guilt or defert of punifhment fhould be removed from us, as long as all this fin remains in our hearts, and cleaves to our words and afclions. Nay, in rigorous Juftice, all we think, and fpeak, and aft, continually increases it. II. i. In this fenfe we are to repent, after we are juftified. And till we do fo, we can go no farther. For till we are fenfible of our difeafe it admits ot no cure. But fuppofing we do thus repent, then are we called to believe the gofpel. 2. And this alfo is to be underftood in a peculiar fcnfe, different from that, wherein we believe in order to Juftification. Believe the glad tidings of that great Salvation, which God hath prepared for all people. Believe that he who is "the brightnefs of his Father's S 2 glory, o8 SERMON XIV. glory, the exprefs image of his perfon, is able to fave to the uttermoft all that come unto God through him." He is able to fave you from all the fin that Hill remains in your heart. He is able to fave you from all the fin that cleaves to all your words and aftiuns. He is able to fave you from fins of Omiffion, and to fupply whatever is wanting in yon It is true this is impqffiblc with man ; but with, God Man all things are pojjible. For what can be too hard for Him, who hath all power in heaven and in earth? Indeed his bare power, to do this, is not a fufficiem foundation for oar faith, that he will do it, that he will thus exert his power, unlefs he hath promifed it. But this he has done : he has promifed it over and over, in the ftronsieft terms. He has given us thefe exceeding great and piccious prc- mifcs, both in the Old and the New Teftament. So we read in the Law, in the moft ancient part of the Oracles of God, " The Lord ihy God will circum- cife thy heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with dll thy foul," Deut. xxx. 6. So in the Pfalms, "He {hall redeem Ifrael (the Ifrael of God) from all his fins." So in the Prophet: " Then will I fprinkle clean water upon you, and ye (hall be clean : from all your fihhinefs and from all your idols will I cleanfe youAnd 1 will put my Spirit within you, and ye (hall keep my judgments and do them. I will alfo fave you from all your uncleanneffes," Ezek. xxxvi. 25, &c. So hkewife in the New Teftament; " Blefled be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath vifited and redeemed his people. And hath raifed up an horn of Salvation for us: to perform the oath which he fwore to our father Abraham. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, fhould ferve him withojt fear. In holinefs and righteoufnefs before him, all the days of our life," Luke i. 68. &c. 3. You have therefore good reafon to believe, he is not only able, but willing to do this, to " cleanfe you from Repentance of Believers. 209 from all your filihinefs of flefh and fpirit; to fave you from all your uncleannefTes." This is the thing which you now long for ; this is the faiih which you particularly need, namely, that the great phy- fician, the lover of my foul, is willing to make me clean. But is he willing to do this to-morrow or to-day ? Let him anfwer for himfelf, " To-day, if ye will hear my voice, harden not your hearts : " If you put it off till to-morrow, you harden you hearts ; you refufe to hear his voice. Believe, there fore, that he is willing to fave you to-day. He is wiHing to fave you now. " Behold, now is the accepted time." He now faith, Be thou clean ! Only believe ; and you alfo will immediately find; " All things are poflible to him that believeth." 4. Continue to believe in him " that loved thee, and gave himfelf for thee, that bore all thy fins in his own body on the tree," and he faveth thee from, all condemnation, by his blood continually applied. Thus it is that we continue in a jultified ftate. And when we go on from faith to faith, when we have faith to be cleanfed from indwelling fin, to be laved from all our uncleanncffes, we are likewife faved from all that guilt, that defer t of punifhment, which we felt before. So that then we may fay not only, Every moment, Lord, I zvant The merit or' thy Death : but likewife, in the full affurance of faiih, Every moment, Lord, I have The merit of thy Death ! For by that faith in his Life, Death, and Inter- ceflion for us, renewed from moment, to moment, we are every whit clean; and there is not only now no condemnation for us, but no fuch defert of punifhment as was belore, the Lord cleanfing both our hearts and lives. 5. By the fame Faith, we feel the power of Chrifl every moment refting upon us, whereby alone we S 3 are ato SERMON XIV. are what we are ; whereby we are enabled to con- tinue in fpiritual life, and without which, notwith- ftanding all our prefent holinefs, we fhould be devils the next moment. But as long as we retain our Faith in him, we " draw water out of the wells of Salvation." Leaning on our Beloved, even Chrift in us the hope of glory, who dwelleth in our hearts by faith, who likewife is ever interceding for us at the right-hand of God, we receive help from him, to think, and fpeak, and aft, what is acceptable in his fight. Thus does he " prevent them that believe in all their doings, and further them with his con- tinual help, fo that all their defigns, converfations and aftions are begun, continued, and ended in him." Thus doth he " cleanfe the thoughts of their hearts, by the infpiration of his Holy Spirit, that they may perleftly love him, and worthily magnify his holy name." 6. Thus it is, that in the children of God, Re- pentance and Faith exaflly anfwer each other. By Repentance we feel the fin remaining in our hearts and cleaving to our words and aftions. By faith we receive the power of God in Chrift, purifying our hearts and cleanfing our hands. By Repentance \ve are ftill fenfible thai we deferve punifhment for all our tempers and words and actions. By faith we are confcious, that our Advocate with the Father is continually pleading for us, and thereby contin- ually turning afirle all condemnation and punifh- mem fiom us. By Repentance we have an abiding conviction, that there is no help in us. By faith we receive not only mercy, but grace fo help in every time of need. Repentance difclaims the very pof- fibility of any other help. Faith accepts all the help we Hand in need of, fiom Him that hath all power in heaven and earth. Repentance fays, Without him I can do nothing : Faith fays, " I can do all things thro' Chiiit ftreng, tuning me." Through him 1 can not only overcame, but expel all the enemies of my foul. Through him I can " love the Repentance of Believers. 211 the Lord my God, with all my heart, mind, foul and ftrength : yea, and walk in holinefs and righ- teoufnefs before him all the days of my life." III. i. From what has been faid, we may eafily learn the mifchievoufnefs of that opinion, that we ^rc wholly fanftified when we are juftified : that our hearts are then cleanfed from all fin. It is true, we are then delivered (as was obferved before) from the dominion of outward fin : and at the fame time the power of inward fin is fo broken, that we need no longer follow or be led by it. But it is. by no means true, that inward fin is then totally deftroyed, that the root of pride, felf-will, anger, love of the world, is then taken out of the heart, or that the carnal mind and the heart bent to backfliding are entirely extirpated. And to fuppofe the contrary, is not, as fome may think, an innocent, harmlefs miflake. No: It does immenfe harm: it entirely blocks up the way to any farther change. For it is manifeft, " They that are whole do not need a phyfician, but they that are fick. If therefore we think we are quite made whole already, there is no room to feck any farther healing. On this fup- pofition, it is abfurd to expeft a farther deliverance from fin, whether gradual or inftantaneous. 2. On the contrary, a deep conviftton that we are not yet whole, that our hearts are not fully puri- fied, that there is yet in us a carnal mind, which is ft ill in its nature enmity again/I God\ that a whole body of fin remains in our heart, weakened indeed, but not deftroyed, (hews beyond all poflibility of doubt, the abfolute neceffity of a farther change. We allow, that at the very moment of juilification, we are born again : in fliat inft^nt we experience that inward change, from darknefs into marvellous light ; from the image ot the brute ^nd the devil, into the image of God; from the eaithly, feniual, devilifli mind, to the mind which was in Chrift Jefus. . But are we then entirely changed ? Are we wholly 212 SERMON XIV. wholly transformed into the image of him that created us? Far from it : We ftill retain a depth of {in : And it is the confcioufnefs of this, which conftrains us to groan for a full deliverance, to him that is mighty to fave. Hence it is, that thofe believers who are not convinced of the deep corruptions of their hearts, or but (lightly, and as it were notionally convinced, have little concern about entire Sanflifi- cation. They may poffibly hold the opinion, that fuch a thing is to be, either at death, or fome time, they know not when, before it. But they have no great uneafinefs for the want of it, and no great hunger or thirft after it. They cannot, until they know themfelves better, until they repent in the fenfe above defcribed, until God unveils the inbred monfter's face, and {hews them the real flate of their fouls. Then only, when they feel the burden, will they groan for deliverance from it. Then and not till then, will they cry out, in the agony of their foul, Break off the yoke of inbred fin And fully {et my fpirit free ! I cannot reft, till pure within, Till I am wholly loft in thee ! g. We may learn from hence, fecondly, that a deep conviftion of our Demerit alter we are ac- cepted, (which ii 1 ) one fenfe may be termed guilt) is abfolutely neceflary, in order to our feeing the true value of the atoning Blood; in order to our feeling that we need this as much, after we are juftified, as ever we did before. Without this conviftion, we cannot but account the blood of the Covenant as a common thing, fomething ot which we have not now any great need, feeing all our paft fins are blotted out. Yea, but it both our hearts and lives are thus unclean, there is a kind of guilt which we are contracting every moment, and which of confequence, would every moment expofe us to ireih condemnation, but that He SERMON XIV. zi3 He ever lives above, For us to intercede, His all-atoning blood His precious death to plead. 4. We may obferve, thirdly, a deep convi6lion ef our utter helpleffnefs, of our total inability to retain any thing we have received, much more to deliver ourfelves fioin the world of iniquity re- maining both in our hearts and lives, teaches us truly to live upon Chrift by faith, not only as our Pried, but as our King. Hereby we are brought to " magnify him," indeed to " give him all the glory of his grace," to " make hinv a whole Chrift, an entire Saviour," and truly to " fet the crown upon his head." Thefe excellent words, as they have been frequently ufed, have little or no mean- ing. But they are fulfilled in a ftrong and deep fenfe, when we thus go out of ourfelves, in order to be fwallowed up in him ; when we fink into nothing, that he may be all in all. Then his al- mighty grace, having aboltfhed every high tkin'g which exalted itfdf againjl him, every temper, and thought, and word, and work, is brought to tkt tbeduw.e, of Chnji. LON DONDERRY, April 24, 1767. SERMON SERMON XV. THE GREAT ASSIZE. PREACHED At the ASSIZES held before the Honourable Sir EDWARD CLIVE, Knight, one of the Judges of his MAJESTY'S Court of Common-Pleas: in St. PAUL'S Church, BEDFORD: on Friday March 10, 1758. ROMANS XIV. to. " We (hall all ftand before the judgment feat of Chrift." i. T T O W many circumftances concur, to raifc JL. JL the awfulnefs of the prefent folemnity ? The general concourfe of the people of every age, fex, rank, and condiiion of life, willingly or un- willingly gathered together, not only from the neighbouring, but from diftant parts : criminals ', fpeedily to be brought forth, and having no way toefcape: 'officers waiting in their various pofts, to execute the orders which fhall be given : and the Reprcfcntativt of our gracious Sovereign, whom we fo highly reverence and honour. The occafion likewife of this affembly, adds not a little to the folemnity of it : to hear and determine caufes of every kind, fome of which are of the moft im- portant nature : on which depends no lefs than life or death ; death that uncovers the face of eternity ! It was doubtlefs in order to increafe the ferious fenfe of thefe things, and not in the minds of the vulgar only, that the wifdom of our forefathers did not difdain to appoint even feveral minute circumftances of this folemnity. For thefe alfo;) by means of the eye or ear, may more deeply af- feft The GREAT ASSIZE. 215 Fel the heart. And when viewed in this light, trumpets, (laves, apparel, are no longer trifling or infignificant, but fubfervient in their kind and de- gree to the mo ft valuable ends of fociety. 2. But as awful as this folemnity is, one far more awful is at hand. For yet, a little while, and ' we fhall all ftand before the judgment feat of Chrift." " For as I live, faith the Lord, every knee fhall bow to me, and every tongue fhall confefs to God." And in that day, " every one of us lhall give account of himfelf to God." 3. Had all men a deep fenfe of this, how effec- tually would it fecure the interefts of fociety f For what more forcible motive can be conceived, to the practice of genuine morality ? To a fteady pur- fuit of folid virtue ? An uniform walking in juf- tice, mercy, and truth ? What could ftrengthen our hands in all that is good, and deter us from all evil, like a fttong conviction of this, the Judge Jlandeth at the door : and we are fliortly tojiand be- fore him ? 4. It may not therefore be improper, or unfuit- able to the defign of the prefent affembly, to con- fider, I. The chief circumftances which will precede our ftanding before the judgment feat of Chrift. II. The judgment itfelf, and, III. A few of the circumftances which will fol- low if. I. Let us, in the firft place, confider the chief circumftances which will precede our ftanding be- fore the judgment feat of Chrift. And ift, ' * God will fiiew figns in the earth beneath :" particularly he will " arife to (hake ter- ribly the earth. The earth (hall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and fhall be removed like a cot- tage." 'not in t " There thall be earthquakes," xa T divers only, but) " in all places ;" n Aftsii. 19. t Luke xxi, ji. one tiS S E R M O N XV. one only, or a few, but in every part of the habita- ble world : even "fuch as were nor, fincemen were upon the earth, fo mighty earthquakes and fo gieat." In one of thefe * " every ifland (hall flee away, and the mountains will not be found." Mean- time all the waters of the terraqueous globe will feel the violence of thofe concudions : f " the fea and waves roaring," with fuch an agitation as had never been known before, fince the hour that " the fountains of the great deep were broken up," to deftroy the earth, which then flood out of the water and in the water. The air will be all ftorm and tempeft, full of dark || vapours and pillars of fmoke; refounding with thunder from pole to pole, and torn with ten thoufand lightenings. But the commotion will not Hop in the region of the air : " the powers of heaven alfo (hall be fhakert. There mall be figns in the fun and in the moon and in the ftars ;" thofe fixt, as well as thofe ihat move round them. ** " The fun (hall be turned into darknefs and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day ot the Lord come, ft ' The ftars (hall withdraw their mining," yea and " fall from heaven," being thrown out ot their orbits. And then fhall be heard the univerfal^tf^, ||[{ from all the companies of heaven, followed by the voice of the arch-angel, proclaiming the approach of the Son of God and man, and the trumpet of God t founding an alarm to all that fleep in theduftof the earth. In confequence of this all the graves lhall open, and the bodies of men arife. 5 " The fea alfo fhall give up the dead which are therein," and every one fhall rife with hi^ ozvn body : his own in fubflance, although fo changed in its pro- perties, as we cannot now conceive, f I " For this corruptible will [then] put on incorruption, * Rev. xvi. 20. + Luke xxi. 25. Luke xxi. 25, . 26. * Joel 11.31. tt Joel Hi. 15. |i|| iThcfT. iv. 16. H Rev. xx. 13. fl i Cor. xv. 53. and The Great Aflize. 117 and tliis tnonal put on immortality." Yea, death and hades, the invifible world, fhall *' deliver up the dead that are in them." So that all who ever lived and died fince Cod created man, fhall be raifed incorruptible and immortal. 2. At the fame time " the fon of man fhal! fend forth his angels" over all the earth, * " And they? fliali gather his elecl from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." And the Lord him- felf fhall " come with clouds, in his own glory, and the glory of his Father, with ten thoufand of his faints, even myriads of angels, and f (hall fit upon the throne of his glory. And before him fhall be gathered all nations, and he (hall feparate them one from another, and {hall fet the fheep (the good} on his right hand, and the goats (the wicked] upon the lef;." Concerning this general affembly it is, 'that the beloved difciple fpeaks thus* || " 1 faw the dead, (all that had been dead) fin all and great, ftand before God. And the books were opened (a figurative expreffion, plainly referring to the manner of proceeding among men) and the dead were judged out of thofe things which were written in the books, according to their works." II. Thefe are the chief circumftances which ;;re recorded in the oracles of God, as preceding the general judgment. We are, fecondly, to confider the judgment itfelf, fo far as it hath pleafed God to reveal it. i. The perfon by whom God will judge the world is his only begotten Son, whofe " goings forth are from everldfling, who is God over all, hlei- fed for ever." Unto him; being " the out-beam- ing of his Father's glory, the exprefs image of his- perfon," the Father f " hath committed all judg- ment, becaufe he is the fon of man :" becaufe, though he was 1? " in the form of God, and Matt. xxiv. 31. + Matt. xxv. 31, &c. (I Rev. xx. 11. Heb. i. 2. 5 Johnv. 22, zj. HI Phil. ii. 6, 7. VOL. I. T thought si8 SERMON XV. Bought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet he emptied himfelf, taking upon him the form of a fervant, being made in the likenefs of men." Yea, becaufe " being found in fafhion as a man, he humbled himfelf, (yet farther) becoming obedi- ent unto death, even the death of the crofs. \Vherefore God hath highly exalted him," even in his human nature, and " ordained him," as man, to try the children of men, to be the "judge both of the quick and dead ;" both of thofe who' fhall be found alive at his coming, and of thofe who were before gathered to their fathers. 2. The time, termed by the Prophet, " the great and the terribleday,' isufuallyin Scripture ftiled T&? day of the Lord. The fpace from the creation of men upon the earth to the end of all things, is the day of the funs of men : the time that is now pafs- ing over us, is properly our day. When this is ended, the day of the Lord will begin. But who can fay, how long it will continue ? * With the Lord one day is as a thoufand years, and a thou- fand years as one day." And from this very ex- prelfion fome of the ancient Fathers drew that in- ference, that, what is commonly called, the Day of Judgment, would be indeed a thoufand years. And it fecms they did not go beyond the truth : ivay probably they did not come up to it. For if we confider the number of perfons who are to be judged, and of aclions which are to be enquired into, it docs not appear, that a thoufand years will fuffice for the tranfaftions of that day. So that it may not improbably comprize feveral thoufand years. But God mail reveal this alfo in its feafon. g. With regard to the place where mankind will be judged, we have no explicit account in Scrip- tine. An eminent writer (but not he alone ; many have been of the fame opinion) fuppofes it will be on earth, where the works were done, according to t 1 Pet. iii. 6. which The Great Afiize. 219 which they (hall be judged, ami that God will in order thereto employ the Angels of his ftrengih " To fmooth and lengthen out the bound lefs fpace, " And fpread an area for all human race." But perhaps it is more agreeable to our Lord's own account, of his coming in the clouds, to fuppofe it will be above the earth, if not " twice a planetary height." And this fuppofition is not a little fa- voured, by what St. Paul writes to the Theffalo- nians. * " The dead in Chrift ihall rife firft. Then we who leinain alive, mall be caught up to- gether with them, in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." So that it feems mo ft probable, the great white Throne, will be high exalted above the earth. 4. The perfons to be judged, who can count, any more than the drops of rain, or the fends of the fea ? ''I beheld, (faith St. John,) a great multi- tude, which no man can number, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." How im- menfe then muft be the tot;il multitude, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues ? Of all that have fprung from the loins of Adam, fince the world began, till time (hall be no more ? If we admit the common fuppofition, which feems no ways abfurd, that the earth bears at any one time, no lefs than eight hundred millions, of living fouls, men, women and children: what a congre- gation mult all thofe generations make, who have fucceeded each other for feven thoufend years ? " Great Xerxes world in arms, proud Cannce's ho ft, " They all are here: and here they all are loft. " Their numbers fwell to be difcern'd in vain ; *' Loft as a drop in the unbounded main." Every man, every woman, every infant of days that ever breathed the viial air, will then hear the voice of the Son of God, and (tart into life, and pear before him. And this feems to be the natu- * i Thefs. iv. 16, 17. T 2 ral rao SERMON XV. r.il import of that expreffion, the. dead, [mall and gT^at : all univerfally, all without exception, all oi every age, fex, or degree; all that ever lived and died, or underwent fuch a change as will be equi- valent with death. For long before that day, the phantom of human greatnefs difappears, and finks iato nothing ! Even in the moment of death, that vanifhes away. Who is rich or great in-the grave ? 5. And every man fhall there give an account of his own works ; yea, a full and true account, of all that he ever did while in the body, whether it was good or evil. O what a fcene will then be dil- clofed, in the fight of angels and men ! While not the fabled Rkadamanthus, but the Lord God Al- mighty, who knoweth all things in heaven and earth, " Caftigatque auditque dolos : fubigifque fateri " Qnac quis apuci fuperos, fur o laet;itus inani, ' Diflulit iu fcram commifla piacula mortem." Nor will all the aclions alone of every child of man, be then brou-ght to open view, but all their words : feeing * " every idle word which men (hall fpeak, they fhall give account thereof in the day of judg- ment." So that " by thy words" as well as worjss, " thou (halt be jii {lifted; or by thy words tho'u (halt be condemned." Will not God then bring to light every circumftance alfo, that accompanied every word or a&ion, and if not altered the nature, yet leffened or increafed the goodnefs or badncls ol them ? And how cafy is this to him, who is " about our bed, and about our path, and fpieth out all our ways ? " We know, " the darknefs is no darknels to Him, but the night (hineth as the day." 6. Yea, he will bring to light not the hidden works of darknefs only, but the very thoughts ami intents of the heart. And what marvel ? For he " fearcheth the reins and underflamleth all our thoughts. All things are naked and open to the eyes * Matf. xii. $6, 37. of The Great Aflize. 221 of Him with whom we have to do. Hell and de~ flruftion are before him without a covering : How much more the hearts of the children of men ? " 7. And in that day fhall be difcovered every in- ward working of every human foul : every appe- tite, paffion, inclination, affeftion, with the various combinations of them, wiih every temper and dif- pofition that conftitute the whole complex character of each individual. So (hall it be clearly and in- fallibly feen, who was righteous, and who unrigh- teous ; and in what degree every aclion, or perfon, or character, was either good or evil. 8. " Then the king will fay to them upon his right-hand, come ye blefled of my father. For I was hungry and ye gave me meat, thirlly and ye gave me drink, I was a flranger and ye took me in, naked and ye clothed me. In like manner, all the good they did upon earth, will be recited before men and angels : wha'foever they had done either in word or deed, in the name, or for the fdke, of the Lord Jefus. All their good defires, intentions, thoughts, all their holy difpofitions, will alfo be then remembered ; and it well appear, that though they were unknown or forgotten among men, yet God noted them in his book. All their fufferings likewife for the name of Jefus, and for the teftimony of a good confcience, will be difplayed, unto ineir praife from the righteous judge, their honour before faints and angels, and the increafe of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 9. But will their evil deeds too, ((ince if we take in his whole life, there is not a man on earth that liveth and finneth not,) will thefe be remembered in that day, and mentioned in the great congrega- tion ? Many believe they will not, and afk, " Would not this imply, that their fufferings were not at an end, even when life ended? Seeing they would ftill have forrow, and ihame, and confufion of face to endure ? " They afk farther, How can this be reconciled with God's declaration by the prophet. T 3 * " if S2 z SERMON XV. * " If the wicked will turn from all his fins that he hath committed, and keep all my ftatutes, and do that which is lawful and right ; all his tranfgreflions that he hath committed, they (hall not be once men- tioned unto him." How is it confident with the promife which God has made, to all who accept of the gofpel-covenant, t " I will forgive their iniqui- ties, and remember their fin no more ?" Or as the Apoftle exprefTes it, "I will be merciful to their unrighteoufnefs, and their fins and iniquities will I remember no more ? " 10. It may be anfwered, it is apparently and ab- folutely neceflary, for the full difplay of the glory of God, for the clear and perfeft manitefiatiorr of his wifdom, juftice, power, and mercy, toward the heirs of falvation, that all the circumflancesof their life fhould be placed in open view, together with all their tempers, and all the defircs, thoughts, and intents of their hearts. Otherwife how would it appear ont of what a depth of fin and milcry the grace of God had delivered them ? And, indeed, if the whole lives of all the children of men were not manifeflly difcovered, the whole amazing con- texture of divine providence could not be rnani- t'etted : nor fhould we yet be able in a thoufand in- ftances, " To juflify the ways of God to man." Unlefs our Lord's words were fulfilled in their ut- molt fenfe, without any reflection or limitation, f " There i? nothing covered that {hall not be re- vealed, or hi'd that (hall not be known," abundance of God's difpenfiitions under the fun would ftill appear without their reafons. And then only when God ha