CASE 
 ft 
 
SERMONS 
 
 Upon the following SUBJECTS, 
 
 On hearing the Word : 
 On receiving it withMceknefs * 
 On renouncing grofs Immora 
 lities : 
 On the neceflity of obeying the 
 
 Gofpel : . 
 
 On being found in CHRIST : 
 On J uftification by Faith : 
 On the nature, principle and 
 extent, of Evangelical Obe 
 dience. 
 
 On the deceitfulnefi of the 
 Heart, and GOD's know 
 ledge thereof. 
 
 vanity 
 
 On the fhortnefs and 
 of Human Life : 
 And 
 
 On the true value, ufe and end 
 of Life ; together with the 
 conducivenefs of Religion to 
 prolong, and make it happy. 
 
 JONATHAN 
 
 Paftor of the Weft-Church in BOSTON. 
 
 HE that hath my word,let him fpeak my word FAITHFULLY : 
 " What is the chaff to the wheat ? faith the LORD. " 
 
 . J ERF MI AH/* 
 
 WE have renounced the hidden things of difhonetty, not 
 " walking in craftineis, nor handling the word of GOJ) 
 " DECEITFULLY. " Saint PAUL. 
 
 BOSTON-, 
 Printed by RICHARD DRAPER, in Newbury-ftreet. 
 
 MDCCLV. 
 
 i 
 
| 
 , 
 
 
 
 -.:':iri . . 
 
&<Q>&x^ 
 
 T O THE f f w 
 
 Small, but Honoured and Beloved 
 CHURCH and CONGREGATION, in 
 the Wejlerly Part of BOSTON,, 
 
 My Brethren, '-. : : * 
 
 I SHOULD, perhaps, have had 
 rather lefs need than I have 
 at prefent, to apologize for 
 the inaccuracy of the fol 
 lowing Difcourfes, had they 
 been compofed with any 
 defign to make them more public than by 
 preaching them. However, it is, even 
 now, almoft needlefs, to alk Your candor 
 towards One, who has fo long expe 
 rienced it ; ; and to afk candor of fome 
 Others, would, I know, be in vain. 
 Thefe Difcourfes, fuch as they are, 
 were written and preached, with a fin- 
 , cere defire to ferve You in Your morft im 
 portant inter eft : I mean, to affift You in 
 understanding fome of the doctrines, and 
 to excite You to pralice all the duties, of 
 the Gofpel. With the %ne view it is; 
 that they are now publifhed. I hope 
 they will not be quite ufelefs to You ; 
 A 2 or t 
 
3 DEDICATION. 
 
 or, indeed, to any who lhall read them 
 with a chriftian fpirit, inftead of doing it 
 in the antichriftian, illiberal fpirit, of cap- 
 tioufnefs and party. 
 
 THE doftrmarl fentiments running thro* 
 
 them, are fuch as I have been led into, 
 
 ... and epn.famed in, by a careful inquiry af- 
 
 ": te'r trtkh; ifcfpecially in the HOLY SCRIP- 
 
 ;. ; : /ruttE&>: .witbolita zealous attachment to, 
 
 ; or'pf ejutfice agaihft,the opinions of Others. 
 
 However, I pretend not to be exempted 
 
 from miftakes. There may poffibly be 
 
 errors in thefe Difcourfes : If there are, I 
 
 am very forry ; and as heartily defirous 
 
 that thofe who read, may difcover and 
 
 avoid, them. And if fome perfon that is 
 
 wifer than myfelf, would point them out 
 
 to Me, he would make me his debtor ; 
 
 efpecially if he fliould do it in the fpirit of 
 
 charity and meeknefs* 
 
 IF there are any confiderable, or dan 
 gerous errors in [thefe Difcourfes, I may 
 venture to fay, they are not difguifed by 
 any kind of artifice : They do not juft 
 peep thro* the malk of ftudkd, equivocal, 
 and ambiguous phrafes ; nor fkulk in the 
 dark, as it were from a confcioufnefs of 
 what they are, and a fear of being detec 
 ted : They appear in open day-light, 
 >vith all the naked boldnefs of truth 
 and innocence. For I have conceived, 
 
 That 
 
DEDICATION. iii 
 
 That the the end of fpeaking, efpecially 
 of preaching, was to exprefs, not to dif- 
 guife, il man's real fentiments : Tho' I 
 know that I, herein, differ from many of 
 my own Order ! This will be a great 
 eafe and advantage to any Perfon, who 
 fhall bring a charge of herejy againll 
 me ; and undertake to convict me of it, 
 whether privately or publickly. But You 
 are fenfible, My Brethren, that there is 
 fome difference betwixt railing and rea- 
 foning ; and, confequently, betwixt a 
 man's being fcolded at, and refuted. I 
 wifh fome other people knew this alfo ! 
 But I muft now declare, once for all, 
 That I will not be, even religioujly fcolded, 
 nor pitied, nor wept and lamented, out 
 of any principles which I believe upon 
 the authority of Scripture, in the exercife 
 of that fmall (hare of reafon which God 
 has given me : Nor will I poflpone this 
 authority, to that of all the good Fathers 
 of the Church,even with that of the good 
 Mothers added to it ! 
 
 THE only favour which I have, now, 
 to afk of You, My Brethren, and of O- 
 thers who may happen to read thefe dif-, 
 courfes, is, That you would do it with 
 an open, unprejudiced mind ; and thea 
 either rejeft, or believe and practice, ac 
 cording to the light and conviftion^of 
 
 your 
 
iv BED ic ATIOM: 
 
 your ow r n confciences, Religion is a, 
 matter of too great importance to be^ojjt, 
 (lightly thought of : It demand Your 
 firft and laft attention. And as I hope 
 You are all too fenfible of common human, 
 frailty, to be uncharitable bigots and party^ 
 men in religion ; fo I hope You are, on the 
 other hand, too wife to be fceptics : The 
 two extreams, into which men of weak 
 and wicked minds often run ; fometimes, 
 indeed, out of the one, direftly into the 
 other, without flopping a moment at the 
 golden medium. 
 
 You have a juft title, My Brethren, tQ 
 my warmeft good wifhes, and to my 
 prayers, by virtue of the relation in which 
 I ftand towards You : Thefe wifhes and 
 prayers are, That You may all " know 
 " the truth av it is in JESUS ;" and final 
 ly partake of that bleiTed life, and glorious 
 immortality, brought to light bj HIM*. 
 thro* the Gofpel. But, in the meantime^ 
 I will not forget to wifh You all temporal 
 and worldly profperity ; being, in all 
 
 Your fincere Friend, 
 .And, I hope, 
 
 <l"^^iJ$a' 1 !ij-. j 
 
 ; f .^ Not Unfaithful Servant 
 
 In the Work of the Miniftryv 
 , MAYHEW. 
 
THE CONTENTS. 
 
 EN SERMONS on James I. 21,22. 
 L AT apart all FilMnefs and Superfluity of 
 Naugbtinefs, and receive with Meeknefs the in 
 grafted W rd y wbicb is able to fave your Souls. 
 'BUT be ye doers of tbe Word, and not Hearers 
 wly, deceiving your own felves. 
 
 SERMON I. 
 Upon Hearing the Word, Page i, 
 
 SERMON II. 
 Upon receiving the Word with Meeknefs, P. 19, 
 
 S E R M,,0 N III. 
 
 Upon the necefiity of renouncing Vice in its grof- 
 fer Forms, in order to a due receiving of the 
 Gofpel, P. 49. 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 Upon the necefllty of yielding a practical Obe 
 dience to the Gofpel, in order to obtaining the 
 Salvation revealed in it, P. 73. 
 
 SERMON V. 
 
 Of miftakes concerning the Terms of Salvation \ 
 and particularly concerning Salvation by 
 Grace, P. 99. 
 
 S E R M O N VI. 
 
 Of miftakes concerning being found in Chrift, not 
 'having our own righteoufnels, P. 127. 
 
 SERMON VII. , 
 Of miftakes concerningjuftification by Faith P. 1 70 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 Upon the fame Subjecl, P. 204. 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 
 Upon the Nature and Principle of Evangelical 
 Obedience, P. 256. 
 
 SERMON X. 
 
 Upon the Extent of Evangelical Obedience ; to 
 gether with a fhort Defcription of it, as it is 
 found in the Heirs of Salvation, P. 308. 
 
 SERMON 
 
CON TEN T S. 
 
 SERMON XL 
 
 Upon the Deceitfulnefs of the Heart ; GOD's 
 
 Searching it, and the End thereof. 
 
 JEREMIAH XVII. 9, 10. The Heart is de 
 ceitful above all Things, and defperately wicked, 
 who can know it ? I the Lord fearch the Heart* 
 I try the Reins , even to give every Man according 
 to his Ways, and according to the Fruit of his 
 Doings. P. 360 
 
 SERMON XII. 
 Upon the Shortnefs and Vanity of Human Life ; 
 
 Occafioned by the Death of a Young Pcrfon. 
 
 PSALM XXXIX. 5, 6. Behold, thou baft 
 made my Days as an Hand-Breadth, and mine Age 
 is as nothing before thee : Verily every Man at 
 his beft Eftate is altogether Vanity, Selab. Sure 
 ly every Man walketh in a vain Shew ; furefy 
 
 they are dif quieted in vain P. 413. 
 
 SERMON XIII. 
 Upon the true Value, Ufe and End of Life.; 
 
 and the Condi) civenefs of Religion to prolong, 
 
 and make it happy : Occafioned by the Death 
 
 of fome Aged Perfons. 
 
 PSALM XXXIV. 1215. What Man is be 
 that deftret'h Life, and loveth many Days that he 
 rttay fee good ? Keep thy Tongue from Evil, and 
 thy Lips from Jpeaking Guile. Depart from Evil 
 and do Good ; feek Peace and purfue it. tte Eyes 
 of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears 
 we open unto their cry. 
 
 SERMON XIV. 
 Upon the fame Subject, P, 
 
 N. B. The Errata are at tbe End of the BaaL 
 
 SERMON 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 Upon Hearing the Word. 
 
 JAMES L 21, 22. 
 
 all filthinefs and fuperfluity ofnaugb* 
 tinefs, and receive 'with meeknefs the ingrafted 
 word^ w hi ch is able to fave your fouls. But be 
 doers of the word^ and not hearers only, de 
 ceiving your ownfehes. 
 
 His apoftolical exhortation con- SERM, 
 fids of two principal parts. I. 
 The former of which refpecls 
 the duty of hearing the word 
 and gofpel of the kingdom, in 
 a way fuitable to the importance 
 
 and grand defign of it. " Lay apart all filthi- 
 e nefs and fuperfluity of naughtinefs ; and rc- 
 4C ccive with meeknefs the ingrafted word, which 
 " is able to fave your fouls. " The latter, re- 
 fpefts the neceflhy of yielding a f radical obedience 
 B to 
 
2 ^ On Hearing 
 
 SE RM,\ to this heavenly meflage, in order to its great end 
 I, being anfwered upon us , together with the mi- 
 ferable del ! ifion which thofr are under, who con 
 tent themfelves with hearing ir, without living 
 according to it. " But be ye doers of the word, 
 " and not hearers only, deceiving your own 
 "felves. " 
 
 THIS is the firft, general diftribution of the fub~ 
 jecl: before us. But it may be ufeful to give the 
 fevepaj ^things contained in th?s pafTage, a more 
 pnrticoUr' 'confideration in the following order. 
 
 I. OF the Duty of Hearing the Word. 
 
 II. OF Receiving it with Mecknefs. 
 
 III. OF the necefiity of renouncing Vice in all 
 
 its groffer Forms, in orde r thereto : Or, in 
 the language of the Apoftie, of laying apart 
 mtjSy and fuperfiuity of naugbtinefs* 
 
 IV. OF the neceflTity of obeying theGofpel, irt. 
 order to obtaining the Salvation of it. 
 
 V. OF fome Mi/takes concerning the Terms oF 3 
 
 Salvation ; and particularly concerning Sal-* 
 vation by Grace. 
 
 VI. Of 
 
the Word. 
 
 VI. OF Miftakes concerning being found ^ 
 CHRIST, not having our own Rigbteoufnefs. 
 
 VII. OF Miftakes concerning Juftif cation by 
 Fait h^ as Faith is diflinguifhed from, and 
 oppofed to, Evangelical Obedience. 
 
 VIII. OF the Nature and Principle of Evangeli 
 cal Obedience. 
 
 IX. AND LASTLY. OF the Extent of this Obe 
 dience, together with a brief Defcription of 
 it, as it is found in good Men, who are the 
 Heirs of Salvation, 
 
 I am "to reprefent the obligation 
 lying upon all Chriftians in general to be Hearers 
 of the Word and Gofpel of the Kingdom. I 
 fay, lying upon Cbriftians ; becaufe it is to fuch, 
 that the apoftle is here fpeaking ; not to uncon 
 verted Jews or Gentiles^ but to thofe of the 
 twelve Tribes fcattered abroad, who were already 
 profelytcd to the Cbriftian Faith ; as appears 
 from theEpiflle itfelf. However it is not meant, 
 that this is the duty of Chriftians, exclufively of 
 others. Our Saviour having commanded, that 
 the gofpel fhould be preached for a witnefs to all 
 People ; all are accordingly required to hearken 
 to it , and thofe who refufe to do this, are, in 
 the language of fcripture, faid to judge tbmf elves 
 B a * 
 
4 On Hearing 
 
 un&ortty tf eternal life. But feeing the ap'-ftfc 
 L James here direds his Difcourfe to protcfftd 
 Chriftians, I fhall confine myfelf to fuch. 
 
 Ir is not to be fuppofed, that when Perfon s 
 are>once become Believers of the Gofpel, they 
 need have no farther concern to hear, and 
 to attend to it, from time to time ; as tho* this 
 wifdom of God in a my ft cry, were to be learned all 
 at once, and difrcgarded afterwards. The apoftle 
 expreffes himfelf in a manner that prefuppofes it 
 to be the known, acknowledged duty of Chrif 
 tians in common, to give conftant and diligent 
 Heed to the word which legan to be fptiken by 
 the Lordy and was confirmed by them that beard 
 him ': For his Exhortation chiefly refpefts the 
 manner in which this word of Truth ought to be 
 received ; the duty of Hearing it in general, be 
 ing rather taken for granted, than directly aflerted. 
 And by his ufing the Expreflion of hearing the 
 wor> repeatedly, as he does in the Context, it 
 is at lead probable, that he had a fpecial reference 
 to hearing it preached in Cbriftian Affemblies^ at 
 ftated Times, by thofe whofe fpecial Eufmefs and 
 Office it was to teach, to reprove, to rebuke, and 
 exhort, with all lovg-fuffering and do Brine. The 
 Apoftle, certainly did not defign to preclude, or 
 let afide, other means of inftrucli >n and edifica 
 tion ; fuch as rea ling, meciitation, and private, 
 focial converfe , all which, in their places, are 
 very beneficial to thofe that ufe them. But 
 
tie Word* 
 
 i 
 
 whoever will be at the pains to look into the 
 Chapter, will, if I miftake not, find that St. 
 James had a particular reference to the ftated, 
 and divinely inftituted method of Chriftian edifi 
 cation in the Affrmblits and Churches < f the 
 Saints ; wherein one Peifon, at leaft, exercifed 
 the office of a Teacher , indrucling the young 
 and ignorant, ilirring up the minds of the more 
 knowing, and inculcating upon all, the practice 
 of Chriftian piety and virtue, 
 
 THIS was one very confiderable end, tho* 
 not the only one, propofed in the firft inftitution 
 of Chriftian Affemblies. And it is, in a great 
 meafure, by this means that Chriflianity has been 
 handed down from age to age, from generation 
 to generation , tho' not with equal purity arid 
 advantage in all times and places, And one may 
 venture to aflert, that, upon the whole, great 
 good has refulted to the world from this practice ; 
 and that Chriftians cannot, under any pretence 
 whatever, fcrfake the afiembling of themfelves to- 
 gether, for the mentioned purpofe, without be 
 ing highly culpable. This is a Method of in- 
 ftru6lion and edification, that is plainly of divine 
 inftitution, and therefore demands the regard and 
 fubmifTion of all Chriftians, at all times, and in 
 all places, wherein it is practicable. Nor can con 
 forming to this inftitution, be ufelefs and unpro 
 fitable to any, who afiemble to hear the word 
 with that mseknefe which the Apoftk injoins : I 
 6 3 mean* 
 
On Hearing 
 
 provided theGofpel is preached to them 
 in any tolerable degree of purity and integrity. 
 To be lure the upholding of thefe Affemblies 
 mud be very advantageous to all that frequent 
 them, if the holy Scriptures are read therein from 
 time to time, in a language that is underftood by 
 all. Which, by the way, ought, I fuppofe, to 
 be one dated and conftant part of the religious 
 exercife in thefe aflemblies : Nor is the Omiffion 
 hereof very confident with that regard Chriftians 
 in general profefs, for thefe facred writings ; and 
 which they evidently claim, as being given by in- 
 fpiration of God ; and the great rule of our 
 Faitb'oxiA Prafticc. Thefe Scriptures at lead, 
 are " profitable for doftrine, for reproof, for 
 correction and for inftru&ion in righteoufnefs, 
 that every man and child of God may be perfect, 
 and throughly furnifhed unto all good works. ** 
 To them we ought furely to give " diligent heed, 
 as unto a light Ihining in a dark place ; they be- 
 iryg a fure word of prophecy ; " and gracioufly 
 given us of God, to guide our feet into the paths 
 of truth and peace, until the dawn of a more 
 perfeft day, " and the day-dar arife in our 
 Hearts. " 
 
 NOR can it be reafonably tho't, that the word 
 preached even by fallible men, is altogether ufe- 
 lefs and unprofitable to them that duly attend 
 upon.it. On the contrary, this is very condu 
 cive to the good end mentioned * and, as was 
 
 in* 
 
the Word. 
 
 intimated before, claims our regard, as an inili- 
 tution of our Saviour, the Head of the Church : j t 
 Who when he afcended up on high, gave not 
 only Apoftks,- Prophets and Evangelilts ; but 
 alfo " Paficrs and Teacher s^ for the perfecting of 
 the Saints, for the work of the rmniftry, for the 
 edifying of His body, 'till we all come in the uni 
 ty of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the 
 Son of God, unto a perfeft.man, unto the mea- 
 fure of the ftature of the fulnefs of Chrid ; that 
 we be no more children, toiled to and fro, and 
 carried about with every wind of doctrine. ' 
 
 HOWEVER imperfectly this bufmefs of public 
 teaching and exhorting , of expounding the holy 
 Scriptures, and urging the motives to evangelical 
 obedience, may oiten be performed ; yet it is un- 
 queftionably fubfervient to very good ends ; and 
 Ihould not be contemned and difregarded by any 
 that call themfelves Chrift's Difcipks. It will be 
 no great compliment upon the Clergy ( an order 
 of men which I arn not much difpofed to flatter } 
 to fay, that there are many perfons in all coun 
 tries, who are not fuch proficients in Chriftian 
 knowledge, as to be quite paft receiving any in- 
 ftru&ion from them ; efpecially from fuch of 
 them as " rightly divide the Word of truth. " 
 And fome of thofe perfons, who prefume this to 
 be their own cafe, may after all be a little mifta- 
 ken in themfelves ; and think as much too highly 
 $f their own abilities, as they do too lowly of 
 B 4 thofe 
 
On Hearing 
 
 thofc of others. To be fure, one fliall hardly 
 meet with.more vain, fuperficial, emptyCreatures, 
 than amongft thofe who take it upon them to 
 run down that order of men \ and to fet them at 
 naught, as tho' all their inftruftions were ufelefs 
 to the world, at beft. And the Clergy muft be 
 very ignorant indeed, ignorant of the rudiments 
 and firft principles of Chriftianity, were they not 
 able to inftruci a multitude of thefe bluftering 
 Sparks, and foolim, conceited Scoffers, who take 
 it upon themfelves to run them down. But all 
 companions are faid to be odious 5 and, perhaps, 
 there can be none more fo than fuch an one as 
 this 
 
 IT is not to be doubted, indeed, but that, a- 
 mongft the Laiety, ( I ufe this term merely for 
 diftinftion fake ; not by way of reproach and 
 contempt, as it has too often been ufed by fome 
 arrogant Eccle/iajiicks.) It is not fo be doubted, 
 I fay, but that amongft the Laiety there are ma 
 ny perfons, from whom a great part of the Cler 
 gy might be glad to be inftrucled, even in mat 
 ters that are more peculiarly their own province,, 
 But on the other hand, it is to be remembred, 
 that there are great numbers of children and 
 youth ; and many perfons of adult age, that arc 
 cither of mean education, .' or none at all ; many 
 poor, labouring people, who have no time for 
 reading and contemplation ; and many others fb 
 embarraffed with a multiplicity of bufmefs, and 
 
 the 
 
the Word. g 
 
 -the cares of this life, that they do not in fad ap- SERM* 
 ply themfelves to the acquifkion of Cjiriftian lei- j 
 ence ; and I might ftill add; great numbers of a 
 low capacity, who after all their diligence and 
 pains, can attain to but little knowledge ; I fay 
 there are great numbers of thefe different forts or 
 clafTes of people? that may furely receive fome 
 ufeful inftrudtion even from the pulpit. Allow 
 ing the clergy only a common mare of natural 
 underftanding, ( and it would feem hard to deny 
 them this ) it is very ftrange if, with the advan 
 tage of a learned education, and feveral, perhaps 
 many, years clofe application to the ftudy of 
 facred fciencef they are not qualified to be teach 
 ers of babes ; of raw, untaught, undifciplined 
 youth ; of thofe whofe lot it is to labour almoft 
 inceflantly for the meat that peri/betb , of thofe 
 who have never given much of their attention to 
 the fubject of religion - 9 and of thofe who are 
 not even capable of attaining to any confider- 
 able degree of this knowledge,- for a certain 
 reafon already hinted at. So that after we have 
 excepted all thofe, who have any, even the 
 lead pretence to be excepted, on account of their 
 fuperior capacity and cxtenfive knowledge , there 
 are multitudes in all Chriftian countries, who 
 ought to be Hearers $f the word as publickly 
 preached, were it only for the inftruction in truth 
 and righteoufnefs, which they may gain by at 
 tending upon this inflitution. And how few 
 
 there 
 
*o On -Hearing 
 
 there are, comparatively fpeaking, who have any 
 right to look upon themfelves as exceptions in the 
 prefentcafe, upon the fcore of their being wijer 
 than their teachers, I mall not prefume to deter 
 mine. 
 
 BUT as to thofe who are really too great pro 
 ficients in facrcd knowledge, to *be capable of be 
 ing inftruffedin this way ; ( let their number be 
 greater or lefs ) they mould remember that in- 
 ftrudion, mod properly fo called, is very far from 
 being the whole defign of preaching, and of 
 hearing the word. There are other good and 
 important ends to be anfwered hereby, which are 
 common to all Chriftians in general } to the wife 
 and learned, as well as to the fimple and illiterate. 
 Are not the minds and memories of the more 
 knowing, to be (Hrred up and refrefhed ; and 
 their attention to the great doctrines and duties of 
 the gofpel, awakened from time to time, as well as 
 the minds of the ignorant to be informed ? The, 
 preacher, tho* of no diftinguifhed talents whe 
 ther natural or acquired, may pofllbly edify the 
 wifeft of his auditors, a^d fuch as are much wifer 
 than himftlf ; by putting them in mind of what 
 they before knew, and were eftabli (lied in. The 
 Apofties thrmielves did not always propofe, in 
 their preaching and writing, to afford new light 
 and information to their hearers, and thofe to 
 whom they wrote. 4C I will not be negligent, 
 " fays St. Peter i to put you always in re.mem- 
 
 brancc 
 
the Word. 11 
 
 '< brancc ofthefe things, ahho* ye know them, SERM. 
 " and be eftabliflied in the prefent truth. Yea I j 
 ** think it meet, as long as I am in this taber- 
 '* nacle, to ftir you up, by putting you in re- 
 * 6 membra nee. " Thofe who conceive that the 
 informing of men's underftandings, either is, or 
 ought to be, the fole end of preaching-; and who 
 therefore excufe themfelves from hearing, under 
 a notion that they cannot be taught or inftrufted, 
 are fo far from being the wifeft of men, ( unlefs 
 it is in their own vain imaginations ) that they 
 want one to " teach them even the firft princi 
 ples of the oracles of God ; " and have much 
 more need "of that milk which they loath and 
 defpife, than of that ftrong meat which their too 
 forward and vitiated appetite fo eagerly craves, 
 and hankers after. 
 
 MEN that are truly wife, are fenfible that they 
 need fomething b^fides fpeculative kndwledge, 
 fomething belides the fcience of religion, confi- 
 'dered as the furniture of the head. They know 
 they are but too apt to let flip many ufefui and 
 /alutary truths, which ought to be always prefent 
 with them \ and which may be again fuggefted 
 to them, even by perfons that are every way their 
 inferiors. Such Perfons alfo know, that old 
 truths may be fet in new and different points of 
 light, fo as to come better recommended to their 
 understandings, and to take fatter hold of the 
 mind and confcience, than they have done before. 
 
 They 
 
22 On Hearing 
 
 on the 
 
 heart, are to wear out, or at leaft to grow faint 
 and dim, if not frequently renewed. They know 
 that the fpirit of devotion, and the religion of the 
 heart, is a fire which will infenfibly languid* and 
 go to decay, in the damps and mifts and impure 
 vapors of this world, if it be not often fuppUed 
 with new fewel from heaven, and from that word 
 of God which is fometimes like a fire, to melt 
 and inflame the heart, as well as, at others, like 
 a fword to pierce, or a hammer to break it in 
 pieces. They are fenfible how expedient and 
 profitable it is, to have the great proofs of Chrif- 
 tiawty fet before them from time to time , to 
 gether with the great motives to holinefs of life 5 
 the majefty and perfections of God -, the love and 
 grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift ; the vanity of 
 this world ; the excellency and happinefs of reli 
 gion ; the glovks and terrors of the laft day ; the 
 joys of the righteous, and the deftrudlion and 
 mifery of the wicked. Wife men do not think 
 it ufelds, to be frequently reminded of luch 
 things : but know the benefit hereof, and that 
 even a weak man may prove a friendly monitor 
 to them in thefe refpecls. 
 
 IT is farther to be obferved, that thofe who are 
 not directly able to inftruct others, may yrt he a 
 means, in the hand of providence, of fuggefting 
 and hinting feme things to them, which they 
 never happened to think of before 9 and whiciv 
 
 may 
 
the Word. 13 
 
 may naturally lead them into a long train of ufe- SERM. 
 ful reflection. And in this fenfe, God does pro- 
 bably fomctimes ordain praife, ewn out of tb* 
 mouths of bates and fucklings. In fine here, thofe 
 who really deferve the charader of wife men, ( a 
 character to which fo many put in their claim s 
 without any colour of right and juftice ) know, 
 that it is folly for men to pretend to be wifer than 
 their maker ; or to throw contempt upon any 
 of his inftitutions, from a vain conceit that they 
 do not need them. They will therefore, as Solo 
 mon obferves, bear, and increaje learning. The 
 moft fure and effectually means of growing in 
 grace^ and in tbe knowledge of our Lord and Sa 
 viour Jefits Cbrifly is to walk in all his ordinances 
 blamelefs ; of which, hearing th& word, is evi 
 dently one. Nor have any a right to be called 
 the Friends of Gt>d and religion, who do not 
 love tbe place where be recordetb bis name> and 
 where bis honor dwellelb ; the place where he 
 tommandetb tbe Ueffmg, even life for evermore- 
 
 WERE it only for example- fake, the more 
 knowing part of Chriilians ought certainly to 
 countenance and encourage the publick religious 
 cxercifes of the Lord's Day, by attending upon 
 them. Otherwife they will naturally come to be 
 difregarded by that part of mankind who mod 
 need fuch helps and afiiftances : I mean the com- 
 won people. And thus tbro* tbe knowledge of 
 fome, whether real or imaginary, tbi weak Bro 
 ther 
 
On Hearing 
 
 ma y P er *fo> for whom Chrift died. When- 
 ever it fhall come to be generally fuppofed, that 
 the religious exercifes here intended, are defigned 
 only for the benefit of the vulgar and illiterate \ 
 and when they fhall accordingly be neglected by 
 perfons of knowledge and capacity, it will foon 
 be looked upon as difreputable for any to attend 
 upon them, as being a tacit confeffion of their 
 ignorance. And fo every one, will think him- 
 felf under a fort of obligation to abfent himfelf 
 from the publick worfhip of his Maker, and from 
 the place where his word is read and preached ; 
 in order to prove to the world that he is a man of 
 wifdom. And indeed there are many amongft 
 us who give no other evidence befidcs this, of 
 their fuperiority to the bulk of mankind ; tho' I 
 cannot at prefent think it a conclufive argument. 
 BUT to draw towards a conclufion of this dip 
 courfe : It is manifeflly the duty of all Chriftians 
 in common to hear the word ; particularly, to 
 hear it in the public affembly of the Sainfs, upon 
 the ftated timss for fuch religious exercifes. It 
 is the duty of -the young and old, wife and 
 fimple, male and female, bond and free, to come 
 and fit before God as his People fitteth, ( to ufe 
 the language of Scripture) , and conftantly to at-' 
 tend upon the ^pointed means of inftru6tion and 
 edification. The gofpel injoins this upon a3J 
 without making any exception. The far greater 
 p^rt of Chriftians are not pad being taught and 
 
 inilrufted 
 
tie ffior. 15 
 
 Snftructed in this way: Some may have tlieir pure, SERA*. 
 and others, their impure minds, flirred up : Some j. 
 may be inlightned in their duty : Others may have 
 known duties inculcated upon them to ad van* 
 tage , and ALL may be furthered in the way that 
 leads to eternal life, provided they hear the word 
 with a fuitable temper of mind. It is no fufficient 
 excufe for neglecting the publick worfhip, that 
 the Perfon who officiates* is hot one of a diftin- 
 guifhed capacity and great learning ; or that he 
 is not even as one that has a pleafant voice > and 
 can play well upon an inftrument. It is better to 
 hear the great doctrines, duties and promifes of 
 the gofpel ? from the mouth of a plain, illiterate 
 man, than not to hear them at all : And the 
 foul may be caught up to Heaven, altho' not 
 wafted thither by mufic and harmonious founds. 
 To conclude, therefore, let me befeech all 
 thofe who claim the worthy and facred name of 
 Cbriftians, ( for with others I am not now con 
 cerned) to be at haft hearers of the word. There 
 are no excufes for neglecting this, cafes of necef- 
 fity and mercy being excepted, which will not 
 fiiow either the ignorance, or the pride and va 
 nity, of thofe who make them. And if a man 
 is not fo much as a hearer, we have furely no 
 reafon to think that he is a doer of the word, or 
 will be blefied in his deed. Chriftians ought 
 doubtlefs to be left at liberty where, and with 
 whom they will aflemble for the purpofe men 
 tioned i 
 
On Hearing 
 
 And fliould exercife their reafon, difcre- 
 tion and confcience in making the choice. But 
 they are abfolutely inexcufable if they do not at 
 tend the publick worfhip fome where or other ; 
 even tho* there may be no feet, church or deno 
 mination of Chriftians, with which they can in- 
 tirely fall in. It is one of the chief honours of 
 the prefent age, that the principles of religion, 
 particularly of religious liberty, are better under- 
 ftood, and more generally efpoufed, than they 
 have, perhaps been, fince the days of the apoftles. 
 It were to be wifhed, that practical Chriftianity 
 had made progrefs in the fame proportion. But 
 it cannot be denied, that many, together with 
 fome vulgar errors and fuperftitions, have in a 
 manner thrown off even the form of godlinefi , 
 laying no ftrefs at all upon thofe outward ordi 
 nances and inftitutions, upon which too great a 
 ftrefs has doubtlefs been laid heretofore. This 
 feems to be the cafe not only in other countries i 
 but in our own. We are manifeftly running in 
 to an extreme *, at lead many amongfl us are, 
 under a notion of a more rational religion ; an 
 extreme which, it is to be feared, may in time, 
 leave fcarce the outward mew and appearance of 
 Chriftianity amongft us. Let not us, my Bre* 
 thren, do any thing which may have a natural 
 tendency to bring our holy religion into difrepute* 
 Remembring that we are not without law t* 
 God, but under tbt law to Cbrift j let us pay a 
 
 due 
 
the Word. 
 
 due and facred regard to all his commands and in- 
 ftitutions , particularly that, refpefting the pub- 
 lick worfhip, and hearing the word. In the lan 
 guage of the Apoftle, with whofe words I fliall 
 clofe this difcourfe, " Let us hold faft the pro- 
 ** fcflion of our faith without wavering ; (for he 
 " is faithful that promifed ) and let us confider 
 <c one another, to provoke to love and to good 
 * c works ; not forfaking the Gambling of our ~ 
 *' fehes tegetber, as the mdnntr offome is ; but 
 ** exhorting one another ; and fo much the mQre a 
 * c as we fee the day approaching. " 
 
 C SERMON 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 Upon Receiving the Word wit 
 Meeknds, 
 
 
 JAMES I. 2r, 22. 
 
 LAY apart all jilthinefs and fuperfuity of naugk* 
 tincfs* and receive with meeknefs the ingrafted 
 word) which is able to fave your fouls. But It 
 ye doers of the word^ and not hearers cnly^ <&- 
 ceiving your own fefoej. 
 
 TH E duty of hearing the word, having 
 been briefly ftiown in the foregoing 
 difcourfe ; we are now to confider with 
 what temper it ought to be attended 
 upon, and received. " Receive with meeknsfs 
 the ingrafted word> fays the apoille^ which is 
 able to fave your fouls. " We are mofe plarti- 
 cularly and diredly admonifhed by thefe words* 1 
 to hear and receive the Gofpel with a humble 
 and teachable temper of mind, as oppofed to 
 G $ that 
 
2O On Receiving the Word 
 
 SERM. *^at priie 9 captioufnefs, and wrangling difpofi* 
 H. tfofi, which are but too commonly found amongft 
 the profeffors of Chriftianity. However, I fhall 
 take the liberty to confider the words in a greater 
 latitude, at defigned to injoin upon us all that 
 care and reverence, that candor and love of truth, 
 that fimplicity and docility of mind, which be 
 come finful creatures, when the Gofpel is. prea 
 ched to them 5 and which are fu table to the na 
 ture and dcfign of this difpenfation of the Grace 
 of God to the World. And the admonition 
 may accordingly comprifein it the following par 
 ticulars : 
 
 THAT we hear the word with cart and 
 ^ in v oppofition to (loth, liftlefnefs, and a lazy 
 indifference : 
 
 fobricty and due decorum* in oppofition 
 to indecent, levity, and rudenefs : 
 
 WITH humility ) and iteacbaiti temper ', in 
 oppofuion to a fpirit of pride, carping and con- 
 tradition : 
 
 WITH due caution^ ( when it is preached by 
 fallible men ) in oppofition to a falfe humility t 
 \vbich difpofes mahy people to fwallow down 
 whatever they hear from the Pulpit, tho* often 
 very contrary to the 4o&nne of our Saviour'and 
 his Apoftles : 
 
 WITH 
 
with Meeknefs. 21 
 
 WITH patience, and affeRionate regard to the SERM. 
 truth, altho' nothing new fhould be faid upon j 
 the fubjeft treated, in oppofition to that vain 
 curiofity and love of novelty, which we fee in 
 thofe that have itcbing Ears : , 
 
 WITH candour and impartiality, in oppofition 
 to all perfonal prejudice, and tothefpintof party ; 
 
 WITH f elf -application, in oppofition to that 
 common humour of applying what is faid to the 
 cafe of our neighbours : 
 
 AND laftly, With a fmgle view, and an hearty 
 defire, to receive chriftian edification ; and to 
 obtain that which is the great end of the Gofpel- 
 revelation, and of our Faith in it, cwn (be Salva 
 tion of our Souls. . 
 
 LET me inlarge a little upon the feveral par 
 ticulars hinted at above. 
 
 i. WE fhould hear the word with care and 
 attention, in oppofition to (loth, liftlefnefs, and 
 a lazy indifference. Chriftians ought not, at any 
 time, to btjlothful in bufmefs, but ever fervent 
 in fpirit, ferving the Lord. But there is a pecu 
 liar impropriety in withdrawing our attention, 
 and indulging to (loth, when we are afiemblcd 
 to worfhip God, and to fiear his word. The 
 C 3 cold- 
 
22 On Receiving the Word 
 
 SERM. coldnefs and carelefnefs, with which many Chn- 
 \\ t ftians fit under the difpenfation of this heavenly 
 doctrine, is very furprifing, and hardly to be ac 
 counted for. The Gofpel is not only the word of 
 Him that ipeaketh from heaven - ? but it is that 
 wherein we are all particularly jnterefted, and 
 far more fo than we are in any thing befides. 
 This is that Gofpel which contains the overtures 
 of peace and reconciliation, which God is making 
 to his finful Creatures j wherein * 6 Life and im 
 mortality are brought to light " ; which contains 
 all the folid grounds of our hope and expecta 
 tions of future blifs , and which we ought in rea- 
 fon to look upon as good news from a far coun 
 try - y " a faithful faying, and worthy of all ac 
 ceptation ". With what raifed attention ? with 
 what holy reverence ? with wh^t humble grati* 
 tude, does it then become us to hear and receive 
 this ingrafted word, which is able to fave our 
 fouls ; and which is fpoken to us folely for that 
 end ? But alas ! were a trifling, unconcerning 
 ftory told qs, from a remote part of the world* 
 by fome romantic traveller, many perfons would 
 |>e at leaft as attentive to it, and fome much 
 more' fo, than they are in our religious afTemblies, 
 to thofe glad tidings which Chrift, the true and 
 faithful witnefs, has brought from Heaven tq 
 Earth. Altho' God, who " at fundry times t 
 and in divers manners, fpake to the fathers by 
 she prophet^ hath in thcfe laft days fpoken to 
 
 the 
 
with Meeknefs* 23 
 
 the w6rld by his Son " -/yet many to whom this SERM. 
 gofpc-1 of the Kingdom" is preached, and who ]j 
 profefs to bl-lieve it, pay far. Ms regard to if,. than 
 they would to an account of -the Mogul- Ejnpire\ 
 of the wars of 'Kouli Kan.; and of many . otbir 
 things, if poiilble, both lefs interefting to t 
 and lefs confide-rabie in their own nature. They 
 could not doze and (lumber more, while, the 
 moft idle, the moft unintereiling tales weir 
 ling, than they do, when the Gofpel of their 
 Salvation is read or preached to them. Good 
 God ! what impiety ? what infatuation is this ? 
 Is this to pay a due regard to thy overtures of 
 peace and happinefs to rebellious mortals ! Is 
 this to give proper heed to the Revelation which 
 thou haft made of thy felf by thy Son ! Is this 
 to hear, and to receive with mecknefs, the in 
 grafted word ! Is it not rather to flop the ear 
 againft the voice of divine love and companion ! 
 Is it not rather to throw maniflft open contempt 
 Upon thy word, than to y any honor to it ! 
 
 SOME of thofe r ^ 1S whom I here intend s 
 are fo far from IK ang the word with a becom 
 ing attention, < hat they do not hear it all. ^ . but 
 "defignedly co npofe themfelves to reft in the place 
 of public worlhip, as tho' they had not koufes to 
 Jlsep in \ or rather, as tho' they were determined 
 to fhoXv how much they defyifs the Cbtircb of 
 God^ and at once to caft contempt both upoa 
 God and Mao. For this is dons by thflfs who 
 C 4 fir 
 
2 On Receiving the Word 
 
 SfiRM, & * n the feat of thefleepen, as well as thofc 
 II. who fit in that of the [corners. And it is pro* 
 bable that few would be thus paft bearing were 
 they hot firft pa ft feeling, having their conjciences 
 feared as with an hot iron. In fhort, the inde 
 cent cuftom of which I am now fpeakipg, is e- 
 qualfy an affront to God and man , an equal con- 
 tradition to all piety, and good manners : Nor 
 will any allow themfelves in it, who have not 
 |?oth zjtony beart^ and a brazen front. 
 
 2. CHRISTIANS ought to hear the word with 
 fobriety and due decorum, in oppofition not only 
 to a dull indifference and ofcitancy j but alfo in 
 oppofition to that indecent levity and rudenefs, 
 which we fometimes fee in our religious afiem- 
 blies. The tidings which the Gofpel brings are 
 too interefting to be heard with coldnefs and care- 
 lefnefs ; too ferious, folenan and facred, to be 
 heard with unholy mirth, and wanton gaiety. 
 The important nature and fubjed of this mefTage 
 from God to man, evidently demand a devout 
 and reverential, as well as a diligent and fixed 
 attention in the hearer. However fome feem to 
 indulge themfelves as much in unfeafonable, un- 
 ieemly levity of mind, as others do in an irrel^ 
 gious lumpimnefs, and a certain lifelefs, fpiritleft 
 gravity. Nor is the former of thefe, any more 
 than the latter, a futable frame and temper with 
 which to receive B thc ingrafted word. To hear ft 
 
 with 
 
with Meeknefi. 25 
 
 with merriment and laughter, is not furely con- 
 fiftent with that meek, receiving it, which is in- 
 joined upon us. " To every thing there is a 
 ieafon a^d a time to every purpole under hea 
 ven a time to weep as well as a rime to laugh." 
 Let thofe who are dtfpofed to be gay and jovial, 
 be fo in due time and place -, and none but fome 
 gloomy, morofe devotionift?, or the hypocritical 
 pretenders to extraordinary fanftity, will blame 
 them for it. ' But this, however innocent upon 
 feme occafions, is very unbecoming, and even 
 criminal, when we are afiembled for the exercifts 
 of religion, and to " hear what God the Lord 
 " will fay unto us," refpefting things of the 
 grcatcft importance. When we receive His mef- 
 fage in the Gofpel, the end of which is the falva- 
 tion of our fouls, we fhould not; only abftain from 
 all external lightnefs of behaviour, from ail thufe 
 mirthful airs, which might be harmlefs at other 
 times , but alfo banifh every idle thought, every 
 vain imagination, that would intrude itfelf upon 
 us fo unfeafonably. We fhould abftraft our- 
 felves, as much as poffible, from all terreftial 
 things in general ; and compofe ourfelves to fo- 
 briety, and holy reverence. It is only fuch a 
 grave, ferious temper and deportment, that is 
 fuitable to the majefty of that Prefence in which 
 we are ; and to the nature of that meffage which 
 is delivered to us, 
 
26 On Receiving the 
 
 wou '^ ^ e a lrooft ready to fufpeft, from 
 the countenance and air of many perfons in our 
 religious affemblies, that they were afliamed ta 
 have the lead appearance of a ferious, devout 
 mind, left they fhould be looked upon either as 
 fuperftitious, or hypocritical But furely, if there 
 is any fuch thing as religion, there is a medium 
 betwixt a fuperftitious, fallen, or affected gravity 
 at the public worfhip, and that tho'tlefs levity of 
 hehaviour, which is here intended. There is a 
 certain ferioufntfs of mind, arid cbmpofednefs of 
 foul, which correfponds to the nature and defign 
 of religion , "and which almoft unavoidably dif- 
 covers itfelf wherever it is, even in the features 
 of the face, and in a perfon's whole air and de 
 portment. And altho' an affected hypocritical 
 gravity is juftly odious to God and man \ yet to 
 be really grave, and in earned in religion, is high 
 ly commendable ; nor is it proper, or reafonable, 
 to avoid the appearance of this -, or to drive a- 
 gainft that which is the natural indication of fuch 
 a temper and frame of heart. 
 
 3. WE ought to hear the word with a hum* 
 lle^ teachable temper., in oppofition to a fpirit of 
 pride, carping, and contradiction. And this, as 
 has been already obferved, is that which the a- 
 poftle more directly intends by receiving the 
 word with meeknefs. Whenever we go to the 
 place of worftyp, to hear the Golpel read or 
 
 preached 
 
with- Meeknefs. 27 
 
 preached, it fhnuld be with a mind difpofed to 
 receive iaftru&jori, and an ear open to difcipline; 
 The oracles of God in general, as well as the 
 writings of Soldmtn in particular, were defigned 
 " to make us know wifJom, to perceive the 
 *' words of underftanding, to receive the inftruc- 
 " tion of wildom, juftkc, judgment. and equity j 
 " to give fubtlety; to the firnple, to the young 
 * c , man knowledge and difcreti jn." And with 
 this view, with a humble, meek and teachable 
 temper, wrought always .to hear the word of 
 God : not that we may obferve fomething to 
 criticize upon, and cavil ac ; not that we may 
 indulge our vanity, With the ferret thought how 
 mucn wifer we are than the poor Pnrfon^ as he 
 goes along.. However many that are far lels 
 wife than David dp not .icrupie to adopt his 
 Words " I have more imderilanding than all 
 ** my teachers : I unJerftdnd more than the- 
 ** Ancients/ 1 - 
 
 THIS is a teprrper of mind,, which utterly un 
 fits performs for; r^ct-iy ing any benefit from the 
 preached and ingrafted word : And were it heard 
 forever, with no better, and more tractable a 
 difpofition, it would not be the means of living 
 * fmglc foul. How contrary is.fucha vain, proud 
 and captious hurt) our, to that meekntfs with 
 which we are inj >ined to receive the ingrafted 
 word ? How inconfiftent is fuch a fpirit, with that 
 ftmplicity, and humble defirc of improvement, 
 
28 On Receiving the Word 
 
 SERM. which $/. Peter recommends in his firjt Epiftle ? 
 1L " The word of the Lord, fays he, endureth for- 
 " ever ; and this is the word, which by the Gof- 
 *' pel is preached to you. Wherefore laying 
 *' afide all malice, and all guile and hypocrifies, 
 " and envies, and evil fpeakings, as new-born 
 " babes defire the fincere milk of the word, that 
 * 6 ye may grow thereby." How contrary, is 
 this temper, to that which our Saviour reprefents 
 as neceffary to a due hearing of the Gofpel, fo as 
 to receive benefit therefrom ? " Verily, verily, I 
 " fay unto you, that whofoever fhall not receive 
 " the Kingdom of God as a little child, fhall by 
 
 no means enter into it. ' 
 
 LET none of us give way to a proud, cavilling 9 
 and wrangling fpirit, when we affemble to hear 
 the word , but keep our heart as well as our foot, 
 With all diligence^ when we go to the houfe of 
 God. The meaneft perfon may fay fomething 
 which may be to our edification : Nor (hould we 
 be above receiving that from any one, even from 
 the meaneft. No one furely will think himfelf 
 abqve this, who fincerely defines the falvation of 
 his Soul. Nor are thofe who hear the word with 
 the oppofue temper of vanity and haughtinefs, 
 really the better, but rather the worfe for it - 3 and 
 fo much the farther from the kingdom of heaven. 
 And it is cbfervable, that this fcornful, difdainful, 
 felf-fl mering humour, is generally found in thof', 
 who have very little right to claim any fuch fuperit 
 
 oritj 
 
with Meeknefe. 29 
 
 ferity over others Receive with meeknefs^ there- 
 fore, the ingrafted word, wherever, and from 
 whomfoever, you hear it : Be willing to be in- 
 firufted, and admonifhed of your duty, ...by any 
 one ; and more particularly by thofe whofe fpe- 
 cial office it is to preach the word , " left (to ufe 
 " the words of the wifeft of Men ; left ) thou 
 " mourn at the laft ; and fay, How have I ha- 
 " ted inftruftion, and my heart defpifed reproof! 
 " And have not obeyed the voice of my teach- 
 " ers ; nor inclined mine ear to them that inftruc- 
 " ted me ! I was almoft in all evil in the midft 
 cc of the congregation and aflembly 1 " 
 
 HOWEVER, do not imagine, my Brethren, 
 that we are for lording it over God's heritage ; 
 and would put out your eyes, that you may fee 
 with ours ; or rather follow us blindfold. No : 
 it were extravagant pride and infolehce in us, to 
 defire this, and falfe humility in you to comply 
 with fuch a defire. But this brings me to the 
 next particular mentioned. 
 
 4. WHEN we hear the Gofpel preached by 
 fallible men, we mould do it with due caution % 
 in oppofition to that exceflive meeknefs, or rather 
 ftuped tamenefs, and unmanly fervility, which 
 difpofei people to fwallow down every thing 
 which they hear from the Pulpit^ right or wrong. 
 There is a wide difference betwixt that vain, 
 carping and contradiftious humour, which I have 
 
 been 
 
On Receiving tie Word 
 
 been fpeaking of above, and the too eafv creduli- 
 ty here intended , betwixt the fpirit of cavilling, 
 and pertly finding fault with 4! mod evoy thing, 
 and the d.ulnefs of Implicit; : .believing. It is the 
 rational and Christian part, to, (leer betwjxt th'-fe 
 extremes. ; Nor is it impracticable to keep the 
 middle way in, this ;.cafe, \ to be ..neither too vain 
 and oppofite on one. hand, nqr, COD credulous an4 
 JtubmifTive on the. other. 
 
 As we are Chriftians, the infpired fcriptureg 
 are our rule of faith and conduct Them we 
 Ihould ever read and hear with an implicit faith ; 
 fubmitting ourfelves wholly to their guidance and 
 direction, after having exercifed our beft reafon 
 in finding out their true fenfe and meaning. 
 There is not, upon our own. principles, any room 
 left for objecting, or doubting, when we are con 
 vinced, that thefe facred orack-s deliver fuch or 
 fuch a doctrine 5 or require us to do fuch or fuch 
 a thing. Becaufe " it is impoOlble fiT God to 
 * 6 lie ;" to teach us falfhood for truth :, or to.in- 
 join upon us the performance of any thing which 
 ought not to be dorte. But too many teachers, 
 exclufively of thofe in the well-known church, 
 which gives herfeif the courteous title of infalli- 
 Us y have approached very near to the fame infp- 
 lence and arrogance $ putting themfelves aimoft r 
 ^F not altogether^ upon the fame footing with 
 and the,Pr^^, Cbrift and the dpoltlesi 
 I wifli they had 1 not m effed affum^d to 
 
 fjiem- 
 
 
Meeknefs. 31 
 
 therafelyes an higher feat, and greater authority, SERM. 
 than they allow to .Mofes and to.Cbrift, as tho* 
 the fervant were above his Lord, and the fervant 
 greater than his Matter. For why elfe, in the 
 rjame of God ! dp they difparage the holy fcrip- 
 tures, by reprefenting them as an infufficient rule 
 of faith, and teft of orthodoxy? Why do they 
 pr-aflically deny them to be the only ilandard and 
 touchftone of Chriftian verity, by cramming us 
 with th eir Creeds, and fuch like trumpery ? Why 
 is all dus lumber of Confeffions and Formularies, 
 laid upon us.? a load which we are not able to 
 bear ; and, which fome others would not per 
 haps have been, had they not been originally de- 
 figned for creatures of burthen ? Why elfe are we 
 told by marly, that be fides believing the oracles 
 of God, we muft, before we can be orthodox, 
 believe their oracles .? oracles as uncertain as the. 
 old Delphian \ or any others which the Pagan 
 Fathers confulted with gaping ftupidity, and fot- 
 tifh amazement? Why elfe, do many of our 
 Pulpit'Performers demand at lead as great a def- 
 ference to be paid to their harrangues and dogma's, 
 as to the facred writings, given confefledly by 
 infpiration of God ? In fine, why elfe do they not 
 preach Chrift Jefus the Lord, and themfelves on 
 ly fervants for Jefus* fake ? But however afiutn~ 
 ing any of the clergy may be , yet furely thofc 
 who hear them fhould not be fo executively tame 
 *SJ! fcrv*!^ as to receive what they advance^ 
 
 without 
 
32 On Receiving the Word 
 
 letting it pafsthro' their underflanrlingsi 
 without feeing it to be conformable cither to rea- 
 fon or fcripture, or to both. Poffibly the worct 
 ingrafted by them, may not be word of God, 
 which is able to fave the foul , but merely the 
 word of man, and contrary to found doflrine ; 
 and fo have a greater tendency to poifon and de 
 bauch, to miflead.and deftroy, the foul, than to* 
 heal arid fave it. 
 
 NOR is this an incredible fuppoiitiorr, when we 
 reflect what abfurd, what inhuman, what blaf- 
 phemous notions, have, from age to age, been 
 ventilated for the great truths, and mod impor 
 tant doctrines of the Gofpel, by the minifters of 
 it : Notions, to which we may apply whit our 
 Saviour fays of falfe teachers, that they are 
 *' wolves in fheep's cloathing , >J Notions which 
 worry and perplex the flock of Chrift; notions 
 which lead men to deftroy the bodies and lives of 
 their neighbours ; but have no tendency to benefit 
 their fouls , notions which under the fair pfe-< 
 tence of exalting the grace, and prpmotirig the 
 honor of God, are really fubverfive of both. 
 In Ihort, fince there is too much reafun to 
 think, that fome lye in wait to deceive, and wil* 
 fully miflead others, for the fake of carrying on 
 their own. worldly and ambitious defigns 5 and 
 fince the wifeft and moft upright men, are yet 
 fallible, Chriftians ought to be cautious and cir-' 
 cumfpect in their hearing, and riot blindly to fol- > 
 low their fpiritual guides in any thing. AND 
 
with Meeknefe. 33 
 
 AND the caution which I am now recommend- {JEJtM. 
 ing, is fo far from being inconfiftent with that II. 
 Weckncfs, with which we ought to receive the in* 
 grafted word, that it is neceffarily included in it. 
 From a regard arid reverence to the word of 
 God, we are obliged co take heed what we hear 
 fcnd receive from men , left we' fliould be led 
 aftray* cither by thofe who may 'have an intereft 
 in deceiving us ; or by thofe who, thro* common 
 human frailty, may run into error themfclyes,and 
 endeavour to lead others after them. The very 
 fame humility and meekneis with which, we 
 ought to receive the truths of God's word, re 
 quire us to be- upon our guard againft the errors 
 and delufions of defigning or miflaken men -, left, 
 with them, we fhould corrupt the word, by mix 
 ing with it what is foreign and heterogeneous and 
 contrary thereto : By which means we *may come 
 at length to ha ve another Gofpel, To very different 
 from the old, that we cannot apply to it the 
 words of the apoftle, that // is net another ; be- 
 caufc it is a fyftem of religion, in the general 
 frame, contexture, and tendency of it, efientially 
 and fundamentally different from that promulga 
 ted to, the world by Chrift and his apoftles. And 
 is there not now evidently in the world, another 
 Gofpel, in this fenfe ? a Religion, which, tho' it 
 bears the name QiCbriftian^ does not in reality re- 
 fernble true primitive Chriftianity, fo much as it 
 does ancient Paganifm \ From whence fprang 
 D tbefe 
 
On Receiving the Word 
 
 amazing corruptions, but from incautious 
 II, credulity, and blind fubmiffion to the clergy ? 
 ~ ,~^ " BUT to conclude .this- head : If we would re- 
 
 the word with due meeknefs ;-and with that 
 
 -rence to the Sittkw find fnifoerof our faith, 
 which becomes Chhfiians ; we are always to 
 
 : :e a wide difference betwixt the fcripturcs of 
 trL::h ? and the doctrines and explanations offalli- 
 tie men, ' That which God has really revealed, 
 
 :ot*miflead us; the words of men may. In 
 r ::vcrence to the' former, we ought to exercifc 
 
 ripn with regard to the latter ; and with the 
 ~r/;ble ' Bsr-eatJS, to fearcb the fcriptures daily*, 
 vvhcthe'r thofe tilings which are preached to us 
 are conformable' to them, or not. And 
 ! 'i'.ugh any man fliould preach to us another 
 doctrine, v/e ought to rejecl it with difdain ; and 
 this, for the fime reafon that we ought to re- 
 C'Hvc the word and mefTage of God with meek- 
 nefs and reverence. Yea,'* if an Angel fromHea- 
 ** ven Oiould preach unto us another Gofpel,'* 
 not I, but the Apoftle fays, " let him be accur- 
 fed." Turn not afide upon one hand, to V&IH 
 jangling, and oppojifion of fcience falfely fo c ailed 'j 
 curn not afide, upon the other hand, to 4 flavifli 
 fubmifTion, and papal ftupidity. Be men ; be 
 Chriilians ; be proteftants. Uiethc underftand- 
 ings which God has given you, in feeking his 
 will. Reverence the Revelation which he has 
 favoured you with : Exercifc your reafon, and 
 
 the 
 
th Meeknefs. , 35 
 
 the liberty you enjoy, in learning the truth, and SERM. 
 your Duty from it. Make ufc of all proper helps \\ r 
 in order to gain a right underftanding of this re 
 velation , but fubmit yourfelves blindly to none ; 
 left they fhould " teach for do&rines the com 
 mandments of Men. 8 * And if you think I do not 
 now fpeak to you tie words of truth and fob er^ 
 fiefs, fay no regard to it. * 
 
 5. To 
 
 * The following palTages, from a Sermon of the excellent 
 Archbilhop Sharpe, agtinft Creeds * of human compo- 
 fition ; and the vanity and arrogance of thofe who impofe 
 thm, is tho't not improper to have a place here. 
 
 " ALL Chriftians, (fays he,) agree that we muft beBelievers : 
 " But fome, taking Advantage of this, will not allow us to 
 " have a right Faith, or to be Orthodox Chriftians, unlef* 
 " we come up to all thofe Notions and Propofitions which 
 " they efteem Articles of Faith. One would think therc- 
 " fore that fome Rule ought to be given us, by which we 
 " might meafure the Sufficiency of our Faith, or by which 
 " we might know When we have believed all that is necef- 
 " fary ; that fo we might not be under the Tyrauny of fuck 
 " Ufurpers upon our Confciences, as would be alv/ays im- 
 ^' pofing on our Faith, till at laft they came to make ui 
 *' fwallow Impofiibilities for Divine Revelation. And fuch 
 " a Rule, methinks, our Saviour hath here given us. His 
 " Commiflion to th* Apoftles is, Go into all the World, and 
 " preach the Go/pel unto every Creature ; and he adds* Wb- 
 '* foever belitvetk Jball be faved, Believeth ? believeth what ? 
 " Why certainly the Gofpel that hefpoke of before : Who- 
 *' foever believeth the Gofpel, and is baptized, fhall be 
 " faved ; that muft be his Meaning. It is the Gofpel there - 
 *' fore that we muft believe ; and to the believing </f 
 * that alone, without any more the Promifes of Salvation 
 ** are made. But what is this Gofpel ? Why, it is plain!/ 
 "'that Doftrine which Jefus Chrift himfelf taught, and 
 " which the Apoftlcs from him preached to the World, and 
 ' which was all in thir Times put into Writing, and 
 
 ^ which i jail full/ contained in tUofe Books that we have 
 D i " ft 
 
On Retelling the Word 
 
 5. To hear the Word with mceknefs, 
 moreover comprehend the hearing it with 
 patience, and an affectionate regard, altho* 
 nothing new fhould be offe/ed upon the fubjecl: 
 treated of j in contradiftindion to that vain 
 curiofity, and idle love of vovelty. Which is to be 
 found in perfohs who have itching ears. The 
 defign of Chriftianity is not fo much to pleafe 
 our fancies, and to gratify our curiofity, as bet 
 ter our minds arid fave our fouls : Tho' there is 
 
 a 
 
 at this Bay in our Hands, which we call the Ntto-Ttfta* 
 tnent. This Gofpel then is the Rule of our Faith. Every 
 Dodlrine that isthere delivered WP rnuft believe : But as 
 for anyDoftrine that is not there delivered, nor can be de 
 duced from thence, we are not bound to believe that as an 
 Article of Faith let it come never fo well recommended 
 by the Authority of Popes or their Councils, nay, or back'd 
 with theCredit of Miracles wrought for the Atteftation of 
 ir. This, I fay, is our Rule of Faith : ThauRule, which 
 OUR CHURCH prefer ibes to us as well as the Holy Scrip 
 tures ; AND B1ESSED BE GOB WE DO*30 STRICTLY 
 
 KfcEP TO IT. So long as we do fo, it is impoffible 
 but v/e mult be not only a true Church, but alfo a right 
 and a found Church. We cannot indeed, upon thofe 
 Principles, admit 'of abundance of Points, which our 
 Neighbours lay fo much Weight upon, as to make all 
 chclethat deny them tp be Infidels and Hereticks. We 
 do not believe the Infallibility of the Church, nor the 
 Supremacy of the Church of Rtme> nor Tranfubftaati- 
 ation, nor Purgatory, nor Invocation of Saints, nor twen 
 ty other fuch Articles, which they make necefTary to Sal 
 vation. And the Reafon is, becaufe we find rone of 
 thofc Things in the Gofpel. as it is contained in theHoly 
 Scriptures, which we 'are fure would have been there, if 
 God had made it our Duty to have believ'c] them. But 
 we believe all th*' the Crofpel teacheth, a?:d make ufe 
 likewife of all sue Means r hat are poflible to undcrftand 
 it in its true Senfe : And this we are fure is all thatChrift. 
 hath required of us, as ta the Bufincf* of Believing. 
 
with Meeknejs. 37 
 
 a great deal therein, which may contribute to the $ERM. 
 former, as well as every thing needful to the lat, \\ t 
 ter. The things of which the Gofpel treats, are 
 things which Angels defire to look into: Nor is 
 one defire gratified, till new ones arife, there be 
 ing place and fcope given, in this difpenfation of 
 the grace of God, for alternate inquiry, and 
 pleafing admiration, 'till -time fiiall be no more. 
 And if we are defirous to hear fomething new^ 
 for our improvement as reasonable creatures > if 
 we are defirous hereof, for our edification as 
 Chriftians , if we want that this glorious ' light 
 (hould beam upon us with a fuller ray ; if we are 
 defirous to know more of the perfections oi 
 great Father of our fpirits j if to underftand more 
 of the myftery of our redemption ; if we wane 
 to be taught more perfectly the way that leads to 
 eternal life", that we may walk therein without de 
 viating ; in fine, if we would f;un * c compre 
 with all faints, what is the heighch and depth, the 
 length and breadth, and would know the !o 
 Chrift which palTeth knowledge, that we rru 
 filled with all the fulnels of God ; *' if this u 
 deftre, if this our ambition, oxir ambUion is then 
 truly noble and divine. Such a love of novelty t 
 fuch -JL kind of cuaofiry, ought certainly to be 
 promoted and countenanced, rather thandifcour- 
 aged : For a man that is truly wife, never thinks 
 he is wife enough ; and one truly good, is always 
 jfcnfible th# he -ought -to be better, 
 
 D 3 . UT 
 
8 On Receiving the Word 
 
 on ^ e ot ^ cr hand, you want to hear 
 II , things that are new, merely for the fake of novel 
 ty ; if your 'defire to know more of God, does 
 not arife from a delire to love him better, and 
 ferve him more acceptably , if your defire to 
 know more of y out Redeemer ^ is not accompanied 
 with a defire to live more to Him, who has died 
 for you ; if you want to be more acquainted 
 with Chriftianity, confidered only as a fcience, or 
 the fubjecl: of fpeculation,not as it is a doflrine ac 
 cording to Godlincfs ; in fine, if you want only to 
 have your fancies plcafed, and not the falvation 
 of your fouls promoted ; this furelyis a curiofity 
 that is unworthy a Chriftian, And the hearing of 
 ffovcts and Romances^ would turn as much to the 
 Account of perfons of this vain, triflng humour, 
 as all the Sermons that have been, and fhall be 
 preached, from the fall of Adam to the fall of 
 Antichrift : I mean, unlefs fuch people Ihould 
 happen to be convinced by them, of the folly 
 and abfurdity of hearing merely with this view i 
 and be brought to reflect more ferioufly upon the 
 things which belong to their peace . 
 
 THERE are fome perfons mightily difgufted, 
 if they hear a difcourfe preached zfecond time ; 
 tho' perhaps years after the Jirft ; and which was 
 fo wholly out of their minds, that they would 
 not have known it to be the fame, but for one or 
 two fentences, or fome one particular word or 
 NQW from what doc* this difguft arife ? 
 
 From 
 
with Meeknefs. 39 
 
 From afincerc defirc to be edified, as Chriflians? $ERM. 
 or only from an .affection for- new things ? from n. 
 trifling curiofity ? Is this an indication, that per- 
 fbns hear the word with a proper temper ? Or 
 does it betray an unbecoming levity and capri- 
 cioufnefs of humour ? Or does it proceed from a 
 jcaloufy that the Preacher does not labour and 
 toil enough for his reward ? from a fear that he 
 will not fpwd and bt fptnt fcon enough ? I am 
 pretty (lire it does not i:fually proceed from any 
 thing that is good and laudable, and which fuch 
 pcrfons would not be afhamed honeftly to confefs, 
 
 OUR. Saviour's difcourfcs often bore a very 
 near refembknce one to the other. The Apoftles 
 did not always preach new doftrines ; nor yet ex~ 
 prefs the old in different language. Yea, they 
 profefledly deliver the fame things over again ; 
 altho' the perfons to whom they wrote and prea. 
 ched, already knew thsm* and <wers cftablifad i& 
 tbefe truths. And in fine, when our Lord 
 iatlrucling his Apollles in their miniftenal ciTicr, 
 he tells them, that <<J every icribc which is inftruo 
 M ted unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto s 
 <c man which U an houfholder, which bnngcrh 
 55 out of his treaiure things new and eld" 
 
 CAN it theo be looked upon as blame-worthy., 
 in thofc who labour in the word and doRrin^ 
 that they do not always bring forth things that 
 are new ? The doftrines of the gofpel are, in a 
 fenfe, always new to thofe who have a proper 
 D 4 
 
^o On Receiving the " 
 
 'SERM. re ^ * r tne heavenly Manna. Does the fame 
 H' food which we have often fatisfied ourfclves upon 
 heretofore, difguft us when we are hungry ? Do 
 we loath the wine when we are thirfty, becaufc 
 we hdve often feen it giving its colour in theglafs^ 
 and moving it f elf aright ? You may perhaps think 
 thefe fimilirudes too grofs. However there is a 
 real and true analogy, betwixt the cravings of the 
 foul, and thofe of the body ; The fincere Chrif- 
 tian, tar from naufeating the moft familiar 
 doctrines of the Gofpcl, how often foever he has 
 heard them, 4 efteems them as his necefiary anc^ 
 daily foad, without which, his foul would Ian- 
 guilh, pine away, and be in a manner famimed. 
 It is his meat and his drink to bear> as well as to 
 . do the 'Will of his Father which is in heaven ; 
 Nor is the repetition , thereof in his ear, jaiore 
 irkfome to him, tlian the continued practice of it* 
 in his life. 
 
 IF fo be then, we know the grace of God in 
 truth , if we have tafteci and feen that the Lord 
 is gracious - 9 if we truly hunger and thirft after 
 rightcoufnefs ; thefe old doclrines and command 
 ments, will be ever new and grateful to us. The. 
 fruit of that tree of Tacred, unfcrlidden know- 
 iedg, which God has planted upon earth, will 
 be always i'weet to bur tafte ; yea, ]jotcter than, 
 honey and the honey -comb* The Gofpel in its 
 greateft fimplicity, unadforned with the bloflbm* 
 fli?wer$ of rhetorick, is like the trie o 
 
with Meeknefe. 
 
 mentioned in the apocalypfa a tree which 
 ? twelve manner of fruit j an.d the leaves where- 
 *f of were for the healing of the nations.'* Of 
 this we may freely eat, and live forever. 
 
 I am not endeavouring to excufe the lazy and 
 flothful./fo/^tt/, who takes not due care to feeci 
 - the/04 ofChrift with knowledge 'and under- 
 ftanding , to caufe it to lie down in green pajlures^ 
 and lead it bejide, tb ftill waters. But yet it is 
 an ill fympton, when people are out of humour, 
 becaufe they are fqmetimes entertained . with an 
 old difcourfe. Nor ought they to expecl more 
 of their Minifttrs than their health and ftrength 
 will allow them to perform. And You know 
 who obferved long fince, that ifc much ftudy is a 
 ^ >yearinefe to the 
 
 6. TH$ admonition we are confidering, re 
 quires us to hear the word with candor and im 
 partiality^ in oppofition to perfonal prejudices, 
 and the ipirit of party. The prejudices, and the 
 bigotry here intended, have a prodigious and un 
 accountable influence upon the bulk of mankind ; 
 and greatly impede the progrefs, the falu.tary ten 
 dency! and glorious defign of Chriftianity. Nor 
 can we fay with our Saviour -upon another oc- 
 cafion, that " from the beginning it was not fa" 
 Thefe things of old gave rife to the violent op 
 pofition of the Jews rq our Lord, and his Go 
 pel. His parentage was a great ftumbling-block 
 
 te 
 
42 On Receiving the Word 
 
 SERM. to man y*" ^ s not this the Carpenter's fon ? The 
 I| a place of his ufual abode, was another. " Can any 
 good thing come out of Nazareth .?" His not be 
 ing ecu tenanced by the Pharifees^ the orthodox 
 folks of that day, was a third objeftion. " Have 
 tc any of the Pbarifees believed on him ? " Thus 
 did perfonal prejudice, fadion and -party fpirit, 
 reign in the days of our Saviour ; and obftruct: 
 the ,progrefs of his religion ; all which things are . 
 directly contrary to that mecknefs and candour, 
 with which we ought to hear the word. The 
 fame fpirit, the fame bigotry difcovered itfelf, 
 more or lefs, even amongft Chriftians, during the 
 apoftolick age : Of which frequent notice is taken 
 in the new Teflament. St. pdul in particular 
 fpeaks of this factious fpirit, as a proof of their 
 being carnal ; and as what prevented their pro 
 fiting by the word preached. " I have fed you 
 " with milk, and not with meat ; fays he, for 
 " hitherto ye were not able to bear it ; neither 
 " yet now are ye able For whereas there is a- 
 " mong you envying and ftrife and divifions, 
 <c are ye not carnal ? For while one faith, I 
 " am of Pau^ and another, I am of Apollos* 
 " are ye not carnal ? J> The inlifting under paiy 
 ticular men, as heads and leaders ; and ftrenoufly 
 oppofing other teachers at all adventures, was, 
 you fee, an error into which Chriihans fell in 
 very early times : and one quite repugnant to 
 that candor and catholicifm 3 which the Apoftles 
 
with Meeknejs, 43 
 
 endeavoured to propagate amongft their converts. 
 And this illiberal, pernicious and antichriftian 
 fpirit of party has defcended from age to age,mau-, 
 gre all the pains which wife and good men .have 
 ufed to fupprefs it. . Nor would yo.u believe me, 
 if I &id there was rrot a great deal of it to be feen 
 amongft us at this Day. A per fen under the 
 influence and dominion of this fpirit, cannot pof* 
 fibly hear the truth as he ought to do. He will 
 often reject the truth, becaufe it is fpoken by a 
 peffon of another feel: ; or denomination. He will 
 cavij at thofe things which he wou'd admire and 
 applaud, and get good by, were they delivered 
 by one of his oivn fyHe, his own party ; by one, 
 againft whom he had not conceived a ftrong pre 
 judice. Such a Man is alfo prepared to receive 
 almoftany thing f6rgood doclrine, however ab- 
 furd and pernicious, from the mouth of one 
 whom he thinks well of, as being of his own fed ; 
 efpecially if he has a great perfonal regard and 
 friendfhip for him. 
 
 Now if we would hear the word with due fim- 
 plicity and mceknefs, it behoves us, as far as 
 pofTible to dev<?ft ourfeJves of every prejudice, 
 We mould lay our minds open to the irnprefiions 
 of truth and reafon j not rcfpefting .pcrfons* nor 
 fuffcrin^g ourfelvc to be carried away with bliad 
 zeal for a party. Whenever we go to hear, we 
 Jhould dp it with a mind prepared to deceive 
 whatever may be conformable to reafon, and th 
 
 holy 
 
44 On Receiving the Word 
 
 
 
 $ERM. holy fcriptures, without regard to names, perfons, 
 II. and party-differences. And it is to be hoped, 
 that one who hears with this candid, and ingenu 
 ous temper, being truly defirous of improve 
 ment, will fcarce ever be ftnt empty away , or 
 return without benefit. That mud be a worfe 
 Sermon than ever I have heard, (tho* I will not 
 add, than ever I have preached) from which fome 
 good might not accrue to the meek and impartial 
 hearer. The temper which I am now recommend 
 ing, like the fabled hand of Midas, turns every 
 thing mtogold ; eyen had and brajs. It has the 
 happy power of making agoodufe and improve 
 ment ofalrnoft any thing i, not excepting the 
 wood, bay and flubbk, which are the fuperftruc- 
 ture raifcd by fome unfkilful builders, upon the 
 foundation of the gofpel ; inftead of buildiog 
 y Jilyer and precious Jionv* 
 
 j. CHRISTIANS fhould hear the word, with 
 felf application -, as oppofed to the common 
 humour of applying things to their neighbours,, 
 The primary and great end of hearing the Gof- 
 gel, is the improving of our own minds in know 
 ledge and virtue ; that our own fouls may be fa- 
 ved thereby. There are, however, fome who 
 overlook this end , almoft forgetting that they 
 have any fouls to be faved ; and very carefully 
 obferving whatever is applicable to the cafe of 
 others. When any particular vice is fbruck at, 
 
 infteac} 
 
with Meeknefs. 45 
 
 iriftead of afking their own hearts, how far they SERM O 
 arc chargeable therewith, they immediately fix jj. 
 upon one and other as the perfons to whom this 
 belongs , tho 9 perhaps they are far more guilty 
 themfelves. Strange abfurdity ! that people will 
 fo readily fee a mote in their brother's eye, and 
 yet cannot, or rather will not, perceive the 
 beata that is in their own. cc Thou hypocrite* 
 ** firft cad out the 'beam out of thine own eye ; 
 " and then malt thou fee clearly to caft the mote 
 " out of thy brother's eye ". Before we apply 
 things to our neighbours, we mould think of our 
 own Sins, which are perhaps, greater ; and take 
 tht portion tbatfnlletb to us. How abiurd is it 
 for him that commits facrikdge^ to fix liis eye 
 on him that/^z/j ? for him that commits adul 
 tery, to keep in view him that offends, compara 
 tively in a lefs atrocious way ? for him that fear- 
 eth net Qod, to caft a cenforiou look on him that 
 rcgardcth not man ? When we hear the word 
 preached, our bufmefs is at bcme, with our own 
 hearts and confciences , and we dull probably 
 find employment enough fbere y without wander* 
 ing thus unfeafonably abroad. We fhould behold 
 our own face and moral features,in the intellectual 
 mirrour which is hejd up before us ; in order to 
 fee our own fpots and blemifhes, and to wipe a- 
 way the ftains which deform us. We do not 
 hear the word as we ought to do, unlefs we thug 
 bring it home to our felyes \ and aim at correct* 
 
 ing 
 
46 On Receiving the ffiord 
 
 S&RM* ing what we find amifs in our' tempers and man 
 ners, upon a careful irtfpe&io^ into our own 
 hearts. Ths contrary humour of applying what 
 i& laid, to our neighbours, is owing to pride and 
 felt-confidence : It proceeds from a fpirit of cen- 
 forioufncfs, uncharity and arrogance ; and fo is 
 the very reverfe of that meeknefs and humility^ 
 with which we ought to receive the ingrafted 
 word. And indeed what good can we expect 
 from hearing, uniefs we make the "proper appli 
 cation to our-felves a inftead of hearing only for 
 
 LASTLY -, and to fum up all in one word : 
 We ftiould hear with a fingle view to our being 
 edified as Chriflians ; and that we may, at length 
 receive that which is the great end of the gofpel* 
 and of our faith in it, the Salvation of our Souls. 
 Whenever we go to hear, we fhould ferioufly re 
 flect with ourfelves what is the grand fcope and 
 defign of Chriftianity, that fo we may, hear with a 
 temper and difpofition correfponding thereto. 
 This is the fum of all that has been faid above up 
 on the ftibjedt ; the refult and conclufion of this 
 whole matter. Now we cannot but know* that 
 this gofpel of the kingdom, which is, from time 
 to time, preached to us, is a difpenfation of the 
 grace of God to a guilty loft world , a revelation 
 of his mercy to us by his Son, confidered as finful 
 perifhing creatures, juftly liable to wrath and de- 
 a difcoyery of God's kind intendoni 
 
 towards 
 
with Meeknefs. 
 
 towards us in general ; and more particularly, o 
 the method which his infinite wifdom has pitched 
 upon, and ordained, for our reftoration to his 
 favour, to true wifdom, holinefs and happinefs j 
 the end of all being the lalvation of our fouls. 
 
 Tins is the manifeft fcope and aim of the 
 Chriftian revelation : And while we keep this in 
 view, we can hardly fail of perceiving how, and 
 with what temper this divine mefTage ought to be 
 received. The nature of the thing will fcarcc 
 permit one that attends to it, to be at any lofs in 
 the prefent cafe. While we confider the Majefty 
 of that God who is fpcaking to us in his word, 
 and our own finfulnefs and unworthinefs ; while 
 we confider the fubjeft matter of this revelation, 
 and the glorious Dignity of that Perfon who, for 
 us men and for our falvation, came down from 
 heaven ; while we confider the glory and happi 
 nefs to which we are called and invited by the 
 goipel, and the deftrudion threatned to thofe 
 who obftinately " reject the counfel of God 
 " againft themfclves ;" in fine, while we con 
 fider that our immorul fouls are at (lake, and 
 are either to be faved or loft, according to the 
 reception which we give to this heavenly mefTage; 
 while we confider. thefe things, we cannot but 
 know, that it becomes us to hear it with diligence, 
 and the greateft care ; with ferioufnefs and gravity ; 
 with all meeknefs and humility , with caution 
 and circumfpection, with affe&ion and love , with 
 
 candor, 
 
4 8 On Receiving the Word^ 
 
 SERM. candor, fairnefs and impartiality ; with a defitt 
 to inform and better our minds ; and, in fine, 
 with an earned defire, that the end of it may be 
 anfsvered in the falvatioft of our fouls. This it 
 plainly the manner, this the way, this the temped 
 arid difpofition, with which we ought to hear 
 and receive the ingrafted word. And if we re 
 ceive it thus, it will By God's bleffing, be effec 
 tual to the end arid purpofe for which it is preach 
 ed. If not, we mall in the language of fcripture, 
 " receive the grace of God in vain. " 
 
 BUT there is fomething previoufly fequifite ifi 
 order to our receiving the word in the manner 
 defcribed, which is, that we renounce all our 
 grofs and fehfua! lufts ; thofe vicious habits which 
 the light of nature condemns-, which .darken and 
 pervert our underftandings ; and make its difrelifli 
 the pure truths and do&fmes, as well as the du 
 ties of the gofpel. We are to " lay apart all fil- 
 thinefs and fuperfluity of naughtinefs, " before we 
 can receive the ingrafted word in fuch a mahnef 
 as is necefTary to the falvation of our foute. But of 
 this in the next difcourfe ; concluding the prefenC 
 with the words of the apoftle u They received 
 ** not the love of the truth that they might be 
 " faved. And for this caufe, God (hall fend 
 " them flrong delufion, that they fliould believe 
 * 6 a lye ; that they all might be damned, who 
 " believed not the truth, but had pleafure in un- 
 4< righceoufnefs. '* 
 
 SERMON 
 
49 
 
 / &> <> ^ ^~ O *^ / B * > ^? *3k j^*" ^ "^ ^" O ^^V X 5 * <> "^ \ 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 The Neceflity of renouncing Vice 
 in its grofferForms, in oider to 
 a due receiving of the Gofpel. 
 
 JAMES I. 21, 22. 
 
 LAT apart all filtkinefs and fuferfluity of naugh- 
 tinefs, and receive with meeknefs the ingrafted 
 word) which is able to fave your fouls. But be 
 ye doers of the word, and not bearers only, de 
 ceiving your own fehes. 
 
 C6 F T pleafes God, by the foolifhnefs of 
 1 " preaching to fave them, that believe." 
 
 This is the principal method which He ^ 
 has ordained for promulgating the Gofpel a- 
 mongft all nations , and handing it down from 
 age to age, 'till the end of the world : The way 
 which he has appointed for bringing back thofe 
 who, like fhecp, have gone aftray from him ; 
 that there may be one fold and one fhepherd, 
 
 E It 
 
50 On renouncing 
 
 SERAI. ^ ' 1S an undoubted truth, that every one that cal- 
 III. leth aright on the* name of the Lord, fhall be 
 faved, in whatever age, in whatever region of 
 the world, his lot is cad : " But (in the language 
 " of the Apoftle) how fhall they call on Him, 
 " on whom they have not believed ? And how 
 " fhall they believe in Him, of whom they have 
 " not hesrd ? And how fhall they hear without 
 " a preacher ? Sp then, faith cometh by hear- 
 " ing ; and hearing by the word of God." 
 This is that word, that ingrafted word, which is 
 able to fave our fouls \ and which, laying apart 
 all fltbinefs , and fuperfiuity of naughtinefs. We 
 Ihould receive with meeknefs. 
 
 I HAVE already taken occafion from this paf- 
 'fage of fcripture, to fhow the indifpenflible duty 
 lying upon all Chriftians in general to be hearers 
 of the word.- 
 
 I HAVE moreover fliown, with what meeknefs 
 the gofpel ought to be heard and received by all, 
 from a confideration of the nature and defign 
 of it -, it being the dcxftrine of our ftlvation by 
 Jcfus Chrifl ; the word brought from heaven to 
 earth, to be ingrafted, into our hearts, that we 
 might have our fruit unto holinefi , and the end, 
 everlaftin.g life. 
 
 I wow proceed as was propofed in the third 
 
 place, 
 
 VHIRDLT, 
 
in its gr offer Forms, &c* 5 1 
 
 THIRDLT, To fnow \hcneceffity of aban- SERM. 
 doning our grofs and fenfual 1 lifts, thofe vices and HI. 
 evil habits which even the light of nature con- ^ -\- -> 
 dernns, in order to our receiving the Gofpel with 
 due meeknefs ; and in fuch a manner as is re- 
 quifite in order to our falvation. This is the 
 natural import and connexion of the apoftles 
 words Lay apart all filthinefs, and fuperfluity of 
 naughtinefs ; AND receive with meeknefs ^ &c> 
 [" All filthinefs."] The word denotes the more 
 fordid aud brutal vices -, particularly thofe fins 
 which in the language of fcripture, go under the 
 name of uncleannefs ; and fajhly tufts, which are 
 faid to war againft tbs foul. [" Superfluity of 
 " naughtinefs. " ] The redundance and abound 
 ing of iniquity , the grofs, palpable violations of 
 the law of nature , thofe flagrant and enormous 
 fins, for which we could have no cloke^ no ex- 
 cufe, altho' Chrift had never come, and fpoken 
 to the world. The renouncing of thefe heinci;s 
 immoralities, is, I fuppofe, what the Apoflle in 
 tends by laying apart allflthinefs, and fuperfiuity 
 of naugbtincfs. And this we are admonifhrd to 
 do, in onier to our receiving the word with 
 meeknefs - 9 it being impoflible for men wholly 
 under the dominion of fenfual lufts, to give that 
 cordial reception to the Gofpel, which is here in 
 tended ; and which is neceiTary in order to its 
 anfwering the defign of it, in the falvation of 
 sheir fouls. 
 
 E a 
 
c; 2 On renouncing l r ice 
 
 8ERM. BUT according to this iaterpretation, fome will 
 JTJ perhaps afk, " whether we do not make the 
 Apoftle guilty of this abfurdity and inconfiftency , 
 namely, of foppofing, that .vicious men in lift be - 
 become virtuous and holy, in order to their re 
 ceiving the gofpel j whereas this is the very end 
 which the Gofpel aims at ? How can we attain 
 to holineis-but by the gofpel? by receiving the 
 word ? And yet, according to the above inter 
 pretation, we cannot receive the word, till we are 
 actually become holy.? or 'til we have laid apart 
 all filtljinefs and fuperfluity of naughtinefs , which 
 amounts to the lame tiling ? Here is a manifeft 
 circle ". 
 
 I ANSWER, That the Apoille, by laying apart 
 all filthincfs, &cc. cannot be here fuppofed to 
 mean any thing more than a partial reformation 
 of mind and manners , fuch a one as does not 
 come up to our idea of evangelical holinefs ; but 
 which is, at the fume time, a ftep towards it ; as 
 it prepares and qualifies a perfon for. receiving 
 the word as he ought to do \ as it renders him a 
 proper fubje<5l for the gofpel to work upon. 
 And if we understand him thus, it will- wholly 
 remove all appearance of inconfiflency. For cer 
 tainly we may fnppofe a vicious man reformed 
 in fome confiderable meafure ; and yet deftitutc 
 of that true principle of piety and holinefs, which 
 it is the defign <f the Gofpel to beget in us. 
 But in order to fa this matter in as clear a light 
 
 05 
 
in it$ gr offer Forms, &c. 5 3 
 
 as, I can, I would premife two or three things SF.RM. 
 more particularly, as follows. III. 
 
 i. THERE is a real and manifefi: difference be 
 twixt a perfon, who is only free from thofe grofs 
 pollutions of the world \ from that great depra 
 vity of mind and manner?, intended by & fufer- 
 fiitity of naught inefS) and a thorough Chriftiari j 
 one who is already made meet for, and entitled 
 to eternal life. If it may be faid of the former, 
 that he is " not far from the kingdom of God ," 
 the latter is actually in it, and a loyal fubject of 
 it. If one of them is not intirely under the do 
 minion of fin , the other is a fer-vant of right c- 
 cufnefs. If one is in fome meafure delivered irom 
 the habits and practice .of vice ; the other has 
 the pofitive principles and habits of virtue. If 
 one has in part, " put off the old man with his 
 deeds, which is corrupt according to deceitful 
 lufts " ; the other has " put on the new man, 
 which after God is created in righteoufnefs and 
 true hoHnefs. If one is not wholly fubjected to 
 the devil, " the fpirit that worketh in the chil 
 dren of difobedience " ; the other has a divine 
 nature implanted in him, being " renewed in the 
 fpirit of his mind ". In fine, there is plainly a 
 cTiftincYion to be made, betwixt one who has only 
 fo much fenfe of religion and virtue, as to make 
 him abfla'-nfrom thofe heinous immoralities which 
 the light of nature condemns , and one who is, 
 E in 
 
54 On renouncing Vice 
 
 SERM. * m tne ^ en ^" e of fcripture, a righteous good man* 
 III. " bringing forth good things out of the good 
 treafure of his heart. " 
 
 2. THE Gofpel is the great means which God 
 has appointed for the raifing of men to that new, 
 fpiritual and divine , life, which conftitutes the 
 Ghriftian cbaraffer. It is efpecially in this dif- 
 penfation of grace, that we have the things that 
 " pertain to godlinels ". Hereby, and herein, 
 are given to us " great and precious promifes, 
 that by them we may be made partakers of a di 
 vine nature,having [ before ] efcapcd the corrup 
 tions that are in the world thro' luft. " 
 
 3. THAT the Gofpel may have this happy 
 effect upon us, it is necefTary that it fhould be 
 heartily embraced , that it mould be received in 
 weeknefi. If it is not received at all, it can have 
 no fuch influence upon us ; nor indeed can it, 
 unlefs it is received with that temper of mind, 
 which our Saviour and the Apoftks always re- 
 
 - commend to us. 
 
 THESE things being premifed, whoever at 
 tends to the thing, will eafily fee that a perfon 
 who runs to every excefs of riot and debauchery ; 
 one who ccmmiis iniquity with gree dine fs \ and 
 lays no rePcraints upon himfelf j that has nrtfear 
 ff Cod before his eyfs ; nor any awakened fenfe 
 
 of 
 
in its grojjer Forms, &c. 5 5 
 
 of religion -, that fuch a perfon, I fay, is not in SfcRM. 
 a prefext capacity for receiving the Gcfpel, m t 
 in the manner it isnecefiary it mould be received, 
 in order to its being to him " the power ofGud 
 unto falvation J> . There is a certain preparation, 
 or previous qualification for entertaining this hea 
 venly doftrine, of which he is deltitute. Pcrfons 
 who are all immerfed in fenfuality artd vice ; thole 
 in whofe mortal bodies fin reigns triumphant ; 
 and whofe very " mind and confcience is deliled," 
 mufl be reformed in feme degree, and brought to 
 more fober reflection, before they either will, or 
 can in the nature of the thing, give fnch a meek 
 and cordial reception to the ingrafted word, as is 
 requifite in order to their being faved by it. 
 
 THERE is a ftrong antipathy in a man who is 
 under the government of ptide and fenfual lufts> 
 to the doctrines and precepts of the Gofpel : So 
 that he cannot in a moment, bring himfelf to a 
 proper temper of mind to rsceive it, tho' he were 
 defirous of it. He has that carnal mind which is 
 enmity a*ainft God ; which is not fubjeft to his 
 laws, neither indeed can bs : So that they who 
 are thus in the fiefo, arc not in an immediate ca 
 pacity to pka/e God, by receiving his word with 
 meeknefs , much lefs, by the exercile of thole 
 virtues and graces which good men are the fub- 
 jcfts of. They whofe great concern it is, " to 
 make provifion for the fie fn, to -fulfil the lufts 
 thereof " -, they that do not " hunger and third 
 E 4 after 
 
5 6 On renouncing Vice 
 
 after righteoufnefs " ; they that have no concern 
 for the falvation of their fouls -, but give full fcope 
 to their vicious inclinations \ thefe perfons, con 
 tinuing fuch, cannot, by any means, be fuppo- 
 fed to be in a cond : tion for receiving the word ; 
 they cannot receive it with that ferioufnefs, with 
 that humility and meeknefs, with that love to the 
 truth, with that hearty defire of improvement, 
 with which it is to be received by all, in order 
 to it's grand defign being, anfwered upon them. 
 No ; 'til their confciences are alarmed , 'til they 
 fee in fome meafure the folly and danger of fin, 
 *til they find fome inclination to turn from it to 
 Gocl, that they may obtain his favour, and life e- 
 ternal, they will not truly receive the Gofpel into 
 their hearts ; tho' they may hear it with t heir 
 ears from day to day. 
 
 VICE, when indulged to a great degree, puts 
 a ftrong, tho' fometimes an unperceived, unfuf- 
 pecled, byais upon the human mind ; fo that 
 fome perfons who imagine they hear with all due 
 candor, impartiality and meeknefs, are very far 
 from it in reality \ hearing with great prejudice, 
 and a fecret difguft, which prevents it's taking 
 root in their hearts, and producing the good 
 fruits of righteoufnefs. Any one that pleafes, 
 may fee that this is a fentiment which runs thro* 
 the fcripturts, and which often occurs in die 
 new-teftament more particularly. Thus our Sa 
 viour fays, that c < he that doeth evil, hateth the 
 
 light, 
 
in its gr offer For 7ns y &c. 5 7 
 
 light, and will not come to the light, left his SfiRM. 
 deeds which are evil Ihould be reproved ". Ac- 
 cordingly he applies to the vicious and hardened 
 Jews of his time, the emphatical words of the 
 prophet " In them, fays he, is fulfilled the 
 prophecy of Ifaiah, which faith, By hearing ye 
 Jhall bear and [hall not underftand , and feeing^ 
 ye (hall fee, and Jhall net perceive. For this peo 
 ple's heart is waxed grojs , and their ears are 
 dull of hearing ; and their eyes they have clofed 9 
 left at any time they Jhould fee with their eyes, 
 and hear with their ears ; and Jhould under ji and 
 'with their heart ; and fnculd le converted, and I 
 Jhould heal them. " Conformably hereto the A- 
 poftle fpeaks of fome, to whom thegofpel is hid\ 
 and tells us who they are. " If our gofpel be 
 hid, it is hid to them that are loft , in whom the 
 god of this world has blinded the eyes of them 
 that believe not, left the light of the glorious Gof 
 pel mould mine unto them. >: So in the 
 well-known parable of the fower, the good feed is 
 reprefented as taking effect, and producing fruit 
 to purpofe, only when it fell upon gocd ground^ 
 adapted and prepared to receive it , /. e. accor 
 ding to our Lord's own explanation, the word 
 fown takes effect only in thofe who receive it into 
 an honed and gocd heart. There is a degree of 
 integrity, honefty and uprightnefs, previoufly 
 neceiTary, in order to a cordial and effectual re 
 ceiving of the gofpel, according to our Saviour's 
 
 doctrine. 
 
5 8 On renouncing 
 
 doctrine. Thofe who are deftitute of this, being 
 whjlly funk into vice and Vjplupttioufiiefs, will 
 not hear to purpofe. Thofe who have that tem 
 per which our Saviour exprefTes by an hcneft and 
 good heart, he elfewhere ftyles bis /heep , antece 
 dently to their actually believing in him , and 
 afTures us that they will hear his voice and follow 
 him. And in conformity to this principle, we are 
 to underftand thofe words of our Lord, which fo 
 often occur in his difcourfes. " He that hath 
 cars to hear, let him hear." Let thofe hear, who 
 have in them the principles of recovery ; thofe 
 who are not fo loft to all fenfe of religion and 
 virtue, as to be paft it. 
 
 IT is not much to be wondered at, if r.efolved 
 hardened tranfgreflbrs \ if thofe who commit in- 
 quity with greedinefs, rolling it as a fweet morfcl 
 under their tongue ; if thofe who are given up to 
 a\\jilthinefs and fuperfluity of naugbtinejs ; it is not 
 to be wondered at, if fuch abandoned fmners often 
 hear the gofpel of the kingdom, without receiving 
 any confiderable benefit from it. They are not at 
 prefent, proper matter for it to work upon. Tho* 
 they hear the truth, and the doctrines of falvation, 
 they cannot receive it in the love of it, having 
 pleafurs only in unrightcotifnefs. They are ftupi- 
 fied with the poifonous draught, which they have 
 taken. And the word is no fooner heard perhaps, 
 than it is forgotten, and fnatched away from them, 
 as it were by fomc evil, malicious ipirlt 5 fnatched 
 
 away, 
 
in its gr offer Forms ^ We. 59 
 
 away, like the feed which fell by the wfiyf.de. SERM. 
 
 The mind that is carnalized, and depraved to jjj. 
 the degree- that is here intended, is moreover a 
 very unfit habitation for the Holy Spirit of God -, 
 without whofc bleffed influences, the feed fown in 
 our heart?, does ntver take root and bring forth 
 fruit. In the language of the book of Wtfdom^ 
 " Froward thoughts feparate from God [And] 
 " Into a malicious foul wifclom ill all not enter ; 
 " nor dwell in the body that is fubject unto fin : 
 " For the Holy Spirit of difcipline will fiee de- 
 <c ceit ; and remove from thoughts that are with- 
 " out underftanding ; and will not abide when 
 " unrighteoufncfs cometh in." That pure di 
 vine truth, which we do not love , that Spirit of 
 grace and difcipline, which we quench and grieve, 
 by the habitual indulgence of our fenfual appetites, 
 cannot but be unwelcome guefts to our fouls, 
 thusdebafed and imbruted. This " fuperfluity 
 cc of naughtinefs, and the fpirit that worketh in 
 u the children of diibbedience - 9 " throw a thick 
 veil over the human mind , and unite in darken 
 ing and blinding it. They extinguifh every di 
 vine ray, 'ere it can pierce the gloom ; and put 
 out that candle of the Lord, which was originally 
 lighted up in our hearts to guide us to Him. 
 They deflroy our natural fenfe and feeling of 
 moral and religious truths ; and efpecially all the 
 mental faculties, however bright before. They 
 hebeute and blunt all the noble powers of the 
 
 foul ; 
 
6o On renouncing Vice 
 
 SERM. f u l an< ^ render it unfufcept'uble of good im- 
 III. preffions, They deftroy all relifh of intellectual 
 and fpiritual enjoyments \ and take away the 
 heart from God , from his word a~id inltitutions ; 
 and even from thofe things which the light of 
 future ftrongly recommends to the love and 
 practice of all men, who have not thus abufed 
 and perverted their minds. And when the light 
 that is in us, is thus turned into darkntfs, thro' 
 long, invetrate habits of finning againft the light, 
 " how great is that darknefs !" 
 
 Is it very ftrange, if iuch abandoned finners 
 do not receive with meeknefs the ingrafted word ? 
 Is it to be wondered at, if perfons fo intirely un 
 der the dominion of flefhly lufts, and the God of 
 this world ; perfons thus loft to all fenfe of virtue 
 and religion ; fhould have their minds blinded to 
 fuch a degree, that the Gjfpel is hid from them ; 
 not being able to mine thro' fuch a thick, grofs 
 and impure medium, into their hearts, " to give 
 them the light of the knowledge of the glory of 
 God, in the face of Jifus Chtift ?" No furclv ; 
 if they do not admit, but exclude this heavenly 
 light, it is what might be expected. For it frems 
 neceilliry in the nature of the thing, that men 
 fhould be awakened to fome fenfe of religion y 
 that they fhould be brought to fober reflecti n ; 
 and deveft themfclves, in fume meafure, of the 
 grofler habits of fin and vice, previously to the 
 word's being ingrafted into their hearts fo effec 
 
 tually 
 
in its gr offer Forms, &c. 6 1 
 
 ; tually, as to transform them into the divine like- $ERM. 
 nefs ; and caufe them to bring forth fruit unto 
 God. The light of reafon mufl be permitted to 
 fhineinto our hearts, before the light of revelation 
 can be cordially received j the voice of natural 
 confcience mud be heard, and liltened to, before 
 the voice of God in his word will be duly regar 
 ded : We cannot be cbriftiam in temper and 
 conduct, without being firft Jober and moral in 
 our lives, without firft laying apart all JUtbinefs 
 and fuperfluity of naughtinejs^ and abftaining from 
 grofs vice and diflblutenefs. This is a neceffary 
 preparation for, and the firft (lep towards, our 
 becoming Cbriftians in reality ; and being " holy 
 *n all manner of converfation and godlinefs." 
 
 IT is not only thole which are peculiarly ter 
 med fenfual tufts, that ftupify the confciences of 
 men, and indifpofe them for receiving the truth 
 in the love of it. All other kinds of grofs im 
 moral indulgence, have a fimilar tendency to ren 
 der the heart callous ; and infenfible to the im- 
 preffions of evangelical truth and righteoufncfs. 
 All kinds of vice in general, are contrary to that 
 religion, which is pure and undefiled before Gcd. 
 So that thofe who give the reins to any known 
 and heinous fin \ thofe who fell t hem f elves to do 
 any kind of iniquity -, cannot relifh the truth as it 
 is in Jefus. Both the docVmes and duties of 
 Chriftianity, muft needs be difguftful to their 
 depraved and vitiated tafte : And it is at leaft 
 
 morally, 
 
6 2 On renouncing F^ice 
 
 SfiRM. morally, if not naturally impoflible, that they 
 HI. fhould receive the Gofpel into their hearts, 'till 
 fuch time as they renounce all grofs immoralities , 
 'till they ccme to be tho'tful and ferious ; and are 
 heartily dcfnous to know " the things that be 
 long to their peace." 
 
 No man can fincerely and cordially embrace 
 the gofpel, while he remains hardened in fin , 
 and is unconcerned about his falvation. The re 
 ceiving of it with rheeknefs, prefuppofes that a 
 perfon's conference is awakened ; that he is fenfi-* 
 ble of his fins ; that he is fbrry for them, willing 
 to forfake them, and to become the fervant of 
 God and righteoufnefs. 'Tis prepofterouily ab- 
 ilird to think that any one can properly receive 
 the ingrafted word ; or " believe to the ftving of 
 his foul," before he is brought to fuch a temper 
 of mind ; or while he perfeveres in his tranf- 
 greffions, with a feared confcience, having no 
 fear of God before their Eyes. 
 
 IT will be objected, perhaps, that the profefTed 
 defign of Chriftianity, is to reform a vicious, de 
 generate world : And if fo, the moft corrupt and 
 abandoned men, cannot be fuppofed to be got 
 beyond the reach of it , fince God undoubtedly 
 accommodates all means to the ends propofed in 
 them. Whereas in what has been faid above, 
 the Gofpel is fuppofed to be futed and accommo 
 dated only to the (late of thofe who are the leaft 
 wrmpted and depraved - 9 while thofe who are the 
 
 moft 
 
in its gr offer Forms ^ We* 63 
 
 ^abandoned, and who consequently moft need SERM. 
 
 to be reclaimed from the error of their ways, are 
 
 not in a capacity of receiving it in fuch a manner 
 
 as 'is necefiary to that end. If only thofe who 
 
 ha veal ready put away all Jilt hinefs and fuperfiiity 
 
 cf naughtinefst can receive the word with meek- 
 
 #<?/}, fo as to be faved by it ; the Gofpel mud be 
 
 quite ufelefs to a great, if not the greatefl part of 
 
 mankind \ and it is to no purpofe to preach it to 
 
 them. 
 
 I ANSWER," that to fay a man is not in a pre- 
 fent temper and difpofition to give that humble 
 and meek reception to the gofpel, which is 
 neceflary in order to his being faved by it at lad ; 
 is quite a different thing from faying, that he can 
 receive no good at all from it ; and that it muft 
 prove a ufelefa dead letter to him. Thefe things 
 are very diftinct ; nor docs the latter follow from 
 the former, by natural deduction and inference. 
 For altho' fome perfons, by reafon of their great 
 wickednefs, and hardnefs of heart, are not in an 
 immediate and prefent capacity to embrace the 
 Gofpel of Chrift,with that fincerity and humility, 
 which is neceflary before the dcfign of it can be 
 fully anfvvered upon them , yet by hearing it from 
 time to time, they may, with the ordinary blcfs- 
 ing of Go f , and that grace of His, which always 
 accompanies the word preached, be awakened 
 out of their fatal {lumber ; and in the language of 
 fcripture, f ricked in their hearts, fo as to be fe- 
 
 rioufly 
 
6 4. On renouncing 
 
 .rioufly inquifitive, wbat theyjhall do tole favcd? 
 In other words,thc goipel may take hold of their 
 hearts to fuch a degree, as to convince them of 
 the folly and danger of going on in their tranf- 
 greffions ; and make them heartily follicitous to 
 fly from tbe wrath to come , and to obtain eternal 
 life. And when perfons are thus flopped in their 
 mad career , brought to think upon their ways ; 
 and made ferioufty inquifitive about their falva- 
 tion ; then it is, that they have the temper of 
 mind with which theGofpel ought to be received, 
 tho' they had it not before. 
 
 WHAT I intend, is this, That altho* no man 
 who is grofly vicious and immoral ; that is fecure 
 and unconcerned ; that fins with an high hand ; 
 boldly tranfgrefTing the laws of God,and violating 
 the law of his mind ; that tho' no fuch perfon, I 
 fay, is now in a temper of mind for receiving the 
 gofpel as it mud needs be received,before the full 
 defign of it can be anfwered upon him ; yet he 
 may poffibly hear it fo as to bring him to 
 that temper. In which refpect, the Word preach 
 ed may be beneficial to the worft of men, as 
 well as to the lefs abandoned : For furely it is fo 
 to all whom it rouzes from their lethargy in fin, 
 to fober thoughtfulnefs and reflection , producing 
 fome reformation in them, tho' at prefent very 
 imperfect. Our Saviour pronounces bleffed, not 
 only thofe who are already filled with right eeitf- 
 yefs j but alfo thofe who hunger -and ihirft after 
 
 it 
 
in its gr offer Forms ^ &C. 65 
 
 it 1 , becaufe they are in a hopeful and pfobable 
 way to be filled. By fuch, the gofpel will be re- III. 
 ceived in a manner futable to the defigrt of it t 
 They are prepared to have it actually ingrafted 
 into their hearts , and it is to be hoped* that He 
 who has thus^ by his word and fpiritj begun A 
 good work in them^ will perfeff it unto the day of 
 Cbrifl. 
 
 THUS is the gofpel calculated for the good of 
 all. Thofe who are not depraved to a great de 
 gree, will of courfe receive it, and be truly good 
 and virtuous by it. And even the more vicious 
 and abandoned part of mankind, may be awaken 
 ed and influenced by it to fuch a degree as mail 
 make them defirous of relinquifhing their former 
 fins, and fuming their feet into God's testimonies ; 
 that fo they may obtain the pardon and falvation 
 offered to fmners in it. And thofe who are 
 brought to this temper of mind* will then of 
 courfe receive the fpiritual and incorruptible feed 
 into their hearts, as into good ground^ into a 
 foil prepared for, and adapted to it. In confe* 
 quence of which they will " bring forth fruit* 
 fome thirty, fome fixty, and fome an hundred 
 fold. " 
 
 BUT alas ! it was never fuppofed that the 
 gofpel, however Sufficient, would prove effectual 
 in the event, for the reformation and falvation of 
 all thofe to whom it is preached. Many of thofe 
 Co whom it was preached of old,** it is to us now, 
 
 F is 
 
66 On renouncing 
 
 * lt ^ w<?/ pr<$/, fl0/ being mixed with faith in 
 them that heard it. There are fome in every 
 age, fo refolutely fet and determined in the ways 
 of folly and vice,' given over to hchfltbinefs, to 
 fuch a fuperfluity of naughtiness^ that they will 
 not give any heed or credit to this divine mef- 
 fage. . " This is the condemnation, that light is 
 " come into the world ; and many love dark- 
 " nefs better than light, becaufe their deeds arc 
 " fo evil." Our Saviour had occafion to tell 
 many, to whom he himfelf preached, that they 
 " would not come unto him that they might 
 " have life." And when he commanded his 
 Apoftles to " go into all the world, and preach 
 IC the gofpel to every creature ," he intimated to 
 them, that they mould bear thefe glad tidings in 
 f vain y and to no purpofe, as to many. For he 
 then told them what mould be the portion of 
 thefe who believed not^ as well as of thofe who 
 believed, and gave heed to their do&rine. The 
 gofpel is publifhed amongft all nations, not up 
 on a prefumptioh that all who hear it, will meek 
 ly receive it, and be faved : But it is preached 
 for a witnejs, for a teftimony to all ; and they are 
 all left to regard, or difregard it, as they think 
 proper ; a day being appointed of God, in which 
 he will judge the world in righteoufnefs. Some 
 have thofe ingenuous principles remaining in 
 them, which render them fit fubje&s for the gof 
 pel to operate upon j and thefe being Chrift'* 
 
 fleet, 
 
in its gr offer Forms ) &c. 67 
 
 foeepi and given to him of the Father, will, ac- 
 cording! y hear his voice, and receive his gofpel \\\ u 
 wirh meeknefs , and he will give unto them eternal 
 life. Others being incurable? and paft recovery ; 
 ( I mean in that way and method which the wif- 
 dom of God has fixed upon for the reclaiming 
 and faving of fmners ) they will accordingly flop 
 their ears againft this joyful found *, and clofe 
 their eyes againft the heavenly light , they will 
 not heartily embrace the Gofpel ; and fo will at 
 length receive the end of their wicked nefs, and 
 incredulity, as others will the end of their faith. 
 
 THUS were the Apoftles, tho' they preached 
 the gofpel of peace to all indifferently^ " the fa^ 
 vour of life unto life !l) only to fome ; being to 
 others^ " the favour of death unto death " : And 
 thus it will probably be, from generation to ge 
 neration, to the end of the world : Only we have 
 great reafon to conclude, from the oracles of 
 God, that a glorious ftate of things will hereafter 
 take place upon earth, and be of long continuance \ 
 a ftate, wherein the unrighteous, and unbelieving 
 fhall bear but a very fmall and inconfiderable pro- 
 portion to the true fervants of God, and our" 
 Lord Jefus Chrift. Life and death, Heffing, 
 and curfing, are> from one age to another, fet 
 before All in general ; " and whether they 
 like is given to them ". Nor will the perfections 
 of God, be lefs confpicuous in the perdition of 
 wngodly men, who obey not the truth, but obey 
 
 F 2 un- 
 
68 On renouncing Vice 
 
 SERM. unrighteoufnefs -, than in the falvation ofthofe, 
 III. who having laid apart all filthinefs and fuperfluity 
 of naughtinefs, receive with meeknefs the ingraf 
 ted word j and bring forth the fruits thereof with 
 patience. 
 
 LET me conclude this difcourfe, with a few 
 fhort reflections. 
 
 i. THIS fubjeft (uggefts to us the wifclom of 
 applying ourfelves to the concerns of religion, 
 and another world, inyouth, before the habits of 
 fin and vice, are become ftrong and inveterate* 
 Perfons ufually wax worfe and worfe, 'til fuch 
 time as they begin to reform and grow better : 
 The farther we proceed in the paths of iniquity, 
 by fo much more difficult will it be for us to re 
 treat -, to receive the gofpel of the kingdom into 
 our hearts , and to become (Thrift's true difci- 
 ples ; his loyal fubjefts. Such is the deceitful nefs 
 of fin,that it deals upon us unawares, and hardens 
 us by infenfible degrees ; 'til in procefs of time, 
 it takes a deep and full pofieffion of us, fo that 
 it is as eafy for " the ^Ethiopian to change his 
 Jkin, or the Leopard bis fpots" as for us, thus 
 accuftomed to do vil^ to learn to do well. So 
 that thofe who do not in early life, remember 
 their Creator, and receive the Gofpel of theirRe- 
 deemer with meeknefs ; may come at length to 
 receive it with mockery andderifionj ^crucifying 
 
 to 
 
in its groffer Forms, &c. 69 
 
 to themfelves the Son of God afrefh, and put- 
 ting him to an open ihame : " To whom there 
 remaineth no more facrifice for fin." And thus 
 the gofpel which was ordained unto life^ proves 
 onJy the favour of death unto death. 
 
 But, 
 
 2. LET us not conclude that we are true Chrif- 
 tians, and intitled to the falvation of the gofpel, 
 merely becaufe we are not flagrantly immoral 
 and vicious in our lives. For altho* we may, in 
 the fenfe of theApoftle, have laid a fart all fit hi- 
 nefs, and fupetfluity of naugbtinefs ; we may yet 
 fall fhort of that holinefs^ without ttikich no msu 
 (ball fee the Lord. The gofpel has not arrf.vered' 
 it'sdefign upon us, 'til we have fo received the 
 truth into our hearts, as to be fatffifed by it ; 
 Yil we are " transformed by the renew*^^ of our 
 minds, and the wafliing of'tHe HolyGhoft/ 3 into 
 the image of God anu of our Saviour. This is the 
 great end propcfed in the gcfpel - in order whcre- 
 unto, it is to be meekly hearkened to from time 
 to time , it muft be ingrafted into our hearts ; 
 and incorporated, if I may fo exprefs it, with our 
 very fouls and natures But I Irull have oo 
 cafion to fpeak more upon this point hereafter, 
 in another difcourfe. 
 
 3. SUFFER me to warn all who allow them- 
 felves in any vicious practices, efpectally in fuck 
 fins as the light of their own confcknces con- 
 F 3 demns, 
 
jo On renouncing Vice 
 
 SERM. -demns, immediately to renounce them , that fo 
 III. they may be in a capacity for duly receiving the 
 doctrines of the gofpel ; and may bring forth the 
 fruits of righteoufnefs unto life eternal. Givei 
 heed to the divine admonition in my text ; arid 
 lay apart all fltbinefs and fuperfluity of naughti- 
 nefs : for then, and not 'til then, will you re 
 ceive 'with meeknefs the ingrafted word^ which is 
 Me to Jave your fouls. Do not endeavour, I 
 befeech you, to ftifle the convictions of your own 
 minds and confciences, which may perhaps tell, 
 Ipme of you, that you are particularly concerned, 
 in this counfcl. If your own hearts condemn you, 
 as habitual tranfgreflbrs of God's commandments,, 
 remember that " He is greater than our hearts, 
 and knoweth all things ," and that He " now 
 commandeth all men every where to. repent, for 
 that he hath appointed a day, wherein he will 
 judge the worki in righteoufnefs." We are apt, 
 to be partial to ourfelves ; to make too favoura-, 
 ble allowances ; to make the beft of every thing,, 
 on our own fide. But if, notwithftanding this. 
 natural propenfity to think and judge favourably 
 of ourfc.lve$5 Cur own hearts ft ill mifgive an4 
 condemn us.- how much more fu rely will that 
 God condemn us,who is greater than our hearts ?; 
 "Who is no refpector of ptrfons ? and whofe judg 
 ment is- always according to truth ? 
 
 BE aflbred, that while you are knowingly and 
 habitually guilty of .any immoral practices, you 
 
 arc 
 
in its groffer Forms, Sf c* 7 1 
 
 are not only ,out of the kingdom of God, &*/ SERM. 
 far from it , fo far that you arc not even in a 
 capacity,at prefent,to receive that gofpel, which is 
 defigned to bring .you into it V and to make you 
 the heirs of falvation. Let us therefore lay our 
 hands upon our hearts, and afk ourfelves as in 
 the prefence of God, who will judge us another 
 day, whether we have laid a fart all Jilt bine fs and 
 fuperjfuity of naught inefs ? Or whether we live in 
 known, wilful Sin ? Is there no kind of profane- 
 nefs or dififolutenefs 5 no kind of falfhood or un~ 
 righteoufnefs ; no fin againfl God, our fidghbour 
 or ourfelves, evidently contrary to the light and 
 law of nature, which we indulge ourfelves in ? 
 What anfwer do your confciences make ? Guilty^ 
 or not guilty ? If you are not guilty, it may be 
 rationably concluded,either that you have already 
 received the ingrafted word into your hearts,' or 
 that you will foon do fo -, and gradually " cleanfe 
 yourfelves from all filthinefs of $$ and fpirit ; 
 -perfecting holinefs in the fear of God." There is a 
 good foundation laid, when perfons are become 
 fober and moral in their lives ; tho* they may 
 liill fall Ihort of that religion which is pureandun- 
 defiled before God and the Father. But if you 
 ft ill live in fl 'thine />, and the fuperjluity ofnaugh- 
 tinefs -, you come Hiort, not only of the ChriJUan 
 charaRer^ but even that of a fober, virtuous 
 Pagan. Nor is it to be wondered at, if perfons 
 of this flagitious character, who daily fin againft 
 
 F 4 the 
 
On renouncing J^ice^ &c. 
 
 of natural confcience, fhould continue 
 |jl f inimical in their hearts, to the do&rines of the 
 gofpel ; 'til, having filled up the meafure of their 
 iniquities, they receive the due reward of their 
 deeds. However, the cafe even of fuch profli- 
 ' gate, finners, (if there arei:ny fuch amongft us) is 
 'not quite defperate j tho* the longer they per- 
 fevere in their evil courfes, abufing the goodneft 
 and patience of God, which is defigned to lead 
 them to repentance ^ the lefs ground there will be 
 to hope tor their reformation. " Wherefore as 
 ^ the Holy Ghofl faith, to day, if ye will hear 
 f * his voice, harden not your hearts , as in the 
 <c day of provocation when your fathers temp- 
 *' ted me Wherefore I was grieved with that 
 <c generation \ and faid, they do always err in 
 * c their heart s ,and they have not known my 
 ** ways. So I fware in my wrath, they fhall 
 " not enter into my reft. Take heed, brethren, 
 *' left there be in any of you an evil heart of un- 
 * 6 belief in departing from the living God. But 
 *' exhort one another daily while it is called, To 
 Day ; left any of yoq be hardened thro 9 the 
 3.7. faeitfulnefs 
 
 SERMON 
 
SERMON IV. 
 
 Upon the Neceffity of yielding a 
 practical Obedience to theljlofpel, 
 in order to obtaining the Salvation 
 propofed in it. 
 
 JAMES I. 21, 22. 
 
 LAT apart all flthinefs and fufsrfluity of naugb- 
 tinefs, and receive with meeknefs the ingrafted 
 word) which is able to fave y cur fouls. But be 
 ye doers of the word^ and not hearers only, de 
 ceiving your own {elves. 
 
 IT is unqueftionably the duty of all Chriftians SERM< 
 to be bearers of the word read and preached 
 in the aflemblies of the faints ; this being a 
 divine inftitution : As was fhown in the firft dif- 
 courfe upon this fubjeft. 
 
 IN the next) the duty of receiving the word 
 with meeknefs was more particularly confidered, 
 and inforced, 
 
 IT 
 
74 On the Neceffity of obeying 
 
 SERM. ^ T wasfhown in the loft difcourfe, That in 
 order to our receiving the word in a futable man 
 ner, fo that the defign of it may be anfwered up 
 on us, it is neceflary that we lay apart all fltbi- 
 nefs and fufcrfluity 'of naughtinefi ; or in other 
 words, that we renounce vice and immorality in 
 all its grofler forms. It is not poflible for thofe 
 who are regardlefs even of natural religion j and 
 who are given over to work all uncleannefs with 
 greedinefs ; it is not poflible for fuch abandoned 
 fmners, continuing fuch, to receive the revealed 
 word of God with a proper temper of mind. 
 They are not in a prefent capacity for giving a 
 due reception to the Gofpel of Chrift. There is 
 fomewhat previoufly requifite, or preparatory, 
 thereto ; which is, that they relinquifh their bru 
 tal lufts, and all grofs immoralities ; and are 
 heartily defirous of being taught the way that 
 leads to eternal life : Then, and not before, are 
 perfons capable of giving that cordial and meek 
 reception to the ingrafted word, which is required 
 in order to the falvation of their fouls. . 
 
 THIS is a fhort view of the fubjecl:, fo far as it 
 has been treated already : And the next thing in 
 courfe, according to the method propofed, is to 
 fhow, 
 
 The neceflity of obeying the 
 Gofpel, in order to our receiving the falvation of 
 it. The apoftle tells us, that the ingrafted word is 
 
 all* 
 
the Word. 75 
 
 to fave our fouls : But immediately fubjoins, ; 
 " But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers 
 ".. 0;;/y, deceiving your ownfelves." q.d. "God 
 having revealed to you the way of life and falva- 
 tion, it behoves you carefully to hearken to this 
 revelation, and meekly to receive it. But I warn 
 you againft fo fatal an error as this, that barely 
 hearing the Gofpel of the kingdom, without o- 
 beying it, will iniitle you to that falvation which 
 is revealed to finners therein. You willgrofly- 
 and fatally delude your felves, if you expect fal 
 vation upon any other terms, than thofe of con 
 forming your tempers and manners to the rules 
 of life contained in this revelation, which you 
 hear, and profefs to receive. * 
 
 IT will be apparent to every one who carefully 
 looks into this Epiftje, that St. James, the author 
 of it, defignedly combates fome libertine notions 
 of Chriftianity, which began in thofe early times, 
 to creep into the church ; which notions when 
 ever, and wherever they prevail, muft in a great 
 meafure, fruftrate the defign of the Gofpel ; 
 which is to make men truly good and virtuous 
 here, in order to their being happy hereafter. 
 
 I r is indeed ftrange that all men, even upon 
 t ? he rnaft flight and curfory view of Chriftianity, 
 as it is delivered to us in the new teflament^ mould 
 not immediately fee that it is a do Eirine according 
 to Godlinefs, not a doctrine of licentioufnefs , that 
 the great aim of it, is to make us fear and love 
 
 God, 
 
76 On the Necejfity of obeying 
 
 God, and work righteoufnefs ; that it promifes 
 eternal life only to the pure in heart, and holy in 
 all manner of converfation ; and that it is fo far 
 from giving wicked men, continuing fuch, any 
 hopes of pardon and &lvation, that it aflbres them 
 of the contrary, in the moft plain, ftrong and 
 *emphatical terms. It is very ftrange that every 
 one mould not at once fee that this is the real 
 truth of the cafe ; without attempting to evade 
 the matter by any kind of dtftincYions or refine 
 ments. But alas ! fo devoted are iome men to 
 their lufts, and at the fame fo loth to renounce 
 all the hopes of a bleffed immortality, that they 
 will endeavour to make a life of fin and difobedt- 
 ence, no infuperable obftruftion or bar, in the 
 way of their lalvation ; fpeaking peace to thcm- 
 felves while they are walking in the paths of de* 
 ftruction, and the moft certain, inevitable ruin. 
 Thus it is that feme perfons in every age and 
 country, fince the Gofpel has been promulgated 
 to the world, have been deceiving their own /elves \ 
 by imagining, that the being doers of tbc word* 
 was not really neceffary in order to the obtaining 
 of God's favour, and future bleffed nefs. 
 
 Now I am to mow in general in this difcourfo 
 the indifpenfable neceflity of obeying the GofpeK 
 in order to our being intitled to the falvation of 
 it : leaving fome of the moft common miftakes 
 and errors concerning this important point, to be 
 more particularly confidered and refuted hereafter. 
 
 An4 
 
the Word. 77 
 
 And that all fuch notions in general, are vain and SERM, 
 delufory ; that the Gofpel muit be obeyed, as 
 well as heard and received ; and that no incor 
 rigible (inner fliali inherit the kingdom of God ; 
 appears, in \hzfr& place, 
 
 FROM a general view of Chriftianity, as con* 
 taining precepts and commandments, given for the ' 
 regulating of our condufl, as well as principles 
 and dottrinef, for the regulating of our faitb. 
 Whoever looks into the new teftament, will find 
 there a fyftem of religion, which confifts partly 
 of doctrinal truths to be affented to, and partly 
 of commands, prefcribing to us what is to be 
 done , the former being ufually called the Cre+ 
 denda, the latter, the Agenda of religion. It is 
 not more plain and evident, that Chriftianity con 
 tains certain principles that are to be believed 5 
 principles refpccling the nature and moral govern 
 ment of God , the perforiand offices of our Saviour 
 Jefus Chrift ; a future exiftence ; the refurrection 
 of the body ; a judgment to com? ; and a ftate 
 of rewards and punifhments to fucceed ; ( this is 
 not more evident, I fay) than that the fame reli 
 gion contains a great variety of precepts,inj unctions 
 and prohibitions, delivered to us as to creatures 
 that have a part to aft ; precepts refpc-cting our 
 behaviour towards God, towards our Redeemer, 
 towards our neighbour , and fome that more im 
 mediately refpect the government of ourfrlves. 
 In other words, it is nut leis certain and obvious, 
 
 that; 
 
On the Necejfity of obeying 
 
 that the gofpel confiders us as active moral Crea 
 tures, whofe hearts and manners are to be formed 
 and regulated by the laws therein contained ; than 
 that it confiders us as intellectual Creatures, who 
 ought to receive and embrace the truths that are 
 therein revealed to our underftandings. It being 
 evident then, from the moft curfory view of 
 Christianity, that it is not only a rule of faith, 
 but of praffice alfo ; it is as certain, that we are 
 obliged to obey it, confidered in the latter of thefe 
 refpects, as that we are bound to believe it, con. 
 fidered in the former. No one can mow, that 
 We are more ftrongly obligated to believe what 
 God has revealed, than we are to do what he has 
 required. He is doubtlefs as juft in his com 
 mands, as he is true and faithful in his words and 
 promifes : Nor can his Authority be more pro 
 perly called in queftion in one cafe, than his vera 
 city in the other. From hence it appears, that 
 we are no lefs bound to be doers cf the word, than 
 we ?re to be bearers and believers of it. All the 
 laws which God has given us, were given that 
 they might be obferved ; not that they might be 
 broken. And indeed if they may be difregarded 
 with impunity , I fee not why it is neceffary, that 
 we fhould even be believers. For it is to be re- 
 membred, that tho* this is one of God's com 
 mandments, that we believe in him whom he hatk 
 fent , yet it is not more truly one of them* than 
 this, that we love Him, and love our neighbour. 
 
 And 
 
the Word. 79 
 
 And why that command, by which faitb is in- 
 joined upon us, may not be difpenfed with, and 
 fet afide as being of no confequence ; as well as 
 fome other commandments of the Gofpel, no one 
 can affign a reafon. So that if we may be faved 
 without doing tbe word, lam bold to affert we 
 may be faved without faliwing or receiving 
 it. God requires the latter no more plainly and 
 peremptorily than he does the other. And as 
 foon as any one will (how how we may be intitled 
 to falvation, without obedience , I will mow, at 
 lead by fimilar, if not by the fame Arguments, 
 how we may be intitled thereto, without believ 
 ing one fyllable of the Chriftian revelation, with 
 whatever evidence of its truth it may come to us. 
 WE may confider, the matter in a differ 
 ent point of light, which will bring us to the farr^e 
 conclufion at laft. We are the profefied Jifiipfs 
 of Chrift, acknowleding him for our teacher, maf- 
 ter and lord. We are therefore to confider what 
 fort of teacher he was ; what he undertook to 
 inflruct men in in ; order to know whether 
 we really come up to the character of hisdif- 
 ciples, or fall fhort of it. There have been differ 
 ent kinds of teachers in the world , and flill are. 
 Some inftrucl: in one art or fcience, fome in 
 another. Now our Saviour, Jefus Chrift, came 
 into the world, as a teacher of true religion. 
 He came to make known tQ us many divine 
 truths 5 thofe things that belong to our peace ; 
 
 and 
 
So On the Neceffity of obeying 
 
 and to inftruft us how to ferve God in this World* 
 in order to our being happy in his favour in the 
 world to come. Here his teachings and inftruO 
 tions all terminate, as to the end of them. Now 
 a di/ciple of any one, is he that learns of him that 
 fcience, art or bufmeft, of which he is the pro- 
 fefTed teacher. He that doesfo, is truly and pro 
 perly a difciple ; otherwife he is only a nominal 
 one. A perfon, in ancient times, would not 
 have been deemed a difciple of Socrates, while he 
 lived after the principles and maxims of Epicurus, 
 altho* he frequented the fchool of the former, and 
 not of the latter. Let him have called himfelf by 
 what name he would, others would reckon him 
 a difciple either of one or of the other, according 
 to the principles which he embibed, and the 
 ipaxims of living, which he embraced and fol 
 lowed. How then, does be come up to the 
 character of Chrift's difciple, who does not learn 
 of him, that temper and behaviour, that art of 
 holy and virtuous living, which Chrift came to 
 teach ; and which is indeed the fame thing with 
 that practical obedience to the word, the neceftlty 
 of which I am now endeavouring to fhow ? 
 Thojfe who live and act according to other rules 
 and maxims, than thofe of our divine matter, 
 Jcfus Chrift, cannot, with truth and propriety, 
 be ft y led his difciples and followers, any more 
 than an Epicurean Voluptuary could be called a 
 difciple of So f rates or Plato. 
 
tie Word. 81 
 
 INDEED if the whole, or principal defign of 
 our Saviour, in taking upon himfelf the character IV. 
 and office of a teacher, had been to give us a 
 Creed - 9 or to inftruft us in certain religious notions 
 and principles, without referring them to prac 
 tice , we might, in that cafe, be called his dif- 
 ciples, if we embraced thofe principles, however 
 flagitious we might be in our lives and manners. 
 But when we reflect, that the ieffon which Chrift 
 came to teach us, refpefts the regulation of our 
 hearts, tempers and behaviour , that the great 
 aim of all his inftructions, is to reclaim men from 
 their evil and vicious courfes ; and to bring them 
 to a refemblance of the divine purity, goodnefs 
 and holinefs, in order to their being happy here 
 after , when we reflecl, I fay, that (Thrift's doc 
 trines and inftruclions all terminate in this point, 
 it is manifeft that thofe who call themfelves his 
 difciples, without departing from iniquity, and 
 living as he has taught them to live, compliment 
 themfelves with a name, which does not belong 
 to them ; and have no neafon to expert any 
 good will finally accrue to them from his media 
 tion. They are deftitute of the main, the molt 
 eflential characteriftic, of Chriftians -, which is a 
 temper and behaviour correfponding to the 
 maxims and precepts of Chrift's religion , and to 
 that example which he has left us, that we might 
 follow kis fiefs. 
 
 AGREABLY to what is here faid, we often find 
 G our 
 
8 2 On the Necejjlty of obeying 
 
 SERM. PutSaviour reproving the inconfiftency andabfur- 
 IV. dity of thofe, who, while they acknowledge him 
 fortheirLord,do not walk according to his injunc 
 tions. " Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, fays he, 
 and do not the things which I fay." q. d. " With 
 what propriety, with what modefty, can you 
 own fuch a relation to me, as that of difciples to 
 a matter and Lord, while you do not demean 
 yourfelves anfwerably thereto ? While you give 
 no heed to my words and counfels \ but fet them 
 at naught ? Either live according to thefe rules 
 which I teach and prefcribe ; or ceafe to mock 
 me, and to delude yourfelves, by calling me your 
 Lord! " 
 
 AT another time, when ourSaviour was fpeak- 
 ing of hirnfelf as one divinely authorifed to draw 
 difciples and followers after him; and accordingly 
 invited people to come unto him* and to learn of 
 him , this was not fo much, that they might be in- 
 flrudled in certain fpeculative truths, as that they 
 might learn the art of governing their tempers, 
 and living well. <c Come unto me,fays he, take 
 my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am 
 meek and lowly in heart ; and ye mall find reft 
 unto your fouls." We here fee, that tho j by 
 coming to Chrift, is intended receiving him in 
 the character of a divine teacher ; yet this is in 
 order to a farther end ; which is, fubmitting to be 
 directed by him in the way to happinefs. There 
 is no coming* or going to Chrift, to any good pur- 
 
 pofc 
 
the Word. 8 3 
 
 pofe, without taking his yoke upon us, and learn- 
 ing of him to be meek and lowly in heart. 
 
 UPON the whole then, Chriftianity appears to 
 be a praflical fcience , the art of living pioufly 
 and virtuoufly. The drift and fcope of our great 
 matter's doflrine and preaching, was to make us 
 abandon our fins and lufts of every kind ; and to 
 form us to a refemblance of himfelf, who is the 
 imzge oftheinvifibkGod. Thofe who do not learn 
 of him to be fincerely good, learn nothing to pur- 
 pofe , and know nothing as they ought to know /'/. 
 We cannot be called his true difciples and follow 
 ers, without putting on that temper and be 
 haviour, which his laws and example recommend 
 to us, or rather injoin upon us. And if we arc 
 not really his difciples, but are fo in name only, 
 certa l nly we cannot hope for falvation by him. 
 So that confidering the matter in this light, it is 
 evidently neceffary that we obey the word, as well 
 as hear and believe. And we do but deceive 
 our cwn Jel-ves^ if we expect to be faved upon any 
 cafier terms. 
 
 BUT for the farther confirmation of the point 
 before us, let me produce two or three pafTages 
 of fcripture, wherein the end of Chrift's coming 
 into the world, and of the gofpel difpenfation, is 
 m >re explicitly declared. Cur Saviour tells us, 
 that he came " to call finners to repentance." 
 St. Paul fays, that he " gave himfelf for us, that 
 he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify 
 G 2 unto 
 
8 4 On fke Necejjity of obeying 
 
 SERM. unto himfelf a peculiar people zealous of good 
 IV. works." The fame apcftle tells us, that the 
 grace of God has appeared unto us, " teaching 
 usthar, denying ungodlincfs and worldly lulls, 
 we fhould live ioberly, righteoudy and godly in 
 the world. 5 ' St. John tells us, that whofo com- 
 mittcth fin, is of the Devil ; and that u for this 
 purpofe the Son of God was manifested, that he 
 might deftroy the works of the Devil.*' And we 
 know, that our Lord was called Jefus, becaufe 
 he was to " fave his people from their fins. 9 * 
 From thefe and fuch-like paffagcs of fcripture, the 
 neceliity of departing from iniquity, and of obey 
 ing the gofpel, is manifeft. Surely that cannot 
 be looked upon as unneceflfary, which is thus de 
 clared to be one great end of our Lord's mani- 
 fcfhition in the fie fh. But how is this declared 
 end of the gofpel, and the grace of God appear 
 ing therein, anfwered upon us, if we perfevere in 
 our evil ways, inftead ot being led to repentance. ? 
 If we indulge to ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, 
 inftead of denying them ? If we are zealous of 
 bad works, inftead of good ? If the works of the 
 Devil are pracYifed by us, inftead of being deftroy- 
 ed in us ? If we remain under the dominion and 
 power of fin, inftead of being made free from it, 
 and becoming the fervants of righteoufnefs ? Can 
 any one imagine that the true intent and defign of 
 Chrift's gofpel is anfwered upon them, before 
 they u ceafe to^do evil, and le*irn to do well ?" 
 
 Certainly 
 
the Word. 85 
 
 Certainly no vicious, unrighteous man, is what SERM, 
 the Gofpel is intended to make him : No pcrfon 
 of this character, has complied with the true and 
 declared defign of this difpenfation of the grace 
 of God. And if not, is it not mahifeftly ab- 
 furd to fuppofe that flich a one, can be intitled 
 to the falvation revealed therein ? Why may not 
 a vicious Heathen^ who never heard of the gbf- 
 pel, be intitled to the bleflings of it, as well as a 
 vicious CBrfftian 9 on whom it has bad no effecl ? 
 and who is as wicked, perhaps, if not more 
 wicked, than he would have been, if this grace 
 had never appeared to him ? Will not a profeffed 
 Chriftian, who has not really complied with the 
 great defign of the gofpel,any more than a Pagan* 
 be as certainly condemned hereafter, as if he had 
 been a Pagan himfelf ? It does not appear from 
 fcripcure, that any good fhall finally refult to 
 thofe who hear the gofpel, but in proportion as 
 they are made really better by it ; having fallen 
 in, and concurred with the defign of God's 
 grace revealed to us therein. 
 
 WE may confider this matter {till in another 
 light ; which will farther evince the neceffity of 
 obeying the word. The Gofpel informs us, that 
 in order to our falvation, it is neceilary that we 
 fhould be born again \ born of God ; born of the 
 jpirit ; that we put off the old man with his deeds ; 
 th ir we put on the new man ; that we walk in 
 the fpirity and bring forth the fruits oftbefpirit\ 
 G 3 and 
 
86 On the Neceffity of obeying 
 
 SERM. a d the like. Now I would afk, what is the 
 IV. meaning of all thefe phrafes ? What is the true 
 import, and real amount of them ? Is it not mani- 
 feflly, this, that finners muft, by the gofpel, 
 and the co-operation of the fpirit and grace of 
 God therewith, be turned from fin to righteouf- 
 nefs ? that their hearts which were before corrupt> 
 and eftranged from God, muft be purified, and 
 turned to him ? And that, in confequence hereof 
 they " walk in all his command rrents and ordi 
 nances blamelefs ? " This is manifefUy that new 
 lirtb) or regeneration ; that putting off the old 
 man 'with bis deeds, and -putting en the new man* 
 of which the Icripturcs (peak : And the thing is 
 in itfelf very plain and intelligible, how great a 
 myftery foever, either the ancient or modern 
 Nichcdemus^s and mafters in Ijrael, have made of 
 it. If therefore, it is neceffary that a man be 
 born again, in order to his falvation , and if this 
 is the proper notion of regeneration ; then cer 
 tainly it is necefTary to obey the gofpel, in order 
 toirhat end. For fuch a change of heart and man 
 ners, as is denoted by the terms born again^ and 
 I cm of the fpirit i implies and involves in it, the 
 obedience here intended. 
 
 I AM fenfible, that fome perfons have invented 
 another fort of regeneration^ which leaves the fub- 
 jecl: of it much as it found him, " to every 
 good work rebrobate ; " and which a man may 
 experience^ without being really any better than 
 
 he 
 
tie Word. 87 
 
 he was before; any more like to God ; any more SERM. 
 obfervaat of his laws. Yea, I wifli there was not IV, 
 reafon to fay, that that which many have taken 
 to be their regeneration^ and a btmgfilled with the 
 Spirit^ might be more properly called a Poffe/ion -, 
 leaving them much worfe than it found them ; 
 lefs careful to *' order their converfation aright ;" 
 lefs juft, fober, humble and charitable, than they 
 were in what they called their* carnal, unregene- 
 rate, unconverted (late. According to this No 
 tion of regeneration, I acknowledge that a perfon 
 may be born again, and yet not become a doer of 
 the word. But the fcriptures know of no re 
 generation, befides that which confifts in a real 
 change of heart and manners, from fin and un- 
 righteoufnefs to holinefs j a regeneration, from 
 which obedience to the laws ofChriftianity is infep- 
 arable ; and with which, habitual finning is abfo- 
 lutely inconfiftent. " Whofoever is born of God, 
 doth not commit fm,for his feed remaineth in him 1 ; 
 and he cannot fin, becaufe he is born of God. 5 * So 
 that while we keep to this idea of regeneration, 
 to fay that it is necefTary we foould be born 
 again, is, in effeft to fay neither more nor lefs 
 than this, that it is neceflary we mould become 
 holy in heart and converfation, by God's afliftance 
 and grace ^ which is the fame thing, in other 
 words, with being doers of the word^ or yielding 
 a pratftical obedience to the gofpel of Chrift. It 
 is, therefore, to be hoped that none who affere 
 G 4 tho 
 
8 8 On the Necejfity of obeying 
 
 necefllty of the former, will call in queftion 
 jy. r he neceffity of the latter. 
 
 IT may be added here, that the repentance of 
 finners is always fuppofed in the new teftament, 
 to be an indifpenfible condition of* and a meet 
 qualification for, their receiving pardon and eter 
 nal life. But what is the proper notion or idea of 
 evangelical repentance ? of that repentance, with 
 out which finner^annot be faved ? Is it only a 
 flaflijy, fuperficiall^rrow for fin ? fuch a forrow 
 and contrition, as is confident with perfevering 
 therein ? Surely no. It involves in it a turning 
 from fin, to God and righteoufnefs. It is the 
 aftive principle of a new life ; a life of holinefs, 
 and obedience to the divine commandments. The 
 repentance which falls fhort of this ; which leaves 
 the heart unfubdued to God , the repentance 
 -which leaves a firmer as it found him ; and is not 
 accompanied with a reformation of mind and 
 manners ; is not that repentance unto ///>, which 
 is intended in the gofpel : It is a vain, ineffectual 
 forrow ; and fcarce better than that " forrow of 
 the world which worketh death." Now if this is 
 the proper notion of repentance , or if repentance 
 implies in it, a forfaking of our pad fi )S, and en 
 tering upon a new courfeoflife , and if fuch re- 
 pentance is neceffary in order to falvation ; then 
 certainly the hearing of the word, without doing 
 it, cannot intitle u^ to eternal life. Evangelical 
 repentance is,ia Ih^rtj golpel- obedience in its root 
 
 and 
 
 . 
 
the Word. 89 
 
 and principle ; and wherever it is, it will bring 
 forth the fruits that are meet fof it. So that to 
 affert the necefiity Af repentance, and yet to fup- 
 pofe we may be faved without obedience and 
 righteoufnefs, is a manifeft abfurdity and contra 
 diction. 
 
 BUT let us conficler a little more particularly, 
 to whom it is that the gofpel itfelf promifes eter 
 nal life ; and whether thefe prjJmifes are not evi 
 dently reftrained and confinea to obedient Chrif- 
 tians ; to the doers of the word. Now the Apof- 
 tle tells us, thatChrift, " being made perfect be 
 came the author of eternal falvation to all them 
 that obey him" Is there not here a plain limita 
 tion of that falvation of whichChrift is the author, 
 to thofe who do his commandments ? Does not 
 the form of exprellion ufed, manifeft ly imply, 
 that fuch as do not practically conform to the 
 laws of Chrift, as well as believe and truft in him, 
 mail not finally lhare in that redemption which 
 he has wrought out ? Again, our Saviour fays, 
 that the righteous " fhall go away into life eter 
 nal ;" and that the righteous fhall mine forth as 
 the fun in the kingdom of their Father." Is the 
 fame ever faid in fcripture, of the wicked and dif- 
 obedient ? Or of all men in common without 
 any difcriminating mark ? Again, our Lord likens 
 thofe who hear his fayings, and do them^ to " a 
 wife man that built his houfe upon a rock," which 
 would not fall. But does he make ufe of the 
 
 fame 
 
90 On the ffieceffity of obeying 
 
 fame fimilitude, when he fpeaks of thofe who 
 hear his fayings, and do them not ? Thus He tells 
 us, that they which " do the will of his Father 
 which is in heaven," (hall enter into the king 
 dom of heaven hereafter. Is the fame ever faid 
 of thofe who perfevere in their difobedience to 
 God's will ? So we are told, that " to them who 
 by patient continuing in well-doing, feek for 
 glory, honor, and immortality, God will render 
 eternal life." Is the fame promife made, in any 
 part oftheGofpel, to thofe that perfevere in do 
 ing evil ? In fhort, nothing can be more appa 
 rent, than that the fcripture-promifes of falvation, 
 are uniformly reftrained and limited to fuch as 
 obey the gofpel , to fach as having received tkt 
 word with mecknefs " into good and honeft 
 hearts," bring forth the fruits of righteoufnefs 
 with patience. 
 
 BUT, that no doubt may be left upon the 
 minds of any, with reference to fo important a 
 point, I mail now (how that all incorrigible fm- 
 ners in general, are fo far from having any title to 
 the falvation of the gofpel, that they are excluded 
 herefrom,and fentenced to future woe and mifery, 
 by the moft exprefs and pofitive declarations of 
 the Gofpel itfelf. Thus the apoftle tells jus, that 
 " to them that arc contentious and do not obey 
 the truth, but obey unrighteoufnefs, God will- 
 render indignation and wrath , tribulation and 
 anguifh upon every foul of man that doth evil :" 
 
 That 
 
the Word. 9 1 
 
 That "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven SERM. 
 againft all ungodlinefs and unrighteoufnefs of jy 
 men, who hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs: 
 And that " the Lord Jefus Chrift mall be reveal 
 ed from heaven with his mighty Angels in 
 flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know 
 not God, and that obey not the Gcfpel of ourLord 
 Jefus Chrift ; who mail be punimed with an 
 everlafting destruction." Hear the expoftulation 
 and admonition of the fame Apoftle in another 
 of his epiftles. u Know ye not, fays he, that the 
 unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of 
 God ? Be not deceived -, neither formcators, nor 
 whoremongers, nor adulterers, nor thieves, nor 
 covetous, &c. mail inherit the kingdom of God. 1 * 
 Has not our Saviour plainly told us to the fame 
 purpofe, that the wicked " fhall go away into 
 everlafting punifhment ?" Has he not told us,that 
 in the judgment of the great day, he will fay 
 even to many who have eaten and drank in bis 
 prejence^ " Depart from me, I know you not> 
 all ye that work iniquity ? " And not to multi 
 ply pafifages of fcripture in fo plain a cafe, only 
 call to mind the folemn words of our Saviour, in 
 his laft meflage to the Churches, in the Revela 
 tion of St. John, towards the end " I am Al 
 pha and Omega, the beginning and the end He 
 that overcometh mail inherit all things. But the 
 fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and 
 .murderers, and forcerers, and idolaters, and all 
 
 liars* 
 
9 2 On the NeceJJity of obeying 
 
 SERM. liars, fhall have their part in the lake that .burn- 
 IV. eth with fire and brimftone, which is the fecond 
 death B'lefled are they that do his command 
 ments, that they may have right to the tree of 
 life , and may enter in thro 9 the gates into the 
 city: For without are dogs, and whoremongers, 
 and murderers, and idolaters, and whofoever 
 loveth and maketh a lye. I Jeiiis have fent mine 
 Angel to teftify thefe things in the Churches. " 
 
 You now fee'\vhat the plain, exprefs, repeated 
 declarations of the Gofpel are ; how they limit 
 the falvation revealed in it, to them that obey the 
 truth ; how they cut off from all hope of eternal 
 life, and confign over to ^future punifhment, all 
 the irreclaimable workers of iniquity. God, who 
 has the fole right of ordaining and fixing the 
 terms upon which his finful creatures (hall be 
 received into favour again ; and enjoy the 
 blefiings of his prefence in the kingdom of Hea 
 ven : God himfclf, I fay, has declared, that the 
 hardened, irreclaimable tranfgreflbr fhall never 
 enter into his reft -, and that ..only the pure in 
 heart mail fee him, and be happy i - the enjoy 
 ment of him. Nor are we to conceive of thi fe 
 terms as arbitrarily fixed, by him whofe will 
 none can refift, whofe hand none can flay, and 
 who is not accountable to any one for his pro 
 ceedings. No : 'We are to conceive of them as 
 terms that are fit and reafonable to be impofcd 
 by the all- wife, and all-good, as well as all power 
 ful 
 
the Word. 93 
 
 ful Sovereign of the world. It would have been SERM. 
 incnnfiftent with his infinite wifdom, and perfect 
 goodnefs and holinefs, to have accepted Tinners 
 to his favour, and promifed eternal life to them, 
 but upon condition of their returning to Him, 
 and keeping his commandments. 
 
 AND if we duly attend to the thing, we mall 
 fee that fuch a temper and practice as- the Gofpei 
 requires of us, is necefTary not only as a condition^ 
 but as a qualification for future happintfs. Akho" 
 this world is much better adapted to the depraved 
 tafte and temper of wicked men, than the king 
 dom of heaven ; yet they cannot be happy even 
 here. God h as con ft it u ted us in fuch a manner; 
 He has given us fuch a nature, that vice is an 
 irreconcileable enemy to our happinefs , and vir 
 tue alone, friendly to it. " The way of tranf- 
 grcffors is hard : " and " the wicked are like the 
 troubled fea which cannot reft." Thus it is in this 
 prefent ftate ; and thus it rnuft needs be, in any 
 other. A foundation muft be laid for happinefs, 
 in the purity and moral rectitude of our minds. 
 Were a wicked man to be this day tran- 
 flated to heaven, with all his lufts and unholy 
 paflions about him, there is nothing there which 
 would correfpond to his tafte and rdifh, fo as to 
 make him truly blefied in the enjoyment. Could 
 the fociety of juft men made perfect ? could the 
 fellowfhip of holy angels, be delightful to an im 
 pure, brutim creature ? What fellowship hath 
 
 light with'darknefs? And what concord hath 
 
 Chrift 
 
94 On the Neceffity of obeying 
 
 Chrift with Belial, or the Tons of Belial ? What 
 happinefs can one who is every way unlike to 
 God, and whofc carnal mind is enmity againft 
 him, have in being in his glorious prefence ? or 
 how is fuch a one capable of enjoying him ? 
 Wicked men, ircftead of expecting any felicity 
 from the prefence and vilion of God, might adopt 
 the language of the apoftate angels, " Fartheft 
 from him is beft. " * 
 
 IF then we are not even ii a capacity for 
 enjoying the happinefs which the Gofpel reveals* 
 in the kingdom and prefence of God, while we 
 retain our lufts and vices, how vain and abfurd 
 is it to imagine we can be in titled to it ? We muft 
 obey the gofpel, and have our tempers conformed 
 to the holy maxims and precepts of Chriftianity, 
 before we are capable fubjects of that felicity 
 which is brought to light thereby. And certain 
 ly it is unreafonable to fuppofe that God would 
 promife this future, heavenly blifs to any, except 
 thofe who have the qualifications neceffary to a 
 participation in it. That heaven which God has 
 already prepared for good men, and which is re 
 vealed to us in his word, is every way unfuitable 
 for all befides the good. So that wicked men 
 muft either not go to heaven at all, or they muft 
 have another prepared on purpofe for them ; and 
 one more accommodated to their genius and incli 
 nations : Tho* when they came together there, 
 
 they 
 
 * Ptradife Loft* 
 
the Word. 95 
 
 they would foon turn their new heaven i 
 real hell , and the place of their expected blifs, IV. 
 would prove only the place of their torment. For ^ v 
 wherever the wicked are ; in whatever region, in 
 whatever world, they cannot but be miferable in 
 a greater or lets degree. So the God of nature* 
 fo the all -wife governor of the world, has ordain 
 ed -, and His counfel jhall ftand - - 
 
 UPON laying together the feveral things that 
 have been faid above, I think it plainly appears, 
 that obedience to the gofpel is not only a thing 
 that is fitting, reafonabk, and 'very proper^ for 
 thofe that believe ; (as fome would reprefent it) 
 but that it is abfolutely and indifpenfably neceffary, 
 in order to our obtaining eternal life ; neceffary> 
 both as the condition upon which God offers fal- 
 vation to us, and as the qualification for future 
 glory and happinefs. This is fo clearly, fo often f 
 fo emphatically declared in the holy fcriptures, 
 that one need not fcruple to fay, that whofoever 
 is not a doer of the word, as well as a bearer^ has 
 no more ground to expect falvation by Chrift, 
 than the fallen angels ; altho' he took not upon 
 him their nature, but the feed of Abraham. It 
 is to imprefs this important truth upon our minds 
 the more effectually,that our blefTed Saviour has,in 
 fome of hisdifcourfes, introduced wicked believers, 
 as making their feveral excufes,and pleas for mercy 
 in the day of judgment*, all which he rejects asin- 
 fufRcient and vain, In thefe reprefentations of the 
 
 laft 
 
9 6 On the NeceJJtty of obeying 
 
 SERM. laftday, we fee the formalifts in religion, I mean 
 IV. thofe who hold the truth in unrighteoufnejs^ 
 (landing before their righteous Judge , we hear 
 them faying, " We have eaten and drank in thy 
 prefence \ and in thy name caft out devils , and 
 thou haft taught in our flreets , " and pleading, 
 upon this foundation, for admittance into the 
 kingdom of heaven. And at the fame time we 
 hear this juft, and merciful Saviour of men, an- 
 fwering, " Depart from me, ye that work iniqui 
 ty ! " So that this matter is reprefented to us in 
 the ftrongeft light pofiible. And can any, after 
 this, hope for mercy in the day of Judgment, 
 tho* they indulge themfelves at prcfent in impiety 
 and vice ? They cannot, without making Chrifl 
 a liar, and his Gofpel a fable ! 
 
 WHEREFORE to conclude : As we defire to 
 hav f e a part in the refurreftion of the juft ; as we 
 have any dread of falling under the condemnation 
 of the wicked , as we have any regard to the 
 words of our Redeemer, to the will of our ma 
 ker, to the honor of our religion, to the falvation 
 of our fouls , let us hearken to the Admonition 
 in the text, " Be ye doers of the word ; and not 
 hearers only, deceiving your ownfelves." Lee 
 us apply ourfelves in earneft to the regulating of 
 our tempers and manners ; in which attempt we 
 cannot but prove fuccefsful, fmce it is God that 
 worketh in us and with us. It is not more fure 
 that there is an heaven, than it is, that they who 
 
 obey 
 
the Word. 97 
 
 obey not the gofpel, fhall never enter into it. SREM. 
 It is not more certain that there is an hell, IV. 
 than that all the impenitent workers of iniquity 
 fhall fuffer the pains of it. And amongft . all 
 the Wicked, none will be fubjefted to forer 
 punifhment^ than the hypocritical profefibrs of 
 religion, who pretend to know God, but in 
 works deny him , who call Chrift their Lord and 
 mailer, but difobey his commandments. To 
 fuch, the ingrafted word is fo far from being, in 
 the event, the power of God unto falvation , that 
 it is in fome fort, the mimflration of death, as the 
 apoftle terms the Law ; binding them over to 
 a heavier, and more inevitable punimment. 
 
 Do you really defire the falvation of your 
 fouls ? Would you be indeed heirs of that glorious 
 inheritance which Chrift has purchafed for fm- 
 ners ? Surely you do. Why then, my. brethren* 
 be at the pains to comply with thofe terms on 
 which it is offered to you. Give up your pride and 
 coveteoufnefs ; give up your malice and envy, 
 give up all your worldly lufts. " If your right 
 hand offend you, cut it off ; if your right eye of 
 fend you, pluck it out. For it is better to enter 
 into life thus, than having two hands and two 
 eyes to be cad into hell fire, where the worm 
 dieth not. The Gofpel itfeif cannot give life to 
 you, unlefs it is ingrafted into your hearts ; lo 
 that your tempers and manners are formed to a 
 refemblunce of the divine author of it. Let your 
 H faith 
 
On tie Neceffity of obeying^ 
 
 faith purify ybilr telrts, and work by; love. Do 
 your duty to God, love- arid obey yourRedeemer i 
 do unto all -men as you 'would that.they flhould do 
 unto you ; be fober arid tempera "e in .all things, 
 as tbfofethat ftriye for 'the maftery : And " hope 
 unto the end for the grace that- fhall be brought 
 linto you, at the revelation of . Jefus Chrift, as 
 obedient children, not fafhioning, yourfelves ac 
 cording to your former lufts." 1 cannot clofe 
 this difcourfe better than with the words imme 
 diately following my text " If any be a hearer 
 of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a maa 
 beholding; his natural face in a glafs : For he be- 
 holdeth himfelf, and goeth his way, and ftraitway 
 forgetteth what manner of man he was. But who- 
 fo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and 
 continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hear 
 er, but a doer of the work, this man fhall be 
 blefled in his deed." 
 
 SERMON 
 
S E R M ON V. 
 
 Of fome Mi {lakes concerning the 
 Terms of Salvation ; and particu 
 larly concerningSalvaiion by Grace. 
 
 99 
 
 JAMES I. 21, 22. 
 
 LAY apart alljilthinefi and 'fupirfluity of naugb- 
 tinefs, and receive with tneeknefs the ingrafted 
 word, which is able to fave your fouls. But be 
 ye doers of the word^ and not hearers onfy, de 
 ceiving your own fehes. 
 
 IN the foregoing difcourfe it was fhowrt in 
 general, that obedience to the Gofpel is in- 
 diff^eniably necefTary in order to our obtain- 
 ing die falvation revealed to us therein ; con 
 formable to the fcopeofthe apoftle in the latter 
 branch of the text i "But be ye doers of the 
 Word^ and not hearers cnly^ deceiving your own 
 felves." But becaufe St. James here fpeaks of 
 thofe who only hear the word, and do it not, as 
 dectwing themjehes to their own deftruftion , I 
 H 2 propofe 
 
 V. 
 
ioo Of Salvation by Grace. 
 
 SE RM. propofe to confider fome of the common miftakes 
 V. and delufions which Chriftians- fall into, refped- 
 ing this important point ; and to fhow the vanity 
 and abfutdity of them, left any of us .fhould be 
 carried away with the error of the wicked , and 
 3 deceived heart fhould turn us afide. 
 
 MANKIND are liable to many errors and de- 
 iufions, even tho* they take pains to be rightly 
 informed. They are dill more liable to err, in 
 thofe cafes where they are not cautious and wary, 
 butalmoft indifferent whether they are deceived or 
 not. But moft of all are they in danger of falling 
 into miftakes, when they have a fee ret prejudice 
 againft the truth ; and are more difpofed to em 
 brace the wrong fide of a queftion than the right, 
 by reafon offome wrong by afs upon their minds. 
 For men are not only liable to be impofed upon 
 and deceived by others ; but in fome cafes, they 
 impofe upon, and deceive their ownfehes. And 
 hence it is that we are as frequently cautioned 
 againft felf- deception in fcripture, as we are ad- 
 moni (lied to take heed that we are riot deceived 
 by others. This caution is never more necefiary^ 
 than when we are inquiring into the terms of ac^ 
 ceptance and falvation, propofed to us in the 
 Gofpel ; whether we confider the importance of 
 forming a right judgment in this matter, or the 
 natural propenfity and inclination which there is 
 in us, to make thofe terms as eafy and agreable 
 to ourfelves as 
 
Of Salvation by Grace* ici 
 
 ALL men would be happy hereafter ; but SFP.M. 
 with as little difficulty to themfelves as may be ; V, 
 as little felf-denial ; as little labour ,; ?,s lirtk 
 care to work out their falvation. This 1 doubt 
 not, is the true fource of many licentious, li 
 bertine doctrines, tending to reconcile a vicious 
 immoral life, with the hopes of God'sfavour, and 
 future blefiednefs , altho* nothing can be more 
 repugnant to fober reafon, and the whole current 
 of the Chriftian revelation Vicious men are loth 
 to give up their beloved lufts, and to live that 
 pious and holy life which the gofpel injoinsupon 
 us. And therefore they perfwade themfelves to 
 believe that there is no fuch abfolute neceffity of 
 it as fome pretend \ and endeavour to evade the 
 force of all thofe arguments which are brought to 
 evince it. However wicked they are, they are 
 not willing to think themfelves fuch perfons as the 
 Gofpel excludes from that life and immortality, 
 which are brought to light thereby. Hence it 
 comes to pafs, that the fcriptures, however plain 
 ly and peremptorily they fpeak as to this point, 
 are often tortur'd and wrefted , and made, whe 
 ther they will or no, to favour men's lulls, and 
 ill-grounded hopes. The mere found of a word 
 or phrafe, fhall often carry more conviclion in it, 
 in the app-ehenfion of men who would fain be 
 happy without bring good, than in the whole cur 
 rent of revelation : And drowning men, we 
 know, will catch at ftraws. For example , how 
 H 3 greedily 
 
I o 2 Of Salvation ly Grate. 
 
 greedily do many perfons of licentious pracYice* 
 lay hold on fuch -exprefTions as thefe, that we 
 are " faved by grace ; :" that we are "juftified 
 by fakh without 'the Bleeds of the law ; " that we 
 wiuSrbyt'," found in Chrift not having our own 
 irtghftroufnefs , '* and the like ? Many vicious per- 
 fbns -Chink they find great ground of peace, con- 
 folation and hope, in fuch-like expreflions ; and 
 conclude from them, that the gofpel-covenant of 
 grace in Chrift Jefus, is of fuch a nature, as not 
 to require repentance and new obedience as the 
 indifpenfable condition of falvation ; but fuch as 
 will admit of the . falvation of habitual linners, pn> 
 vided they believe in 'Chrift, and rely wholly up^ 
 on his rightcoufnefs. This, in general, I fuppofe, 
 is the error which '-St. James aims at refuting more 
 particularly in the fe'cond chapter of his epiftle * 
 An error which very early appeared in the 
 church ; and in the fupport of which, St. Paul's 
 doftrine had been alledged. And if there is any 
 fuch thing as a. fundamental error of the judg 
 ment, this is doubtlefs one. It is a miftake con^ 
 cerning the general nature of that covenant of 
 grace and mercy, which is eftablifhed in Chrift, 
 for the reftoration and falvation of finners. It is 
 moreover an error of fuch a fort, as naturally 
 tends to confirm men in their wicked courfes . 
 fince, according to this notion, it is needlefs for 
 them to forfake thofe courfes ; and to obey the 
 commandments of Chrifl, in order to their future 
 
 hap- 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 103 
 
 happinefs. So that perfons who are fallen into SERM. 
 this delufion may fin, as it were, upon principle;; y, 
 ; at lead they may fin, without hazarding their -, 
 falvation, according to their own notion of the 
 terms on v/hich it is offered. 
 
 BUT before I proceed particularly to lay open 
 the vanity and abfurdity of this notion, I would 
 premife one thing in order to prevent mif-con- 
 "ftruftion ; efpecially to guard again ft the charge 
 of cenforioufnefs and uncharity. And that is,that 
 how much foever any mail may be miftaken in 
 opinion concerning the terms of falvation ; yet if 
 he is practically in the right, there is no doubt 
 but he will be accepted of God, who confiders 
 our frame, and knows our : weakhefs. Poffibly 
 many perfons, according to whofe principles 
 obedience to the Gofpel is not neceffary, may yet 
 be as truly doers of the word, as thofe whole fen- 
 timents concerning this matter, are more confor 
 mable to reafon and fcripture. And it is cer 
 tain that luch-perlbns mall not be excluded from 
 falvation, merely on account of their erroneous 
 'opinion. It is infinitely difhonourable to the all- 
 good and perfect Governor of the world, to 
 imagine that he has fufpended the eternal falva 
 tion ot men upon any niceties of fpeculation : Or 
 that any one who honeftly aims at finding the 
 truth, and at doing the will of his Maker, fhall be 
 fi'V'lly difcarded beciufe he fell into fome erro 
 neous opfaions. He whofe heart is right with 
 H 4 God ^ 
 
IO4 Of Salvation ly Grace. 
 
 SERM. ^ 0( ^ ^ e whofeeks.his will in his word, with an 
 Y m unbiafled mind ; and he who confcientioufly obeys 
 the gofpel, can be guilty of no error for which an 
 infinitely good and merciful Being will condemn 
 him. 
 
 I ADD, that altho' fuch a fincere inquirer after 
 the truth, fhould embrace opinions which give 
 countenance to vice and libertinifm, in a natural 
 and fair conftruftion ; yea, altho' the fame prin*. 
 tip Its, fhould, by being acted upon, prove the 
 deftruction of other perfons , yet furely he, 
 whofe pra&ice is not influenced by them ; but is 
 conformable to the ftricter maxims of piety and 
 virtue laid down in the Gofpel, will reap the fruits 
 of righteoufnefs in the end. And altho' mod 
 men are not fo good as their principles oblige 
 them to be ; yet it is certain that fome men arc 
 better : Which I take to be the cafe of many, 
 who place the whole of religion in faith, and de- 
 pendance upon the righteoufnefs of Chrift : For 
 many fuch, doubtlefs live foberly and righteouflj 
 and godly in the world. 
 
 INDEED if perfons fall into fuch errors as are, 
 in their own nature, incppfiftent with Chriflian 
 piety and virtue ; thefe errors rnuft needs be fa 
 tal ; becaufe we are aflured that no unrighteous 
 perfon fhJl inherit the kingdom of God. Or if 
 perfons fall into other errors, of a leis malignant 
 Nature ; but which do in tact make them eafy in 
 their fins, and regardkis of their behaviour ; even 
 
 fuch 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 105 
 
 fuch errors muft be fatal in their consequence , tho* 
 not necefTarily fo, confidered in themfelves. How 
 inconfiderable any error may be in itfelf ; if the 
 effect of it is either the making a man vicious, or 
 keeping him fo, to him it is and muft be fatal in 
 the event : Tho' to others it may not prove fo ; 
 becaufe it may not have the fame effect upon 
 them. Nor, indeed, is there any fpeculative er 
 ror, however great, which can exclude a good 
 and upright man, who obeys the laws of Chrif- 
 tianity, from the kingdom of heaven : Tho' it 
 may probably prove, in fome degree, prejudicial 
 to his virtue ; retard him in his progrefs towards 
 Chriftian perfection , and fo prevent his obtaining 
 fo bright a crown of glory, at the end of his 
 race, as he might otherwife have done. Accord 
 ingly we read of fome that build wood, hay^ ftub- 
 b!e, i. e. falfe, abfurd, and hurtful doctrines, up 
 on the bafis of Chriftianity,who yet (hall be faved 
 at lad, tho' " fo as by fire." 
 
 THESE confiderations mould, on the one hand, 
 keep us from being cenforious towards our fellow 
 Chriftians \ and from dealing out our anathema's 
 againft thofe that are in error. On the other 
 hand, they ihould make us fincerely inquifitive 
 after the truth ourfdves, and zealous in the de 
 fence of it. It is, by no means, an indifferent 
 thing, whether people have juft conceptions of 
 Chriftianity or not -, tho' all parties have perhaps 
 laid too much ftrefs upon their own peculiar fen- 
 
 timents ; 
 
io5 Of Salvation ly Grace. 
 
 SERM. timnts -, and been wanting in candor and for- 
 V. bearance towards others. The more juftly people 
 conceive of the doctrines of the Gofpel, the more 
 likely they are, humanly fpeaking, to live as be 
 comes their profeflion. Mifiaken notions of re- 
 ]'.._>; -on, efpidcilly fuch as evidently difannul tHe 
 obligations to obedience, rendering the command 
 ments of God of none effect, fliould certainly be 
 oppofed and refuted ; althd* they mould not be 
 abiblutely inconfiftent with a good life, and evan 
 gelical righteoufnefs. If we ought to " contend 
 earneltly for the faith once delivered to the 
 faints j " we ought certainly to contend with as 
 much earneftnefs at lead for that practical piety 
 and virtue, without which no one can be a faint i 
 and which is, in fact, the end of all faith. 
 
 IT is not very flrange if thofe, whofe |'r';nciples 
 allow them to live wickedly, mould allow them- 
 fehw in it : Efpecially when we confidtr how 
 many there are, who allow themfclves to do fo, 
 contrary to their principles. There are great 
 numbers of perfons in the Chriftian world who, 
 altho' they acknowledge the neceflity of obedience 
 to the gofpel, yet practically deny it, led away by 
 their ow.n Jufts and enticed. What then can be 
 naturally expefted of thofe, who imagine they 
 have a difpenfation for finning ? and that good 
 works are of little or no account in the chriftian 
 religion ! It is rather to be wonder'd at, that any 
 of thefe deluded perfons flxuuld be good, ( as it i s 
 
 to 
 
Of Salvation ly Grace. 107 
 
 to be hoped they are) than that fo many of them 
 fhould be wicked, as there is reafon to fear. For V. 
 k is very unufual for men to be better than their 
 own principles oblige them to be : tho' it is very 
 common for them to be much worfe than they 
 can be, in confiflancy with them. 
 
 THE delufions to which I had a particular re 
 ference above, may all be reduced to one grand, 
 capital error ; which is this, That the merits ot 
 Chrift's obedience and fufferings, may be fo ap 
 plied or imputed to finners, as to be available 
 to their juftification and falvation, altho' they are 
 deftitute of all perfonal inherent goodnefs. This 
 grand miftake is varioufly modified ; k puts on 
 different forms and appearances ; and fcripture- 
 terms and phrafes are brought to fupport it. 
 .When it is cloathed in fcripture language, it is 
 expreed thus ; that we are faved by grace , that 
 we mult be found inChrift net having on our own 
 right eoufnefs, which is of the law ; that we are 
 jufiijied by faith without the deeds of tie law, &c. 
 Thefe are the phrafes which, I fuppofe, have 
 been the mod commonly abufed and perverted 
 to ferve fo bad a purpofr, as that of mak 
 ing men believe they may be in a ftate of 
 favour with God, while they live in difobedience 
 to his commandments. They all amount to 
 much the fame thing, both in their natural and 
 true fenfe as they are ufed by the facred writers, 
 and in the opinion of thofc who wreft and pervert 
 
 them. 
 
io8 Of Salvation ly Grace. 
 
 them. However I fhall confider them diftin&ly ; 
 and endeavour to refcue them from 'the falfe, air 
 furd glofles which have been put upon them, 
 greatly to the prejudice of pure and undtHled re 
 ligion. And I hope k will fufHcientty appear, 
 thatthofe who ufe tbefe phrafes in order to dif- 
 parage good works, and evangelical obedience ; 
 or in order to {how that we may be juftified and 
 laved without being doers of the word, deceive 
 tleir ownfefocs, and delude thok- who believe 
 them. For they cannot pofliblv be tho't to fa 
 vour fo licentious an opinion, 'til they are mifun- 
 derftood. 
 
 IT is only thefirft of them, viz. That we arc 
 fayed by grace, that will be confidered in this dif- 
 courfe. Now that we are really fuved by grace, 
 no one who believes the fcriptures will deny ; 
 this being not only a doctrine of fcripturr, but ex- 
 prefTed in the the very words of fcripture. But 
 thofe who imagine that, becaufe we are favcd by 
 grace, obedience to the gcfpel is not neceflary, as 
 the condition on our part, in order to falvation, 
 draw a conclufion which is very unnatural. If 
 thefe things are reconcileable one with the other ; 
 if it may be true that we are faved by grace, and 
 yet true that we cannot be faved without obedi 
 ence : then certainly the fuppofed necefT.ty of 
 obedience, does not at all militate againft the 
 do&rine of our falvation by grace. For if there 
 be no real repugnancy betwixt thefe princi; l^s, 
 
 they 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 109 
 
 they maybe both equally true; nor can the 
 faifhood of one be inferred from the truth of the 
 other. 
 
 MY bufinrfs here therefore, is, to ftow that 
 there is no inconfiftency betwixt thefe dodrines 9 
 that tho' we are faved by grace, yet we are faved 
 in the way of obedience, and consequently, that 
 it is a perveriion and abufe of the fcripture doc 
 trine of grace, to infer from it, that obedience to 
 (Thrift's Commandments, is not the gofpel con 
 dition of our acceptance with God, and obtaining 
 eternal life by him. 
 
 Now, that to be faved by grace, in the fenle 
 of fcripture, does not imply that we are faved 
 without, or independently of, obedience and per- 
 fonal righteoufhefs, is very evident in general 
 from hence, That that grace of God which has 
 appeared unto us, teaches us, not that we may 
 hope for falvation while we continue in fin ; but 
 that denying ungodlinefs and worldly tufts, we 
 Jbould live foberly^ righteoufly and godly in the 
 world -, looking ji\ confequence of our living thus, 
 for the bleffed hope. If even the grace of God 
 which is revealed to us, teaches us that we are 
 to turn from our fins to God \ it mud be an 
 abfurd inference, that we need not turn from fin 
 to God, becaufe this grace is revealed to us, and 
 we are faved thereby. This is, in effect to fay, 
 that becaufe God in the gofpel of his grace, has 
 taught us that we muft deny our worldly lufls, 
 
 and 
 
HO Of Salvation My Grace. 
 
 and .ferve him-, therefore we. need not do fo - 9 but 
 may obtain: his favour without ! St. Paul has'' ex- 
 prefly caution'd us againft fuch an abufe of the 
 dodrine of God's grace. " Sin fhall not have 
 dominion over you, fays he, for ye are not un 
 der the law, but under grace. What then! fhall 
 we fin, becaufe we are not under the law, but 
 under grace ? God forbid." * The apoftle, in 
 * Romans this paflage, not only reprefents our being under a 
 6 - M> z 5- difpenfation of grace, as confident with the ne- 
 ceflity of our forfaking every finful practice j but 
 he reprefents this as an additional obligation laid 
 upon us to do fo. He draws his argument for 
 obedience and righteoufnefs of life, from this 
 very confideration, that we are under a gracious 
 difpenfation. " Sin fhall not have dominion over 
 you ; for ye are not under the law, but under 
 grace." Thofe mud therefore reafon very pre- 
 pofteroufly, in a manner quite contrary to the 
 apoftle, who would go about to prove from the 
 gracious nature of that covenant which we are 
 under, that obedience is needlefs , or that we may 
 continue in fin, becaufe we are favcd by grace. 
 They draw an inference the very reverfe of his, 
 from the fame principles. His inference is, thaf 
 becaufe we are under grace, therefore we may not 
 continue in fin : Their's, that we may continue 
 in fin, becaufe we are under fuch a difpenfation. 
 And now whether St. Paul is in the right, or 
 thole who cpntradidt him, judge ye. 
 
 THIS 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 
 
 THIS is, I think, fufficient to fliow in general, 
 that all thofe mifunderftand the fcripture doctrine y. 
 of our falvation by grace, who infer from it, that 
 our falvation is not fufpended upon our obedience 
 to God's commandments. But let us be a little 
 more particular in confidering the feveral figni- 
 fications of the term grace, in the new teftament ; 
 that fo we may fee whether either of them mili 
 tates againft the fuppofed neceffity of obedience 
 and good works. 
 
 AND let us begin with the primary and moft 
 general notion hereof , which is favour ; or fome 
 act of goodnefs, genercfity or bounty^ as diftin- 
 guifhed from thofe acts which come within the 
 known. laws of common equity and juftice. In 
 conformity to this firft and moft general fenfe of 
 the term, when it is faid that we are faved by 
 grace, the meaning is, that we do not merit fal 
 vation ; that we cannot demaad it upon the foot 
 ing of natural juftice , but it flows from another 
 fountain, even from the abounding goodnefs and 
 mercy of God. It proceeds wholly from his un- 
 deferved favour ; and is to be acknowledged as 
 bis gtff, not claimed "as our due. And that our 
 falvation is of grace in this fenfe, I as firmly be 
 lieve, and am as ready to afTert, if not fo able to 
 prove, as any other perfon whatever. Our fal 
 vation took its rife in the mere bounty and good 
 nefs of God. And the fame over-flowing good- 
 jnefs, in which it had it's origin, is confpicious in 
 
 every 
 
 in 
 
I f 2 Of Salvation by 
 
 SF.RM. every part of it, *til it is, or rather fhall be, com- 
 y pleated and perfected in the regions of immortal 
 blifs. But does it follow from hence, that this 
 falvation does not accrue to us in the way of 
 obedience to Chrift's commandments ? May it 
 not be true, that God requires this obedience of 
 us, as what is indifpenfably neceflary in order to 
 our falvarion ; and yet be true, at the fame time, 
 that He manifefls his favour, and great goodnefs 
 to us herein ? Certainly our obedience, however 
 necefTary it may be, is not fo valuable and meri 
 torious, as to be an adequate confideration for the 
 falvation and eternal happinefs of our fouls : So 
 far from this, that we ought to look upon our- 
 ftlves as unprofitable few ants ^ even tho* we had 
 done all thofe things that are required of us. 
 How then could it ever enter into the heart of 
 man to imagine, that if obedience to the gofpel is 
 necefTary in order to our falvation, then it could 
 not be true that we are faved by grace ; as if fuch 
 obedience excluded grace , and left no room for 
 the exercife of it ? Thofe perfons muft fet a very 
 undue and difproportionate value upon our im 
 perfect obedience, who imagine it leaves no place 
 for the manifeftation of divine grace or favour in 
 Obr falvation , and that whatever God is pleafed 
 to confer upon us in confequence hereof, is only 
 the paying of a debt, or rendering the labourer 
 the reward, to which he has intitled himfelf, on 
 the footing of common equity. 
 
 THE 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 1 r 
 
 THE reasoning of fome perfons upon this point SERM 
 are very flrange and unaccountable , and, I think V. 
 quite inconfiftent. For one while they tell us, 
 that our obedience, and ben: good works, are only 
 *& filthy rags ; fo very mean and contemptible, 
 that they cannot be truly acceptable to God, or 
 fit to be rewarded by him : Yea, that they are 
 attended with fo much fin and imperfection, that 
 they mud be odious to him ; and rather need a 
 pardon, than entitle us to a reward. But, in the 
 next,if not the fame breath; we are. told, that thefc 
 filthy and abominable good works, if fuppofed' 
 neceffary and conducive to our falvation, would 
 fubvert the doctrine of our beirig faved by grace r 
 Which is tb fay in other words, that imper'f eft and 
 finful as t'iey are, they are yet fo valuable, &> ex 
 cellent, fo meritorious, that they leave ho room 
 for God to exercife grace in our falvation ! Binf 
 if our works of righteorffnefs are all fo-in'j perfect, 
 not to fay fo filthy , as they are fometimeS repre-' 
 fented to be, one would think there was no dan 
 ger of excluding divine grace, by faying that: 
 obedience to the Gofpel is made the condition of 
 our falvation. Tho* obedience is required in or 
 der to our falvation, it cannot betho't meritorious 
 of it. The truth Iks betwixt the two- 1 extremes 
 mentioned above. Our obedience and good works 
 are really acceptable to God in fome degree ; 
 otherwife he would not have required us to per 
 form them, and promifcd to reward them 5 as hd 
 
it ...'.,.,. 
 
 0/ Salvation by Grace. 
 
 SERM. ^s m ft certainly done. But yet they are not fo 
 ,^J^ valuable in their 'own nature, as to merit eternal 
 
 life for th'ofe who perform 'themV God is infinite- 
 
 jk 
 
 ly gracious, in accepting this 'imperfect obedience 
 thro" ChrirV and in beftowing eternal life uport 
 the fubjecis of it. This is therefore a reward, not 
 of merit on our fide, bat of grace onGod's part. 
 How'unjuftJy then, afethofe who hold the necef- 
 fity of perfonal righteoufnefs ; and believe that 
 God will,' gracioufly reward Our obedience, thro* 
 Chriftj charged With maintaining the doctrine of 
 merit, in oppofition to grace ? This is but too 
 qommon a flander, made ufe of by captious un 
 charitable men, to bring a reproach upon ' thofe 
 whom they diflike.- 
 
 IT is readily acknowledged, that the moft 
 perfed man does not work out a righteoufnefs, 
 ftriftly legal. Salvation therefore cannot be ob- 
 tainedj but upon the footing of grace or favour. 
 Yea, I may add, that altho* our obedience were 
 perfec*l,k would dill be favour and bounty inGod, 
 to bcflow eternal life upon us in confequence of 
 it. We might indeed, upon this fuppofrtion, 
 claim an exemption from punifhrrient and mifery, 
 according to the immutable laws of right and 
 equity. But to afortthat the moft perfect righte 
 oufnefs and obedience of a creature, would, in it's 
 own nature, on account of it's inherent worth, 
 and independently of any promife of God, intitle 
 that creature to endlefs happinefs, is to aflert 
 
 more 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 11 
 
 more than any man can prove. It would evident- S E R M 
 ly be grace in God to confer endlefs immeafurable V. 
 blifs, upon a creature, who had in no inftance 
 violated his laws. The reward would be more, 
 infinitely more, than adequate to the fervice per 
 formed. Who can prefume to fay, that the 
 holieft angel in heaven, has by his obedience, 
 ftriclly fpeaking, merited everlafting happinefs ? 
 or, that it is not grace in God, to confer this up 
 on any creature whatever ? If God makes a crea 
 ture happy during his obedience, it is the utmoft 
 that juftice requires. Such a creature might* 
 without receiving any wrong or injury, be de 
 prived of his exiftence and happinefs together* 
 after perfevering in his obedience for any given 
 time. The Author of his being, is not that I 
 know of, abfolutely obliged to preferve him for 
 ever, becaufe the creature has notfwerVed from 
 his duty. And if God is not bound in juftice to 
 make fuch a creature eternally happy, it muft be 
 grace in him to do it ; for betwixt juftice and 
 grace, there is in this cafe no medium. Certain 
 ly then, it is grace in God to beftow endlefs 
 happinefs upon thofe who have violated his laws* 
 however penitent and reformed they are. And 
 this, I hope* is fufficient to lliow, that altho* we 
 cannot be faved, without obedience to the Gof- 
 pel ; and altho* this is, properly fpeaking, the 
 condition upon which pardon and eternal life are 
 K> US > yet it may b M equally true, that 
 
1 1 6 Of Salvation by Grace. 
 
 SERM. we are f ave d by grace, as that fignifies favour 
 V. a "d unmerited goodnefs in the Creator and Lord 
 of all. 
 
 . It will tome to. the fame thing at laft, if by 
 grace we underftand mofe particularly the gofpel" 
 difpcnfatiom The term is 6f ten ufcd thus in fcrip- 
 ture , arid indeed this is the mod common fenfc 
 of ft. And the Gofpel is called grace* by a U- 
 fuai figure, in refpcdt of the fubjeft of it ; be- 
 caufe it is a declaration and manifeftation of God's 
 grace or favour towards finners. Hence we read 
 of tloe Gofpel of tbe grace of God. And this dif- 
 penfation of mercy, is fornetimes ftyled grace 
 more efpecially in contradiftindlion from the Mo- 
 fate, or Ltgal difpenfation. So it is faid, that 
 " the Law was given by Mofes ; but Grace, 
 came by Jefus Chrift. And in general, whefe- 
 cver law and grace are oppofed to each other in 
 the new teftamerit, gnce means the Gofpel, the 
 good news of pardon and eternal life, brought 
 from heaven to earth by the Son of God* and 
 preached to the world by his apoftles. 
 
 Now if we underftand the term in this appro 
 priate fenfe, when we are faid to be faved by 
 grace, the meaning will be, that we arc faved by 
 the Gofpel,or in the way which theGofpel reveals 
 to us ; which is a declaration of God's favour 
 and rnercy to finful creatures ; a declaration of 
 his gracious purpofe fo forgive and fave tran- 
 greflbrs, upon certain terms therein marked out ; 
 
 and 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 117 
 
 and which docs not inftft upon perfect Obedience, 
 as the Law of MOSES teems, according to the V.. 
 letter of it, to have done. For, fays St. Paul, 
 " Mofes defcribeth the righteoufnefs which is of 
 " the Law, that the Man which doth thofe 
 " things, (hall live by them. " * And the fame ** 
 Apoftle tells us, that the language of that feve- 
 rcr difpenfation is this, " Curfed is every one 
 *' that continueth not in all things which are 
 * 6 written in the law to do them." t + 
 
 IT may be here afked again, how our be- 
 ing faved by grace, in this fenfe, militates againft 
 the fuppofed neceffity of repentance from dead 
 works, and fincerely obeying that Gofpel, by 
 which we are to be faved ? What tho' we are not, 
 neither can be, faved upon the footing of mere 
 Jaw, whether the law of Mojes, or the law of 
 nature ? What tho' we are faved by, or in th e 
 way of, a new and merciful covenant eftablilhed 
 in Chrift Jefus ? a covenant of Grace, wherein 
 provifion is made for the reftoration of finners to 
 the divine favour ? Will it follow from hence, 
 that we are faved without any kind or degree of 
 obedience ? It is not inconfiftent even with 3 
 covenant of grace, that it mould propofe to us 
 certain terms and conditions for our acceptance, in 
 order to our obtaining the bleflings thereof. And 
 tho* we mould fuppofe, that the terms on which 
 the gofpel offers falvation to us, are thofe of faith 
 and new obedience, would this make it ceafe to 
 I 3 be 
 
1 1 8 Of Salvation fy Grace. 
 
 be a covenant of grace ? Surely, the covenant 
 may be very gracious, tho 5 it promifes pardon 
 and eternal life, only to penitent, obedient be 
 lievers. 
 
 IN fhorr f to be faved by grace, meaning here 
 by the gofpel of God's grace, is to be faved ia 
 that way, in that method, which the gofpel 
 opens, provides for us, and prefcribes to us. To 
 know particularly what that way is, we muft 
 look into the gofpel itfelf : And if we do fo, we 
 mail find that it is fo far from being inconfiftent 
 with the fuppofition, that obedience to the pre 
 cepts of ic is neceffary ; that this is the very thing 
 which it makes necefiary \ the great, or rather 
 the only, condition upon which it offers falvation 
 to us. For in this difpcnfation of the grace of 
 God, it is, that we are allured, that Chrift is be 
 come the author of eternal falvation to all them 
 that obey him , and that thofe who obey not the 
 truth, but obey unrighteoufnefs, mall fall under 
 condemnation hereafter. Since, therefore, to be 
 faved by grace, is to be faved in the way which 
 the gofpel reveals to us ; and fince the gofpel 
 itfelf exprefsly requires repentance and fincere 
 obedience in order to our falvation ; it is a very 
 abfurd inference, that becaufe we are faved in, 
 this method of grace, therefore we are not favcc} 
 in the way of obedience , which is indeed the on 
 ly way that the gofpel knows of: Unlefs by be 
 ing &ved in the way of obedience, you mean 
 
 obediencqi 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 119 
 
 obedience that is perfect and firstly legal ; for if SERM. 
 that is what is intended hereby, it is certain that y. 
 no one is fayed in that way, no one having per 
 formed fuch obedience. But it will not follow, 
 that becaufe perfect obedience is not necefiary in 
 order to our falvation, therefore no obedience at 
 all is neceflary to that end : Nor are we charge 
 able with turning the gofpel of God's grace into 
 a covenant of works, .in representing all the 
 blefTmgs of it as confined to thofe who, " having 
 believed in God* are careful to maintain good 
 works." 
 
 To proceed, the term grace is fometimes 
 ufed to exprefs a heavenly, divine principle in the 
 hearts of thofe who are born again. I am not 
 certain, indeed, that the fcripture ever ufes the 
 term in this fenfe , tho 1 this being now common 
 with theological and practical writers, we will take 
 the propriety of it for granted. And if we are 
 faved by grace in this fenfe, it is the very thing 
 which I would prove, viz. that we are faved by 
 holinefs, righteoufntfs, and evangelical obedience i 
 not without it. For what do we mean by this 
 divine principle/this grace in the hearts of the re 
 generate, but a principle of goodncfs, or holinefs ? 
 a principle, which makes us jrelemble God, and 
 prompts us to live in obedience, to his command 
 ments ? To be lived by grace, underftanding 
 thereby a principle of real fandlity in the heart a 
 fuch a one as is always productive of good 
 I 4 
 
120 Of Salvation by Grace. 
 
 fruits in the life, is fo far from being repugnant tq : 
 V. c he fuppofed necefiity of evangelical obedience, 
 that it is the very fame doctrine, only exprefled 
 in different words. For when it is faid, that o- 
 beying the gofpel is n?ceflkry in order to our 
 falvatio.n, or that we arefaved by fuch obedience; 
 nothing more is intended, than that it is neceiTary 
 we fhould be poflefled of fuch a gracious principle 
 as was fpoken of above , a principle of righteouf- 
 nefs, which manifefts itfelf in a good converfa- 
 tion ; and that whofoever is endowed therewith, 
 has the promife of eternal life. So that they who 
 afTert we are favcd by grace, in this fcnfe of the 
 term, are fo far from contradicting thofe who 
 maintain the necefiity of obedience, and the effir 
 cacy of it, that they affert the fame thing them- 
 felves. 
 
 IT will make no material difference, as to the 
 point now before us, if by grace we underftand, 
 not a principle of good nefs and holinefs in the 
 heart, but rhofe influences and operations of the 
 fpirit of God upon the heart, by which that good 
 principle is produced therein. This, if I miftake 
 not, is what people often mean by the term grace, 
 Let us therefore underltand it thus, for the prc- 
 fent ; and confider whether our being faved by 
 grace, milit .ires againft the other fuppofition, viz. 
 that we are faved in the way of obedience' 4 - to 
 Chri(t*s commandments. And now, underftand- 
 the term thus, when it is faid we are faved by 
 
Of Salvation by Grace, 121 
 
 grace, the meaning muft be, That God faves us 
 b begetting or producing in us, a principle of 
 holinefs and righteoufncfs , and that we could 
 not be faved, did He nut thus give his holy 
 (pint to renew and fanctify us : Or this may be 
 exprefTed more in the phrafe of fcripture, thus, 
 That God laves us by " working in us both to 
 will and to do ot his good pleafure " : Or thus, 
 that He " faves us by the warning of regenera 
 tion, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft ; " 
 Or, " thro* fanftifi cation of the fpirit unto o- 
 bedience." Very well : it is readily acknowled 
 ged, that it is by the operations of the (pint of 
 God upon our hearts, that we attain to true holi 
 nefs , and that we cannot be faved without his 
 bleffed influences, in turning us from fin to righte- 
 oufnefs. But what does this make againft the 
 fuppofed neceflity of obedience ? The being faved 
 by grace in this fenfe, prc-fuppofes the neceiTity 
 of holinef, of perfonal pijrjty, and fanclity of 
 heart and manners. For the grace of God, or 
 Jhc gracious influences of his Spirit, in turning us 
 from unrighteoufnefs to obedience, woujd not be 
 neceflary in order to our falvation, where not 
 obedience itfelf nccefiary to that end. The necefli- 
 ty of the former, arifcs only from the neccflity of 
 the latter. For if you fuppofe that righteoufneft 
 ^nd obedience, are not neceflary to the end men 
 tioned, and that we may be faved without them j 
 crtainly that grace of God, by which we an; 
 
 made 
 
122 Of Salvation by Grace. 
 
 SERM, ma ^ e righteous, is unnecefifary alfo. The 
 
 of God, meaning thereby the gracious influences 
 of his fpirit, contributes to our falvation, only as 
 it produces in us that holinefs which is the con 
 dition of our being faved, and by which we are* 
 made meet for the kingdom of Heaven. So that 
 to fay, we are faved by grace, in this fenfe of the 
 term, is in effect to fay, that we are faved by 
 that divine and heavenly principle which is 
 wrought in us by the good Spirit of God, co 
 operating with the gofpel of his Son ; and thai 
 we could not be faved,. unlefs we were thus crea 
 ted anew in Cbrift Jejus unto good works. And 
 this, furely, is very confident with the fuppofi- 
 tion that we are faved in the way of obedience to 
 the Gofpel, or by our being doers of the word. 
 
 THOSE mentioned are the moft ufual fcn.fes of 
 the term grace : Nor can I readily think of any 
 other or different meaning, that can be affixed 
 thereto, when we e faid to be faved thereby* 
 The fenfe of the proportion, rnuft be cither ( i ) 
 in genera], that we are faved by the favour and 
 bounty of God to us, in oppofition to the doc 
 trine of merit ; or (2) that we are, faved by the 
 Gofpel of Chrifl, as contradillinguimed from the 
 law of Mofes ; or (3) that we are faved by being 
 truly holy , by what fome call a principle of 
 Grace in the heart , or (laftly) by God's produ 
 cing fuch a principle in us, by the gracious influ^ 
 cnces of his Spirit j which conies to the fame 
 
 thing* 
 
Of Salvation ly Grace. 123 
 
 thing, with refped to the point now in hand. SE*M. 
 And the doctrine of our being faved by grace, in y^ 
 any, or inallofthefe fenfes, does not militate in 
 the lead degree againft the dodine of our being 
 faved by obedience to the Gofpel ; and of our ob r 
 taining, -in this way an intertft in God's peculiar 
 love here, together with an inheritance hereafter in 
 the kingdom of heaven. The neceffity of o- 
 bedience is rather eftablifhed, than overthrown 
 and refuted, by the fcripture dpdrinc of our fair 
 vation by Grace. 
 
 To conclude this difcourfe, therefore, let us 
 take heed, while we acknowledge our falvation 
 to be of grace,that we do not pervert this doctrine 
 to the encouraging of licentioufnefs, either in our- 
 felves or others. To the honor of God, and the 
 gofpel of his Son, we are bound to confefs, that 
 we are faved by Grace. But furely it is not to 
 his glory, nor to the honor or*the Chriftian reve 
 lation, to imagine that we are faved by grace in 
 any fuch fenfe, as would render obedience to our 
 Saviour's commandments unneceffary. On the 
 contrary, it would be highly diihonourable to 
 both, to conceive thus. Such an imagination 
 does, in effect, deveft God of his holinefs, and 
 all his moral perfections. It is to reprefent him 
 as giving men a difpenfation for indulging their 
 lufts, by an exprefs revelation from heaven. 
 For, in truth 3 what clfc is it, to aflert that the gof- 
 
 pe! 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 
 
 pel is a difpenfation of grace, in fuch a fenfe,that 
 even thofc who live and dye in their fins, are not 
 excluded by the terms of it, from the hope of im 
 mortal happinefs ? And that the gates of heaven 
 are fet open to all thofe who believe, whether 
 they work righteoufnefs or work iniquity ? If this 
 is not to reprefent God as being indifferent to 
 virtue and vice ; if it is not to abufe his grace,and 
 turn it into lafcivioufncfs ; if it is not to make 
 Chrift the minifter of fin, rather than the Saviour 
 of men from it * it will be impofilble to fay what 
 is really fo -, yea, that any thing can be fo. 
 Ncr can there be a greater difhonor done to 
 Chriftianity, than is done to it by thofc who 
 reprefent it in this light. 
 
 SUPPOSE one of the wifer fort of 'Pagans ', who 
 had a,s yet never heard any thing concerning the 
 gofpcl of Chrift, mould have an account givea 
 thereof tq this purpofe ; " That it was a very 
 " gracious difpeniation, inafmuch as it did not 
 " require in its profeflbrs, fincere piety, and the 
 ^ practice of virtue, as abfolutely ncceflary to 
 " their being happy after death ;, but only re- 
 *' commended thefe things as being decent,and a, 
 <c proper way of exprefiing ourgratitgde toGod ; 
 " and that the mod vicious men, provided they 
 * c hear and believe this revelation. trufting intirely 
 *.* to the righteoufnefs and obedience of Him whofc 
 <c name it bears, mould certainly obtain eternal 
 J5 life ; " What would fuch an intelligent P^an 
 
 naturally 
 
Of Salvation by Grace. 125 
 
 naturally conclude ? Certainly that this preacher SERM. 
 of free Grace was befide himfelf , or* which is ftill V. 
 v/orfe, that he was a very abandoned rnan, and 
 not only vicious himfelf but dtfiroi-s to corrupt 
 others by his licentious doctrine. He would not 
 believe that the religion* of which fuchan account 
 Was given him, was really a revelation from hea 
 ven \ but would very naturally and juftly con 
 clude it was the invention of fomc wicked man^ 
 or, at beft the dream of a weak one. But yet I 
 am bold to fay, that this is, and mufl be, the 
 account given of Chriftianity, by all thofe who 
 deny the neceflity of obedience thereto, and of" 
 perfonal righteoufnefs , and who infer from the 
 doctrine of our being faved by grace, that we 
 may be faved without goodnefs. Take heed 
 therefore, my Brethren, left any man deceive you, 
 and left you deceive your ownfdves, with vain 
 empty words, and falfe hopes. ** Be ye doers 
 of the word, and not hearers only." And reft 
 allured* that Tihat doctrine which teaches that 
 men may obtain falvation, without ceafng te do 
 vvil^ and learning to do well \ with- u yielding a 
 fincere obedience to the laws of Chriftianity ; (that 
 Ikat doctrine, I fay) is not fo properly called a 
 DOCTRINE OF GRACE, as it is, a DOCTRINE 
 OF DEVILS. 
 
 SERMON 
 
SERMON VI 
 
 Of Miftakes concerning being found 
 in Chrift, not having our own 
 Righteoufnefs, dfc* 
 
 
 JAMES I. 21, 22. 
 
 luA T apart all filthinefs and fuperfluity of 
 
 naughtinefs, and receive with meeknefs the 
 
 ingrafted "word) 'which is able to fave your 
 
 fouls. But be ye doers of the 'word, and 
 
 not hearers only, deceiving your oivnfelves* 
 
 AMONGST other Things, the neceffity 
 of our being doers of the word, 
 and not hearers only, in order to 
 our obtaining the falvation revealed in 
 the gofpel,has been diftinftly fhown from 
 this paflage of fcripture. But becaufc St. 
 James here fpeaks as if there was at leafl 
 fpaie danger of our deluding ourfelyes 
 
 with 
 
128 Of being found 
 
 SB R M. with an imagination, that obeying the gof- 
 pel is not really necefTary to t lie mentioned 
 ettd, in the proceeding difcourfe I entered 
 upon a eonfideration of thofe miftakes 
 refpeftihg this important point,int6 which 
 many Chriftians have fallen, even from 
 the early days of Chriftiahity ; and to( 
 which the Apoftle refers in fome parts of 
 this epiftle. The errors and delufions 
 which I here intend, refpeft the general 
 fcheme of our falvation by Chrift,and the 
 nature of that covenant 9f grace, which 
 is eftabliffied in and by Him. Which er 
 rors and delufions, have, I fuppofe, chiefly 
 proceeded from a mifconftrudion of 
 tain expreffions in the writings of St. 
 And indeed St. Teter obferved long 
 that in the epiftles of this his belovedBro- 
 ther, there were " fome things hard to be 
 underflood, which they that are unlearn 
 ed and unftable tvreft- unto their own 
 deftmftion." 
 
 THE expreilions wliich feerri at leaft 
 as likely to be thus wrefted by the un 
 learned aha unftable, as any other in thofe 
 epiftles, are fuch as thefe ; That we are 
 " faved by grace /' That we muft be 
 " found in Chrift, not having o'ur oWil 
 " righteoufnefs ;" and " that we are juftifi- 
 " ed by faith,without the deeds of the law/' 
 For from thefe, and fuch-like expreffions* 
 
 fome 
 
in Chrifty &c. 129 
 
 fome have in faft imagined, that 
 nal righteoufneis, inherent holinefs, or VI, 
 obedience to the Gofpel, (call it which *~~~v~~ m 
 you pleafe) is not really neceffary in oi> 
 tder to our acceptance with God, and to 
 our obtaining the falvation revealed to us, 
 and purchafed for us, by Chrift : And it 
 is to be feared, that many, from age to 
 age, have thus deceived themfelves to 
 their own definition. Thefe fcripture 
 expreffions which have been perverted, 
 fo as to render the commandments of God 
 of none effeft, and to annul the obliga 
 tions to evangelical obedience, terminate 
 nearly in the fame point at laft. How 
 ever it was propofed to confider them 
 diftin&ly ; and to fhow how far they are 
 from countenancing any fuch licentious 
 do&rines as have been grounded upon 
 them. The former of them, viz. that we 
 are " faved by grace," was conlidered in 
 the laft difcourfe. 
 
 LET us now proceed to a conflderati- 
 
 on of the feconcl, refpefting our being 
 
 found In Chrift ^ &c. The pafTage at large 
 
 ftands thus in the epiftle. * " But what *^ //; > 3 
 
 "-things were gain to me, thefe I coun- 7> 
 
 " ted lofs for Chrift ; yea doubtlefs, and I 
 
 " count all things but lofs for the excei- 
 
 " lency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus 
 
 " my Lord ; for whom I have fuffered 
 
 K " the 
 
130 Of being found 
 
 SERM. the lofs of all things, and do count 
 VI. " them but dang, that I may winChrift: 
 And be found 1 in him, not having mine 
 " own righteouihefs, which is of the 
 " Law, but 'that which is thro' the faith 
 * of Chriii, the ri^hteoufnefs which is of 
 " God by faith : That I may know him, 
 "' and the power of his refurre&ion, and 
 " the fellowihip of hi? l^fferings, being 
 " made conformabte to his death." 
 
 THIS paffage having been made great 
 life -of, in order to fhow, that our own 
 perfonal righteoiifneis is of little or no ac 
 count in the fight of God ; and that the 
 righteoufnefs of Chriii:, imputed to us, 
 and received by faith, is the fole ground 
 of our acceptance with Him, I fhall con- 
 fid er it the more carefully and dillinftly. 
 T ^/ill 'give fome fliort and general" ac 
 count of Sr < Taui defign here : And then 
 point out more particularly, both what 
 that righteouinefs is which he here dif- 
 claims and renounces, and what that 
 is which he builds his hopes upon, and 
 glories in.' From whence, I doubt not, 
 it will appear, that he is fo far from con- 
 tradi'fting any thing which has been faid 
 upon this fubjeft, concerning the neceffi- 
 ly of obedience to the Gofpel, that he, in 
 j' afferts the fame thing himfelf. 
 
 Now 
 
in Chrift, &c. 131 
 
 Now it is to be remembred, and par- SERM. 
 ticularly obferved, for the right under- VI. 
 {landing of this paffage, that St. Taul was, 
 both by 'birth and religion, a Jew : He had 
 been educated in the principles and prac 
 tices of the fharifees, as he himfelf in 
 forms us. * He had been fo zealous in this 
 way, as to become, very early, a bitter 
 enemy to the name, and religion of Chrift ; 
 and thus he continued to be, 'til he was 
 miraculoufly converted to the Chriftian 
 faith, in his journey to Damafcus. And 
 the paffage quoted above, reprefents to us 
 in general, how entirely his fentiments 
 concerning religion, and the way of ac 
 ceptance with God, were changed from 
 what they had formerly been:- -how 
 contemptibly he now tho't of many things, 
 in which, while he was a Tharifee, he 
 gloried in, and depended upon, as a 
 fufficient and acceptable righteoufnefs : 
 how highly he now accounted of Chrift, 
 whofe name he was wont to .blafpheme ; 
 and w r hofe difciples he had perfecutecl : 
 how follicitous he was to attain to that 
 righteoufnefs which the gofpel prefcribcs, 
 and to that Salvation which is therein re 
 vealed to finful Men. This is the general 
 defign and fcope of the paflage we are 
 considering. And furely a perfon newly 
 converted from Judaijm to Cbriftidnity % 
 K 2, from 
 
Of b&ing found 
 
 DERM, ^rom a pcrfecuting "Than fee to a difciple 
 of Je/i's, may well be fuppofed to under- 
 value all his former attainments in religion, 
 and to renounce all dependance upon 
 them for falvation, without being fup 
 pofed to undervalue that obedience which 
 the gofpel requires,or to renounce all de 
 pendence thereupon in the grand affair of 
 his acceptance with- God, and obtaining 
 eternal Life. My meaning is, that it does 
 not follow 'from theApoftle's difclaiming, 
 tind depreciating the former rightepufnefs, 
 that he muft difclaim and depreciate the 
 latter alfo. For tho' one may be really 
 worthlefs and infignificant, the other may 
 be truly valuable, and acceptable in the 
 fight of God. The righteoufnefs of-af ba 
 r/fee, may be contemptible, and yet the 
 obedience of aChriftian be of great price, 
 and great efficacy with God. Unlefs it 
 can.be fhown that the Apoftle here re 
 nounces fome other righteoufnefs than a 
 Tbarijaical one, as that is oppofed to the 
 obedience and good works of a fincere 
 Chriftian, this paflage is not to the purpofe 
 of thole who alledge it in order to prove, 
 that a Chriflian's obedience is not that 
 \vhich entitles him to the falvation which 
 Chrift has wrought out, and which is re 
 vealed to us in. his gofpel. 
 
 LET 
 

 in Chrift, &c. 133 
 
 LET us, therefore, as was propofed, SERM. 
 inquire a little more particularly, what VI. 
 righteoufnefs that is, which' St. Taul re- v *~^~ 
 nounces ? whether it is only the righte 
 oufnefs of a Tharifee, or the obedience 
 and good works of a Chriftiau ? And for 
 the refblving of this point, let us go to 
 the precceding context, where he gives 
 us an account of whgt, as a Je~u and a 
 Tharifee, he had formerly valued himfclf 
 upon. 
 
 IN oppofition to the unconverted Jews, 
 who relied upon their external privileges, 
 upon their circumcifion, and other ritual 
 obfervances, he fays- We are the circumci- 
 Jton, 'which Tvorflrip God in thefpirit, and re 
 joice in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in 
 theflefl, ver. 3. As if he had faid, " The 
 Jews vaunt of their being circumcifed : 
 But we .Chriftians, altho' we may not 
 have externally received that rite, are yet 
 the true fpiritual feed of Abraham, being 
 circumcifed in heart, which is the thing, 
 fignified by that outward fign. We are 
 more truly the circumcifion, according 
 to the fpiritual meaning of the law, than 
 they who glory only in the vifible fym- 
 bole of internal purity : For we ferveGod 
 in fpirit and in truth ; and glory in our 
 relation to Jefus (Thrift, who is the end 
 of the law ; having no dependence on 
 K 3 thofe 
 
134- Of being found 
 
 thofe carnal ordinances, and weak 4 and 
 beggarly elements, which they who are 
 ftill zealous of the law, value themfelves 
 upon." 'Though I might alfo have confidence in 
 the jftc/h. r If any man thinketh he hath ivhereof 
 he might trufl in the flefl)^ I more. ver. 4, 
 q. d. " Think not that. I fpeak with con 
 tempt of thefe flelhly ordinances, from 
 a principle of envy ; or becaufe I could 
 not glory in the obfervation of them, as 
 well as others, if I judged this was. any 
 juft ground of confidence. No : If fucli 
 things might juftly be trufted in ; if any 
 man whatever can, with reafon, place 
 his . dependence upon things of this na 
 ture, I am bold to fay that I myfelf ; can 
 do it with as much juftice and propriety, 
 as any other perfon ; yea with more than 
 the greater part of thofe that do ib." 
 TheApoftle proceeds to explain himfelf 
 in the next words- Circumcifed the eighth 
 </ay, of the Jlock of Ifrael, of the tribe of 
 Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews ; as 
 touching' the .law, a Thar /fee" ver 5. q. d. 
 " You may. judge by what follows, wdth 
 how'much more jiaffice I could glory in 
 'Jerujljh privileges, and legal, ceremonious 
 obfervances, than moft other perfons, did 
 I value myfelf upon them. For I was 
 circumcifed exaftly on the eighth day, 
 according to the very letter of the law ; 
 
 which 
 
135 
 
 which 'ys -more than -every Jew , can S.ERM. 
 boaft. I defceiided dire (Sly irom the VI. 
 loins -of Ifrael-, :an'd am cue of the tribe of 
 Benjamin, who was ib peculiarly beloved 
 of our common Father,: I am not a pro- 
 feiyte, nor die ion of a profelyte, but a 
 natural born Jeu>,,a branch iprung up 
 from the original ftock of the: H cbreii-s : 
 And I was moreover one of. that feel:, 
 which is of the greatcft note and reputa 
 tion amonglt the Jeivs, the left of the 
 e PfariJees."' f rhe Apoftle proceeds with 
 the catalogue of his privileges, cc. Ccn- 
 cerning zeal, perfccuting the church ; touch 
 ing the righteoufnefs which is in the laiu, 
 bldmekjs. ver. 6. q. d. " Nor was I one 
 of the cold, iifelefs profefibrs of the 
 Jewi/fj religion : So far from it, that I 
 xdiftinguifhed myfelf by my zeal for it ; 
 yea, fo warm and fanguine was I in the 
 caufe, that I exerted myfelf to the utmoft, 
 to beat down all that did, or feemed to 
 Qppoie it; and accordingly became a 
 violent perfecutor of the church ofChrift. 
 And,to fumaip all in one word, I was fq 
 ftricl an obierver of the law of Mofes, ac 
 cording to the- common way of interpre 
 ting, it, that 110 perfon, however critical 
 and zealous, could blame me, or tax me 
 with deviating from the righteoufnefs 
 of it." ; 
 
 K 4 Now 
 
136 Of being found 
 
 SERM. Now thefe are the things which' St, 
 Taul alferts, gave him greater ground of 
 confidence, and glorying in the flefh,than 
 moft of his countrymen, who ftill adhered 
 to the law in oppofition to the gofpel, 
 could pretend to : Upon which, however, 
 he renounces all dependence for righte- 
 oufnefs, aiid acceptance with God. But 
 it will be proper to inquire more parties 
 larly into the Apoftle's meaning, in the 
 laft words quoted above, where he fays 
 that he had been blamelefs, touching the 
 right eotifnefs that Is in the laiv ; this being, 
 as I apprehend, a point of considerable 
 importance. By this, then, I think he 
 jnuft intend one or the other of the three 
 things following : Either, 
 
 1. THAT he had been, in the moft 
 ftrift and proper fenfe, perfect and lin- 
 lefs: Or, 
 
 2. THAT he had been blamelefs 
 and perfect in a lower and lefs proper 
 fenfe i as other good men under the law 
 were faid to be, notwithftanding fome 
 deviations from their duty : Or, 
 
 3. THAT he had been blamelefs with 
 relation to the ceremonial part of the 
 law ; which it feems, the Jews of that 
 corrupt, degenerate age,generally efteem- 
 ed the moft excellent, and chiefly gloried 
 in. 
 
 THE 
 
in Chrift) &* 337 
 
 THE righteoufnefs which the apoflle STSRM. 
 here intends, whatever it be, he certain- VL 
 ly difclaims as an infufficient ground of 
 truft and dependence, in the next words. 
 'But what things were gain, to me, thofe 
 I counted loft for Chrift. The connecti 
 on plainly (hows, that he contemned 
 and difpifed all his former righteoufnefs, 
 in comparifon of that which is of God 
 by faith. 
 
 Now we may be very certain that the 
 Apoftle is not to be underftood in the 
 firft fenfe mentioned : He. does not mean, 
 that he had perfectly kept the whole law 
 of MOSES, in its greateft extent and lati 
 tude. For ( i ) it is generally acknpw- 
 ledged by Chriltians, that that law com- 
 prehends the law of nature, as well as the 
 law of ceremonies, and carnal ordinan 
 ces : In which latitude, our Saviour him- 
 felf expounds it. (2) St. *?#/// himfelf fays 
 exprefsly, in his epillle to the Romans, 
 that all, Jews as well as Gentiles, have fin 
 ned that all the w r orld is become guilty 
 before God ; and that every mouth mull 
 be (lopped. In which places he cannot 
 be fuppofed to fpeak exclusively of him- 
 felf. (3) We divers times find him la 
 menting the fins which he had commit 
 ted, while he was in his Jewifh ftate ; 
 particularly that ofperfecuting the church 
 
 of 
 
138 Of being found 
 
 SE RM. of Chrift, (4) If he had been perfect in 
 VI. this fenfe, he could not have undervalued 
 fuch a righteoufnefs, or needed any other. 
 For a perfect righteoufnefs is undoubtedly 
 fufficient for any man : And the language 
 of the law itfelf is, " That the man that 
 doth thefe things, (hall live in them." 
 From thefe confiderations, not to mention 
 any more, it is evident that St. *P au /, by 
 his having been blamelefs touching the righ- 
 teoujn'efs ivhich is in the laiv, could not in 
 tend that he had perfectly obeyed the law 
 in its utmoft 'latitude and rigor. 
 
 IT remains, therefore, that he is to be 
 underftood either in the fecond or third 
 lenfe mentioned : i. e. That he had been 
 blamelefs and perfect, as other good men 
 under the law, were faid to be, not- 
 withftanding fome deviations from it : 
 Or that he had, with the greateft pun6hi- 
 ality, obfervcd the ritual part of it, as 
 contradiftinguifhed from the moral. Let 
 us confuler, which of thefe things he in 
 tends. And that he is to be underftood 
 5n the laft mentioned fenfe, will, I think, 
 appear very probable at leaft, from the 
 following confiderations. 
 
 i. IT does not appear from St. Taitl's 
 ftory, as we have it in the new teftament, 
 that he was really a good man, antece 
 dently to his converfion to the faith of 
 
 Chrift ; 
 
c. 
 
 Chriil ; or that he had any righteoufnefs S-fcfcM.'- 
 beiidcs that which was proper to his feel, VI. 
 i as ^Pharifee* And how much this righte- \ 
 \ oufnefs eoniifted in outward formalities, 
 j and ceremonious ufages ;how little of good < 
 morality went into the compofition of a 
 *P bar fee's righteoufhefs ; how far it fell } 
 , ihort of that fin'cere piety and undiffem- 
 1 bled virtue, which was eflential to a right- , 
 cous character, even under the law of 
 Mo/es, no one can be ignorant, who has 
 read the gof pels with due attention. That 
 which our Saviour terms, The rrghteouf- 
 nefs'nf the firlbcs .and ^P'bari fees, did not in 
 clude in it real fanctity of heart and man 
 ners ; fuch as good men under the law 
 were the fubjecls of. If it had, : he would 
 not furely have told us, that except our 
 righteoufnefs exceeds it, we .cannot enter 
 into the kingdom of Heaven : For it will 
 not, iprefumey.be doubted but that all 
 truly 7 - pious and holy men, whether under 
 the legal or evangelical difpenfation, fhall 
 not actually be admitted into that king 
 dom hereafter; How does it appear, that- 
 the Apoftle was a better man than thofe 
 of his feet generally were ; who, as is 
 plain from our, Saviour's account of them, 
 were not only imperfect, as the beft men 
 arc in this world ; but deftitute of that 
 righteoufnefs which is attainable ; and of 
 
 which 
 
*4 Of being found 
 
 DERM, which many good men under the law 
 were actually the fubjefts ? It is not very 
 eafy to reconcile the luppofition of Saul's 
 being a good man, with the known fat 
 of his being fo bitter a perfecutor of the 
 church ; and his continuing to breath out 
 threatenings and flaughter againft it, for' 
 fo long a time together. To defire to do 
 the will of God, is effential to the charac 
 ter of a good man : And our Saviour had 
 faid, That " if any man would do his will, 
 " he fhould know of his do&rine whether 
 " it were of God, or whether he fpake 
 " ofhimfelf/' Caniteafily be fuppofed, 
 then, that Saul, had he been really a good 
 and uprigat man, could have been, for 
 fo long a time, under a miftake in this 
 matter and been fo outrageoufly zealous 
 as he was, to extirpate the religion of 
 Chrift ? I will not abfolutely deny the 
 pofllbility of this ; but yet think it is very 
 improbable. Befides, St. Taul feems, in 
 fome of his cpiftles, to attribute his be 
 coming a good man, to his becoming a 
 difciple of Chrift ; particularly where he 
 fays, that it was " the law of the fpirit of 
 life in Chrift Jefus, that had made him 
 free from the law of fin and death." Now 
 if his converfion from fin to God, was co- 
 temporary with his coiiverfion from Ju- 
 datfm to Chriftianity ; (which is probable 
 
 from 
 
in- Chri/1, 
 
 From the account he gives of himfelf)it 
 follows, that by the righteoufnefs which 
 is in the law, he muft mean only that 
 external, pharijatcal righteoufnefs before- 
 mentioned ; not that internal and fanctity, 
 of which good men were the fubjects un 
 der the mojaic difpenfation. 
 
 IT will perhaps be objected, that St. 
 *Paul declares he verily tho't with himfelf 
 that he ought to do thofe things which 
 he did, contrary to the name of Jefus 
 of Nazareth ; that he had lived, before 
 his becoming a Chriftian, in all good 
 confcience towards God : And that this 
 fuppofes him to have been a righteous 
 man, in the qualified fenfe of fcripture, 
 antecedently to his converfion to the faith 
 of Chrift. However this feems not to be 
 conclufive and fatisfaclory : For there are 
 lioubtlefs many wicked men who a<5t con- 
 fcientioufly, efpecially in the bufinefs of 
 perfecution, when their heads are heated 
 with religious, party-difputes, and their 
 hearts bum with a falfe zeal. Men may 
 acl confcientioufly, for the time, in things 
 of this nature, and indeed in almoft all 
 others ; and yet not be truly good and 
 virtuous. When our Saviour tells his dif- 
 ciples that ' 5 the time would come, when 
 " whofoever killed them, would think 
 " tbathedidGodfervice-" I fuppofe none 
 
 imagiue 
 
 -14.1 
 
Of being found 
 
 SEEM, imagine that he means good and virtuous 
 men would do thus, merely becaufe they 
 are fuppofed to aft confcientioufly towards 
 God, thinking they do fervice to him. 
 No ; The obvious fenfe is, that men of 
 corrupt minds,, and destitute of the truth, 
 would be fo infatuated, fo blinded with 
 bigotry, and enmity againft the gofpe!, 
 that they would perfecute even to death, 
 the preachers and profeflbrs of it, not on 
 ly without pity and remorfe, but even 
 with a firm perfwafion that they were 
 difcharging their duty to God ; i. e. with 
 a good conscience towards Him. It is not 
 therefore implied in what the Apoftle fays 
 .of hiinfelf, that he had been a truly right 
 eous, good man. It does not necef- 
 larily, or naturally, amount . to any thing 
 more than this, all circumftances being 
 confidered ; viz. That he had been zeal 
 ous in the religion he profeffed ; a con- 
 ieientious obferver of the law, as interpre 
 ted by the Tharifees ; and that when he 
 .was embruiag his hands in the blood of 
 the innocent, he was fo far from doing 
 what he knew to be finful, that he fol 
 lowed the dictates of a miftaken con- 
 fcience. All which is rather an evidence, 
 that the light within him was then dark- 
 nefs, and that he was depraved to great 
 degree/ than that; he .was really the pious 
 
 man, 
 
in Chrift, &c. 143 
 
 man, and ftrlcl moral'/ ft, which ib me fup- SERM. 
 jpofe him to have been. VI. 
 
 2. THAT the Apqftle is not to be un- ' 
 derftoqd as aliening that 'he. had been a 
 careful obferver of the moral part of the 
 law, appears from hence. He is here 
 arguing againft the Jews ; and evidently 
 fpeaks : of the righteoufnefs which is in the 
 law, according to the notions and inter 
 pretations thereof, which generally pre 
 vailed amongft them : He reafons with 
 them, -or rather againft them, upon their 
 own principles, in order to confute them 
 the more effectually. And is it not ma- 
 nifeft from the new teftament, that the 
 righteoufnefs which the Jews of this time, 
 especially the .Tbarifees, laid the greateft 
 ftrefs upon, and chiefly gloried in, was a 
 mere ceremonious, or ritual righteouf 
 nefs ? a righteoufnefs, which had little or 
 no concern with their hearts -r-J morals? 
 This was evidently the cafe. And it is 
 much the moil natural fuppoiltion, that 
 St. *Paid here ufes tLcfe terms, [the right 
 eoufnefs which is in the Law] in the 
 jcivij/y fenfe of them ; intending fuch a 
 righteoufnefs thereby, as thefe words 
 would have iurnified in the ^ mouth of a 
 common; . Ir was not directly to 
 
 his purpofe, to u^o them in any higher, 
 or more exalted, feafe, 
 
 3. THIS 
 
146 Of being found 
 
 3. THIS is farther evident, " Becaufe 
 he fpeaks of fuch a righteoufnefs as 
 was reckoned matter of confidence in the 
 fl e fo '> which is his way of defcribing 
 " the pofitive part of the Mojalc law, 
 " which was of a carnal nature, related 
 " to, and affecled the flefh ; whereas the 
 " moral righteQufnefs therein required 
 " was HQtflefhly ; nor is it, that I remem- 
 " her, ever fpoken of as fuch." * 
 
 4. THE particular things which the 
 Apoftle enumerates in this paiTage, as giv 
 ing him greater reafon of confidence and 
 boalling, than many others could pretend 
 to, are all relative to the Jews, and the 
 mofalc oeconomy ; -his lineal defcent from 
 Abraham, circuinctjlon^ &c. He does not 
 ib much as hint at any particular branch 
 of true moral righteoufnefs, which he 
 could juftlv b y claim to, unlefs his perfe- 
 cuting zeal can be looked upon as fuch. 
 Now if the Apoftle had really intended to 
 reprefent himfelf as a pious,virtuous man, 
 antecedently to his becoming a Chriftian, 
 can it be fuppofed that he would have in- 
 ilanced only in his Jewifo privileges, and 
 
 things 
 
 * ViJ. Mr. Pt-ircis notes in Lcf, Hov much, or how lit 
 tle, I have been beholden to this learned Commentator, 
 in other parts of this diicourie, where I have not ex- 
 prefly mentioned him, may be eafily feen by thofe who 
 think it worth while. 
 
in Chrift) &c. 145 
 
 things of a ceremonious, external nature? SERM. 
 Is it not much more natural to fuppofe, VI. 
 that he would, in this cafe, have inftan- 
 ced in the great and important precepts 
 of the moral Law, which he had care 
 fully obferved ? He certainly knew, at 
 the time of his writing this epiftle, what 
 ever he did before, that the keeping of 
 thefe latter commandments, was much 
 more commendable, and acceptable in the 
 light of God, than the things of which 
 he fpeaks ; but yet wholly omits them. 
 This is, I think, a plain demonflration, 
 that by his having been blamelefs touch 
 ing the righteoufnefs which is in the law> 
 he means no more, than that he had kept 
 the ceremonial law with the utmoft pre- 
 cifion and exaftnefs ; fo as to Hand, in 
 that refpeft, at leaft upon an equal foot 
 ing with any of his countrymen. 
 
 5. IF by the righteoufnefs that is in 
 the law, the Apoftle had intended the 
 moral purity and good works required 
 thereby ; it is not fuppofeable that he 
 would have fpoken of it, in the verfes 
 immediately following, in fuch ilrong 
 terms of contempt as he does ; faying 
 that he counted it lofs and dung. Indeed 
 he often fpeaks, in other places, of the 
 moft compleat righteoufnefs of the beft 
 men, as imperfect ; as attended with 
 fome faults and failings ; and therefore 
 L iu- 
 
Of being found 
 
 SERM. infufficient to juftify them before God, 
 according to the rigor of law : But this 
 is a very different thing, from ftyling 
 . fuch a righteoufneis lofs and Jung : Nor 
 do the fcriptures any where authorife 
 our fpeaking of the moral virtues of 
 good men in fuch contemptuous lan 
 guage. This is inconfiftent with the 
 whole fpirit, and the conftant language 
 of fcripture ; wherein the moral virtues 
 of good men are always mentioned 
 with honor, and the higheft epithets of 
 commendation. But if we fuppofe the 
 Apoftle intends only thofe Jewijh privi 
 leges, and that ceremonious righteouf 
 neis, wherein the 'Pharifees chiefly truft- 
 ed, without any reference to the weigh 
 tier matters of the law it will be eafy to 
 account for his fpeaking of fuch a righte- 
 oufriefs in the manner he does. This 
 . righteoufneis, not containing in it any 
 'thing truly good, but confining merely 
 in the form ofgodlinefs without the power, 
 might be fitly enough compared to dung, 
 or to filthy rags ; and renounced as a 
 Avorthlefs thing. But to fpeak in fuch 
 reproachful language of the moral virtues, 
 which confift fummarily in the love of 
 ;God arid man, and an imitation of the 
 divine .perfections ; % is, in itfelf fo abfurd, 
 fo.aear to profanity and 
 "blaf- 
 
in Chrifty &c. $47 
 
 bkfphemy, that I cannot think fo wifeSERM. 
 and good a man as St. ^Paul could ever VI. 
 be guilty of it. He always fpeaks in 
 quite a different ftrain concerning obedi 
 ence to the moral part of the law ; tho', 
 as was faid before, he aflerts that no man 
 has fo exaftly and perfectly obeyed the^ 
 law, as to be juftified thereby ; and 
 therefore admonifhes us to rely upon the 
 grace of God ia Chrift Jefus, as reveale4 
 in the Gofpel, for acceptance with him. 
 
 FOR the feveral reafons mentioned, I 
 think we may conclude, with a good 
 degree of certainty, that when the A- 
 poftle declares he had been " blamelefs 
 touching the righteoufnefs that is in the 
 law", his meaning is not, that he had 
 been finlefs ; nor even that he had been 
 a ftrift obferver of the moral part of the 
 law, fo far as is confiftent with common 
 human frailty : But only, that he had 
 been righteous in the pharifaical fenfe of 
 the word ; that he was poflefled of the 
 righteoufnefs which that feft trufted in ; 
 which gave them confidence in the flefh ; 
 and which coniifted almoft wholly in cer 
 tain external privileges, and ceremonious 
 ufages ; as appears fully from the new- 
 teftament, particularly from the following 
 pafTages " The *Pharifees and all 
 Jews except they walh their hands 
 L a 
 
148 Of being found 
 
 SERM. n t> And many other things there be, 
 which they have received to hold ; as 
 the wafhing of cups and pots, and brazen 
 veflels and tables"- " Woe unto you, 
 Scribes and Tbarifees, hypocrites ; for ye 
 tythe mint and anife and cummin, and 
 negle& the weightier matters of the law" 
 " Ye make clean the out-fide of the 
 cup and the platter ; but within are full 
 of extortion and excefs Ye are like un 
 to whited fepulchres, which indeed ap 
 pear beautiful outward ; but are within 
 full of dead mens bones and all unclean- 
 nefs : Even fo ye appear righteous unto 
 men ; but within ye are full of hypocrify 
 and iniquity" " Ye make void the law 
 of God thro' your traditions."- -Thefe 
 paflages give you a true Idea of the reli 
 gion chiefly in vogue, in the days of our 
 Saviour and his Apoftles ; I mean a- 
 mongft the Jews, efpecially the feft of 
 the Tkarijees, that ftrait Jeff, to which 
 St. Taitl fays he belonged. And this is 
 manifeftly the righteoulhefs which this 
 Apoftle intends in the paflage we are 
 coniidering ; which he calls the righfeouj- 
 nefs that is in the laiv and his oivn rigbte- 
 ffufoejs. This is that righteoufnefs which 
 he once depended upon, accounting it 
 g$& to him ; and which he afterwards 
 renounced, accounting it no better than. 
 
 lofs 
 
in Chrift^ &c. 149 
 
 lofs and Jung, in comparifon of the rigbte- SERM. 
 oufnefs 'which is of God by Faith. Nor can VI. 
 there well be a greater perverfion of his 
 meaning, and true defign, than to repre- 
 fent him as fpeaking in this manner con 
 cerning that real holinefs and moral good- 
 nefs, by which *men are made like to the 
 bleffed God himfelf. 
 , LET me make one fhort reflection 
 here before I proceed any further. Since 
 it is plain that the Apoftle, by his own 
 righteoufnefs, which he renounces in fuch 
 ftrong terms of contempt, means only his 
 Jewijh priviledges, and an external phari- 
 faical righteoufnefs ; this fhows the abfur- 
 dity of applying what is here faid to the 
 virtues and good works of Chriftians ; of 
 thofe Perfons who live under the Gofpel- 
 difpenfation, ' and pradically conform 
 themfelves to it. Such perfons, are often 
 told, that they muft have no dependency 
 upon their own righteoufnefs, their virtues 
 and good works ; that this righteoufnefs, 
 is no better than dung, &c. And all this 
 loofe, irrational kind of talk, is pretended 
 to be grounded upon, and fupported by, 
 the doftrine of St. Taul ; particularly in 
 the paflage now under confideration. 
 Whereas it is very manifefl,that this great 
 Apoftle had not the lead reference to the 
 good works of Chriftians ; nor even to 
 L 3 the 
 
the moral duties required by the law of 
 Mofes ; but only to that fuperficial, cere- 
 monious righteoufnefs, in which the Tha- 
 rifees were wont to truft and to glory ; a 
 righteoufnefs altogether different from, 
 arid inferior to, that which is intended 
 by thofe, who fo zealoufly warn us not 
 to have any dependence upon our obedi 
 ence to Chrift's commandments ; fo total 
 ly different from it, that no argument can 
 be drawn from one to the other. And 
 how well foever thofe may mean, who 
 apply what the Apoftle fays concerning 
 his own righteoufnefs, while he was a 
 perfecutingy/^r/y^, to evangelical obedi 
 ence ; it is demonftrable that they grofly 
 wreft his meaning ; and inftil very falfe 
 and pernicious notions of religion into 
 the minds of Chriftians. 
 
 BUT to proceed : Having feen what 
 the apoftle here intends by his own righ 
 teoufnefs, the righteoufnefs which is /", or 
 of, the laiv ; and which he difclaims as 
 being of little or no value ; let us now 
 inquire what it is which he oppofes 
 thereto ; and in which he trufts and 
 triumphs. 
 
 Now he tells us, that he defpifed his 
 CXvn former righteoufnefs ; and account 
 ed it as lofs and dung, for [or in compa- 
 rifoa of] the excellency of the knowledge of 
 
 Cbrfi 
 
in 
 
 Cbriftj 
 
 Chrift Jefus his Lord : that he tnight win PERM. 
 Chrift) and be found in bimh&ving the , VI. 
 right eonfnej} which is thro the faith of ' 
 Chrift ; the rightcoitfnefs 'which is of\God by 
 faith ; that he might know him, and the pow 
 er of his refurre&ion^ and the fellow flip of 
 his fufferingS) being ma$e conformable unto 
 his deathThe feveral things here men 
 tioned, the Apoftle oppofes to his former 
 righteouihefs, while he was a Tbarifee. 
 Let us Gonlider them diftin&ly, that we 
 may fee, whether they do i^ot comprife 
 in them obedience to the gofpel ? and 
 confequently, whether the Apoftle does 
 not rather oppofe his- -own righteoufnefs> 
 which was of the laiu, to evangelical pu 
 rity and bolinefsi than to the righteoufnefs 
 of Chrift imputed '? 
 
 TH E firft thing he mentions is, the ex 
 cellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus his 
 Lord. By which knowledge, if he di 
 rectly intends nothing more than a gene 
 ral fpeculative knowledge of Chrift, and 
 the gofpel-difpenfation ; yet this will 
 make nothing againft the worth and im 
 portance of evangelical obedience. But 
 if, as it is moft probable, he means what 
 fome call a praaical experimental know 
 ledge of Chrift ; or fuch a knowledge as 
 is productive of obedience to his com 
 mandments ; then this is not only no ob- 
 L 4 jedion 
 
$52 Of being found 
 
 SERM. jedion againft, but d. direft confirmation 
 VI. of, what has been faid upon this point. 
 ' For the Apoftle's fenfe will then be, that 
 he contemned his former, pbarifaical righ- 
 teoufnefs, as worthlefs, in comparifon of 
 that real purity and fanftity, of which 
 thofe are the fubjefts, who truly know 
 Chrift. And in this complex fenfe, the 
 knowledge of Chrift is often to be under- 
 flood in the new teftament : /. e. it com 
 prehends both a fpeculative knowledge 
 of him, and a frame of mind, and an ex 
 ternal behaviour, conformable thereto. 
 Thus it is faid, Hereby do we know that 
 we know him, if we keep his commandments* 
 He that faith I know him, and keepeth not 
 bis commandments, is a Lyar and the truth is 
 'not in him. So it is faid to be life eternal^ 
 to know the only true God, and Jefus Chrift^ 
 whom he hath fent. This muft mean, to 
 know God, and his only begotten Son, 
 fo as to love and ferve them, in the man- 
 iier the gofpel requires us to do. For 
 furely it is not life eternal to know God, 
 if /";; works we deny him. 
 
 TH E Apoftle adds- That I may win 
 Chrift -\. His meaning is, that he might 
 
 have 
 
 f-. " StjP<7ft/ here carries on a very handfom and agrethle 
 " allegory, in which all the metaphors are taken from traders 
 ? or merchants 1 '" He feems here to confider Chrift, as the 
 " moil important and valuable thing, which he was therefore 
 5* follicitous to fecure to himfelf."- _ ^ Mr. Peiru. 
 
in Chrift) &c. 153 
 
 have Chrift for his Saviour ; that he might SERM, 
 be interefted in the redemption wrought VI. 
 out by him, in conformity to that me 
 thod, and to thofe terms of acceptance 
 with God, which the gbfpel reveals. 
 The expreffion here ufed is fo general 
 and indeterminate,- that no argument can 
 be drawn from hence, either for or a- 
 gainft, what I am now more particularly 
 endeavouring to fhow. 
 
 THE Apoftle fubjoins >and be found in 
 him. The phrafe [ being in Chriji] is u- 
 fed in a twofold fenfe in the new tefta- 
 ment. Sometimes it intends no mor 
 than an outward profeffion of his name 
 and religion ; or being a member of his 
 vifible Church, which is his body. At 
 other times it means being in him as his 
 true difciples and followers ; and intereft 
 ed, by faith and fincere obedience, in 
 that faivation which he has purchafed for 
 all fucli. Thus the Apoftle John explains 
 it ; " He that keepeth his commandments + 
 dwelleth in him." And St. Taul himfelf ; 
 [Rom. 8. i.] " There is therefore now no 
 condemnation to them which are in Chrift 
 Je/us, who 'walk not after the flejb, but af 
 ter thefpirit" Agreably hereto, it is faid 
 in the apocalypfe, that blefled are the dead 
 which die in the Lord ; for they reft 
 from their Iabours 3 and their works do fol 
 low 
 
154 Of being found 
 
 SERM. low -them" From thefe feveral paflages 
 VI. it appears, that to be in Chrift, in the 
 molt eminent and important fenfe of the 
 Phrafe,is to be interefted in the redempti 
 on and falvation which he has wrought 
 out, by keeping bis commandments ; by 
 walking after the fpirit ; or by doing thofe 
 good works, which are faid to follow the 
 righteous into another world, when they 
 depart out of this. 
 
 Now when the apoftle exprefles his 
 ardent defire, that he might be found in 
 Cbrift ; it feems moft natural to under- 
 ftand him in this latter fenfe, i. e. as 
 wifhing to be found and acknowledged 
 at laft,as one of Chrift's faithful fervants ; 
 one of thofe, to whom the great and pre 
 cious promifes of the gofpel are made. 
 We can fcarce fuppofe that he would ex- 
 prefs fo great a follicitude as he here does, 
 to be found in Chrift, only by an out 
 ward and formal profeffion of his religi 
 on ; r by faith alone, as it is oppofed to 
 evangelical obedience. To be found in 
 Chrift in this fenfe only,he certainly knew 
 would avail him nothing at the laft day. 
 And if we underftand him in the other, 
 as we ought undoubtedly to do ; furely 
 there is nothing here which looks like 
 difparaging, or undervaluing, the virtues 
 and good works of Christians ; or which 
 
 intimates 
 
Ghrift, &c. 155 
 
 intimates that the Apoftle difclaimed all 
 truft and dependence upon his living in VI. 
 obedience to Chrift's laws* His words 
 imply the direft contrary : viz. that he 
 earneftly defired to be a faithful and o- 
 bedient fervant of Chrift, as the only way 
 of obtaining falvation by him. 
 
 THE Apoftle goes on- Not having 
 mine own righteoufnefs^ -which is of the law ; 
 but that which is thro the faith of Chrljl ; 
 the righteoufnefs of God by faith, What he 
 means by his own righteoufnefs, which 
 was of the law ; has been particularly 
 fhown above ; viz. his Jewifh priviledg- 
 es, and his ftrid adherence to the cere 
 monial part of the law, according to the 
 cuftom of the Tharifees. So that the in 
 quiry now is only, what St. *Paul intends 
 by the righteoufhefs which is thro the faith 
 of Chrift, the righteouihefs which is of 
 God by faith ; and which he oppofes to 
 that righteoufnefs of the law, on which 
 he had formerly relied. 
 
 Now by this he may poffibly mean, 
 that real holinefs of heart and manners. 
 which is the genuine effeft of faith, or 
 faith in Chrift, and in God thro' him. 
 Agreable to this interpretation, we read 
 of faith that worketh by love, that over- 
 cometh the world, and the like. And e- 
 tangelical righteoufnefs, or that holinefs, 
 
 the 
 
Of being found 
 
 SERM. f^ e root an j principle of which is faith ; 
 as it might be properly enough termed 
 the righteoufnefs which is thro' the faith 
 of Chrift, or the righteoufnefs of God by 
 faith ; fo it might, with -equal propriety, ' 
 be oppofed to JeWift* priviledges, and an 
 external, pharijaical conformity to the law 
 of Mofes. And this righteoufnefs might 
 be faid to be of God, in contradiftinftion 
 to the other, either becaufe it is that righ 
 teoufnefs, whifh He has prefcribed and 
 required, and promifed to accept ; or be 
 caufe it is attained by grace and help de 
 rived from Him. And if we underitand 
 the Apoftle thus, as many do, not with 
 out fome appearance of reafon ; this paf- 
 fage will- furely make directly againft 
 thofe, whofe practice it is to fpeak con- 
 temptuoufly of Chriftian obedience ; and 
 to reprefent it as being of no efficacy to 
 wards procuring Acceptance with God, 
 and eternal life. Nor does this interpre 
 tation render the obedience and atone 
 ment of Chrift needlefs ; for it is only 
 thro' him, that our imperfeft righteouf- 
 iiefs is accepted and rewarded. 
 
 However,there is another interpretation, 
 which feems rather more agreable to the 
 doftrine and language ofSt.Tau! in other 
 places ; and which is, I think, to be prefer 
 red accordingly. By righteoufnefs here, I 
 
 underftand 
 
in Crift) &c. 157 
 
 understand not any holinefs or good works SERM 
 of men ; any obedience which Chriftians 
 perform ; but pardoning mercy, accep 
 tance and juftilication, with God ; as the 
 fame word is fometimes ufed. J Of fuch 
 pardoning mercy, or juftification unto 
 life, we become the objects, by faith in 
 Chriff, or by the gofpel of Chrift, in op- 
 pofition to the law. For it is elfe- where 
 laid, that by the deeds of the lcrw no flefo 
 Jhall be juftified ; becaufe all have finned. 
 God" has gracioufly ordained another way, 
 in which tranfgreflbrs may be accepted 
 and juftified of him ; viz. thro' faith in 
 his Son, who is the propitiation for Sin. 
 And "the mercy of God thus revealed to 
 finners in the Gofpel, is here called His 
 rjghtcoufnefs thro' faith. And God's ac 
 cepting finners in this way, is what the 
 Apoftle elfe- where exprefles by his * im 
 puting 
 
 t In this fenfe, the Apoftle Paul in particular, feems evi 
 dently to ufethis term, Rom. %. ZT, 26. But now the 
 
 rigbteoufnefi of God without the law is fft<inifefttd t being witnejf- 
 ed by tbe law and the prophets ; even the rigbteoufnefsof^od 
 wbicb it byfaitb of Jefus Chrijt, &c. 
 
 * I cannot but juft obferve here, that the fcripture teaches 
 no fuch do6lrine,as that of God's imputing tbe perfeft rigbteouf- 
 xefs tfCbrifi tofinnenforjuftification. If we have recourfe to 
 Romans 4th,where the imputation ofrigbteoufnefs is mentioned ; 
 and which is, I think, the principal paflage, on which the 
 Advocates for this do&rine build/u is very evident that the im- 
 futini of rigbttoufnefs is oppofed to the marking of iniquity, and 
 
 (ignifics 
 
158 Of being found 
 
 pitting right eoufnejs without works ; and 
 his counting faith for right eanfnefs. But 
 then it is to be particularly obferved, that 
 tho' faith is here, and in other places, 
 oppofed to the works and righteoufnefs 
 of the Mofaic law, properly fo called ; 
 yet it is not oppofed to evangelical obe 
 dience, as if it was by believing in Chrift, 
 cxclufively of fubmitting to his will and 
 commandments, that we are accepted 
 with God, and intitled to eternal life. 
 For throughout the new teftament, when 
 the bleflings of pardon, acceptance with 
 God, and eternal life, are annexed to 
 
 faith 
 
 the fame thing precifely, with forgiving ixiwify * 
 tovcnngfin ; cr not imputing Jin. For thus it is that David i 
 there introduced as describing the Lleflednefs of the man, unto 
 whom God imputcth righteoufeefs wichout works, faying, 
 * BlefTed are they whofe iniquities are forgiven, and whofe 
 ' fins arc covered : blefled is that man unto whom the Lord 
 " will not impute fin." I would not be underftood to mean, 
 thit it is not in confideration of Chrift's becoming obedient UK!* 
 death, that thofe who believe, arc pardonM, accepted, and 
 treated of God as tho 7 they were righteous : For this is evi 
 dently the doctrine of the Gofpel ; and is, 1 fuppofe, what is 
 intended when it is faid, That " by the obedience of Ore, 
 many mail be made righteous." (Rom. 5. 19.) Poffibly fomc 
 who fpeak of Chrift's righteoufnefs as being imputtdto us, mtv 
 intend no more hereby than what is exprefled above : with 
 Wfhom I have the happinefs to agree, except as to the proprie 
 ty of this way of expr effing the matter. This, I humbly con 
 ceive, is a mifapplication of the fcripture phrafe, imputing 
 rigbteMjnejs ; and almoft unavoidably leads many people into 
 a mifapprehenfion of the fcripture-doftrine of our pardon and 
 acceptance with G-oU, (hro* what pur Redeemer has dcme *n 
 Offered for us. 
 
in Chrijl, fife. 159 
 
 iaith ; faith either means the gofpel-dif- SERM. 
 penfation in general, as oppofed to the VI. 
 mofaic, or elfe it is to be taken in a com- 
 plex fenfe, and intends both believing the 
 gofpel, and an hearty fubmiffion and o- 
 bedience thereto. Nor can it be other- 
 \vife underftood, without making the 
 fcripture contradift itfelf ; as will appear 
 more particularly in the two following 
 difcourfes, concerning juft if cation by faith. 
 UPON the whole, the fenfe of the A- 
 poftle here, where he exprefTes his defire 
 to be found in Chrift, not having his own 
 righteoufnefs ; but that 'which is thro the faith 
 ofChrift ; the righteoufaeff of God by faith ; 
 may be taken in the following para* 
 phrafe : q. d. " It was, and flill is, my 
 great concern to be found a true difciple 
 of Jefus Chrift ; interefted in the mercy 
 of God thro' him, and intitled to the fal- 
 vation purchafed by him : -Not depend 
 ing upon my privileges as a Jew ; nor 
 deliring to appear in that legal ceremoni 
 ous righteoufnefs, of which I once tho't 
 ib highly ; but relying wholly upon the 
 pardoning mercy and goodnefs of God ; 
 which He has now clearly revealed and 
 promifed to thofe who believe in his Son, 
 and obey his Gofpel, whether they be 
 Jews or Gentiles' 9 This I take to be the 
 true fenfe -and fpirit of St. 2Ws words. 
 
 And 
 
1 60 % Of being found 
 
 SERM, And if it is, it is perfectly confiftent with 
 VI* all that has been faid in the preceeding 
 1 difcourfes, concerning the neceffity of e- 
 v^ngelical holinefSi 
 
 BUT the Apoftle goes on That I may 
 know him, and the power of his rejurreclion, 
 *ver. 10. the former part. It is needlefs to 
 add any thing here, concerning what the 
 Apoftle means by knowing Chrift ; this 
 being no more, in effeft, than a repeti 
 tion of what he had faid before, concern 
 ing the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift 
 Jefus his Lord. But what does he intend 
 by knowing the Tower of Chrift' s refurrefti- 
 on ? This may be explained by fuch paf- 
 fages as thefe : That Chrift was raifed for 
 our Justification ; that God has begotten us 
 unto a lively hope by his refurreftion from the 
 dead ; and, that every one that hath this hope, 
 pttrifieth himfelf, &c. The refurre&ion 
 of Chrift is the great argument, by which 
 the truth of the gofpel is eftablifhed : 
 that gofpel, which is the balls of all our 
 hopes ; the charter of all our privileges as 
 Chriftians ; of our pardon, and title to 
 eternal life. And the refurreftion of 
 Chrift being confiderecl in this light ; and 
 in connexion with his fubfequent exalta 
 tion to glory, 'to appear in the prefence of 
 God for us ; has a natural tendency to 
 quicken us .in running the race of piety 
 
 and 
 
n 
 
 virtue fet before us ; to raife us from E 
 the death of fin, to newnefs of life ; and 
 to exalt our tho'ts, to thofe things that "~~ 
 are above, ivhere Chrift Jttteth at the right 
 hand of God. Sentiments of this kind fre 
 quently occur in the new teftament. And 
 when the apoftle expreiTes his defire to 
 know the power of Chrift's refurreftion* 
 the obvious fenfe thereof is, that he might 
 experience the full and proper efficacy of 
 this great doftrine upon his own heart* 
 in the confirmation of his faith in the di 
 vine promifes ; in the elevation of his 
 hopes above this world, and fixing them 
 on things unfeen and eternal ; and fo in 
 infpiring him with zeal and fortitude and 
 patience in doing the will of his rifen and 
 afcended mafter : So that this is no evi 
 dence of the Apoftle's making little or no 
 account of perfonal righteoufnefs and ho- 
 linefs ; but an evident proof of the coii^ 
 trary. 
 
 ST. Taul fubjoins -And the fellowfhip 
 of his fujfferings, being made conformable to 
 his death. The fenfe in general, may be 
 this : The Apoftle, we know^ lived iii 
 times of great trial and perfecution, being 
 in jeopardy every bour i and dying daily.' 
 And his defire was,- that,- in all his fuffer- 
 ings and tribulations, he might fuffer af 
 ter the manner that Chrift did, in the fame 
 M glorious- 
 
 
1 6 2 Of being found 
 
 glorious caufe of truth and righteoufnefk, 
 and with the like patience and reiblution ; 
 that fo he might have a fort of communi 
 on and fellowship and participation with 
 him in his fufferings, and even in death, 
 as well as in life, be conformed to his di 
 vine Mafter. A paflage in his epiftles to 
 Timothy may, perhaps, illuftrate his mean 
 ing here " Therefore, lays he, I endure 
 all things for the Elecls fake, that they al- 
 fo may obtain the falvation which is in 
 Chrift Jefus, with eternal glory. It is a 
 faithful laying ; if we be dead with him, 
 we fhall alfo live with him : If we fufTer, 
 we fhall alib reign, with him." Agrea- 
 chap. i. bly hereto, he tells the ColoJJlans, * " That 
 /er< 24> he now rejoiced in his fufferings for them, 
 and filled up what was behirs J of the af 
 flictions of Chrift, in his own flefh." 
 
 BUT thofe words, being m.idc conforma 
 ble to his death, will bear another con- 
 ftrudtion. The Apoftle's meaning may 
 be, that he might die unto fin. Which 
 interpretation is countenanced by feme o- 
 ther pafTages of fcripture ; particularly 
 Rom. Chap. 6 ver. 4, and onwards. And 
 becaufe this paflage may poffibly be the 
 beft comment, both upon thefe words, 
 and thofe preceeding, concerning the 
 power of Chrift' s refurreftlon, I fhall beg 
 leave to give it at large " Therefore we 
 
 are 
 
in ChriJI, &c. 163 
 
 ate buried with him by baptifm 
 death ; that like as Chrift was raifed up VL 
 from the dead by the glory of the Fa- ' 
 ther, even fo we alfo fhould walk in 
 iiewnefs of life. For if we have been 
 planted together in the likenefs of his 
 death : we ihall be alfo in the likenefs of 
 his refurre&ion : Knowing this, that our 
 old man is crucified with him, that the 
 body of fin might be deftroyed, that 
 henceforth we fhould not ferve fin. For 
 he that is dead, is freed from fin. Now 
 if we be dead with Chrift, we believe 
 that we fhall alfo live with him : Know 
 ing that Chrift being raifed from the dead, 
 dieth no inore ; death hath no more do 
 minion over him. For in that he died, he 
 died unto fin once : but in that he liveth, 
 he liveth unto God. Likewife reckon ye 
 alfo yourfelves to be dead indeed unto 
 fm ; but alive unto God through Jefus 
 Chrift our Lord. Let not fin therefore 
 reign in your mortal body, that ye fhould 
 obey it in the lufcs thereof." 
 
 THUS I have endeavoured to explain 
 this pafTage of Scripture, wherein the 
 Apoftle, renouncing his own righteouf- 
 nefs which was of the laxv, as inefficient 
 to juftify him, and give him a title to e- 
 ternal life, betakes himfelf to the pardon 
 ing mercy and grace of God, revealed in, 
 M z the 
 
164 Of being found 
 
 SERM. the Gofpel of his Son, thro' faith. And 
 VI. I think it appears that thofe who apply 
 ' it to the controverfy amongft Chriftians 
 at this day, concerning faith and works, 
 as if it favoured the modern notion of jufti- 
 fication thro' the perfect righteoufnefs of 
 Chrift, imputed to us, and received by 
 faith alone, intirely miftake the fcope, 
 and true fpirit of the paflage. It relates 
 to an old difpute betwixt the unchriftia- 
 nized Jews, who boafted of their privi 
 leges, ana depended upon an external, 
 ceremonious righteoufnefs ; and the dif- 
 ciples of Chrift, who aflerted the infuffi- 
 ciency of fuch a righteoufnefs, and the 
 neceffity of having reconrfe to the par 
 doning mercy of God, as revealed to 
 Sinners thro' his Son. And that which 
 the apoftle here exprefTes fo ardent a de- 
 iire after, is neither more k nor lefs than 
 this, that he might be, both in faith and 
 practice, a Chriftian, in order to his be 
 ing intitled to the divine acceptance, and 
 life eternal. It is a grofs perverting of 
 fcripture, to interpret this pafTage, as if 
 the Apoftle had been fpeaking of faith 
 and ivvrks of righteoufnefs, in the modern 
 fenfe of thofe terms, oppofmg one of 
 them to the other ; and reprefenting the 
 former, exclusively of the latter, as what 
 intitles us to the Salvation purchafed by 
 
 Chrifb 
 
in Chrift, me. 165 
 
 Chrift. Nothing could well be more re- SERM. 
 mote from his true deiign ; or more in- VI. 
 confident with the general tenor of fcrip- 
 ture. It may be added, that giving this 
 turn to the paflage has a natural and di- 
 re6l tendency to make Chriftians lefs cau 
 tious and circumfpeft, lefs careful to live 
 up to their profeffion, than v they ought 
 to be. 
 
 ALAS ! could forrow enter the manfi- 
 ons of the blefled, how would it affeft 
 this holy Apoftle to fee his doftrine abu- 
 fed to the encouraging of Vice and licen- 
 cioufnefs, to the deftraftion of thofe fouls, 
 for which Chrift died ! We cannot be 
 ignorant how follicitous he was, while 
 he was fulfilling the miniftry which he- 
 had received of the Lord, that Chriftians 
 fhould adorn their lives with a converfa- 
 tion becoming their high calling of God 
 in Chrift Jefus ; and how much he was 
 grieved when he law any contradicl their 
 profeffion by their behaviour. In this 
 very epiftle, yea in this very chapter, a 
 part of which we have been confidering, 
 he has left us a proof hereof. " Many 
 walk, fays he, of whom I have told you 
 oft, and now tell you even weeping, that 
 they are the enemies of the crofs of Chrift ; 
 whofe end is deftrudion, whofe God is 
 their belly, and whofe glory is in their 
 M 3 fhame ; 
 
j 66 Of being found 
 
 SERM. fhame ; who mind earthly things.' 1 NOB 
 was he lefs careful to live pioufly and 
 virtuoufly himfelf, left he fhould fall 
 fhort of falvation at laft, than he was to 
 inculcate the practice of religion upon o- 
 thers. Both his manner of preaching, 
 and his manner of living, with the great 
 motive of it, may be judged of by the 
 following paflage in his firft epiftle to the 
 Corinthians" Know ye not that they 
 whiqh run in a race, run all ; but one 
 receiveth the prize : So run that ye may 
 obtain. And every one that ftriveth for 
 the maftery, is temperate in all things. 
 Now they do it to obtain a corruptible 
 crown, but we an incorruptible, I there 
 fore fo run, not as uncertainly ; fo fight 
 I, not as cne that beateth the air : But I 
 keep under my body, and bring it into 
 fubjeftion, left that by any means when 
 I have preached to others, I myfelf 
 fhould be a caft-away." This, furely, is 
 not the language of One, who thought 
 his Salvation fecured by faith in the righ- 
 teoufneis of Another, without holinefs, 
 and perfeverance therein to the end. But 
 it is the language of One, who looked 
 upon his future well-being, as fufpended 
 on the condition of his being righteous 
 himfelf, and wntintiing $$tient in 
 doing* 
 
in drift) ifa 167 
 
 IF it fhould be objefted, that this doc- SERM. 
 trine leads men to tnift to their oivn righ- VI* 
 teoujnefs ; I anfwer it is very reafonable 
 they fhould do fo, in one fenie ; and the 
 holy fcripturcs fufficiently warrant it. 
 God has allured us, on one hand, that the 
 unrighteous Jhall not inherit His kingdom ; and 
 on the other, that the righteous flail fline 
 forth as the Sun in the kingdom of their Fa* 
 ther. Certainly then good men may fo 
 far truft to their own righteouihefs, as to 
 believe it will be available with a graci 
 ous God, thro' the Mediator ; fo as to 
 procure eternal life for them. Thus far 
 to truft thereto, is not to be Jeff-righteous, 
 in the bad fenfe of the term ; nor to put 
 a greater value upon our lincere obedi 
 ence, that God himfelf is pleafed to put 
 upon it in his Word. And thus far it is 
 evident St. Taul himfelf milted to his 
 own righteouihefs, which ivas of the Goj~ 
 pel, when he laid, " I have fought the 
 good fight, I have finifhed my courfe, 
 I have kept the faith ; Hence forward 
 there is laid up for me a crown of righ- 
 teoufnefs, which the Lord, the righteous 
 judge, will give me at that day." 
 
 IN DP: ED, imce we cannot be prof ta 
 ble unto God, it is rrianifeft that we cannot 
 merit any good from him. This is im- 
 poflible, not only for fuch imperfeft fin- 
 M'4 
 
1 68 - Of being found 
 
 ful creatures as we are ; but for thofe of 
 the higheft and moft perfeft order. The 
 very notion of merit with regard to God, 
 is a grofs abfurdity and contradiction. It 
 proceeds from a foolifh imagination, that 
 the fervices of his creatures are, fome 
 way or other, really " beneficial and ad^ 
 vantageous to him. If we conceive thus, 
 it is very natural then to think, that we 
 may make Him our debtor ; and merit 
 fomething of him in return. But, to ufe 
 the words of St. Taul, * Who hath firfl 
 given unto him ; and it fhall be recom^ 
 penced to him again ? For of him, and 
 thro' him, and to him are all things.'' 
 Whenever we come to have juft concep 
 tions of God, and of ourfelves, and of 
 the relation in which we ftand towards 
 Him ; when we confider Him as a Being 
 abfolutely independent and felf-fufficient, 
 whofe goodnefs alone prompted him to 
 give us exiftence at firft ; and who go 
 verns us, not for his own fake, but only 
 that we may be happy in loving him, 
 and doing his will ; thefe fentiments will 
 effe&ually root out all that pride and va 
 nity of heart, from whence the notion of 
 merit fprings. We fhall then be fully fen- 
 fible, that we are with relation to Him, 
 unprofitable ferv ants ^ even tho' we fhould 
 do all thofe things that are required of us ; 
 
 and 
 
&C. !^9 
 
 find eonfequently, that w r e are indebted SERM. 
 to his goodnefs, bounty, and free grace, VI. 
 for all the happinefs w r e receive from 
 fiim, whether in this world or another. 
 
 SERMON 
 
170 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 Of Juflification by Faith. 
 
 <:<:<xx:x><XK>oo^ 
 
 JAMES I. 21, 22. 
 
 Li AT apart all filthinefs and fuperftuity of 
 
 naughtinefs, and receive with meeknefs the 
 
 ingrafted word, 'which is able to fave your 
 
 fouls. But be ye doers of the ivord, and 
 
 not hearers only, deceiving your ownfelves. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING the holy fcrip- 
 tures allure us, that all the impeni 
 tent workers of iniquity fhall be con 
 demned in the judgment of the great 
 Day ; notwithftanding they fo plainly 
 teach us, that only the pure in heart fhall 
 fee God ; notwithftanding we are fo fre 
 quently admonifKed to be doers of the 
 word ; and not to hope for the favour of 
 God, either here or hereafter, without 
 forfaking our fins, and working righ- 
 
 teoufaefs; 
 
Of yujtification fy Faith. 171 
 
 tcoufnefs ; notwithstanding all thefe SERM. 
 Things, I fay, it is very hard to convince VII. 
 fome people, that they cannot be accept 
 ed of God thro 7 (Thrift, upon other and 
 eafier terms than fu'ch expreffions feem, 
 at firft view, to imply in them. 
 
 IN the two laft difcourfes, I confider- 
 cd, and endeavoured to refute, two mil- 
 taken notions refpefting this important 
 point ; which notions are grounded up 
 on a mifconftru&ion of thofe expreffions 
 of fcripture, that we are faved by grace ; 
 and, that we muft be found in Chrift, not 
 having our own right eonfnefs. 
 
 TH E R E is another fcripture-expreffion, 
 xvhich has not been lefs abufed, to ferve 
 the caufe of licentioufnefs, than either of 
 the former. The expreffion I intend, is 
 that which occurs divers times in the e- 
 piftles of St. jP aid ; r/z. That we are juf- 
 t'fed by faith. This feems to have been 
 ihe. fleet-anchor, with many : And there 
 fore I fhall examine the weight of it the 
 more carefully, in this and the enfuing, 
 difcourfe : not doubting but it will ap 
 pear too light for their purpofe. The 
 doftrine of the gofpel undoubtedly is, 
 that we are juftified by faith ; but it is a 
 great miftake to infer from hence, that 
 we are accepted to the divine favour, and 
 entitled to eternal lift, without unfeigned 
 
 repentance, 
 
1 7 2 Of Jujlification by Faith. 
 
 DERM, repentance, and new obedience. What-' 
 VII, ever notions we may entertain of juftifi 
 cation ; it is ftill evident that every unre- 
 formed Sinner, every one who hears the 
 word,and does itnot,is the object of God's 
 wrath ; and cannot become an heir of 
 eternal life, but by being made free from 
 fin, and having his fruit unto holinefs. Peo 
 ple may amufe themfelves with terms and 
 diftinttions, as long as they pleafe ; and 
 afcribe their juftification to whatever they 
 will : But after all, the fcripture is plain, 
 that every wicked man is out of his Ma 
 ker's favour ; and muft continue fo, till 
 he ceafes to do evil, and learns to do well. 
 
 Bu T in order to my fpeaking with as 
 little ambiguity as may be, upon the point 
 before us ; and to prevent mifcohftrucli- 
 on j I would premife a few things con 
 cerning the nature of juftification. A 
 fliort account hereof, will open the way. 
 for what is to follow, concerning the 
 manner in which, and the terms upon 
 which, we are juftified before God. 
 
 THAT which is intended by juftifica 
 tion in the new teftament, may be better 
 underftood by a brief defcription, than 
 by any formal definition of the thing. 
 
 Now evangelical juftification may be 
 confidered with relation to the Author of 
 it ; who is almighty Qod, For, fays the 
 
 apoftle, 
 
Of J unification by Faith. 173 
 
 apoftle, " It is God that juftifieth." 
 
 if we confider it under the notion of 
 
 an *-a& of God it is an aft of his mer- 
 
 * Tho" we fometimes fpeak of juftificaiion as an Aft of 
 God ; yet it can hardly be conceived of as ?.ny thing really 
 diftincT, from his written word, or the gracious promifes and 
 declarations of the gofpel. The terms upon which we are 
 accepted to favour, pardoned and juftiiied, are already laid 
 down in the holyScrip:ures : So that thole who comply there 
 with, are juftified of courfe, upon fuch compliance. Thefe 
 terms are ftable and fated ; fo that every one who comes upi 
 thereto, is intitled to the mercy revealed ; thofe who do not, 
 are ftiil under condemnation. There is nothing arbitary, or 
 capricious, in the juftification of one, and the condemnation 
 of another. But God juftifies one, and condemns another, by, 
 and in his word ; according as men do, or do not comply 
 with his will there made known. No one is under condem 
 nation, but whom the word and law of God condemns ; no 
 one is juftified, but whom the Gofpel juftifies. We do not, 
 furely, imagine that there is any fentence of abfolution, or 
 juftification, formally pronounced in heaven, when a man is 
 justified ; tho' we fometimcs exprefs ourfelves after this man 
 ner. No : God's fentence of abfolution, or juftification, is 
 in his revealed word ; not any thing diilincl from, or inde 
 pendent of, what he has there declared ; but this is the very 
 thing itfelf. There is no Aft of juftification to be conceived 
 of, either as prior, or fubfequcnt to, or different from, the 
 gofpel -declarations of mercy. In them it is tKat we have our 
 pardon and juftification. God is to be conllder.d as fpeaking 
 to us in his word , and as pronouncing the fcntence which 
 tb.it pronounces, whether of pardon and life, or condemna 
 tion and death : Which fentence will be ratified, be put into 
 execution, and will fully take effect, in the judgment of the 
 great day. To fay a man is juftified, or thac he is under con 
 demnation, exprefies the relation in which he ihnds to God's 
 word and law : The former means, that he is One, to whom 
 the gracious promifes of the gofpel belong ; the latter, that he 
 is One, againil whom a curfe is denounced. It would pro 
 bably have prevented a great deal of confufion, and unintelli 
 gible rant, upon the fubjecl of j unification, had it always been 
 conftdered in this light ; as being only the" fentence whichGod 
 pafles on a man, in, and by his word ; initead of being con- 
 fidered as a divine aff, intirely diitincl: from, and independent 
 of, it. 
 
174 Of purification by Paith. 
 
 SERM. cy, grace and favour, in contradiftinftiori 
 from his juftice : For, fays the fame A- 
 poftle fattl, we are " juftified freely bjr 
 his grace." The truth, and the ground, 
 of which affertion will appear, if we con- 
 fider juftification with regard to the fub- 
 jeft of it ; or who it is that is juftified j 
 viz. a tranfgreffor of the law of God, or 
 a finner : For fays St. *Paul, " God juf- 
 tifieth the ungodly/' All having finned, 
 juftification muft neceflarily be of grace, 
 entirely unmerited. God juftifies no per- 
 fon under the notion of his being inno 
 cent, or perfectly righteous, whether in 
 herently or imputafrvely* Nor would the 
 juftification of fuch a one, be an aft of 
 grace ; it would be only an aft of 
 juftice. 
 
 IF we confider evangelical juftificati 
 on, with relation to the great Mediator ; 
 it is his purchafe, the fruit and effeft of 
 his Death* In other words, He, by 
 what he has done and fuffered for us, has 
 laid the foundation for our being juftifi 
 ed ; according to God's appointment, 
 and the (economy of the gofpel. Ac 
 cordingly it faid, that we are juftified by 
 the grace of God, thro' the redemption that 
 is in Chrift, 'whom God hath fet forth to be 
 &c. 
 
Of Juftification by Faith. 1 75 
 
 LET us for the further illuftration of SERM. 
 the fcripture notion, of Juftification, con- VII. 
 fider what benefits are implied therein ; ' 
 and what privileges accrue to the fubjefts 
 of it. Now that which is primarily in 
 tended hereby is, pardon, impunity, or 
 exemption from the punifhment due to 
 fin, according to the law of God. That 
 this is the firft and moft proper notion of 
 evangelical Juftification, appears from the 
 account and defcription which the apoftle 
 gives of it, Rom. 4. 5, " To him that 
 believeth on Him that juftifieth the 
 ungodly, his faith is counted for righte 
 oufnefs : Even as David alfo defcribeth 
 the blelTednefs of the man, unto whom 
 God imputeth righteoufnefs without 
 works ; faying, Blefled are they whofe i- 
 niquities are forgiven, and whofe fins are 
 covered ; blefled is the man unto whom 
 the Lord will not impute fin. " From 
 this pafTage it is obvious, that to juftify, 
 to impute righteoufnefs without works, to 
 forgive iniquity, to cover fin, and not to im 
 pute fin, areexpreffions nearly fynonimous, 
 fignifying in general the very fame thing, 
 viz. the remiflion of the penalty denoun 
 ced againft the violators of God's law : So 
 that Juftification is primarily, and moft 
 properly oppofed to the marking and 
 punifhing of iniquity, 
 
 HOWETER 
 
6 'Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 SF.RM. HOWEVER this is not the whole of 
 VII. wh a t is implied in evangelical juftificatr- 
 on. It is not a mere negative ; but in 
 volves in it, pofltive bleffings, and glori 
 ous privileges. For example ; he that is 
 juitified, becomes, at the fame time, an 
 objecl of God's peculiar love ; and, from 
 a ftate of enmity, comes into a ftate of 
 peace and reconciliation with Him. Thus 
 the apollle tells us, that " being juftified 
 we have pe'ace with God, thro' our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift." And the perfon thus 
 justified is, according to the gracious 
 promifes and declarations- of the gofpel, 
 entitled both to God's peculiar care and 
 guardianfhip in this world, and to glory 
 in the other. He is accounted innocent 
 and righteous, when abfolved from his 
 fins, in his Juftincation ; and acquires 
 thereby a right to- happinefs, as tho' he 
 had never tranfgreffed. There is not on- 
 ly m - condemnation belonging to him * ; but 
 he has, by virtue e>f God's gracious pro- 
 mife, a right to the tree of life ; and to enter 
 in thro the gates into the city. J 
 ^- 22 - THIS, in brief, is the fcripture notion 
 and idea of justification. Perhaps the 
 term may be fometimes ufed in the new 
 teftament, in a more lax, vague, and in 
 determinate fenfe, fo as to be applicable, 
 asholinefsis, to the whole colleftive body 
 
 of 
 
Of Juftification by Faith. 17 7 
 
 of profefled Chriftians. But whether it SERM. 
 is ever thus ufed, or not, is not mate- VII. 
 rial to the point in hand. For we are 
 now fpeaking only of fuch a juftification, 
 as implies in it the forgivenefs of fins, the 
 fpecial favour and friendfhip of Heaven, 
 and a fure title to eternal happinefs ; and 
 confequently fuch a one, as is peculiar to 
 fome, not common to all, who profefs 
 the religion of the Gofpel. 
 
 AND the queftion now before us is, 
 How this juftification accrues to us ? 
 What terms and conditions thofe are, up* 
 on which it is offered, and granted, to 
 fmners ? Whether we are, in this fenfe, 
 juftified only by faith, or believing, as 
 faith is diftinguifhed from repentance, and 
 newnefs of life ? Or by faith, confidered 
 in a larger fenfe, and as virtually com 
 prehending fuch repentance, and new o- 
 bedience. It is acknowledged upon all 
 hands, that many even of thofe who 
 hear the glad tydings of the gofpel, and 
 have taken upon themfelves the Qiriftian 
 name and character, are not the fubje&s 
 of this juftification. Many of them are, 
 doubtlefs, as truly under condemnation, 
 and as much the heirs of wrath, as if 
 God had never revealed pardon and mer 
 cy to a fmful world. To what, then, 
 is this diftinftion owing? In general it 
 N mull 
 

 1 7 ^ Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 SBRM. muft be owing to this, that fome com- 
 VII. ply with die terms, on which their jufti- 
 rkation is fufpended, while others rejeft 
 them : for the terms are the lame to all. 
 God does not aft the part of a Sovereign 
 here, in jultifying one man, and leaving 
 another under condensation. Tho' we 
 have no right to prefcribe rules of con- 
 dud: to Him ; he has prescribed them to 
 Himfelf ; and according to thein he in 
 variably difpenfes the bleflings of the new 
 
 covenant, without re/peS of perfens - 
 
 Now that God has fufpended the juftifi- 
 cation of ilnners, not upon faith only, in 
 the reftrained fenfe, mentioned above ; 
 but upon faith, confidered as comprehen- 
 five of repentance from dead works, and 
 of evangelical obedience * ; I fhall en 
 deavour to make manifeit by feveral ar 
 guments. 
 
 BUT 
 
 * When evangelical obedience is faid to be neceflary in or 
 der to evangelical juftification ; the meaning is not, that we 
 muft a6l(ftlly perform a great number of good works, fuch as 
 the gofpe! requires, before we can be juftified. True repen 
 tance includes in it the principle of obedience ; fo that every 
 Sincere penitent, is a good man, in the qualified fenfe of fcrip- 
 ture, even bef >re he brings furtb fruits meet for repentarce : 
 And he is no fooner fuch, than he is pardoned and juftified. 
 Jt is not imagined, that after his heart is really turned from 
 lit) tr* God. his juftification is Rill fufpended upon his making 
 tfiis afi?nifeft by his good works ;c.r by a courfe of external o- 
 ccdience to the laws of" Chrift : Which notion involves tholjs 
 Who embrace ir, in many difficulties. Perhaps a perfon who 
 gofpel, aud U became a fuicere convert in his 
 
 heait. 
 
Of Juftification by Faith, 179 
 
 BUT there is a vulgar prejudice, which SERM. 
 I would beg leave briefly to obviate, here. VII. 
 Thofe who affert the neceffity of evan- ' 
 gelical obedience in order to Juftification, 
 
 N .2 are 
 
 heart, being created anew in Cbrift Jefaf unto good work, may 
 be taken out of the world before he has fcope and opportuni 
 ty given him, to exercife the good principle he is poffeffed of, 
 in an obedient life. Shall we fay then, that fuch a man is not 
 juftified, becaufe he has performed no works of gofpel obedi 
 ence ? By no means. His repentance, and inward fubmiffiort 
 to the terms of the gofpel, virtually contain all the good works 
 which the g-tfpel requires. In the fight of God, who know- 
 th the hears of men, he had complied with the terms of 
 mercy and falvation, according to their true intent and mean 
 ing, altho' this was not manifefted by his outward conduct. 
 His willing and obedient heart, placed him in the clafs or." 
 thofe, to whom the gofpel offers mercy and falvation, tho' he 
 died before he had time, out of this good treafure, to bring 
 forth good things. And altho 1 he had lived ever fo long after 
 his being thus renewed in the fpirit of his mind ; ' yet it is e- 
 vident that he would have been juftifted from that very time ; 
 and antecedently to his doing good works in the fcnfe of the 
 gofpel. The promifes being made to fuch a temper, it is un- 
 reafonable to fuppofe that his juftifiaation would have been 
 fufpended upon the actual performance of thofe works of righ- 
 teoufnefs, which naturally flow therefrom, whenever there is 
 opportunity for it. Betides ; if the aflual perform?' ce of 
 good works, is neceffary to Juftification ; it may itafonably 
 be inquired, how many good works are neceffary to that end ? 
 and how long a Man muft live, after he is inwardly convert 
 ed to God, in order to yield fuch an outward obedience to 
 his commandments, without which he cannot be juftified ? 
 Thefe queftions, for the fubftarce of them, have often been 
 aflced ; but never anfwered to the fatisfaftion of impartial, un 
 prejudiced men. They are, indeed, unanswerable ; and the 
 bare propofing of them, is fufficicnt to mow, that They go 
 upon a wrong hypothefis, who fuppofe that any acts of exter 
 nal obedience are the ground of our Juftification. or neceffary 
 in order thereto. That obedience to the gofpel, to which 
 the promifes of forgivenefs and eternal life are made, is an 
 keany belief, and iaward fubmiffion 10 the ternu, of it $ fuch 
 
 * 
 
1 8 o Of Jujlification by Faith. 
 
 SERM, are often accufed of holding, that good 
 VII. works are meritorious ; and accordingly 
 they are ranked with the Roman Catholicks 
 in this refpert. Than which -conduct of 
 their adverfaries, there cannot well be a- 
 ny thing more invidious, difingenuous 
 and abuiive. We constantly difclaim the 
 doftrine of merit. We aflert that Chrift, 
 'by what he has done and fuffered, has 
 procured mercy, juftification, and eter 
 nal life for us : Altho' we think that we 
 cannot be juftified, according to the te 
 nor of the new covenant,but by faith in, 
 and fubmiffion to, our blelled Redeemer. 
 And even after w r e have obeyed the gof- 
 pel, we account it great grace in God to 
 accept us, and to beftow eternal Life up 
 on us. Is this to teach that obedience 
 and good works merit juftification ! Let 
 us fee how eaiily this charge might be 
 retorted upon thole that bring it. Faith, 
 or believing, is as much our aft, fome- 
 
 thing 
 
 . 
 
 a fubmiffion thereto, as will, whenever there is opportunity 
 and fr^pe For it, be accompanied wkh a correfponding obedi 
 ence of life. And this is all the obedience,for the neceflity of 
 vhich, in order to juilification, I argue in this, and the fol 
 lowing difcourfe. ' Foffibly fome, who afcribe our juftificati 
 on to faith alone, may comprehend under the term faith, all 
 that godly forrow, and internal fubmifiion to the terms of the 
 gofpel, which others intend when they aflert the neceflity of 
 obedience, and deny the Efficiency of faith to juftify. In this 
 cafe, there is indeed a contradidion in words but the real 
 
Of Juftijication by Faith. 1 8 r 
 
 thing done by us, as the loving of God SERM. 
 or our neighbour. Yea, it is expreily VIL 
 called a Work, by our Saviour himfelf. f jTjXT^ 
 Now when they aflert that faith is necef- 28, '29. 
 fary to juftification, and that this alone 
 juftifies, they attribute as much merit to 
 faith, as we afcribe to obedience in ge 
 neral. Their faith is put into, and holds, 
 the. fame place in this affair of juilificati- 
 on, with our obedience to the gofpel. 
 How meritorious with them, is that iin- 
 gle ac~t of obedience, believing in Him 
 'whom God hath fent ! No ; they will 
 doubtlefs tell us, that they do not conli- 
 der faith as what merits juftification ; but 
 only fuppofe, that, according to the gof 
 pel covenant of grace, the juftification 
 which Ch rift has purchafed, is annexed 
 to believing ; that they are juftified up 
 on account of what He has done and 
 fuffered, not upon account of the inhe 
 rent worth and merit of faith. Very 
 well : This fufficiently vindicates them 
 from the imputation of making that one 
 at, believing, meritorious of juftification 
 and eternal life. And in the fame way 
 do we clear ourfelves of the charge of 
 making obedience to the gofpel, meritori 
 ous. It is only fubftituting the word o- 
 bedience in the room of faith,thus : " We 
 " do not confider obedience as what me- 
 
 Ng "rite 
 
Of Ju/ification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. " rits justification; but only fuppofe, that, 
 according to the gofpel covenant of 
 grace, the juftification which Chrilt has 
 " purchafed, is annexed to obeying him. 
 " We are juftified upon account of what 
 " He has done and fuffered for us ; not 
 44 upon account of the inherent worth 
 " and merit of our obedience. ' 
 
 PUTTING the matter in this light, and 
 thus turning the tables, does, I think, 
 fhow, that we are as far from making o- 
 bedience in general, meritorious, as they 
 who tax us therewith, are from making 
 their faith fo. For to that faith, to that 
 one act of obedience, they afcribe all the 
 efficacy in the matter of juftification, 
 which we afcribe to faith and obedience 
 conjunftly. And altho', in fome of them, 
 the bringing of fuch an invidious charge 
 againft their brethren, may be charitably 
 imputed to ignorance ; yet, in others, it 
 is but too evident that it proceeds from 
 
 fomething elfe. 
 
 HAVING thus premifed what feemed 
 to be needful, I proceed now more di 
 rectly to what was intended \ namely, to 
 fhow, That juftification, in that fenfe of 
 the term, which has been explained a- 
 bove, accrues to finners, not by faith con- 
 fidered excluflvely of, and in diftinftion 
 from, repentance and evangelical obedi 
 ence 
 
Of Jujlifcation by. faith. 183 
 
 ence ; but by faith, confidered in a lar- SERM. 
 ger fenfe, and as really comprehending 
 fuch repentance and obedience in it. In 
 the profecution of which defign, I fhall 
 do thefe two things : 
 
 Firft, Give 1'ome general account of 
 thofe paflages of fcripture, where faith, 
 may feem, at firft view, to be oppol A! 
 to obedience ; and to be made, exclu- 
 fively of it, the term or condition of juf- 
 tificatbn, on our part : And I ihall mow 
 that there is no real necejjity of putting 
 fuch a cdnftfudiioh upon them, they be 
 ing fairty capable of. another. And 
 
 Secondly i I (Lall fhow positively, by 
 Tarious arguments, that they cannot pojjlbly 
 be und in fuch a fenfe, in any to 
 
 lerable C'-nfifiency with the general doc 
 trine of the new teftament : And confe- 
 quently, that when we are faid to be juf- 
 tified by faith, faith is not oppofed to e- 
 vangelical obedience ; but is confidered 
 as including it, and the. great principle 
 of it. 
 
 Firft, I am to give fome general ac 
 count of thofe paflages of fcripture, where 
 faith may feem, at firft view, to be op 
 pofed to obedience ; and to be made, ex- 
 clufively of it, the term or condition of 
 juftification, on our part : And to (how, 
 that there is no real necejjity of putting 
 N 4 
 
184 Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 DERM, fuch a conftruftion upon them, they be- 
 VII. ing fairly capable of another. It will not 
 ' be expected that I fhould confider all the 
 pafTages here referred to : I fhall therefore 
 feleft only a few of the principal of them ; 
 thofe upon which the greateft ftrefs has 
 been laid ; which are in the epiftles of 
 St. "Paul. And if a fair and natural ac 
 count can be given of them, without re 
 curring to \hefolifidian doctrine, this will 
 be a clue to the underftanding of all o 
 thers, either exactly parallel, or fimilar, 
 to them, 
 
 WE may begin with that of the Apof- 
 tle in his epiftle to the Romans : There- . 
 fore iv e conclude ', that a man is juftified hy\ 
 faith without the deeds of the laiv. [Chap. 
 3. ver. 28.] Are not faith and obedience 
 here diftinguifhed from each other ? And 
 is not j unification exprefly attributed to 
 the former, exclufively of the latter ? I 
 anfwer, that by the law is often intended 
 thejeTW/fr difpenfation, the law of Mofes ; 
 and by faith-, the difpenfation of Grace 
 by Jems Chrift. And if we underftand 
 the terms thus in this place, the fuppofed 
 difficulty intirely vanifhes. For then the 
 meaning of the apoftle will be no more 
 than this, That a man is juftified by the 
 gofpel,or in the method of the gofpel, even 
 without obferving the law of Mofes, and 
 
 whether 
 
Of Justification by Faith. 185 
 
 whether' he be Jew or Gentile. The Jews SERM. 
 cannot be juftified by the law, which VIL 
 they have violated ; but muft have re- 
 courfe to Chrift, who is the end thereof 
 for juftification : And the Gentiles may, 
 in this way, attain to juftification altoge 
 ther without the law. So that both of 
 them are upon one and the fame footing, 
 with relation to the divine acceptance. 
 It is the gofpel of God's grace alone, 
 which can juftify either of them ; and in 
 this method, one may be juftified as well 
 as the other. Now as the law, and faith, 
 meaning thereby the mofaic, and the e- 
 vangelical difpenfation, are frequently 
 oppofed the one to the other in this man 
 ner, this interpretation is not unnatural ; 
 and indeed it is favoured by what imme 
 diately follows, Is he the God of the 
 
 Jews only ? is he not alfe of the Gentiles ? 
 Yes, of the Gentiles alfe. Seeing it is one 
 God, which Jhall juft'fy the circumcijion by 
 faith, and the unclrcumci flon thro faith. 
 
 THE proceeding context alfo favours 
 this interpretation. The Apoftle had been 
 ihowing at large, that the Gentiles had 
 tranfgre(Ted the law of nature ; and the 
 Jews, the revealed law of God, the law 
 given by Mofes. From whence he con 
 cludes, [ver. 19 and 20] that all the 
 world, Jews as well as Gentiles, were 
 
 become 
 
1 86 Of Juftifaation by Faith, 
 
 Si KM. become guilty before God ; and ib cou14 
 VII. not plead a legal righteoufhefs for juftifi- 
 ' cation. In the three following veries 
 St. Taul fpeaks of that gracious provifion, 
 which God had made in the gofpel, foj* 
 all fmnersin common, whether under the 
 mofalc law, or the law of nature ; for there 
 its no difference. By faith, by the gofpel, 
 or fubmiflion thereto, all iirmers may at 
 tain to juftification. The three next ver- 
 fes contain a more particular account of 
 the method in which this juftification ac 
 crues to finners ; 'viz. by the grace of God, 
 thro the redemption that is in Chrift ; wham 
 God hath Jet forth to be a propitiation, &c. 
 In the next verie St. faul triumphs over 
 the boafting, felf-righteous Jews, whofe 
 dependence, for juftification, was not 
 upon the Mercy of God in Chrift, but 
 upon their legal works,- Where is boafting 
 then, fays he ? It is excluded. By ivhat 
 lanv ? of works ? Nay : but hy the law of 
 faith. As if he had (aid, what becomes 
 then of that glorying, to which the Jews 
 are fa much addicted ? It is entirely pre- 
 . eluded ; and the very foundation of it 
 deftroyed. How is this done ? by the 
 law of Mofes ? No : but all boafting is 
 effectually excluded by the law of faith ; 
 by the evangelical method of juftification; 
 which fuppofes that the fubje&s of it are 
 
 tranf- 
 
Of Juftif cation by Faith. 187 
 
 tranfgreflbrs ; and which muft therefore SERM. 
 be of grace. The words which I pro- 
 pofed to explain, immediately follow ; 
 and they are an inference drawn from 
 what had been faid above ; or rather the 
 
 fum of it, expreffed in a few words 
 
 Therefore lue conclude, that a man is juftifed 
 by faith, 'without the deeds of the law. As 
 if he had faid, Since therefore the Jeius 
 have finned as well as the Gentiles ; fince 
 every mouth muft he flopped ; and all men 
 be condemned, by law ; and fince God 
 has revealed a gracious method of accep 
 tance with him by Chrift, making no 
 difference betwixt Jews and Gentiles ; 
 fince thefe things are fo, we may be af- 
 fured, that how much foever trie Jews 
 may boaft of their own righteoufncfs, which 
 is of the law, and defpife the Gentiles ; 
 yet they neither are, nor can be juftified, 
 by their obedience to the law of Mofes, 
 (it being imperfect) but muft have re- 
 courfe to the law. of faith, to the Gofpel 
 of God's grace in Chrift Jefus : And in 
 this way, the Gentiles may attain to juf- 
 tification as well as they ; even tho' they 
 do not obferve the law of Mv/es, nor 
 have any thing to do with it. 
 
 Now fuppoling this to be the true, as 
 it is not an unnatural, interpretation of 
 the paflage ; it makes nothijig in favour 
 
 of 
 
1 88 Of purification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. of the doftrine of juftification by faith, 
 in the modern fenfe of the term faith ; or 
 as faith is oppofed to evangelical obedi 
 ence. The amount of it is only this, that 
 juftification cannot come by the law of 
 Mofes ; but only by a compliance with 
 the gofpel ; by believing it, and heartily 
 iubmitting to it. 
 
 BUT it has been obferved, that the a- 
 poftle here fpeaks of the deeds OF LAW 7 
 without the article : From, whence ibme 
 have argued, that he does not mean par 
 ticularly the mofalc difpenfation ; but law 
 in general, law abfolutely taken : And it 
 fo, it is faid, that faith is here oppofed no 
 lefs to evangelical works, than to the 
 deeds of the Jewijh law : And confe- 
 quently, that believing juftifies us, exclu- 
 fively of obedience of any kind. 
 
 Now tho' the Article is both uled and 
 omitted in the new-teftament, in fuch a 
 manner, that no ftrefs can be. laid upon a 
 criticiim of this fort ; yet I will not con 
 tend about that point here. We will, if 
 you pleafe, take it for granted, that, by 
 laiVy the Apoftle intends not particularly 
 the mofalc difpenfation ; but law in the 
 moft abfolute, unlimited fenfe. Let us 
 fee to what his words will amount upon 
 this fuppofition. And I think they will 
 come nearly to the fame thing, as to the 
 
 par- 
 
Of J unification by Faith* 189 
 
 particular point now before us, For then SERM. 
 St. Taul's fenfe will be this : That all VII. 
 men having tranfgrefTed the law they 
 were refpe&irely under ; the Jews, the 
 revealed kw of God, and the Gentiles, 
 the law of nature ; k is impoffible that 
 any fhould attain to justification in a way 
 ftri&ly legal. For in order to juftificati- 
 on by the deeds of law, of any law what 
 ever, it is neceflary that thofe deeds 
 fhould be exailly conformable to that 
 Jaw. And no mans deeds having been 
 thus conformable to law, it is impoffible 
 that cither Jeiu or Gentile, that any man 
 whatever, fhould be juftified in that way. 
 It is necefTary that grace and mercy in 
 tervene, in order to the juflification of 
 a tranfgfefTor. But tho' we are not jufti 
 fied by the deeds of law, in the fenfe a- 
 bove exprefTed ; it does not follow that 
 we are juftified by faith or believing onlj^ 
 as faith is diftinguifhed from repentance 
 and newnefs of life. Nor is there any 
 neceflity of fuppofing that the apoftlehere 
 ufes the term faith in that reftrained fenfe. 
 Altho' we fhould fuppofe that faith is here 
 ufed as comprehenfive of evangelical o- 
 bedience, when we are faid to be juftifi 
 ed thereby ; this would not be inconfifl- 
 ent with what is immediately added, 
 without the deed* of law. There is no con- 
 
 tradidiou 
 
i go Of yuftification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. tradition in faying that we are juflified 
 VII. by faith, including fubje&ion and obedi 
 ence to Chriit in our idea of faith ; and 
 faying, at the fame time, that we are not 
 juftified by the deeds of law : For the lat 
 ter is only faying, in other words, that 
 we are not juitified by a perfect righteouf- 
 iiefs ; or by works exactly conformable 
 to law. In ihort, tho' faith is here op- 
 pofed to the deeds of laiv, it is not oppof- 
 ed to repentance, and evangelical holi- 
 nefs ; but only to fuch a righteoufnefs as 
 would jullify a man in the eye and fenfe 
 of law ; and fo be inconfiltent with grace 
 in the Law-giver. 
 
 WHETHER, therefore, the Apoftle is 
 fpeaking only of the law of Mofes, or of 
 law in the moil unlimited, abfolute fenfe ; 
 it comes exactly to the fame thing, as to 
 the point now in queflion. Upon nei 
 ther of the fuppofitions is there any need 
 of underftanding him as oppofmg faith, 
 to the obedience of faith, or to gofpel 
 holinefs ; but only to the deeds of law, 
 in that fenfe wherein he ufes thefe terms : 
 Which fenfe is manifeftly this, viz. works 
 exa&ly correfpondiag to the demands of 
 law, whether that of Mofes> or that of 
 nature. In this fenfe, it is indeed evident* 
 that no man is juftified by the deeds of 
 kw ; becaufeg as the apoftle obferves, all 
 
 have 
 
Of Juftifaation by Faith. igi 
 
 have finned. But it may be ftill true that 
 
 we are jullified by our obedience to the VII. 
 
 gofpel ofChrift. 
 
 BUT I will go one ftep further here, 
 by way of conceffion ; and allow, for the 
 prefent, that the Apoille oppofes faith, 
 not only to a legal righteoujhefs, but even 
 to all external alh of evangelical obedience. 
 And even this fuppofition will not mili 
 tate in the leaft degree, againft any thing 
 1 have faid ; or favour tiie common 
 fillfidian dodhine. Afts of external obe 
 dience, or good works, moft properly fo 
 called, are inch as proceed from an obe 
 dient and good heart ; from a righteous 
 principle within. It is the good tree onlv, 
 that bringeth forth good fruit ; and it is 
 only a 'good man, out of the good treafure 
 In his heart, thau bringeth forth good things. 
 An holy principle within, is confidered 
 in fcripture as prior to good works ; the 
 latter being the exertions and operations 
 of the former. , .And, as was laid in the 
 former part of this diicourfe, a man is 
 juftified in the fenfe of the gofpel, and in 
 the fight of God, affoon as he is poileffed 
 of this good principle ; and, therefore, 
 antecedently to his doing any of thofe good 
 works, which flow from it : Yea, he is 
 juftified, tho' he (hould not live to per* 
 form any good works at all. So that it 
 
 may 
 
192 Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 ma y b e allowed, confiftently enough with 
 what has been laid, that the apoftle here 
 oppofes faith, to all external affs of o- 
 bedience in general ; whether of o- 
 bedience to law, or to the gofpel. But 
 yet it will not follow, that he oppofes it 
 to a principle of goodnefs and holinefs in 
 the heart ; the neceffity of which princi 
 ple, in order to our juftification in the 
 fight of God, is all that I am arguing for. 
 Tho' this principle, wherever it is, will 
 be actually, and always, productive of 
 an obedient life, provided there is time 
 and fcope given for it to exert itfelf. So 
 that none can be pofTefTed thereof, ex 
 cepting thole, w r hofe external conduct is 
 agreeable to the precepts of Chriftianity. 
 According to this laft explanation of 
 the apoftle's words, faith is confidered as 
 virtually and radically r , containing evan 
 gelical obedience ; not as fomething dif- 
 tinft from it : And therefore St. Taul 
 does not here teach the doftrine of jufti- 
 fication by faith, /;; the modern fenje ; but 
 the contrary. 
 
 IT appears, if I miflake not, from 
 what has been faid above, that there is 
 no neceffity of underftanding the apoftle, 
 in this place as oppofing faith to obedi 
 ence, in the way that many interpret 
 him ; or as affertiag that we are juftified 
 
 by 
 
Of Juftifaatiort by Faith* 
 
 by faith exelufively of obedience* 
 \vords will fairly admit of a different Vl 
 fenfe ; which is fufficient to my prefent 
 purpofe* 
 
 THE next paffage I fhall confider, 
 wherein faith and obedience may feerri 
 to be oppofed to each other, is Rom. 9. 
 3 1 , <&c>* ^But Jfrad 'which followed after 
 the law of right eonfnefs, hath not attained to 
 the law of righteoufnefs ? Wherefore ? Be-* 
 caufe they fought it not by faith ; but as it 
 were by the works of the law. This paflage 
 coincides fo nearly, in fenfe and defign* 
 with that which we have been ccnfider- 
 ing, that the lefs needs to be faid upon it* 
 By Ifraefs following after the law of right e* 
 oufnefs) is intended the Jew s endeavour 
 ing to work out, or to perform, fuch a 
 righteoufnefs, as would, of itfelf and in 
 its own nature^be fufficient to juftify them 
 in the fight of God. They hoped to be 
 juftified merely by a ftricl adherence to, 
 and obfervation of the law of Mofes* 
 However, in the language of the apoftle, 
 they did not attain to the law of righteouf 
 nefs i. e. they did not attain to that juf- 
 tification unto life, which -they were i it 
 purfuit of ; but failed in the attempt. 
 Wherefore ? How does it come to pals, 
 that they did not attain to juftincation ? 
 This queftion the apoftle anfwers in the 
 O next 
 
&f-Jufi*ficaiion by Faith. 
 
 SKRM. next words. It was beca'nfe they fought 
 to be ju (lifted In an improper manner ; 
 J in a way wherein it is impoftible that a- 
 ny fhould be juftified ; neglecting that 
 method which God had pointed out. It 
 VJCLS'berau/e they J ought it, not by faith , but 
 'as it were by the works of the law : or, by 
 works of law (for the articJe is here o- 
 mitted.) The plain meaning is, that the 
 
 fenerality of the Jews of this corrupt age, 
 ad .rejefted the' hfeffiafi, inftead of fub- 
 mitting to -him, and fceking jtiftiftcation 
 sind eternal life, by him : They imagin 
 ed, that they were to be juftified merely 
 by obedience to law ; and that they flood 
 in no need of the grace of the gofpe'l. 
 For which reafon, they did not attain to 
 juftification ; it being impoffible thatjufti- 
 fication fhould come by law, unlefs where 
 there is a perfefl conformity thereto. 
 It is manifeft, that law, not tempered and 
 relaxed by grace, muft condemn all thofe 
 that fall fhort of the perfection required 
 by it. So that the Jews, whofe fole de 
 pendence was upon their own legal righ- 
 teoufnefs, could not, in the nature of the 
 thing, be juftified in this way.- Whereas 
 the Gentiles (as the apoftle obferves in the 
 preceeding verfe) which followed not. after 
 righteoitfnefs, attumed to righteoufnefi, even, 
 the right eoufnefs which i-s of faith : /". e. T je 
 
 Gentiles^ 
 
Of Juftifaatiot% by Faith. 195 
 
 Gentiles, who did not pretend to work SB R M. 
 out fuch a righteoufnefs as would entitle 
 them to j uftification in the eye of law ; 
 obtained juftijication notwithftanding ; 
 'viz. that, juftification which God has re 
 vealed in the gofpel, thro' faith. 
 
 THERE is furely no veceffity of fup- 
 pbfing that faith and evangelical obedi 
 ence are here oppofed to each other ; ,as 
 if righteoufnefs, or juftificatiori, came by 
 the former, and not by the latter. Faith 
 is only oppofed to an imaginary, legal 
 righteoufnefs ; fuch a one as the Jews 
 trufled to, defpifing and rejecting the 
 grace of the gofpel. And this paiTage 
 will receive farther illuftration from ano 
 ther, in the i oth Chap, of the fame epif- 
 tie, ver. 3 and 4. The apoftle fays, that 
 the Jews, being ignorant of the righteoufnefs 
 of God, and going about to eftablifi their own 
 rigbteoujnefs, have not Jubmitted tbemfelves 
 to the rigbt'eoujnefs of God. For Chrtft, 
 fays he, is the end of the law for righteouj- 
 fiefs to every one that betievetb. The fenfe 
 is : Altho' the mofaic difpenfation was 
 never clefigned for a law, in the exat 
 obfervation of which, the Jews were to 
 be accepted and juftified of God ; but had 
 a typical reference to the Mejflah, thro' 
 whom, in a way of grace, juftification 
 comes ; yet the Jews being ignorant of 
 O z this 
 
l g 6 Of Jufiifaation ty Faith. 
 
 SERM. this method of juftification thro' grace, 
 which God ' has ordained for Tinners $ 
 having perverted the law, which had a 
 fiddoiv of good things -to come,' from its ori 
 ginal meaning and true defign ; and vain 
 ly attempting to work out luch a rights 
 ouihefs as would render the intervening 
 of grate needlefs ; fuch a one, as might 
 give them a title to juftification upon the 
 footing of mere law ; the Jews having 
 thus miftakcn the matter, have not futn 
 mitted to, but oppofed, that method of 
 juftification which God has ordained and 
 revealed, thro' faith. For Ch rift is typi 
 fied and prefigured in the law itfelf, as 
 the end of it, for juftification, to all thofe 
 who believe in, and fubjeft themfelves to, 
 
 Him.- Is there any neceffity of fup- 
 
 pofmg that the apoftle here oppofes be 
 lieving in Chrift, to obeying his gofpel ? 
 It is p'ain, that he oppofes believing, on 
 ly to the conduct of the Jews, who went 
 about to eftablifo their o-ion right eonjnefs ; 
 i. e. who expected to be juftified upon 
 the footing of mere law ; not being ien- 
 fible that they fell fo fhort of the righte- 
 oufnefs required therein, as to ft and in 
 need of the grace of the Gofpel ; and 
 who, therefore, rejected the promifed 
 Saviour, This paffage is, I think, ex- 
 parallel to that, confidered above* 
 
 And 
 
Of Juftificalion by Faith. 197 
 
 And in both of them, the term faith is u- SERM. 
 fed in a complex fenfe, for believing in VIL 
 Chrift, and iliicerely obeying his gofpel; l 
 not in the retrained fenfe of fome modern 
 divines ; as if our justification were fui- 
 pended on the former, exclulively of the 
 latter : For which notion there is no foun 
 dation in the new-teftament.- 
 
 ANOTHER pafTage of fcripture, where 
 faith and obedience may feem to be op- 
 pofed one to the other, is Eph: 2. 8, 9. 
 For by grace are ye faved thro 1 faith ;* (and 
 that not of your felv es ; /'/ is the gift of God) 
 not of -works, lefl any manjhould boa ft. Thofe 
 words [and that not of yourfelves ; it is 
 the gift of God] are incidental in the a- 
 poftle's difcourfe ; and the fenfe of them 
 as been much controverted. And lince 
 t is not neceffiiry that the meaning of 
 
 em fhould be ascertained, in order to a 
 refolution of the particular point now be 
 fore us, I fhall pals them over at prefent, 
 and confider the paffage independently of 
 them. By grace are yefaved thro 1 faith 
 not of 'works^ lefl any man flwuld boaft. 
 " Does not the apoftle (as fome argue) 
 here plainly oppofe gofpel faith, and go 
 pel obedience to each other ? Does he 
 not afcribe our juftification wholly to the 
 former ; and deny that the latter is any 
 caufe or ground thereof ? Is it not upon 
 O 3 this 
 
 F L 
 
 ha 
 
 s 
 
1 9 & ^f Juftification by Faith. 
 
 DERM; this foundation that he fays, our falvati- 
 on i s of <;rrace ? And does he not intimate, 
 that if works, or obedience, came in 
 here, there would be fome catsfe of boaft 
 ing ? Whereas, if we are juftified folely 
 by faith, or believing, there will be no 
 room left for men to glory : All boafting 
 w r i!l then be excluded." To this I an- 
 fwer, 
 
 i ft. THAT the apoftle is not here 
 fpeaking particularly concerning our juf- 
 tificaticn ; but concerning our falvation 
 in general : " By grace are yejaved." 
 
 2dly. EVEN thofe who affert the doc 
 trine" of juftification by faith only, in op- 
 pofition to evangelical obedience, gene 
 rally hold the neceffity of works, or obe 
 dience, in order to falvation : (a diftin&i- 
 on, the vanity of which will be fhown ill 
 the next difcourfe) So that this pafTage 
 either proves nothing to their purpofe ; 
 or it proves too much ; and more than 
 they are willing to allow, viz. that we 
 are not only juftified, but faved, with 
 out works. 
 
 Sdly. IF it had been the apoftle's in 
 tention to exclude every thing done by 
 man, from being any occafion, ground 
 or condition, of his Acceptance with 
 God ; (that fo all caufe of boafting might 
 be taken away) he muft then have ex 
 cluded 
 
Of Juftificqtion by Faith. 199 
 
 eluded faith alfo : Far believing is 
 own act ; $f$ exprefly called a mr, by 
 our Siivio ur, 'as has been obferved before. 
 Wiicreas St. Taul fays, on the contrary, 
 that we are faved by grace thro faith. I 
 would, if poffible, exprefs what I here 
 intend, fo as not to be mifunderftood. It 
 is fajd by fome, that if our justification 
 and acceptance with God, depended up 
 on our obeying the Gofpel ; upon any 
 thing we do, be it what it will ; then 
 we iliould be jufHficd, not by grace, but 
 by works ; and confequently there would 
 be room left for boafttng, which is not to 
 be allowed. Well then, believing in drift 
 is our own aft ; it is our work, tho' not 
 done without the divine AiLftance. E~ 
 vea this, muft therefore be excluded, ac 
 cording to the prefent arguinent ? left fomc 
 ground of boaifing fhould remain. Faith 
 is as much excluded, by the prefent ar 
 gument, from having any hand in our 
 j unification, as obedience in any other 
 refpect. For whether our juftification 
 depend upon one act of obedience, viz.- 
 believing ; or whether it depends upoii 
 many, there is ftill caufe of boafting, if 
 this way of reafoning be juft. We may 
 therefore conclude, that this method of 
 arguing is not good ; becaufe it proves 
 too much ; and even makes the apoftle 
 .-.. 04 contradict 
 
300 Of Juftifaation by Faith. 
 
 SERM. contradift himfelf ; for, tho' hedifailows 
 VIJ. of boafting, yet he aflerts that our falva- 
 " tion is conne&ed with fomething which 
 we 4o,-^~ 
 
 4thly. ALL occafion of boafiing feems 
 to be taken away, if we exclude works 
 from being any meritorious caufe of our 
 juftification and falvation ; even tho' they 
 are not excluded from being the conditi 
 on of it. If we acknowledge our obedi 
 ence is very imperfect, fo that we cannot 
 be juftified upon the footing of mere law ; 
 if we acknowledge, that we cannot claim 
 Salvation as our due, by virtue of any 
 works of righteoufnefs which we have 
 done ; if we acknowledge ourfelves in^ 
 debted for it to the grace of God in Jcfus 
 Chrift ; this, furely, leaves no room for 
 boafting ; tho' we may ftill very confjf- 
 tently hold, that our juftification is fuf- 
 pended upon our hearty fubmiffion to 
 Chrift, and fincere obedience to his com 
 mandments. The afTerting of this is not 
 contradicting what the apoftle fays, that 
 we are not faved by 'works ; but perfedly 
 conilftent therewith. He intends no 
 more, than that we are not faved upon 
 the footing of mere law ; by fuch works 
 as would exclude grace ; and leave room 
 for boaftiag. And his meaning, I hum-* 
 conceive, might be expreffed thus, 
 
 more 
 
by Faith. 201 
 
 snore at large. " Take heed, 
 do not exalt yourfelves, or over-rate your VII 
 own works, to the dishonoring and fub~ 
 verting of the grace of God : For it is by 
 His grace and free bounty, that you are 
 faved ; not in the way of obedience to 
 law, confidered as a covenant of works ; 
 but in the way of faith, which is reveal 
 ed thro' Chrift, to the tranfgreflbrs of 
 Law, You are not faved by works, or 
 by a legal obedience ; or on account of 
 the intrinfick value and merit of any 
 thing you do. You have not obeyed a- 
 ny law of works fo perfectly, that falva- 
 tion becomes your due. And of this I 
 admoniih you, left any man fhould proud 
 ly bbaft ; or think more highly of him- 
 ielf and his works than he ought to do, 
 to the diftiohor of divine grace/' 
 
 Tins appears to me to be the true fenfe 
 of the Apoftle. And if it is, the paflage 
 does not favour the do6lrine of juftifica- 
 tion by faith alone, in the modern fenfe of 
 the terms : But is perfectly conliftent 
 with the contrary fcheme ; wherein obe 
 dience to the gofpel is fuppofed neceflary 
 in order to our acceptance with God. 
 There is a wide difference betwixt faying, 
 that we are juftified and faved by works, 
 merely upon the footing of law ; (which 
 is what the Apoftle deaies) and faying, 
 
 that 
 
2 o 3 Of *Juftification by Fa ith. 
 
 S E R M. that we arc j uftified and faved,by believing 
 VII. in, and (QJ, Dieting to Him that was the 
 End of the law for right eoufnefs ; and who 
 has redeemed us from the curfe thereof : 
 (Which is what he denies not.) The 
 former is, indeed, to lub vert the grace of 
 the gofpel, and to leave room for boaft- 
 ing ; the latter does neither ; but- duly 
 exalts the grace of God ; and leads us to 
 think foberly of our/elves, as ive ought t& 
 think. 
 
 IT is hoped, that what has been faid 
 upon thefe feveral paflkges of fcripture, 
 may ferve in fome meafure for the iliuf- 
 tration of others, which fpi-ak of our be 
 ing juftified by faith, and not by works. 
 Tho' I do not pretend, as yet, to have 
 proved any thing , more, than that thefe 
 paflages do not eftablifh the dodrine 
 which they are commonly alledged in 
 fupport of. And this, certainly, they do 
 not - r becaufe they fairly admit of another 
 conftrudion, than that which is put up 
 on them. If I have mown, that there is no 
 vecejjity of fuppofing, that the facred wri 
 ters intended, in thefe paflages, which 
 ipeak of faith and works, to oppofe faitU 
 to evangelical obedience ; this was all 
 that I propofcd to do, at p relent. la 
 my next difcourfe, I ihall fhow, that 
 they cannot pombly be oauUcritood thus, 
 
 in 
 
Of *JuJlificatwn by Faith. 2.03 
 
 in any tolerable confiftency with the ge- SERM. 
 neral do&rine of Scripture ; and confe- VII. 
 quently, that when we arc (aid to be 
 juftified by Faith, the term faith is ufcd 
 in fuch a latitude, as to involve in it that 
 obedience to the gofpel, the neceffity of 
 which was to be made evident. 
 
 SERMON 
 
SERMON VIII. 
 
 Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 x^<xx>oc<^::oc<x:x> 
 
 JAMES I. 21, 22. 
 
 LA T apart all filthinefs and fuperflitity of 
 mughtinefs, and receive with meeknefs the 
 ingrafted word, which is able to fave your 
 fouls. But be ye doers of the word, and 
 mt hearers only^ deceiving your ownfelves. 
 
 SERM TT* is a very obvious inference from this 
 VIII * A P a ^ a g e f Scripture, That in order to 
 the Salvation of our Souls, it is neceflary 
 we fhould be doers of the word> as well as 
 hearers and believers of it ; and that they 
 who expeft to be faved upon any other 
 terms,delude,and impofe upon,themfelves. 
 However, -there is great reafon to fear, 
 that many perfons do actually thus deceive 
 their own felves, in a matter of the laft 
 importance ; fondly imagining, from what 
 
 the 
 
Of Juftifi cation, by Faith. 205 
 
 the fcripture fays concerning our being SERM. 
 faved by grace \ being found in Chrift, not VIII. 
 having our oivn righteoufnejs ; and being 
 juftified by faith ; that obedience to the 
 gofpel, is not an indifpenfable condition 
 of our obtaining eternal life. I have 
 therefore, in feveral difcourfes, been en 
 deavouring to undeceive thofe, who may 
 have thus deceived them/elves ; and to 
 guard others againft the like fatal de- 
 luflon. 
 
 IN my laft difcourfe, I entered upon a 
 confideration of thofe paffages of fcrip 
 ture, wherein our juftification with God, 
 is faid to be by faith ; by faith without 
 works ; without the deeds of law, and the 
 like. From whence many have conclude 
 ed, that obedience to the Gofpel was not 
 neceffary in order to our being juflified ; 
 but that faith alone, (in the modern re- 
 ftrained fenfe of the term, as it is diftin- 
 guiflied from repentance and newnefs of 
 life) is available thereto. It: has been 
 fhown that there is no neceffity of under- 
 ftanding the paffages intended, in this 
 fenie ; and that a fair and intelligible ac 
 count may be given of them, without 
 having recourfe to the modern folifidian, 
 doftrine. There is no need of fuppofing,' 
 that when the apoltles oppofe faith and 
 works to each other, afferting that we 
 
 arc 
 
206 Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. are juftified by the former exclusively of 
 VIIL the latter, 'they intended to oppofe faith, 
 to repentance aad evangelical obedience. 
 No more -may be intended by thefe ex- 
 preffions, than that we are not juftified 
 upon the footing of mere law ; but t>y the 
 grace of God revealed in the Gpfpql. 
 BUT I proceed now, as was proposed 
 ill the SECOND Place, to (how. That the 
 paffages of fcripture, which fpeak of our 
 being juftified by faith without the deeds of 
 Jaw, &c. cannot pojjibly mean, That we are 
 juftified by faith, as dirtinguiihed from re 
 pentance and new obedience, in any to 
 lerable confiftency with the general doc 
 trine of fcripture : And that it is abfo- 
 lutely neceffary to underftand the term 
 faith, in fuch paffages, in a larger fenfe ; 
 as comprehending repentance and evan 
 gelical obedience in it ; not as contradif- 
 tinguifhed therefrom. 
 
 To make which point evident, I muft 
 juft remind you of what was laid, in the 
 foregoing difcourfe, concerning the fcrip- 
 ture-notion of juftification, and the blei- 
 fingsand privileges included in it, as it re- 
 fpeds us, fmful creatures. J unification, 
 as was there premifed, involves in it, the 
 remiffion of fins, the acceptance of our 
 perfons to the favour and friendfliip of 
 God, and a title to eternal life in the 
 
 kingdom 
 
Of J unification by Faith. 207 
 
 kingdom of heaven. This is the 
 which the holy fcriptures give us of jufti- VIII. 
 fi cation, f And I de.tire that this may be ' *~ 
 kept in mind ; other wife the enfuing dif- -\ vi 
 courfe will not be fully underftood. Serm.^ 
 
 Now, Thai fat t-by when we are faid 
 to be justified thereby, without the deeds tif 
 law, &c. cannot mean faith, exclusively 
 of repentance and obedience ; but miifl 
 intend faith, confi'dered as the principle 
 of .evangelical holiuefs, and as virtually 
 co mp re n ending it, will appear from the 
 following cbniklerations. ' 
 
 i. WHATSOEVER is neceffary in or 
 der to the forgivenefs of fins, is alfo ne- 
 ceflary in order to j unification ; becaufe 
 t"ie pardon of fin is a principal part of 
 our juftitication. It is a manifeft re- 
 pi i pliancy to fay, that we can b? jufti- 
 fied without that which is neceffary to 
 our forgivenefs, if forgivenefs is includ 
 ed in the idea of juftificatiin. This 
 would be, in effect, to fay, that we arc 
 juitifte'd without, and independently o^, 
 that upon which our j unification i- fuf- 
 pended. Since juftification before Go !, 
 involves in it the pa ding by our ofie..- 
 ces, we cannot, certainly, become the 
 fubjecls of it, till we have complied with 
 thole terms, on which God has exprefly 
 made our forgivenefs with him to depend. 
 
 And 
 
268 Of yufltjlcation by 'Faith 
 
 DERM. And if we look intd the new-teftameii^ 
 we (hall find, that God has fufpended 
 our forgivenefs with him, Upon our for 
 giving thofe that have injured us. " If 
 ye forgive men their tfefpafles, fays our 
 Saviour, your heavenly Father will alfo 
 forgive your trefpaffes : But if ye forgive 
 not men their trefpaffes, neither will your 
 heavenly Father forgive your trefpaffes/' 
 Since then, the forgiving of our neigh^ 
 bour is neceffary to our forgivenefs ; it 
 muft be equally neceffary in order to our 
 juftification ; unlefs any will fay, that 
 we may be juftified without being for 
 given : i. e. in effeft, be pardoned with 
 out being pardoned. For it really comes 
 to this, if pardon is included in juftifica 
 tion, and an effential part of it. * 
 
 Now fmce, at leaft, that one chriftiari 
 duty of forgiving an offending brother, is 
 requifite in order to our being forgiven 
 oiirfelves ; and, confequently, in order 
 to our being juftified ; how can the faith, 
 by which we are faid to be juftified, be 
 oppofed to chriftian obedience ? or un- 
 derftood excluf ively of it ? Is it not a ma- 
 
 nifeft 
 
 * That juftification comprifes in it the pardon of fin,- was 
 fhown in the prece'eding difcourfe : Nor will this be deni- 
 
 ed by thofe who are the moft likely to deny the general 
 doftrine'here advanced ; fmce jaftification is .thus defined 
 
 " in the ^JffiM/y** Caieckifm, " 'Juftification Is as aft of 
 ^ God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our fins, Ice, 
 
Of y unification by Faith. 209 
 
 nifeft contradiction to fay, that we are SERM. 
 juftified by faith alone, in the modern VIII. 
 fenfe, by faith as diftinguifhed from obe- " 
 dience ; and yet to fay, that our forgive- 
 nefs with God ( a primary and principal 
 branch of our juftification) is fufpendedon 
 the condition of forgiving our neighbour 
 his- trefpafles ? There cannot well be a 
 greater folecifm, or repugnancy. We 
 are therefore reduced to this neceffity ; to 
 this dilemma : We muft either deny, that 
 our forgivenefs is fufpended upon our for 
 giving others ; (tho' our Saviour has ex- 
 prefly aflerted it) or elfe we muft ac 
 knowledge, that the faith, by which we 
 are juftified, involves obedience in it, in- 
 (lead of being oppofed thereto. The al 
 ternative is unavoidable ; there is no me 
 dium in this cafe, if pardon is an efTential 
 part of juftification ; which is now taken 
 for -granted. 
 
 THIS is fufficient to fhow in general, 
 that the vulgar notion of juftification by 
 faith alone, cannot be true. It is at leaft 
 necefTary, that we add to our faith, that 
 one virtue of forgiving others their tref 
 pafles. And here I may aik, Whether, 
 fince this one is required, in order to our 
 being pardoned and juftified, it is not 
 reafonable to fuppofe, that all other 
 chriftiaa virtues are neccflary to the fame 
 P 
 
2io Of Justification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. end ? What ground is there to imagine, 
 Vlil. that this one duty is made neeeflary, and 
 '.that others, of equal importance, are uir- 
 neceflary ? Our Saviour's particularly 
 mentioning and requiring this, does not 
 -exclude others ; but it may be naturally 
 inferred, that all other evangelical graces 
 and virtues are neceflary like wife : Efpe- 
 cially fmce no good reafcn can be affign- 
 ed, why our pardon and juftification 
 ihould be fufpended upon this, rather than 
 upon many other. duties of Chriftianity ; 
 fuch as the love or fear. of God, love and 
 gratitude to our Saviour, and juftice to 
 wards man. Indeed if there is fuch a 
 natural and neceflary connection betwixt 
 the feveral graces and virtues of Chriftia 
 nity, as fome fuppofe ; if lie that is defti- 
 tute of one, muft needs, be deftitute of 
 all ; and if he that is poflefled of one', 
 .muft alfo be the fubjeft of all ; it follows, 
 that they are all equally neceflary to par- 
 <lon and juftification, or equally unnecef- 
 fary : So that the requiring of any one, is, 
 in effect, the requiring of all ; and if there 
 is any one, which is not neceflary, no 
 other can be neceflary. This is, indeed, 
 only an argument ad bominem. And be- 
 caufe I am not certain, that there is real 
 ly any fuch j.ieceii*rv r concatenation or 
 comiexipn, betwixt th>; various graces 
 
 and 
 
Of Juftificatlon by Faith. % i x 
 
 &nd virtues of Chriftianity, I fhall not in- SERM. 
 fift upon it. But, VIII. 
 
 2diy, THAT faith cannot be oppofed ' 
 to evangelical obedience, when we are 
 faid to be juftified. thereby, appears from 
 the fcripture-dodrtne of repentance* It 
 will not, I fuppofe, be denied, that par 
 don, or the forgivenefs of fins, is fuf- 
 pended on our repentance. But becaufe 
 thofe, with whom I am concerned, can 
 deny almoft any thing, I fhall prove this 
 point before I deduce the confequence 
 intended. The few paflages following 
 may fuffice- -" Let the wicked forfake 
 his way, and the unrighteous man his 
 thoughts ; and let him return unto the 
 Lord, and he will have mercy upon him ; 
 and to our God, for he will abundantly 
 pardon."' " I have no pleafure in the 
 death of him that dieth ; but that the 
 wicked forfake his way and lh r e" " Ex^ 
 cept ye repent, ye fhall all likewife per- 
 ifh." " That repentance and remiffion 
 of fins fhould be preached in his name/' 
 " Repent and be converted, that your 
 fins may be blotted out."' " Teftifying 
 both to the Jews, and alfo to the Greeks, 
 repentance towards God, and faith to 
 wards our Lord Jefas -Chrift." " He 
 that cpvereth his Sins (hall not profper , 
 font whofo confefleth and forfaketh them, 
 p 2 fhall 
 
2 1 3 <y Juftif cation by Faith. 
 
 SERM. fhallfindjnercy." -"If we confefs our 
 fins, he is faithful and juft to forgive us our 
 fins, and to cleanie us from all unrigh- 
 teoufnefs." Thefe pafTages abundantly 
 Jhow, that our forgivenefs, pardon, or 
 acceptance to the divine favour, depends 
 upon our repenting of our fins ; that eve 
 ry true penitent fliall'obtain mercy ; and 
 that all impenitent tranfgreffors lhall final 
 ly be condemned. 
 
 Now if repentance is really necefTary 
 in order to our obtaining pardon, it muft 
 be equally neceflary in order to our being 
 juftified : Since, as has more than once 
 been obferved, our pardon is involved in 
 our juftification, and is an effcntial and 
 principal part of it. It is impoffible we 
 ihould be juftified without that repen 
 tance, which is necefTary to the pardon 
 pf our fins : for this were to fuppofe, that 
 juftification is fom'ething diftinft from r 
 and prior to, our forgivenefs. Repen- 
 ^ance, then, being neceffary in order to 
 pur being pardoned ; and therefore ne- 
 ceiTary in order to our being juftified ; 
 Jet us briefly confider the fcripture notion 
 pf repentance ; and what is implied in it. 
 JSIow it is manifeft, that by repentance, 
 the fcripture intends, a turning from fin 
 l;o God, accompanied with humiliation 
 fprrow fgr feaying offeackd Hun* It 
 
Of Juftification by Faitl. 213 
 
 is a principle of holinefs and univerfal d- SERM. 
 bedience ; the beginning of a new life, VIII. 
 devoted to God and his Service. Evan 
 gelical repentance, therefore, comprifes 
 in it, evangelical obedience : So that if 
 the former be neceflary in order to paf- 
 don, and Juftification unto life, the latter 
 mult be fo too. To fay, that repentance 
 is neceflary, and yet to fay that the for- 
 faking of our fins, and entering upon a 
 courfe of obedience to God's command 
 ments, (in which repentance confifts) ifc 
 unneceflary, is a plain contradiction. 
 
 FROM thefe premifes, the conclufibn 
 is very obvious to thofe who will, with 
 out prejudice, attend to it ; viz. That 
 we are not juftified by faith alone, ex'clu- 
 fively of evangelical obedience ; but by 
 faith, confidered as the beginning, and 
 the great principle of it. Is there not a 
 very manifeft repugnancy betwixt theft 
 "two proportions ? Repentance, which 
 involves in it a turning from fin to God, 
 is neceflary in order to our forgivenefs 
 and Juftification : But yet faith alone* 
 as diftinguifhed from repentance and new 
 obedience, juftifies us. He muft have a 
 head peculiarly turned for making fubtile 
 diftinctionSj that will undertake to recon 
 cile them. They are cciitradi&ory ; and 
 fiace the former of thefe proportions has; 
 P been 
 
214 Of yuftification by Faith. 
 
 been proved true, the latter muft, of 
 courfe, be felfe. 
 
 TH E reafoning under this head, may 
 perhaps feem intricate and ahftrufe to 
 feme. But <he argument, if I miftake 
 liot, is ftriftly conclusive. The fum of 
 it is this Pardon being an effential part 
 of our juftiiication ; and repentance be 
 ing neceffary in order to pardon, repen 
 tance muft alfo be neceffary in order to 
 Justification, And fince repentance . in 
 volves evangelical obedience in it, and is, 
 indeed, the beginning of it ; fuch obedi 
 ence muft alfo be neceffary in order to our 
 being justified, And therefore, when the 
 fcriptures fpeak of our being juftitied by 
 faith, faith cannot be oppofed to obedience, 
 in the modern way of interpretation ; but 
 muft comprehend it. So that thofe paf- 
 fages of fcripture, fo much infifted upon 
 by the Sollfidl'ans, are not only capable of 
 a different fenfe from that which they 
 put upon them ; but there is an abfolute 
 ve-cefjity of interpreting them otherwife. 
 Inched if the pardon of fin is not an ef 
 fential part of our jufiification ; or if re 
 pentance is not neceffary in order to par 
 don ; or, laftly, if repentance does not 
 involve in it a turning from dead works, 
 to ferve the living God ; then the argu 
 ment uftd abore/ is iaiconduiive ; and 
 
 faith 
 
Of yuftifaation by Faith. 215 
 
 faith alone may j uftify . But if thofe po- SE R M. 
 fitions are true, as they evidently are, 
 the modern notion of juftification by faith 
 alone, muft be both falfe and futile : And 
 the advocates for it, amiife themfelves 
 with the mere found of words. 
 
 3dly, WHATSOEVER is neceflary, in 
 order to our being at peace withGod, and 
 becoming the objefts of his peculiar love 
 and .complacency, is neceflary in order 
 to our juftification. But in order to our 
 being at peace with God, and becoming 
 the objefts of his fpecial love and compla 
 cency, it is neceflary that we forfake our 
 Sins, and obey the Gofpel : This is there 
 fore neceflary in order to our juftification. 
 The two proportions from whence this 
 conclufion is drawn, I fhall briefly prove. 
 
 TH E former of them is, That what- 
 foever is neceflary in order to our being 
 at peace with God, and becoming the 
 objects of his peculiar love and compla 
 cency, is neceflary in order to our jufti- 
 ^cation : The proof of which is {hoit and 
 eafy. It is in our juftification, that we 
 commence the objects of the divine love, 
 as exprefled in the propofition ; neither 
 before we are juftified, nor afterwards ; 
 but at the fame inftant. And indeed our 
 being thus reconciled to, and at peace 
 v/ith, our Makef, is not any thing really 
 P 4 
 
2 1 6 Of "Jujhficatlon by Faith. 
 
 SERM. diftinft from our being juftified ; but one 
 VIII. of the bleffmgs or privileges implied 
 therein. So that our becoming the ob- 
 jefts of God's fpecial love, is not only 
 cotemporary with our juftincation ; but 
 the former is involved in the latter, infe- 
 parable from it, -and an efTential part. of 
 that compound idea. It is a contradicfti- 
 on to fuppofe a man juftified, without 
 fuppofing him beloved of God ; or vice 
 verfd, beloved of God, and yet not jufti 
 fied. The ideas are coincident, and mu 
 tually imply each other : So that whofo- 
 ever is juftified, is at peace with God, 
 and the objeft of his complacency ; and 
 whofoever is thus at peace with God, is 
 juftified of .him.* Now thefe ideas ( or 
 thefe things ) being thus coincident, thus 
 infeparable, and thus mutually inferring 
 and implying each other, it is a contra 
 diction to fuppofe that any thing fhould 
 be requiflte in order to one, which is not 
 equally requifite in order to the other. 
 To fuppofe that our being beloved of 
 God, depends upon one condition, and 
 our being juftified, on another condition ; 
 is to fuppofe thefe things diftinft, and fe- 
 parable from each other ; which they are 
 not, according to the fcripture account 
 of them. We are therefore, if we ad- 
 Jacre to this- account, obliged to own, 
 
 that 
 
Of purification by Faith. 
 
 2 i 
 
 that whatfoever God has required of us SERM 
 in order 'to conciliate his fpecial love and VIIL 
 friendfhip, is equally required in order to 
 our being juftified of him. Certainly 
 more cannot be necefTary in order to the 
 former, than is neceffary in order to the 
 latter : For if more were neceffary, it 
 would follow, that we might be juftified 
 without, and antecedently to our being 
 in a ftate of favour and friendfhip with 
 God ; which were a manifeft repug 
 nancy. 
 
 THE other propofition to be proved, is, 
 That, in order to our becoming the ob 
 jects of God's fpecial love, it is neceffary, 
 that we forfake our fins, and obey the 
 gofpel : The proof of which is ftill more 
 plain and direct. For there is no peace, 
 faith God, to the wicked. He has faid, 
 that he is angry with the wicked every day ; 
 *nd that if they turn not he will whet his 
 fword - No one, in fhort, can look in 
 to his bible, without finding -the wrath of 
 God there revealed from heaven agalnfl all 
 ungodlmefs and unrlghteoufnefs of men ; a- 
 gainft all impenitent and unreformed Sin 
 ners. So far are perfons of this character 
 from being the objefts of God's fpecial 
 love and complacency ! The doftrinc of 
 fcripture, from Genefes to the Revelation 
 of St. John, is, that fo long as men perfe- 
 
 vere 
 
2 * 8 Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 SSRM. vere in their evil ways, they are at cn- 
 VIII. mity with God, and abhorred of him ; 
 that they cannot be reconciled to Him, 
 or He to them, without turning their feet 
 into his tejlimonies. This is what the 
 fcripture, thro'out, reprefents to. us as in- 
 difpenfably necellary, in order to our be 
 ing at peace with our offended Maker ; 
 and to our being beloved of him as his 
 fervants and children. 
 
 THE conclufion follows of courfe, i;/z. 
 that we cannot be juftified without, or 
 antecedently to, our thus turning unto 
 God, and doing the will of our Father 
 ^hich is in Heaven. Becaufe, as was 
 faid before, whatfoever is requifite in 'or 
 der to the former, muft, in the nature of 
 the thing, be equally neceflary in order 
 to the latter. Whenever the fcripture 
 fpeaks of our being juftified by faith , 
 there is, therefore, a neceffity of under- 
 ftanding the term faith, in a complex fenfe ; 
 not as it is contradiftinguifhed from re 
 pentance and obedience, but in fuch d. 
 latitude as to include them. For other- 
 wife there will be an irreconcileable con 
 tradiction betwixt thofe pafTages of Scrip 
 ture, and many others : I now mean, 
 more particularly, fuch as make the for- 
 faking of our fins, and the keeping of 
 God's commandments, neceflfary in or 
 der 
 
Of Juftification by Faith. 219 
 
 der to oxir becoming the objects 
 paternal love and favour. If this isne- 
 ceffary, h is abfurci, and even a plain 
 contradiction to imagine, that we can be 
 juftified by faith only ; underftanding faith 
 in the modern reftrained fenfe ; and as it 
 is oppofed to gofpel-obedience. 
 
 4-thly, WHATSOEVER is neceffary, 
 according to the terms laid down in the 
 gofpel, in order to our having a title to 
 eternal life in the kingdom of heaven, is 
 neceffary in order to our being juftified 
 in this world. But in order to our hav 
 ing fuch a title, it is neceffary, that we 
 repent of our fins, and obey the gofpel : 
 This is, therefore,- necellary in order to 
 our Juftification. 
 
 T 'HE former proportion is, that what 
 ever the gofpel makes neceffary in order 
 to oiir having a title to eternal life hereaf 
 ter, is neceffary in order to our juftifica- 
 tion here. The truth of which, can, I 
 think, admit of no difpute ; it being evi 
 dent from the account already given of 
 j uftification, and the blcffings and privi 
 leges implied in it. A title to eternal Life 
 is involved in the fcripture-iclea of juftifi- 
 cation ; and is an effential part of it. We 
 can neither be juftified without this title ; 
 nor have this title without being juftified; 
 they mutually infer and imply each o- 
 
 ther, 
 
22O Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. ther, and are infeparable. So that it is, 
 VIII. a contradiction to fuppofe, that we are 
 ' juftified antecedently to our having a title 
 to falvation ; or upon any other, or low 
 er terms, than thofe to which the pro- 
 mife of future blefTednefs is made. Aflbon 
 as a man is juftified, or rather in his jufti 
 fication, this title is given to him ; and 
 not before. While we keep to the true 
 idea of jtiftification, as it involves in it 
 the promife of future glory, and a right, 
 thro' grace, to the Heavenly inheritance ; 
 we cannot even make the fuppofition of 
 our being juftified on other terms than 
 thofe, on which eternal life is offered to 
 tis, without perceiving the felf-repugnan- 
 cyofit. The ideas of juftification, and 
 of the title here intended, tho' different in 
 fome refpefts, are yet fo far coincident, 
 and have fuch a connexion and mutual 
 dependence, that we may eafily fee, that 
 whatever God requires of us in order to 
 our being entitled to Heaven and happi- 
 nefs, mult alfo be required in order to our 
 juftification. For otherwife we might be 
 juftified without having the title mention 
 ed ; /. e. juftified without fomething, 
 which is implied in the very notion of 
 juftification ; which is a contradiftion. 
 
 THE other proposition is, That in or 
 der to our having a tide to eternal life, 
 
 it 
 
Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 221 
 
 It is neceflary that we repent of our fins, SERM". 
 and obey the gofpel. And agreably here- VIII. 
 to it is faid, " Blefled are they that do ' 
 his commandments, that they may have 
 right to the tree of life." There are no 
 promifes of future glory and happinefs, 
 made in the fcriptures, to impenitent, 
 perfevering tranfgreflbrs. They are all 
 made to thofe who confefs and forfake 
 their fins. The gofpel is fo far from giv 
 ing any title to future glory, to the im 
 penitent workers of iniquity, that it ex- 
 prefsly condemns them, and cuts them 
 off from it, " Know ye not, ' fays the 
 apoftle, that the the unrighteous fhall not 
 inherit the kingdom of God r Be not 
 deceived ; neither fornicators, " &c. It 
 is faid, that God will render to them 
 that " obey not the truth, but obey un- 
 righteoufnefs, indignation and wrath ; 
 even ,upon every foul of man that doth 
 evil." It is not, furely poffible, that the 
 lame gofpel, w T hich fpeaks thus to, and 
 of,the wicked and difobedient, condemn 
 ing them to future woe and punilhment, 
 fhould, at the fame time, entitle them,by 
 it's promifes, to life everlafting -Now 
 lince nothing is required of us, in order 
 to our being entitled to eternal life, but 
 what fe equally required in order to our 
 juft&ed ; (as was fhown above) 
 
 and 
 
222 Of Juftification by Faith* 
 
 SERM. and lince, in order to our being entitled 
 VIII. to eternal life, it is neceflary that we re-* 
 pent of our fins and obey the gofpel, (as 
 we have jull now feen) it undoubtedly 
 follows, that repentance and evangelical 
 obedience are neceflary in order to our 
 being juftified. And hence it is farther 
 evident, that when we are faid to be juf 
 tified by faith, faith is not, in fuch paf- 
 fages of fcripture,contradiftinguifhed from 
 repentance and new obedience ; but muil, 
 of neceffity, be confidered as compriling 
 them in it. 
 
 5thly,Tn E main point to be eftablifhed, 
 will be ftill more evident from a curfory 
 view of St. James's doftrine in this epiftle: 
 One main defign of which appears plain 
 ly to be, the refcuing of St. Taul's doc 
 trine of juftification, from the abufes and 
 falfe glofles which began, even then, to 
 be put upon it by licentious men. Or, 
 at leaft, St. James defigned to guard the 
 Church in fucceeding times, againft fuch 
 abufes and corruptions in this refpeft, a$ 
 he faw likely to creep into it, and which 
 have, fmce, actually overfpread and dif- 
 honoured a confiderable part of it. For 
 that this apoftle profefledly oppofes ,the 
 4otrine of juftification by faith only, in 
 the modern fenfe of the term, is as evident 
 us words can make any thing to be. And 
 
 all 
 
Of Juftification by Faith. 223 
 
 all the attempts that have been made to S&RM. 
 reconcile St. James's doftrine, to the fond VIII. 
 conceits of thofe who are for exaltipg 
 faith, at the expence of holinefs and 
 good works, are equally futile and un 
 natural. 
 
 IT is more especially in the fecond 
 chapter of this epiftle, that the apoftle ex 
 plodes and refutes 1 thefe foolifh and per- 
 nifcious conceits. At the tenth verfe h 
 tells us, That " Whofoever fhall keep the 
 whole law," (meaning the law of liberty -, 
 as it is called ver. 12, and which is no o- 
 ther than the gofpel-rule of life and man 
 ners) and yet offend in one point, he is 
 guilty of all." The plain meaning of 
 which is, that whofoever fhall habitually 
 tranfgrefs any one known precept of the 
 gofpel, is not in a ftate of favour with 
 God ; but as certainly lies under condem 
 nation, as if he violated them all. The 
 apoftle. then adnionifhes us to live and 
 a6t in all refpefts, as becomes thofe who 
 are hereafter to be judged according to 
 this law "So fpeak ye,and fo do, as they 
 that fhall be judged by the law of liber 
 ty." Now if we are to be judged by this 
 kw, it is certain that we fhall be either 
 juftified or condemned by it, according 
 as we have, or have not, yielded a fincere 
 and univerfal obedience to . the precepts 
 
 of 
 
224 Of yuftification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. of it. This is neceflarily implied in our 
 VIII. being judged by it. From whence it is 
 ' an obvious inference, that we cannot now 
 be juftified by this law of liberty, [the 
 gofpel] without obeying it. This law 
 will be the fame, in itfelf, in the day of 
 judgment, that it is at prefent : And all 
 who will be condemned by it, in that 
 day, are equally condemned by it now. 
 It cannot now juftify the fame perfons > 
 whom it will condemn, when it fhall be 
 put into execution by the judge of quick 
 and dead. Or will any one fay, that we 
 may now be juftified by the law of liber 
 ty, on account of our faith ; and yet be 
 condemned by it hereafter, on account 
 of our difobedience ? This feems to be too 
 abfurd for any one to alfert or fuppofe. 
 But were it fuppofeable, yet That juftifi- 
 cation, which does not exempt us from 
 future condemnation ; That which we 
 may be the fubjefts of here, and yet be 
 fentenced to woe and mifery hereafter for 
 our fins, is a thing of but little value or 
 importance to us ; Our great concern is, 
 to know and to do that, which will en 
 title us to the approbation of our Judge, 
 in the great day of his appearing. Even 
 the law of liberty will not then juftify us, 
 xinlefs we have fincerely obeyed it : And 
 this being the cafe, it is maaifeft, as was 
 
 faid 
 
Of j unification by Faith. 225 
 
 faid before, that it cannot juftify us now, Stfjfifo 
 if we difobey it ; that law being ftill the 
 fame. And all the Solifidians in the world 
 might be defied to anfwer this Tingle -ar 
 gument, were there no others* 
 
 BUT the apoftle proceeds (ver. 14.) 
 more particularly to confider the in 
 fluence of faith and works ; and from 
 thence to the end of the chapter, pro^ 
 felTedly combates this notion, that a man 
 is jiiftified by the firmer 4 , independently 
 of the latter-^- "What doth it profit, my 
 brethren, tho* a man fay he hath faith, 
 and have not works ? can faith fave * 
 him ?" As if he had faid : Of what figni-* 
 ncancy of advantage is it, for a< man to 
 talk and boaftof his faith, if his faith is 
 not accompanied with obedience ? Cart 
 faith entitle Him to the favour of God, 
 and eternal life, who does not obey the- 
 Commandments of Chrift, as well as be 
 lieve in him ? Vain, abfurd imagination \ 
 He goes on : " If a brother or filter be 
 naked, and dcflitute of daily food ; and 
 one of you fay unto them, Depart in 
 
 peace, 
 
 * " Can faith 'five him ?" Some who affert the fufficieocy 
 
 of faith to jttjlify ; ft ; ll allow that it is not fufficient to 
 
 fave : B'it the Apoftle makes ro' fuch idle diPinflion, 
 
 The fcopeof his Argument requires, that \yyfavivg* ^ e 
 
 , fliould here man ju/Ufying ; and accordingly he Tub- 
 
 .. ilitutes th latter term in the room of the former, in the 
 
 following vcrfcs. 
 
226 Qf-Juftijication ly Faith. 
 
 DERM., peace, be you warmed, and filled ; not- 
 VIIL withftanding ye give them not thofe 
 ' things whjcl; are needful to the body ; 
 what doth it profit ? Eyen fo faith, if- it 
 hath not works is dead being alone.'* q. d. 
 Ijf.you give your neceffitous brethren 
 only good ..words, inftead of relieving 
 their wants ; of what fignificancy is this"? 
 It is rather to mock and infult them,than 
 to do them any real kindnefs. And faith 
 is jufl as inilgnificant as thofe good 
 words, if it is not attended with charity 
 and righteoufnefs. , Being thus alone, it 
 is a dead ufblefs thing ; and can no more 
 juftify or fave the fubjects of it, than 
 fair foft words can feed and cloath thofe, 
 who are perifhing with hunger and. cold. 
 " Yea a man may fay, Thou haft faith, 
 and I have works ; Shew me thy faith 
 without thy works, and I will fliew thee 
 my faith by my works.'* As if he had 
 faid : Yea, one might reafon after this . 
 manner with you; You pretend to have 
 faith ; and perhaps you really have : 
 But I have works, which demonftrate 
 that I have faith. Whereas you cannoC 
 make it appear, even that you have any 
 faith, unlefs your behaviour bears wit- 
 nefs for you. Shew me, if you can, that 
 you have any faith, without works : This 
 is impoflible ; but I will make it evident 
 
 that 
 
Of J unification by Faith. 2 2 j 
 
 that I arti a believer, by my good life. SERM. 
 So that faith is not only infufficient to VIII. 
 juftify and fave a man ; but no man can 
 even prove that he is pofTefled of it, with 
 out works* 
 
 THE apoftle proceeds : " Thou be- 
 lieveft that there is one Gdd ; thou doft 
 vf'Al : the devils alib believe and tremble. 
 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that 
 faith without works is dead." <?. d. Thou 
 wilt tell me, perhaps, that thou believefl 
 in the One true God. Be it fo : Thus fai* 
 it is well : Bat you cat .mot reafonably 
 think that you are hereby juftifled ; for 
 even the apoftate angels believe, and yet 
 juftly tremble ; being referved in chains 
 under darknefs, to the judgment of the great 
 day ; To which condemnation you al- 
 fo ftand expofed, notwithftanding your 
 faith, while you perfevere in your fins. 
 O vain, foolifh man ! wilt thou not at 
 length be fenfible, that faith without o- 
 bedience, is a dead ufelefs thing, of no 
 profit. or advantage \ St. James goes on 
 to illuftrate and confirm his dodrine by 
 the example of Abraham. " Was not ^/-* 
 bra ham our father juftified by Works, 
 when he had offered Ifaac his fon upon 
 the Altar ? Seeft thou how faith wrought 
 with his works, and by works was faith 
 made perfect." ^. d. You may be convin- 
 
 ced 
 
228 Of Justification ly Faith, 
 
 oERM. cec } by the itory of Abraham, that a 
 VIII. muft obey as well as bcli&ve, in order to 
 his being juftified. For was not he, our 
 common lather, and the father of the 
 faithful, juftified, ' in effect, by works ; 
 when he fubmitted to the command and 
 authority of God, in preparing to facri- 
 ficehis fon ? Seer: thoti not how his faith 
 was exercifec. /xerted itfelf in works 
 of o'> v . ice,recch ing thence all its value 
 and efiicacv . ? A. id that it would have 
 been imperiecl, dead and ufelcfs, had it 
 not been accompanied with an obedient 
 heart. " And the fcripture was fulfilled 
 which faith, Abraham believed God, and 
 it was imputed to him for righteoufnefs ; 
 and he was called the friend of God." 
 q. d. And thus was the fcripture verified, 
 which tells us, that Abraham was a reli 
 gious believer in God ; and this his pious 
 and obedient faith, prbcured him the di 
 vine approbation ; it being, thro* grace, 
 reckoned to him and accepted of God, as 
 righteoufnefs. So that he was high in 
 the divine favour ; and obtained that 
 glorious teftimony, that he was God's 
 Friend : Which character he could never 
 have obtained, had he not added works 
 to his faith. " Ye fee then, fays the A- 
 poftle, how that by works a mau i>jufti- 
 fied, and not by faith only." ..</. Ye 
 
 may 
 
Of yuf* ification by Faith* 229 
 
 may be affured therefore, that it is by o- SERM* 
 bedience to God's commands, that a man VIII. 
 is juftified in his fight ; and not, as fome 
 may vainly imagine, only by believing. 
 TH E apoftle having obferved, that.R0- 
 bob as well as -^fbraban^ was juftified by 
 works ; clofes this fubjeft with the fol 
 lowing fmiilitude. " As the body with 
 out the fpirit is dead, fo faith without 
 works is dead al.fo," As if he had faid : 
 So far is it from. being true, that faith a- 
 lone is fufficient to juftify us r and that our 
 obedience is not alfo neceflary to that 
 end ; fo far is this from being the truth 
 of the cafe, that obedience gives to faith 
 all its worth and value and efficacy. In 
 fhort works are to faith, that which the 
 fpirit is to the body. As the body, being 
 deprived of the fpirit which fhould inform 
 and animate it, becomes a' mere carcafe,. 
 a dead lump of matter, void of all vigor 
 and energy,and unable to perform any of 
 the proper vital functions ; fo faith, being 
 feparated 'from works,' or not attended 
 with them, is a dead, ufelefs thing ; and 
 as unable to juftify the fubjecls of it, aa 
 a breathlefs corps is to perform the actions. 
 of a living man. 
 
 THUS I have briefly laid before you 
 
 the doftrine of St. Jaines^ concerning 
 
 juftiftcatioa. And it is pamfcft that he 
 
 0.3. P-i 
 
230 Of Juftification 6y Faith. 
 
 SERM, oppofes, direftly and profefTedly oppofes, 
 VIIL and not only oppofes, but refutes, the 
 " notion of juftification by faith alone ; or 
 faith confidered independently of obedi 
 ence. 1', '1 ne, then, do not thofe per- 
 fern fow dir~ord betwixt brethren, who 
 i:i"crpret St.T'aul as teaching the contrary 
 dc- ixl'ie of juftification by faith, abftraft- 
 ly confidered, and in contradiftin6tion 
 from works ? They certainly make as' 
 wide a breach betwixt thefe two apoftles, 
 as happened heretofore betwixt the latter 
 of them, and Barnabas. And this they do 
 without, any neceility. Becaufe what St, 
 Taiti lays concerning juftification^/^///? 
 tvithot't the deeds 0/jW,admits of a fair and 
 eafy incerpret-itiou, in perfeft conllftency 
 with St. James's, do&rine as explained a- 
 bove : Whereas St. * James's doftrine her^ 
 cannot, by all the fubtlety of man, be na 
 turally and fairly explained in any toler 
 able confutrncy with St. 5P Ws, provided 
 the defign of St.Taul was to oppofe faith 
 to evangelical obedience ; and to teach, 
 that juftification comes by the former, 
 exclusively of the latter. 
 
 THERE are feveral ways, in whichSt, 
 *paufs doctrine may be made to harmo 
 nize with St. James's, without- putting 
 any uanf.tura! force upon the words of 
 either. For example; (i,) When St. 
 
 Taut 
 
Of *JullijicatiQn ly Faith. 231 
 
 fWfays, that we are juftiiied by faith, SEPM. 
 faith may be underftood abjettively ; as 
 if he had faid, we are juftified by the 
 go/pel ; and not by the law of Mofes 
 And this interpretation is much counte 
 nanced by the fcope of fome pafTages, 
 where he treats of justification. (2) 
 Whenever faith is to be underftood Ji<&- 
 je&ivefy, ( as it certainly mufl be in many 
 places) it is no unnatural conftruflion, td 
 understand the. term as comprehenfive of 
 the 'whole chriftlan temper^ and that obe 
 dience which the gdfpel requires of us. 
 If it Ihould be faid, that this cannot be 
 St. ^Paul's meaning, becaufe he dppofes 
 faith to works, and to the deeds of law j 
 iince faith really 'includes them, accor 
 ding to this interpretation : Tho' this 
 is the principal difficulty, it admits of a 
 very eafy folution. For by works, and 
 the deeds of law, in thefe places, may 
 be meant, either the ceremonial and ritu 
 al obfervances of the mofaic law ; as if the 
 apoftle had faid, " A man is juftified by 
 believing and obeying the gofpel ; not by 
 thofe legal obfervances, to which the 
 Jews are fo difpofed to truft : " Or by 
 works and the deeds of law, may be un 
 derftood a perfect righteoufnefs, which 
 would-exclude* grace, and which no one 
 ever performed ; as if he had faid, " We 
 
 0.4 arc 
 
2 3 3 Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 SERM, arejuftified byafmcere, tho' imperfeft 
 VIH. obedience to the gofpel, thro' the mercy 
 of God in Chrift Jefus ; not by our works, 
 considered as ftrictly conformable to 
 law ; in which fenfe it is i-npoilible that 
 any trcinjgrefjcr of the law ihould be jufti- 
 jfied- Now in either of thefe ways, the 
 dilHndion whirh St.Taul makes betwixt 
 faith raid works, when he oppofes the 
 one to the other, is.fuiHciently preferved :' 
 A:id either of thefe interpretations will 
 perfectly liarmojiize with St. James's 
 4ocr.nje, Thc.t a man is not jullified by 
 faiLli^vclufiveiy of that obedience to the 
 laws of Chrift, which ought -to accompa 
 ny it ; and without which it is dead. 
 
 THE Attempts made to reconcile St. 
 James and St. Taut, on the contrary hy- 
 pothefis, ( viz. that St. Taitl teaches the 
 dodrine of juiiification by faith alone, or 
 faith in contradiftinftion from evangeli 
 cal obedience) have hitherto been to little 
 purpofe : unlefs it is to fhow the perplex 
 ing ilreights, to which the advocates for 
 that hypothefis are driven ; and how un 
 able they are to fupport it, without ufing 
 unnatural violence with the fcriptures. 
 Let rne give a fpecimen of thefe attempts,' 
 in order to fupport and verify this alter- 
 tion. 
 
 SOME have fuppofed that St. Taul and 
 
 Si 
 
Of Juftificdtion by Faith. 2 3 ; 
 
 St. James fpeak of two kinds of faith ; the SKRM, 
 former, of a true, evangelical and opera- VIII. 
 tive faith, the latter of a dead, hiftorical, 
 and notional faith, quite different there 
 from : That the firft kind juftifies without, 
 and independently of, works ; but that 
 the latter does not. In anf \ver to which, 
 I mall make one or t\vo fnort remarks. 
 
 IT is evident that St. James intended 
 no fuch diftinclion ; becaufe he fpeaks of 
 faith at large, in the moft general and un 
 limited fenfe. " Can faith fave him. " 
 " What doth it profit"- "Faith without 
 works is dead." " A man is juftified - 
 not by faith only." He does not iay, that 
 this or that particular kind of faith cannot 
 fave, cannot profit, cannot juftify, without 
 works : But the %ife is plainly this, that 
 No kind of faith whatever, can fave, pro 
 fit or juftify, without works ; or of itfelf 
 alone, Moreover, 
 
 TH E apoftle is here fpeaking of fucl\ 
 a faith as Abraham, and Rahab were the 
 fubjects of:' The former of whom, at leaft, 
 it is to be prefumed, had as good a faith 
 as any one can pretend to, fince he is 
 called the father of the faithful. And yet 
 the apoftle denies that either of thefe per- 
 fons was juftified by faith alone ; He af- 
 ferts that they were juftified by works 
 " Was not Abraham our father juftified, 
 
 by 
 
234 Of Juftification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. by works" " Likewife alfo was not Ra- 
 VIII. hab juftified by works."- -Now \iAbraham 
 himfelf, the goodnefs, and evangelical 
 nature, of whole faith, is not difputed by 
 any, was not juftified by faith, confider- 
 ed in contradiftinAion from, and in op- 
 pofition to, works ; certainly no other 
 believer can be thus juftified by faith a- 
 lone. But, 
 
 LET us,for the prefent,take it for gran 
 ted, that St. James is not fpeaking of a true 
 evangelical faith, when he fays, that faith 
 cannot fave, profit or juftify, without 
 works ; but fpeaking of fuch an idle, hif- 
 torical and inoperative faith, as is pre 
 tended by fome : And let us then fee what 
 his doclrine will amount to. And I think 
 it will be manifeftly th$, according to the 
 prefent hypothecs ; viz ; That tho' an/ 
 idl?) biftorical, inoperative faith, cannot 
 juftify without works ; yet fuch a fa-th 
 might fave, profit and juftify, with works : 
 (for this is plainly implied.) But there is 
 another peculiar kind of faith, a truly e- 
 vangelical, a living and working faith, 
 which juftifies without works, and ex- 
 clufively of them ! And again : when the 
 apoftle fays, (ver. 24.) " Ye fee then 
 how that bv works a man is juftified, and 
 not by faith only" ; according to the pre 
 fent hypotheilsj the fenfe (or rather the 
 
Of yuftification by Faith. 235 
 
 nonfenfe) of the aflertion muft be this ; SF.RM. 
 That a man is juftified, not only by a VIII. 
 dead, inoperative, and idle faith, a faith 
 that workedi not ; not only by fuch a 
 faith ; but by fuch a faith in conjunction 
 with good works \ Now let me aik any 
 fdber man, Whether fuch fluff as this, is 
 worthy the pen of an inspired ajpoftle ? 
 And whether this method of reconcilirig 
 St. Taul and St. James 9 is not to pervert 
 and wreft the plain meaning of the latter ; 
 and make him fpcak right-down Non- 
 fenfe ? 
 
 ANOTHER way of reconciling St. 
 James to St. *Pau!, (or rather of making 
 him contradiflt himfelf) is this : It is faid, 
 that he is not here fpeaking of what is 
 ncceflary to our juftification in the fight 
 of God ; but of what is neceflary to the 
 juftification of our faith ; neceflary to the 
 making it evident to others, that we have 
 true faith. It is faid, that tho' faith, ex* 
 clufively of obedience or works, justifies 
 us before God ; yet we cannot exhibit a 
 proof and evidence of our faith to others, 
 without works : And that accordingly, 
 by being juftified, the Apoftle here means, 
 juftified to the world, and in the fight 
 of all men, as true fincere chriftians. 
 
 LET us briefly examine this pretended 
 folution of the difficulty. 
 
 And 
 
236 Of *fnftifaation by Faith. 
 
 SERM. And it is to be obferved, 
 
 VIII. ^ THAT this is quite an arbitrary inter- 
 ' pretation ; altogether unwarranted, and 
 unnatural. The juftijying of a man s faith 
 is, in itfeii, an uncouth, ridiculous ex- 
 preffion : And thofe make much too bold 
 with theapoftle, who apply that to faith, 
 which he fays of men, of perfons. The 
 principal, if not the only thing alledged 
 in fupport of this interpretation, is, that 
 St. James fpeaks, in ver. 1 8. of fiewing 
 our faith by works. Upon this (lender 
 foundation it is, that fome men have in 
 terpreted all that he fays in this pafTage 
 concerning the neceffity of obedience and 
 works to j uftification, of the need of 
 works in order tojkew that we have faith. 
 Whereas it is evident, that what the a- 
 poftle fays in tbat verfe, is merely inci 
 dental ; fomething quite diftinft from his 
 main argument, and general defign, 
 Having before ihown, that faith without 
 works, was unable to fave ; that it was 
 a dead, .ufelcfs, unprofitable thing ; he 
 then tells thofe with whom he is arguing, 
 (as it were in a parenthefis) that faith w r as 
 fo far from juftify ing them, that they could 
 not even make it mamfeft that they had 
 any faith at all, but by their works. He 
 tells them, that one might, were it needful, 
 reafon with them thus : But Jie lets this 
 
Of yuftification by Faith. 237 
 
 matter drop, with a bare mention ; and SE&M. 
 then returns to his main argument ; which VIII. 
 he purfues to the end of the chapter. 
 
 BUT that the apoftle does not intend 
 the juftifying of our faith, or making it 
 appear to the world, that we have faith ; 
 is demonftrable from ver. 24. " Ye fee 
 then how that by works a man is juftifi- 
 ed, and not by faith only" According to 
 thefe goodly interpreters of fcripture, the 
 fenfe muft be this- " Ye fee then how 
 that a man's faith is justified, or made e 
 vident to the world, by good works, and 
 not only by faith. " Or thus, " Faith is 
 made to appear, not only by faith itfelf ; 
 but partly by faith and partly by works." 
 Which, befides the Nonfenfe of it, di- 
 reftly militates even againft that part of 
 the paflage, (ver. 18) which they think 
 warrants this interpretation. For there 
 it is fuppofed, that faith cannot be (hewn 
 at af^ by faith itfelf ; but only by works. 
 And indeed, had St. James talked at the 
 fate which they would make him, to fup- 
 port their favourite fyftem, One might be 
 apt to queftion, not only his infpiration, 
 but even the foundnefs of his under- 
 Handing. 
 
 IT i* farther to be obferved, that St. 
 James is fpeaking in this pafTage, concern 
 ing- what is uecqffary to fahation : - 
 
 ( " Can 
 
2 3 ^ ty y unification by Faith. 
 
 SF.RM. (" Can faith fave him ?") It is therefore 
 VIII* much more natural to underftand him as 
 treating here, of oar j unification in the 
 fight of God, on whom alone our falva- 
 tion depends, than of our j unification in 
 the fight of men. We may be faved 
 hereafter, altho' men jfhould think a;nd 
 fpeak evil of us, and condemn us : Or 
 we may perifh, tho' we jfhould appear 
 righteous unto men. But in order to our 
 falvation hereafter, it is indifpenfably ne- 
 ceflary that we fhould be juftified of God 
 in this world : For it is only thofe, 
 " whom He firft juitifies, that He after 
 wards glorifies." We may therefore fair 
 ly conclude, that this is the j unification 
 here difcourfed of. 
 
 AGAIN : That the apoftle is treating 
 of juftification in the fight of God, ap 
 pears from what he fays concerning 
 Abraham. When he " believed God/* 
 and when " faith wrought with his 
 works," " it was * imputed to him for 
 aighteoufnefs. " By whom was it impu 
 ted ? Certainly by that God, in whom he 
 
 trufted 
 
 * It will be obferved, that! the particular queftion here is' 
 flor, What it was that was imputed to Abraham for right eouf- 
 tefs ? whether it were his faith only, as diftinguifiied from 
 his obedience ; or both of them conjun&ly ; or, as fome fup- 
 pofe, the perfed righteoufoefs of Chrift ? But the poin^ is, 
 whether the acceptance of Abraham?* perfon to the divine fa 
 vour, and his jtjftificatiqri in the fight of God, is not im 
 wi $k*t kret ? 
 
Of J unification by faith . 239 
 
 trufted and whom he obeyed ; as appears 
 from Gen. 15. 6 the place here referred VIII. 
 to, He believed in the LORD, and HE 
 counted it to him for rlghtcoiifnefs. Now 
 we know, that for God to impute righ- 
 te-aufyefs to a man, and to juftify him, are 
 ph rates that are equivalent in fcripture. 
 So that there can be no reafonable doubt* 
 but tfeat it is justification in God's fight, 
 that is meant here, ancl throughout this 
 paffiage. Nor was Abraham only called 
 the friend of God by men, on account of 
 his obedience : but it was his obedient 
 faith which made him jo. It is therefore 
 evident, that St. James is not treating of 
 juftification before men. 
 
 Atf D indeed it is, even at firft view, a 
 very ftrange unnatural iuppofition, that 
 the apoftle fhould labour fo much, wy to 
 prove that a man cannot appear juit and 
 righteous in the fight of men, merely by 
 his faith, which is invijille ; or without 
 living righteoufly. This is both felf-evi- 
 dent, To as to need no formal proof ; and, 
 at the fame time, a matter, comparative 
 ly fpeaking, of but little importance. 
 Tho' this is plainly the main fcope and 
 drift of this whole paffage, unlefs it is 
 our juftification in the fight of God, 
 that is intended in it. And this confide* 
 ration alone, is, I think, fufficient to 
 
 evince, 
 
240 Of y unification iy Faith. 
 
 SER-M; evince, that it is of a higher, and far 
 more important juftiflcation, than one 
 J n t ] ie e y es O f men, that St. James is dif- 
 courfmg. The zeal and warmth which 
 lie difcovers in the courfe of his argu 
 ment ; the folemnity and pathos of his 
 cxpreffions ; in fhort, the whole air of 
 this pafTage, is a demonftration that the 
 apoftle is treating on a fubjetft no lefs 
 interefting, than that of our juftification 
 with God, and the falvation of our fouls. 
 And the other fuppofition, that he is 
 ipeaking only of what is necefTary to 
 .make our faith apparent, that fo we may 
 be juftified in the opinion and fight of 
 men, is as inconfiftent with good Crltkifm^ 
 as it is with found 'Theology. 
 
 THUS I have given you & fpecimen of 
 the methods taken to make thefe two a- 
 polties harmonize ; taken, I mean, by : 
 thole who will have it, that St. Taut 
 taught the dodrine of juftification by 
 f tilth, as contradiftingtufhed from evange 
 lical obedience. The two methods w^hich - 
 I have mentioned, are all that I have met 
 with, which feem to claim any notice. ! 
 And how infufficient, how unnatural, 
 even thefe folutions are, it is pfefumed 
 need not be made more apparent than it is 
 already. Both the folutions are founded 
 upon arbitrary fuppofition$ ; and fuch as 
 
 are 
 
Of Juftification ly Faith. 241 
 
 demonftrably falfe. And they are SERM. 
 alfo mutually repugnant to each other ; VIII. 
 Fo that if either of them were true, the ' 
 other muft neceflarily be falfe : Tho', 
 if I miftake not, fome perfons, that they 
 might the more effedlually put herejy out 
 of countenance, have gravely adopted 
 them both, and maintained them together* 
 BUT, as has been obferved before, it is 
 eafy to reconcile all that St. Ttiul has faid 
 concerning Juftification by faith, with 
 the doctrine, that evangelical obedience 
 is required in order to our being juftified* 
 (Which laft is Certainly the doftrine of 
 St. James. ) How this may be dohe, has 
 been (hown before.- -But if it is fuppofed, 
 that St. ^Paul ever taught the doftrine of 
 Juftification by faith alone, in contradiP 
 tinftionfrom obedience, the only quef-> 
 tion is- not, How he can be reconciled 
 with St. James ? Another queftion which 
 naturally arifes, is, How he can be recon- 
 ciled \vit\\himfelf? In all his epiftles, he 
 aflerts that impenitent, tmreformed fin- 
 ners, lye under wrath and condemnation. 
 He therefore teftified to them repentance to 
 wards God, as well as faith toivards our 
 Lord JefusCbrtft, in order to their getting 
 out of this ftate of condemnation ; to their 
 being reconciled to God, and entitled to 
 eternal life. " Defpifeft thou the riches of 
 

 242 OfJuftificalicfibyFaitb. 
 
 f. 
 O 
 
 OERM. "..his goodnefs, forbearance and long- 
 VIII. " fuffering, fays he ; not knowing that 
 
 v -"v*-' " the goodnefs of God leadeth thee to 
 " repentance ; but after thy hard and 
 " impenitent heart, treafureft up unto 
 " thy felt wrath againft the day of 
 
 f&w. 2. wrath ?"'} Is it not here fuppofed, that 
 fuch obdurate tranfgreflbrs are under con 
 demnation ? that they are continually ag 
 gravating their guilt and ruin ? and that 
 their repentance and reformation are in- 
 ^ifpenfably neceffary in order to their ob 
 taining the favour and mercy of God ? 
 Certainly it is. How then can it be fup- 
 pofed that this fame apoflle in the fame 
 epiftle, fhould teach, that faith alone, as 
 diftinguifhed from repentance and new 
 obedience, is fufficient to juftify us ; and 
 that it aftually does fo ? or if he had 
 taught this latter doctrine, who could re 
 concile it with the other ? and vindicate 
 him againft the imputation of fe!f-contra- 
 dittion ? The doctrines are diametrically 
 repugnant to each other : And whoever 
 fhall undertake to fhow on one hand,that 
 repentance and new obedience, are ne- 
 ceffary to our obtaining the favour and 
 mercy of God. ; and vet, on the other- 
 hand, that we are juftined by faith exclu- 
 fively of repentance and .new obedience, 
 will, I am perfwaded, only darken counfel 
 'words 'without knowledge* \ 
 
Of Jujlijication ly faith. 243 
 
 I INTENDED to hav brought divers SERM. 
 other arguments to (how the falfhood of VIII. 
 this too common doftrine, that we are 
 juftified by faith alone, as faith is oppofed 
 to gofpel-obedience. But the time will 
 not allow of it. This is, in fhort, a doc 
 trine quite repugnant to that preached by 
 our bleffed Saviour and his apoftles ; a 
 do&rine, full of abfurdity, and fruitful 
 ofmifchief; a doftrine, contrary to the 
 general fcheme and genius of the gofpel ; 
 a doftrine, altogether irrational ; and not 
 lefs pernicious in its practical tendency, 
 than it is abfurd in fpeculation. 
 
 BUT as 1 am now concerned with 
 thofe who make great ufe of diftinttions ; 
 1 muft beg leave to take notice of one or 
 two of thefe, before I conclude. 
 
 IT is faid, that tho' one eflential pro 
 perty of a juftifying faith, is, that it is o- 
 perative ; and that no faith can juftify, 
 befides that which is pf oduftive of good 
 works, and is manifefted by them ; yet 
 faith does not juftify becaufe it is operative, 
 and produ6Uve of good works ; but upon 
 another account ; viz. becaufe believing 
 is & going Gtttofourfehes ; and is the band 
 ly which we lay hold upon the perfefl righte- 
 oufnefs ofChrift. This, if I miftake not,is 
 generally faid by thofe who aflert the 
 of juftification by faith, in op- 
 R a pofitioa 
 
244 Ofyuftijication by Faith. 
 
 SERM. pofition to obedience. And I fhall-make 
 VJII. a few remarks upon this curious diftin-> 
 ftion ; becaufe it tends rather to puzzle 
 the ignorant L , than to edify any ; and may 
 probably be a means of beguiling unjlable 
 fouls to their deftruftion. ' 
 
 i. IF that which is intended by this 
 diftin6lion, were only this, that we are 
 not juftified on account of the inherent 
 merit of our obedience, fo as to exclude 
 the mercy and grace of God, by which 
 .we are juftified thro' a Mediator ; this is 
 unquestionably true ; and a thing of great 
 importance to be confidered by all Chrifti- 
 ans. But then it is to be obferved,that this 
 is at leaft as applicable to our faith, as it is 
 to our works. For faith is no more me 
 ritorious of our justification and falvation, 
 than our works are : To be fare it is not, 
 if that be the true notion of faith, which 
 fome have advanced, viz. that it is a re 
 nouncing all defert and merit in our- 
 felves, and relying wholly and abfolutely 
 upon the righteoufnefs and merit of Ano 
 ther But this is not the true defign of 
 the diftin&ion : for were this all that they 
 intend, there would be no controverfy. 
 They intend, that faith juftifies us in fome 
 fenfe in which obedience does not juftify 
 us ; otherwife even they themfelves, would 
 fee what others do ; I mean, that this 
 
Of Juftijication by Faith. 24 5 
 
 has really nothing in it. For SERM* 
 
 2. IF that faith 'which juftifies us, in- VIII. 
 eludes ink a principle of obedience, as one 
 effential property of it, (as they generally 
 affert) then it is moil futile and abfurd to 
 *PPfe faith an d obedience, in the manner 
 they do, one to the other ; as tho' the 
 former juftified us independently of the 
 latter. For what is this, in effecl:, but t6 
 oppofe a thing to itfelf ; to that which is 
 effential to the very being of it ? It is as 
 
 if we fhould oppofe the fun to the light 
 and warmth of it ; or the great Father of 
 lights, to his effential attributes : It is as 
 If it were faid, that tho' God made the 
 worlds ; yet they were not produced by 
 his power, wifdom and goodnefs ; but 
 exclufively of them ! 
 
 3. BUT the futility of this diftinftion, 
 and the falfhood of what is intended by 
 it ; is ftill further evident from the paffage 
 in St. James, which was confidered above. 
 For it appears from thence, not only , that 
 we cannot be juflified by a faith that is 
 without obedience ; but alfo that it is 
 obedience which gives to faith all it's 
 life, efficacy and perfection. Without 
 this, any faith, all faith is vain, dead, 
 and unprofitable ; utterly infufficient to 
 juftify and fave the fubjefts of it. It is 
 tiiis principle of obedience that is, as it 
 
 R 3 were 
 
,246 Of Jujlijication ly 
 
 SERM, wer e the foul and fpirit of faith; th<s 
 VIII. very, the only thing, by which we can 
 be juftified. So widely do thofe miftake 
 the matter, and differ from St. James, who 
 aflert, that tho' a juftifying faith is always 
 productive of obedience ; yet it is not 
 this operative quality, which gives vir 
 tue and efficacy to it ; but that a true faith 
 juftifies, exclusively of the obedience im 
 plied in it. The Apoftle more than inti 
 mates, that if faith considered indepen 
 dently of obedience, could juftify us, the 
 Devils themfelves might be juftified as 
 well as we ! But thefe men, it fecm3,will 
 not allow that that, upon which the a~ 
 poftle lays, in a manner, the ivhole ftrefs 
 of our juftification, fhould have any ftrefs 
 at all laid upon it in this affair. Even 
 while they allow, that the quality which 
 efTentially diftinguifhes a juftifying faith 
 from any other, is its being operative ; 
 yet it muft not be allowed, that faith jufti 
 fies upon account of this diftinguifhing 
 quality, left it fhould follow that we are 
 juftified by works ! This ( tho' we fhould 
 not be uncharitable) looks too much as 
 if thefe men were determined to fay $ny 
 thing ; and even plainly to contradict 
 themfehes, rather than not contradict the 
 apoftle when he fays, that " a man is 
 works ? and &ot by faith only.'* 
 
 4. I? 
 
Of y unification by Faith, 247 
 
 4. IF no faith can juftify, (as is co.n- SKRM. 
 fefled) befi'des that which involves in it a VIII. 
 principle of obedience, then faith muft 
 juftify us, confidered as including this 
 principle in it ; and not independently of 
 it. This confequence is inconteltibly 
 true ; tho' it feems not to be generally at 
 tended to : and if it were, there would be 
 no room left for controverfy about faith 
 and works. Let me illuftrate what I 
 here intendIf this quality is efTential to 
 a true, j uflify ing faith ; f/z. that it is o- 
 perative, and produ6tive of good works; 
 and if the faith which has this property, 
 certainly juftifies the fubjeft of it ; it fol- 
 lows that faith juftifies, only confidered 
 as having that property ; /". e. on account 
 of the obedience involved in the idea of 
 it. For otherwife, why jnay not fome 
 ether kind of faith juftify, tho' deftitute of 
 this property, as well as that to which o- 
 bedience is eflential . ? If this quality of 
 faith is of no confideration in the affair 
 of our juftification ; or if faith does not 
 juftify us, becaufe it includes obedience ; 
 it will be impoffible to affign a reafon, 
 why another faith which has all the 
 qualities of a true one, excepting this of 
 being -operative, fhould not juftify as well 
 as that which has this alfo. In fhort, to 
 fay, that that^ and that only, is a juftifying 
 R >4 faith* 
 
248 Of Juftification ly Faith. 
 
 faith,which has this property, is, in effect, 
 to fay, that this property is what renders 
 it available to our juftification ; and that 
 we are jultified by faith, only confidered 
 as a principle of obedience. So that thofe 
 who fay obedience is eflential to a jufti- 
 fying faith ; and yet that faith juftifies us, 
 confidered in contradiftindion from obe 
 dience, do not only make a needlefs, tri 
 fling diftinCtion ; but plainly contradict 
 themfeives in it. What would you think 
 of a perfon who fhould tell you that wings 
 were eflential to a bird \ that all the crea- 
 rures which had them, could fly ; but 
 that nonq could fly without them ; and 
 yet tell you, in the fame breath, that 
 thefe inhabitants of the air did not fly by 
 virtue of their wings, but quite indepen-> 
 dently of them ? Or what would you think 
 of one, who fhould tell ypu,that obedience 
 to our earthly fovereign, was eflential to 
 loyalty ; that all his loyal fubjeds were en 
 titled to his protection ; but that none 
 x:ould be entitled thereto, without loyalty ; 
 and yet tell you that loyalty did not entitle 
 you to your fovereign's protection, confi 
 dered as comprifmg obedience in it ; but 
 confidered abftraclly, and even in contradlj^ 
 ilnftlon from obedience ? It will not be pro 
 per, perhaps to fpeak out what you would 
 think of fadifiibtiltDiftinguiJhers as thefe-* 
 
 But 
 
Of Jujtification by Faith. 249 
 
 But whatever you would think of them ; SRPM-. 
 the fame you muft think of thofe,who tell VIIL 
 us that a principle of obedience is eflential ' v^ 
 to a true faith ; that all who have true 
 faith are juJItSed ; but that thofe who 
 have it not, are novjuftified ; and yet tell 
 us, that a true faith does not juftiffii 
 confidered as comprehenfive of obedience ; 
 but as diftinguiihed from, and oppofed to 
 it. And this is really the amount of all 
 t\\z gibberifh which you read or hear, con 
 cerning being Juftified " FifcjbU" 9 but 
 not " Fide jolit aria ! " ." By faith alone 1 
 but not " by faith that is alone !" 
 
 5. AND laftly here, If we confider faith 
 abftraftly, or independently of holinefs 
 and obedience, what can we fee in it, 
 which fhould give it this preheminence 
 above every thing befides . ? above fincere 
 repeiitance for our fins ? above righteouf- 
 nefs and charity to our neighbour ? above 
 gratitude to our Redeemer ? above tl\e 
 love and reverence of our Maker ? Does 
 faith, abftraVly confidered, feem to have 
 any fuch prerogative, that it fhould jufti- 
 fy us rather than any, or all, of thefe 
 graces and virtues? Indeed if we confider 
 faith as a principle of univerfal obedience; 
 as containing in it all the divine and fo- 
 cial virtues ; and as being the fource and 
 jfum of them ; if we confider it in this 
 
 v 
 
 S 
 
2 5 Of Jufttfcation ty Faith. 
 
 SERM. light, there will be no difficulty In ac- 
 VHt counting for the higheft things that are 
 faid of it in the new teftament. But if 
 we confider faith in contradiftinftioii 
 from thefe virtues ; and from all obedi 
 ence to God's commandments, no intel 
 ligible and rational account can be given 
 of it > why it fhould have that prehemi- 
 nence ? why it fhould juftify ? why it 
 fhould be imputed for righteoujnefs ? But all 
 this will be darknefs and rnyflerj - f which, 
 tho r accounted by fome, the chief glory 
 of die gofpel, feems to me to be no real 
 part of it's glory. The chiiftian revela 
 tion is glorious in refpeft of the great 
 light which it affords us ; but not, furely, 
 on account of what is flill left obfcure 
 in it i Otherwife the apoftle might 
 more properly have congratulated thofe 
 who ftiliy<.7/ in darknefs, than thofe who 
 were, by this difpenfation, called out of 
 It into marvellous light. * But not to di- 
 grefs : When faith is fpoken of in fcrip- 
 ture in the primary and reftrained fenie, 
 or as it is contradiftinguifhed from true 
 piety and virtue, other things are plainly 
 
 E referred to it. Even, the apoftle Taul 
 imfelf, who is tho't by fome to exalt 
 faith fo much, as to render every thing 
 elfe inconfiderable in comparifon of it ; 
 even this fame apoitle undervalues faidji 
 
 when 
 
Of Juftijicaiion by Faith. 
 
 when put in competition with the moral 
 virtues. Tho' I have ALL FAITH, 
 fays he, and- have not chanty, I am 
 NOTHING." And again, " Now abideft 
 faith, hope, charity, thefe three ; but the 
 GREATEST of thefe is CHAPvITY." 
 And this is that more excellent way, which 
 he fhews unto us, after exhorting us to 
 " covet earneftly the beft gifts:' ThusSt. 
 jPfl#/, the great champion for juftifica- 
 tion by faith, undervalues faith when 
 confidered in diftinftion from, and in 
 comparifon of, virtue and obedience : 
 Which plainly fliows,that when he fpeaks 
 of our being juftined by faith, he cannot 
 mean faith, as diilinguifhed from charity, 
 and other chriftian virtues ; but as inclu 
 ding them.- As to the preheminence 
 
 which fome give to faith, in the affair of 
 juftification, on account of its being the 
 hand that lays hold on the righteoufnefs of 
 (Shrift, and a going out ofourfelves ; thefe 
 things, I confefs,are beyond my compre- 
 henfion : Only it were to be wiflied, that 
 fome people would not go out of their 
 fexfes, as well as out of tketnfefoes ; and 
 both amufe themfehes, and pefter others, 
 with unmeaning phrafes, and mere 
 Jargon. 
 
 HAVING thus confidered this notable 
 (that tlio' true faith includes a 
 
 prin- 
 
2 5 2 Of yuftification by Faith. \ 
 
 SERM, principle of obedience ; yet it does 
 VIII.-' not juftify us confidered as containing 
 ' that principle, but exclusively of it, and 
 as oppofed to it ; ) I fhall juft mention 
 another, which is equally edifying and 
 which has, indeed, been already hinted 
 at in this difcourfe. The diftinftion I 
 mean, is this, That tho' faith alone jufti- 
 fies us in this world,and Intitles us to falva- 
 tion in the world to come ; yet obedience 
 to the gofpel is neceflary in order to our 
 being juftified at Chrift's tribunal here 
 after, and fo,in order to our being aftual- 
 ly faved at laft. 
 
 Now if what is here faid were indeed 
 true, it would fcarce be worth while to 
 give ourfelves much concern about the 
 terms of. juftification here ; whether we 
 are WTJJ juftified by faith alone, or not ? 
 This cannot be a very interefting and im 
 portant queftion, provided it is certain 
 that we muft both believe in Chrift and 
 obey Him, in order to our being fnaUj 
 juftified and faved by Him, when he fhall 
 come to judge the world in righteoufnefs. 
 The grand interefting point, is, What the 
 gofpel requires of us in order to our be 
 ing acquitted in that great day of retrk 
 bution ; and to our " going away into 
 life eternal" ? Which point being once re- 
 folved ; the other is but of very little impor^ 
 
 tance. 
 
Of Jujltfaation by Faith. .253 
 
 tance. It is rather a matter of curious SERM. 
 fpeculation for men of leifure, than, of VIII. 
 ferious concernment to the fouls of Chril- 
 tians. So that there is either no founda 
 tion for this diftinflion ; or, if there is, 
 thofe who make it might be much better 
 employed in inculcating that piety and 
 virtue, which is acknowledged neceflary 
 to falvation ; than in eternally infifting 
 upon the doftrine of juftification here by 
 faith only \ as if there could be no chrif- 
 tianity, no religion, without it f 
 
 BUT when this diftinction comes to be 
 examined, there is really nothing in it : it 
 is wholly without foundation ; and the 
 thing intended by it,is demonilrably falfe. 
 We are not juftified here, and entitled to 
 falvation, on one condition ; and juiriiled 
 and actually faved hereafter, on another ; 
 but on the fame. That which the gof- 
 pel has made neceflary in order to our 
 being acquitted and faved in the day of 
 judgment, it has made equally neceflary 
 in order to our being juftified now, and 
 entitled to falvation. For (as has been 
 obferved already in this difcourfe) the 
 gofpel is the rule, by which thofe who 
 are under the difpenfation of it, are to be 
 judged hereafter. So that we fhall then 
 be either acquitted or condemned, ac 
 cording as we have, or have not, com 
 plied 
 
254 Of y unification by Faith. 
 
 SERM. plied with the terms of it according to 
 VIII. their true intent and meaning, whatever 
 thofe terms are. And thefe terms being 
 the fame now that they will be hereafter, 
 -without the leaft variation, it undeniably 
 follows, that fuch perfons as will be con- 
 demned by the gofpel then, muft be e- 
 qually condemned by it -now; and. that 
 fuch as will then be juiiified by it, and 
 no others, can be juftified by it at pre- 
 fent, or intitled to the falvation of it. 
 Betwixt the juftification and condemna 
 tion of the gofpel, there is no medium. 
 Whom it does not juftify, it condemns ; 
 whom it condemns not, it juftifies. Nor 
 does length, or diftance of time, make 
 any alteration in this cafe. We cannot 
 be juftified only by believing, at prefent, 
 unlefs we may be juftifted only by be 
 lieving, hereafter ; provided the terms of 
 the gofpeljlike the author of it, are " the 
 fame yefterday, to day and forever : " So 
 that what thefe men take for an impor 
 tant theological diftin&lon, turns out ( like 
 fome of St. Athanafius's) to be no better 
 than a palpable cmtradiBion. For there 
 cannot well be a more glaring repugnan 
 cy than to -fey, that the fame gofpel 
 which will condemn men for their difo- 
 bedience in the day of judgment, does ndt 
 slfo condemn fneti equally for their difo- 
 
 be- 
 
Of Juftijication by Faith* 255 
 
 bedience now 5 tmt juftifies 
 
 on account of their faith* "VHL 
 
 So much for the preten<led * ** Ankle 
 
 tf aftanding, or a falling Chunk" ! It is 
 
 really furprifing that fuch a doftiine 
 
 fhould ever be believed by nny> : It is ftill 
 
 more wonderful, that it fhould ever be 
 
 embraced by any worthy, good men : But 
 
 what is moft aftonifhing of all, is, that 
 
 fuch an irrational, unfcriptural doftrine; 
 
 a doctrine of fo pernicious a tendency 
 
 with regard to the lives and manners of 
 
 men, fhould be infifted upon with pecu 
 
 liar ^warmth and zeal, as a moft important 
 
 and fundamental article of the Cliriftian 
 
 Faith! 
 
 * It is humbly hoped tliat thofe worthy Clergymen, 
 have acquired fo great reputation for 'barring, -as well as 
 wtbodtxy, by often quoting, In their Sermon?, Latber*s 
 ff Artidt'm ftantis vdtadentit Ecclefce, " will not envy Am- 
 tber the incocfiderable honor of traxfiAting it. 
 
 SERMON 
 

 SERMON IX. 
 
 Of the Nature and Principle of 
 Evangelical Obedience. 
 
 
 o<xxxxxxxxxxxx r -o 
 
 JAMES I. 21, 22. 
 
 #// filtbinefs and fiiperfiuity of 
 naughtlnefs, and receive 'with meeknefs the 
 ingrafted ivord, which is able to Jave your 
 fouls. But be ye doers of the ivord, and 
 not hearers only, deceiving jour oivnfelves. 
 
 AVING, in feveral preceeding, 
 difcourfes, fhown the indifpen- 
 fable neceflity of our being do 
 ers of the ivord as well as hearers, in or 
 der to the fahation of our fouls, which is 
 the great end of thg Chriftian revelation ; 
 having alfo pointed out to you fome of 
 thofe many ways, in which perfons may 
 be in danger of deceiving their ownfehes- 
 
 in 
 
of Evangelical Qledienct. 257 
 
 in a matter of fo great .importance ; and SERM. 
 given you an antidote againft the poifon 
 of thofe errors, which are but too rife in 
 the Chriftian Avorld ; I proceed now to 
 the next thing propofed when I enter VI 
 upon this fubjed : Which was, 
 
 EIGHTHLY, To explain more dif- 
 tinftly the nature and principle of Evan 
 gelical obedience. And here, finfl^ I (hall 
 confider the nature of this obedience, fo 
 as to diftinguifh it from the obedience of 
 a mere Moralift, artd of a Theift ; and 
 alfo from that of good men, who lived 
 under the Jeivifh difpenfation. And, fe* 
 condly, I fhall confider the principle from 
 which this obedience flows. 
 
 IT is to be obferved in general, that all 
 obedience, properly fpeaking, confifts in 
 the obfervation of fome law or rule. The 
 apoftle tells us, that u . where there is no 
 law, there is no tranfgreffion :" It is e- 
 qually true, that where there is no law, 
 there can be no obedience ; all obedience 
 confifling in conformity to fome law, or 
 rule of conduct, as all trailfgreffion con*- 
 fifts in a deviation therefrom. And 
 Chriftian, or Evangelical obedience, is 
 nothing either more or lefs, than the con 
 forming of our practice ,to the law r s and 
 commandments of CHRIST, who is <x>n- 
 ftituted the Lord and King and Judge of 
 S the 
 
258 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. the world ; to whom all power in heaven 
 IX. and In earth is given, that all men fhould 
 ' honor Him in like manner as they honor 
 the Father. 
 
 IF you afk where you are to look for 
 the laws of this " King of Kings, and 
 Lord of Lords ? " I anfwer, Neither into 
 the volumes of nature,nor into your own 
 hearts ; tho' there are laws written there, 
 correfponding to them ; and written as 
 with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond. 
 You are not to look for them in the Sta 
 tute-books, and other law-books in the 
 country, where you happen to live ; or in 
 any of the civil eftabliihments of religion. 
 Nor are you to look for them in the 
 tomes of theological writers, or the de 
 crees of Popes and Councils ; where they 
 are too often made void by vain traditions. 
 No ! you are to look for them only in the 
 gofpel of Chrift ; they being no othei* 
 than the precepts and rules of conduit, 
 which are found there ; and which were 
 promulgated, either immediately by Chrifl 
 himfelf ; or mediatel ^,by his infpired apof- 
 tles, the chief minifters of his kingdom, 
 whoihHe authoritatively fent forth to de- 
 clare his will, even as the Father had fent 
 Him.* Thefr laws of Chrift, our anointed 
 Sovereign, and whofe ri^ht it is to reign 
 over us, are contained in their native in 
 tegrity 
 
 i 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 259 
 
 tegrity and perfection, only in the holy SERM. 
 fcriptures ; more particularly of the new 
 te {lament. This alone is the law-book of 
 Chrljllans, as flich ; tho' as men, and mem 
 bers of civil foclety, we have other laws 
 to obferve. It is only in conformity to 
 the commandments of Chrift, as they are 
 contained in thefe f acred records, that 
 chriftian obedience confifts. And it is a 
 manifeft folecifm to call any other obe 
 dience cbrljllan, or evangel fcal^befides that, 
 of which the laws of Chrift, or the gof- 
 pel, is the meafure and Jiandard. 
 
 THO' thefe laws are many^ as they re- 
 fpeft our hearts, and external conduit ; 
 as they prefcribe to us our duty towards 
 God, and our Saviour ; towards our 
 neighbour and ourfelves ; yet they are 
 fometimes confidered as one : Not only as 
 one Jyftem or body of laws; but as one 
 laiu ; the law of liberty, by which we arc 
 to be judged \- and againft which, whofo- 
 ever prefumptuoufly and habitually of 
 fends, tho' but in one point, is guilty of all: 
 i. e. He fo far violates the whole, and that 
 authority by which the ivhole is injoined, 
 that he is condemned as a tranfgrejjor, even 
 by this law of liberty and therefore can 
 not be juftified and faved by it But this 
 is not the place for considering the extent 
 of chriftian obedience I fliall therefore 
 S 2 only 
 
t 
 
 2 6 o Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM, >ily j u ft obferve here, that as on one 
 IX hand, it Is certain the continued and wil 
 ful violation of the chriftian law, in any 
 refpeft, is inconfiftent with that obedience 
 which is neceffary to falvation ; ib on the 
 other hand, it- is equally certain, that a 
 perfect conformity thereto, is not fo in- 
 difpenfably required, that whofoever 
 falls fhort of it, mult finally be condem 
 ned. For to "fuppofe this, were plainly 
 to turn the law of liberty into a legal 3rjp 
 penfation, from which it eflentially differs. 
 And were this the cafe,it would be as im- 
 poffible, that "juftification and life fhould 
 come by the go/pel of Chrift, as that it 
 fhould come by the law of Mofes But 
 
 'HAVING o'bierved in genera!, that chrif 1 
 tian obedience coniiils in conforming our 
 tempers and behaviour to the laws of 
 Chrift ; it may be proper, for the better 
 underftanding of what is here intended, 
 to fhow -more -particularly, how this obe 
 dience is diftinguifhed from any other. 
 
 AND it certainly differs very widely 
 from obedience to the law of nature, or 
 the moral law ; especially in that narrow, 
 partial fenfe and acceptation of this law, 
 which confines morality to men's beha 
 viour towards each other in civil and Ib- 
 cial life : and to the private virtues of 
 temperance,and the like, without any re 
 gard 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 261 
 
 gard to Deity, and amoral Governor. The SERM* 
 ancient pagan Moralifls generally confi- IX. 
 dcred morality only in this light. When v *~-\ 
 they teach that the law of reaion, or the 
 law of nature, is to be followed and ot> 
 ferved, (on many branches of which, they 
 treat with great propriety ) they ufually 
 mean no more, than that men are bound to 
 practice juftice, benevolence, fobriety, and 
 the other virtues of private and focial life, 
 .as being, in their own nature,convenient, 
 fitdng and decent. This is a notion of 
 virtue and obedience, which falls vaitly 
 (licit of the Chriitian idea ; not only be- 
 caufe Chriftians are under obligation to 
 practice other duties befides thofe which 
 nature dictates ; but alfo becaufe- chrilti- 
 anity ultimately refolves all duties into the 
 will of God, considered as the all-wife, 
 good, and righteous Lawgiver,' raid the 
 moralRuler of the world. " There is one 
 La w giver, fays St. jajne^ who is able to' 
 fave and to deitroy." And "He that fiud, 
 do not commit adultery, laid alfo, do not. 
 kill.". Oar obedience is, " doing the -will 
 of our Father which is in heaven." What 
 ever duty we are bound to practice, it is 
 confidered as injcined upon us by the. 
 authority of almighty God. All our good 
 Cind virtuous actions, are confidered as a 
 tribute which we owe to Him ; as ctja- 
 S 3 trtfict 
 
262 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. orifice offered to Him ; and with -which 
 IX. He is * 'well pleafed. And, on the other 
 hand, whenever we tranfgrefs our duty, 
 13. this is coniidered as tranfgreffing the law 
 of God : againft Him, Him only do we 
 fin. For the divine will and authority, 
 does, as it were, involve and f wallow up 
 ail other obligations ; even the laws of 
 nature and reafon, as they are fometimes 
 Called, being the laws of Him who is 
 Lord of nature, and the Fountain of 
 all reafon. 
 
 BUT what has now been faid, only 
 diftinguiflies the obedience of Chriitians 
 from inch virtue as a mere ^4theift may, 
 in f'ome degree, be the fubjed of. For a 
 man may be, in fome meafure, juft, bene 
 ficent, temperate, &c. from an internal 
 fen fe of the reafonablenefs and fitnefs and 
 advantage of being fo ; altho' he is fo far 
 from obeying and honouring God there 
 in, that he does not even believe his 
 exiftence. Our modern *keifts profefs 
 to go much farther than this ; tho' their 
 obedience, if they really pracliled agrea- 
 bly to their principles, (which they fel- 
 dom do) would fall much below that of 
 Chriitians, who aft up to their profeffidii. 
 The Thrifts profefs to reverence God as 
 the moral governor of the univerfe,whofe 
 will and laws are to be read in meft*s 
 
 hearts, 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 265 
 
 hearts, and in the volumes of vifible na- SERM. 
 ture. And the dictates of nature and rea- IX. 
 fon, it is faid, ought to be obeyed, not 
 merely confidered as in themfelves fit to 
 be obferved ; but alfo becaufe they muft 
 be fuppofed conformable to the will of the 
 Deity ; and to have all the force of laws 
 enafted by ?/';# : So that it, may be con 
 cluded, men will be rewarded or punifhed 
 by Him, as they obey or difobey thefe laws. 
 I fpeak now only of the more fober and 
 rational part of modern Theifts. There 
 are others of them, who while they pro- 
 fefs to believe in God, deride all this as 
 mere Juperftition and enthufeajm ; f and 
 with whom it is nothing but the inherent 
 amiablenefs of virtue, that claims regard; 
 virtue not being rewarded, nor vice pu 
 nifhed, as fuch, by a moral Governor and 
 Lord tho' it is owned they have a tenden 
 cy, in the very nature of things, to render 
 the fubjecls of them happy and miferable, 
 refpeclively. Whether thefe nominal 
 Theifts, are not really Atbelfts at the bot 
 tom, or, at beft Epicureans, which comes 
 much to the fame thing at laft, I will not 
 pretend to determine. Only it is evident, 
 there is but very little difference betwixt 
 faying, that there is no God at all ; and 
 faying, that there is none who is to be,re- 
 S 4 garded 
 
 j- Gbarjfitriflifki, ptfiim. 
 
264 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. garcled and reverenced, as the righteous 
 IX. governor of the world ; none,who rewards 
 
 ^*-v *^ and punifhes men for their actions. * 
 
 BUT as to the more fober and religious 
 Thrifts, who confider the natural laws of 
 virtue, as the laws of God ; and who not 
 having,or not acknowledging any reveal- 
 
 t Ram. 2. ?d ' aw > y et " ^0 t by nature the things 
 H- contained in it," in fome meafure ; even 
 Their obedience falls far fhort of theChril- 
 tian ftandard. Chriftian obedience dif 
 fers from Theirs, not only as Chriftians 
 make a revealed law the rule of their obe^ 
 dience and They>only the light of nature; 
 (which would not, of itfelf, be fufficient to 
 conftitute a very effential difference, pro 
 vided the matter of thefe laws were exactly 
 the fame.) But it differs in divers other re- 
 fpeels. The catalogue of Chriftian duties 
 and virtues is confiderably longer than the 
 Thefts. Every duty of natural religion, 
 is indeed a duty of chriftianity ; of reveal^ 
 ed religion. But the gofpel moreover 
 injoins upon us divers things, which are 
 not contained in the law of nature ; and 
 are no part of it. And the obedience paid 
 to thefe -different laws, viz. of mere nature, 
 and of Chriftianity, muft differ as much, 
 sit'leafl:, as the laws themfelves differ. 
 
 BESIDES : 
 
 * SuchPerfons arejuftly faid by the wife Roman, 
 rt fuftulifle ; Or to {hat 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 265 
 
 SERM. 
 
 BESIDES: Whoever duly attends to the IX. 
 Chriftian doctrine of a Mediator, will find, 
 not only that various duties refult from, 
 and are injoined upon us in confequence 
 of, that fupematural interpofition of pro 
 vidence ; but alfo that our obedience in 
 general is put upon a different footing 
 thereby, having, in the whole of it, a re 
 ference to this great difpenfation of divine 
 grace to a finful world. All the precepts 
 of the gofpel, tho' they are truly the laws 
 of God \ yet they are not to be confidered 
 only in that light ; but as his laws promul 
 gated byHis only begotten Son, who has 
 redeemed us, and whofe fervants and fab- 
 jetts we more immediately are. Agrea- 
 bly whereto it is laid, that we are " not 
 without law to God ; but under the law to 
 Cbrift" * God has fubje&ed us to the rule 
 and authority of His Son, in confequence 
 of his undertaking and executing the me 
 diatorial office. In our Saviour's ow r n 
 words, " The Father loveth the Son, and 
 hath given him authority to execute judg- 
 jnent, becaufe he is the Son of Man : " 
 i. e. becaufe he became incarnate. And 
 in the language of the Apoftle Taul, He 
 1 took upon him the form of a fervant, 
 and was made in the likenefs of men ;< 
 and became obedient unto death, even 
 
 the 
 
266 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SFRM. the death of the crofs : Wherefore God al- 
 IX. fo hath highly exalted him, and given 
 him a name, which is. above every name; 
 that at the name of Jefus every knee 
 ihoulcl bow." J &c. Now it is as inverted 
 with, this royal power and dignity ; as be 
 ing the King whom God hath Jet upon his 
 holy hill ofZion, that Chrift gives laws to 
 men ; not merely as a prophet, or divine 
 mefTenger. He is " made Head over all 
 things to the church " : and we are put 
 under his authority, in a fenfe wherein we 
 cannot be faid to be under that of any 
 other meflbnger or minifter of Heaven, 
 whether human or angelical. From which 
 considerations it is manifeft, that our o- 
 bedience is more immediately due to the 
 &;/, than to the Father ; it being more 
 immediately by His authority, that the 
 various duties of the goipel are enjoined 
 upon us ; and to him, that we are mor6 
 immediately accountable for our conduct. 
 
 ALLOWING for the prefent, ( what is 
 far from being true, i;/r.) that the laws 
 of chriftianity are, in all refpe6ts the fame 
 with the laws and religion of nature, and 
 only a republication of it ; yet, furely, 
 we could not be faid to pay a proper obe 
 dience to them, without conlidering 
 them as being the laws of Chrift, our Re 
 deemer and Sovereign. And this is what 
 
 con- 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 267 
 
 conftimtes one efTential difference betwixt SERM. 
 chriftian obedience, and any other. In IX. 
 order to a perfon's obeying as a Chriftian 
 ought to do, it is not only neceflary that 
 he performs the duties -peculiar to Chrif- 
 tanity; but alfo that he performs all others, 
 which may be common to this and other 
 religions, in obedience to Chrift, as his 
 Lord and Mafter and final Judge : doing 
 all things whatfeever he does in 'word or decdy 
 in the name of the Lord Jefus. * Cot. 3. 
 
 HOWEVER, Chriftians do not ( at leaft ! 7- 
 they ought not to) fet afide the fupreme 
 authority and dominion of God, the FA 
 THER Almighty : or, by attempting to 
 divide, really deftroy, the Monarchy of 
 the univerfe ; which is ftill in HIM alone ; 
 the mediatorial authority of Chrift, being 
 derived from HIM, and fubordinate to 
 HIS. Tho' our obedience as Chriftians, 
 is due more immediately to our Lord Jefus 
 Chrift ; (as was laid before) yet it is ulti 
 mately referred to His Father, and our Fa 
 ther, to His God and our God ; who " is *>* 20 ' 
 greater than ALL ; "if and who has con 
 ferred this dignity and authority on the *^'p?' 
 Son. And of this important truth, viz. J* 28. 
 that all the homage and obedience which 
 we pay to the Son, fhould thus be refer 
 red to, and terminate in, the Father ; of 
 this important truth, I fay, the apoftle ad- 
 
 moniihes 
 
268 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 .' monifhes us, when he tells us, that God 
 IX. highly exalted his Son, that every tongue 
 ' ^ ' might confefs him to be Lord, " to the 
 t PHRp. glory of God, the FATHER/ 
 2 - 1X - So that Chriftians ought not, furely, to 
 pay any iiich obedience or homage to the 
 Son, as has a tendency to cclipfe the 
 glory of God the Father ; who is without 
 Rival or Competitor. The Dominion 
 andSovereignty of the univerfe is neceiTa- 
 rily one, and in ONE ; -the only living and 
 true GOD, who delegates fuch meafures 
 of power and authority to other Beings, 
 as feemeth good in his light ; but " will 
 t > 4 2 - Jlot; gj vc his [peculiar] glory to another."! 
 Our bleffed Saviour does indeed afTert the 
 rights and prerogatives of bis own 'crown; 
 but never ufurped thofe of His Fathers : 
 On the contrary, He conilantly and uni 
 formly tells us, that his authority \vas 
 given to him of the Father ; and is exer- 
 cifed in fubordination to His will ; not 
 independently af it. He claims no autho 
 rity, befkles what he claims by virtue of 
 the Fathers grant, and the commillion 
 which he received from Him. 
 
 WHAT is faid above,, feemed needful 
 to prevent mif-conftruflion ; to fuggeft 
 the true ground of thu r obedience which 
 we owe to our blefled Lord ; and to Ihow 
 the perfed: confiftency of paying it, w r ith 
 
 the 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 269 
 
 the Unify, and \l\zfupreme glory and do- SERM, 
 minion of God, the FATHER : The not IX'. 
 fufficiently prcferving of which Unity and 
 Supremacy amongft Chriiluns, has long 
 ben juft matter of reproach to them ; and 
 a great (tumbling-block both to Jews and 
 Mahometans* - But to return, 
 
 As chriftian obedience is diftinguifhed 
 from that of mere T7;*//?/,- by our making 
 a written revelation the rule of it ; by the 
 peculiar duties of the gofpel ; and by our 
 paying all our obedience more ifftmicli&fof} 
 to Jefus. Chrift, as our Redeemer, Lord 
 and Judge ; foit is ftill farther diitinguifh- 
 ed therefrom, by the motives from which 
 it is performed. 
 
 THE 
 
 * With the rrtctaph'/ficjl abftraft natu-e, or efTence of ths 
 Deiiv, I am not bo)J enough to meddle Difquifirions of 
 this kind, a:vd cle. a ciitions of G^d's vengeance *gainft 
 thofe who do not afFed co be wife, or arc not willing to be 
 lieve, ab'jve what i< writttn, are lefi to the unaccountable 
 Temerity of the/&&r/v \fans. I can, for my own pirt, free 
 ly acquiefre in St. Paui 's iodrine, in thf moft obvious lenfe 
 of hi^ words, viz. Th*c ** th->' there be that are called 
 " Gods, whether in heaven or inearth ; (as there be gods 
 " many, and lords many) bat [ver] to us thsre is but ONE 
 " GOD, thj FATHER and One Lord, Jdu-. thrift." 
 i Cor. 8, 4 -- " There is ONP: GOD, and On, Mfdi-.tor 
 " betwixt GOD and men, the Man Chrift Jefus" i-iim. 
 2, 5. Who the only true G')/) is, we may farther 'earn 
 from our Saviour's prayer, John 1 7. begin. " Thefe things 
 1 fpake Jefus j and lift up his eyes to heaven, and f<id, 
 . ' FATHER,alorif y thy Sw This is life eternal that they 
 " might know THEE, 'the ONLY TRUE GOD, and 
 Jefa Cbrijl, whom THOU haft fcnt." 
 
 
 
2 jo Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. THE obedience of a mere Thrift may 
 IX. be excited by a contemplation of the di- 
 vine goodnefs, and other attributes, as 
 manifefted in the creation of the world ; 
 and in that providence which fuftains and 
 governs all things. But a Chriftian's o- 
 bedience is moreover, excited, I might 
 perhaps fay, more efpecially excited, by a 
 contemplation of God's perfections, as 
 manifefted in our redemption : And we 
 are con ft rained by the love of Chrift, who 
 "died for all," when all were dead. The 
 Thelft may do afts of charity to his neigh 
 bours confidered as his fellow-creatures, 
 the creatures of God. But a Chriftian 
 moreover confiders the relation in which 
 all men ftand to Chrift, who fo loved 
 them, as to give his life " a ranfom for all :" 
 And if he gives ought to a difciple, it is 
 in the name of a difciple that he does it, and 
 becaufe he belongs to Chrift. The 'Thelft may 
 be fober and temperate becaufe this is rea- 
 fonable, and conducive to health. But the 
 Chriftian moreover, confiders himfelf as 
 " the habitation of God thro'the fpirit ; " 
 and will not defile the tern-pie of God, leftGod 
 fliould deftroy him. The Theifis virtue 
 and obedience may be excited by fome ge 
 neral confufed notions of a future ftate of 
 retribution. But aChriftian lives under the 
 habitual expectation of a refurre6tion, and 
 
of Evangelical Qiedience. 271 
 
 a future judgment ; when all they that 
 are in their graves (hall hear the voice of 
 the Son of God ; and come forth, they that 
 have done good, to the re fur region of life, and 
 they that have done evil, to the refurreftim of 
 damnation. The Theljl may obey, becaufe 
 he imagines his virtue (notwithftanding 
 all it's defcfts) fo valuable in itfelf, that it: 
 will fully and fufficiently recommend him 
 to the approbation of hisCreator, But the 
 Chriftian obeys, becaufe this will be ac-> 
 ceptable to God thro 5 his Redeemer, and 
 be rewarded for his fake. In fine, the 
 obedience of a Chriftian, in all its parts 
 and branches, receives a peculiar tincture 
 and complexion from his profeffion.; and 
 is animated by the faith of the Son of 
 God, who has redeemed us by his blood ; 
 and made us kings and priefts unto God, 
 to offer up fpjritual facr'fices, acceptable ta 
 Him by Jefus Chr>tt. f- Thefe things are 
 fufficient to fhow the wide .difference 
 which there is betwixt the obedience of 
 a Chriftian, and that of a mere Theifl, e- 
 ven fuppofing the latter of them to live 
 up to his principles. 
 
 BUT it may be inquircd,How chriftian 
 obedience differs from that of good men 
 under the law ofMofes, before the com 
 ing of Chrift in the fleih ? The refolucbn 
 ot which inquiry,depends very much up 
 on 
 
2 7 2 Of ^ je Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. on another queftion, v!z. How far the 
 IX. mediatorial fcherne of our redemption and 
 ' falvation, was opened toT/je/r underftand- 
 ings,during that preparatory difpenfation ? 
 If we fuppofe this fcheme to have been 
 as clearly revealed to them in general, as 
 it feems to have been to fome of the Ta- 
 triarchs before the law, and to fome good 
 men after, and under, it, the difference 
 will not be fo great as fome may perhaps 
 imagine. For it will then conflft chiefly 
 ill thefe two things : 
 
 i ft. IN the externals, the modes and ri 
 tuals of religion ; which, to be lure, were 
 very different under the Mv/aic, and the 
 evangelical difpenfation ; the morality of 
 the law and of the gofpel being ftill the 
 fame. And 
 
 2dly. WHEREAS WE believe and truft 
 in a Redeemer already come ; and are 
 hereby excited to obey : They believed in 
 the fame Saviour, as promifed, and look* 
 ed for ; and were,, "by this expectation 
 of a Deliverer, ftimulated to the fervice 
 of God. 
 
 WE are told exprefsly, that the gofpel 
 'was -preached to ^Abraham, w ho rejoiced to 
 fee the day ofCbrift approaching. And he, 
 together with others both before, and 
 after the Mojaic oeconomy took place, 
 were juftified in the fame way, and up 
 on 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 273 
 
 on the fame footing of grace, thatwe 
 
 are now ; Abraham being /A* father of X- 
 
 f A* faithful in all fucceeding generations. v *"*"" 
 
 And the Author to the Hebrews, ha 
 
 ving enumerated divers of thefe ancient 
 
 worthies, tell us, that " thefe all died in 
 
 " faith, not having received the promifes ; 
 
 " ( /'. e. the fulfilment of them) but hav- 
 
 " ing feen them afar off, and were per-. 
 
 " fwaded of them, and embraced them ; 
 
 " and confeffed that they were ftrangers 
 
 " and pilgrims in the earth. " * And of *f^ ' 
 
 Mofes, it is faid afterwards, that he " ef- 
 
 " teemed the reproach of Chrift, greater 
 
 " riches than the treafures in Egypt ; ha- 
 
 <( ving refpeft unto the recompence of the 
 
 " reward." f Now according to thefe, j.yer.26- 
 
 and fuch-like reprefentations in the new- 
 
 teftament, one would think that,excepting 
 
 the two particulars mentioned, there 
 
 could be no confiderable difference be 
 
 twixt the obedience of good men before, 
 
 and after, the coming of Chrift. 
 
 BUT whether this knowledge of a Sa 
 
 viour to come, were common to all good 
 
 men, under the law, or not, there is fome 
 
 ground of doubt. For tho' one great 
 
 end of the law was, that it might fbadow 
 
 forth good things to come ; that it might at 
 
 once admonifh thofe who were under it, 
 
 of their need ot&fpiritual deliverer and. Re- 
 
 T deemef, 
 
2 74 Of ^ e Nature and Principle 
 
 . deemer,and lead them to expefljitch aOne ; 
 yet it is manifeft that the generality of 
 the Jews, for fometime before our Lord's 
 nativity, had no notion of this fpiritual 
 meaning, and typical reference of the 
 law; and therefore interpreted ail the pro 
 phecies concerning the Mefflah, of a tem 
 poral Prince and Saviour. And whether 
 fome truly pious and virtuous men, were 
 hot carried away with this prevailing er- 
 . , ror, I will not pretend to determine- Nor 
 can we fully and thoroughly difcriminate 
 betwixt the obedience of good Jews, and 
 good CkriftianS) unlefs we knew more ex- 
 aftly than we do, what the ideas and 
 fentiments of the former generally were, 
 refpefting the promifed Saviour. 
 
 To conclude this head, concerning the 
 nature of chriftian obedience -This obe 
 dience is not only that which, for the 
 matter of it, is agreable to the precepts of 
 the gofpel ; but that which is performed 
 with a due regard to Chrift, as our great 
 Prophet, Prieft and King ; the Captain of 
 our Salvation ; the author and finlfier of our 
 faith : That obedience, which has the gof 
 pel revelation for its bafis and rule ; and 
 which is performed from views and mo 
 tives proper and peculiar to this difpenfa- 
 tion of divine. grace. However right and 
 jreafonable men's actions are, considered 
 
 ia 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 275 
 
 in themfelves ; however correfponding SFRM 
 to the law of liberty ; yet there is not, in 
 ftrift propriety, any thing of chriftian o- 
 bedience therein, any farther than they 
 are done with reference to the gofpel of 
 Chrift. This is the charaSeriJiick of the 
 obedience we are considering : hereby it 
 is diftinguifhed from any other. And 
 this will be farther evident from a confi- 
 deration of the grand principle of this obe 
 dience, which was the fecond thing pro- 
 poled in the beginning of this difcourfe, 
 and to which I now proceed, 
 
 THE great principle of chriftian obe 
 dience, is chriftian faith ; faith in Chrift, 
 and in God thro' him. I add' in God 
 thro' him ; becauie the faith of Chriftians 
 does not terminate in Chrift as the ulti 
 mate , ( tho* he is the immediate ) object 
 of it: but it is extended, thro' him, to 
 the one God and Father of all. And to 
 beget in men that belief and truft in 
 God, which is here intended, was one 
 grand defign of the mediatorial undertak 
 ing. Chrift came into the world in his 
 Father's name, as fent and commiffioned 
 by Him, to declare and reveal Him. And 
 in His name he fpake to the world con 
 cerning God, and His kingdom. All he 
 taught, did and fuffered, refered ultimate 
 ly to the Father ; the end thereof being tc* 
 T % bring 
 
Of the Nature and Principle m 
 
 OERM. bring us to God. A paffage in the apoftlc- 
 IX. *Peter will both illuftrate and confirm the 
 
 *-~v - 1 thing here intended ; where, fpeaking of 
 our Saviour, he fays, that he " was fore- 
 " ordained before the foundation of the 
 " world ; but was manifeft in thefe laft 
 " times for us, who by him do believe hi God 
 " that raifed him from the dead,and gave 
 " him glory, that our faith and hope might 
 
 . j P(t " be inGod"\ From hence,and from many 
 
 1.20,21. other pafTages of fcripture, it is evident 
 that chriftian faith is not merely a belief 
 in Chrift, or relying upon him for falva- 
 tion ; but rather a belief and hope in God 
 thro' him ; a belief that He is what Chrift 
 has declared him to be ; that He is that 
 righteous, that good and gracious Being, 
 which the gofpel rcprefents him to be ; 
 that He is reconciling the ivorld unto himfelf, 
 by fuch means, and upon fuch terms, as 
 are therein mentioned : A belief, that 
 Chrift is " the way, the truth and the 
 life ; that no man can come unto the Fa 
 ther, but by him ;" or that finners can 
 obtain eternal life in that method, and 
 that alone, which he has opened and re- 
 vealed.J 
 
 THIS is the proper notion of chriftian 
 faith : And, indeed, to fuppofe that faith 
 terminates in Chrift, as the ultimate ob- 
 of it, is inconfiftent with his being a 
 
 Mediator 
 
of 'Evangelical Obedience. 277 
 
 Mediator at" all. We lofe the very idea of SERM. 
 a Mediator upon this fuppofition. If Chrift IX. 
 is really " the Mediator betwixt God and 
 Man ;" he is to be believed on as fuch ; 
 and our faith muft terminate, as was 
 obferved before, in that God, betwixt 
 Whom and us, he mediates. And having, 
 premifed thus much concerning the na 
 ture of chriftian faith in general ; (which 
 is much miftaken by many ) I am now 
 to fliow, that this is the great principle of 
 chriftian obedience. I do not mean, that 
 all who thus believe in Chrift, and in God 
 thro' him, do actually obey the gofpel ; 
 (which is contrary to fact and experience) 
 but, that all who obey it, obey it from 
 this principle. It is this faith that purifies 
 their hearts ; and animates them in the 
 difcharge of all the duties of the chriftian 
 life -Let me explain myfelf a little more 
 particularly upon this point. 
 
 IT is very evident that no man can 
 obey as a Chriftian, who has not the faith 
 of a Chriftian. It is fuppofeable that a 
 Mahometan, or even an Atbeljl^ might ex 
 ternally perform any duty which the gof 
 pel injoins upon us. But if a Mahojnetan 
 or Atheift, known to be fuch, fhould per 
 form many of thefe duties, no one,furely, 
 would call this chriftian obedience. Evan 
 gelical faith being wantiug, there cannot, 
 T 3 properly 
 
2 7$ Of tie Nature and Principle 
 
 properly fpeaking, be any thing of evan- 
 IX. gelical obedience in any actions whatever. 
 SUCH faith in Chrift, and in God 
 thro* him, as is mentioned above, has a 
 very natural and apparent tendency to 
 make the fubjefts of it truly pious and. 
 virtuous ; and to yield that obedience to 
 the gofpel, which is required of them. 
 As far as the belief of any thing ; as far 
 as any faith, in the primary and moil 
 proper fenfe of the term, can influence 
 the tempers and practices of men ; fuch a 
 faith as I am fpeaking of,bids the faireft of 
 any, to have a good influence upon men's 
 hearts and manners ; to turn them from 
 fin to God ; and to induce them to obejr 
 his commandments. What can be fup- 
 pofed fufficient and effectual to this good 
 end, if a belief of fuch truths as are re 
 vealed in the gofpel ; if believing Chrift 
 to be really that divine mcffenger which 
 he is laid to be ; if believing, that he came 
 into the world to redeem us, according 
 to the evangelical account of this matter; 
 if believing in God, thro' him, believing 
 in his righteoufnefs and holinefs ; his good- 
 nefs and mercy ; his pfomifes and threat- 
 nings ; what, I fay, can be fuppofed fuf- 
 iicient and effectual to turn. men from fin 
 to righteoufnefs, if fuch a faith as this, has 
 not that influence and efficacy J if it leaves 
 
 the 
 
ef Evangelical Obedience. 2 j 9 
 
 the fubje&s of it, as it found them, dead SERM*. 
 in trejpaffes and fins ? There is certainly IX. 
 no faith, coniidered in the firft and moft 
 proper fenfe of the word, which can dif- 
 engage men from their evil courfes, and 
 induce them to love andferve God, if this 
 faith fails to do it. And as this is the ob 
 vious tendency of it ; fo 
 
 IT is manifeft thro'out the new-tef- 
 tament, that the apoftles of our Lord, and 
 other holy men, lived under the influence 
 of fueh a faith. This was the fpring,and 
 fource, and animating principle of their 
 obedience. It was this, that made them 
 abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that 
 which is good. It is by this faith, that they 
 are faid to have walked : And the life 
 which they lived in the flefh, they lived by 
 this faith of the Son of God. This is the 
 faith, which is faid to- work by love - And 
 this is the victory that overcometh the world, 
 fays St. John, even your faith. It was by 
 faith,that thefe holy men run with patience 
 the race fet before them : It was by this 
 Jhield of faith, that they were armed a- 
 gainft all temptations ; and wherewith they 
 were enabled to quench all the fiery darts of 
 the wicked. In fine it was faith, that gave 
 them fpirit and courage to encounter,and 
 ftrength to overcome, all difficulties and 
 dangers, ia the difcharge of their duty 
 T 4 The 
 
Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 The account which the apoffie gives 
 us of fome renowned men before the 
 coming of Chrift, ( whole faith. \\ 7 as not 
 efTentially different from our's) is agreable 
 to what is faid above. " By faith, Mofes, 
 " fays he, when he was come to years, 
 " refufed to be called the fon of Pha- 
 " roah's daughter- >By faith he forfook 
 " Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the 
 " King ; for he endured as feeing him 'who 
 " is invf/ible" " And what" (as the a- 
 . poftle goes on) " (hall I more fay ? for the 
 " time would fail me to tell of Gideon, 
 " and of Barak, and of Sampfon, and of 
 " Jeptha, of David alfo and Samuel, an'd 
 " of the prophets ; who thro faith fubdu- 
 ed kingdoms, wrought righteoitfnefs" &c. 
 Thus was faith the great operative prin 
 ciple in good men, even before the com 
 ing of Chrift : It was the fame principle irv 
 general, which wrought in the apoftles 
 and primitive chriftians : And it is this 
 principle that operates in good men, in, 
 all fucceding ages. This is the heavenly 
 feed, which taking root in the heart, 
 fprings up, and ripens into good fruit: 
 This is the fource and fountain from 
 whence obedience flows : And without 
 fuch a principle of faith, there can, as 
 has been obferved before, *be no obedi 
 ence properly evangelical. But 
 
 NOT- 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 281 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING the vifible, 
 apparent tendency of faith, to produce o- IX. 
 bedience ; to make men truly pious and 
 virtuous ; and altho' no perfon does, or 
 can, obey the gofpel, but from this prin 
 ciple ; yet it is manifeft both from fcrip- 
 ture, and daily obfervation, that people 
 may be the fubjefts of faith, while they 
 live in difobedience to Chrift's command 
 ments : They may have faith, without 
 having their tempers and manners con 
 formed to the dictates of it : Their lives 
 and praftice may be contrary to what 
 they profefs to believe ; yea, to what they 
 actually do believe. So that tho' faith is 
 the true principle of obedience, in all 
 thofe who obey ; yet it is not, in fad 
 -and event, a principle of obedience in all 
 that believe ; for there are vicious be 
 lievers ; as well as vicious infidels. We 
 learn from the new-teftament, that many 
 who believed in Chrifl and the gofpel, of 
 old, wholly apoftatized from the faith af 
 terwards ; fome in a fhorter, and fome in 
 a longer time. Many others, who did not 
 Tf^s'Jbifwreck concerning faith, but con 
 tinued to hold it ; yet held it in unrigbteouf- 
 nefs ; making Jhipiu reck of a good conference ; 
 and being to every good ivork reprobate. 
 Our own obfervation may, perhaps, il- 
 luftrate and verify thefe representations of 
 
 fcrip- 
 
2 8 2 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. fcripture. Have we not known foine 
 IX. who profefled to believe in Chrifl ; to truft 
 
 v "V- ' in the mercy of God thro* him ; and even 
 to be very confident of therr title to eter 
 nal life ; ( of whom we cannot pretend to 
 fay, that they did not thus believe, and 
 truft, and confidently expedl falvation ) 
 Have we not, I fay, known fome fuch 
 perlbns, who were far from being good 
 men, if the tree is to be known and judg 
 ed of by its fruit ? Yea, have we not 
 known fome, who were not only belie 
 vers ; but very luarm and zealous ones, who 
 have \vhv\\j departed from the faith, giving 
 A. \ m heed tofeducingfyirits, as was foretold ? * 
 Have we not i': a en examples of fuch as our 
 Saviour fpeaks oi] who " hear the word, 
 and anon -with joy receive it ; yet not ha 
 ving root in themfelves, endure only for a 
 
 f Mat. 13 j P , 
 *o, 21. while ?J t 
 
 IT is very evident then, that faith is 
 'not really a p radical principle in the 
 hearts of all believers : Some of them are 
 very little, if any thing,the better for their 
 faith -And there is one thing that deferves 
 a particular notice here : Which is, That 
 the Apoftles, in their epiftles to particu 
 lar perfons, or to chritlian churches, ne 
 ver fpeak of the vicious, impenitent profef- 
 fors of chriftianity, as being deftltuie of 
 trite faith ; or as being rcaiiy unbelievers^ 
 
 while 
 
ef Evangelical Obedience. 28 
 
 ^vhile they profefled to have faith. On SERM 
 the contrary, they always take it for IX. 
 granted, that thefe perfons, however 
 wicked, were really believers notwith- 
 ftanding their wickednets ; exhorting 
 them to repent and amend ; and to live 
 fuitably to their holy vocation. In this 
 refpeft, at leaft, there is a very remark 
 able difference betwixt the Apoftles, and 
 fome modern preachers of the gofpeL 
 The latter fpeak to, and of, all the wick 
 ed profeiTors of chriftianity,as unbelievers, 
 as deftitute of true faith ; upon a pre- 
 fumption that where faith is, there will 
 always be obedience ; or, that no true 
 believer, can remain vicious. Now I am 
 bold to fay, that this manner of preaching 
 is altogether unferiptural ; and that there 
 cannot be a fingle initance produced,froin 
 the writings of the apoftles, which jufti- 
 fies~it. For, as w r as laid before, They al 
 ways take it for granted, that men may 
 be really believers, and addrefs them asfucb, 
 how much foever their lives and morals 
 might refemble thofe of pagans and infidels. 
 So that we cannot reafonably doubt, but 
 that faith, true faith, which is a principle 
 of obedience in fome perfons, is not Jo in 
 others ; not working by love, nor producing 
 the fruit! of right eonfnefs. 
 
 SOME will probably inquire, How 
 
 it 
 
284 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. it comes to pafs, that faith, which is the- 
 principle and fourCe of obedience in fome 
 perfons, fhould not be fo in others, uni- 
 verfally ? Why the hearts and manners 
 of many fhould be influenced by their 
 faith ; while the hearts and manners of 
 as many, perhaps a much greater num 
 ber, fhould be fo much at variance with 
 their faith ? fo oppofite to what they pro- 
 fefs to believe ; and which they really do 
 believe, according to the prefent hypothe- 
 fis? And, indeed, tho' the poffibility of 
 this, and the truth of the fuppofition, is 
 evident from the whole current of fcrip- 
 ture, and verified by daily experience ; 
 yet it may well be accounted one of the 
 greateft fpeculative difficulties that occurs, 
 upon the fubjeft of religion : And it is 
 one, of which it is, perhaps, beyond the 
 fphere of human underftanding to give 
 a clear and full folution ; fince it feems 
 plainly to run up into the old queftion 
 concerning liberty ; fo that They who can 
 fully clear up all the difficulties attending 
 the do&rine of human freedom, as op- 
 pofed to neceffity,can be at no lofs for aa 
 anfwer to this- But who They are, I 
 have not yet found 
 
 SOME think this fad is fufficiently ac 
 counted for, only by fuppofing that good 
 and wicked jneu under the gofpel, (tho' 
 
 both 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 285 
 
 both of them are truly believers) believe SERM. 
 in different degrees of intenfenefs. There IX. 
 are doubtlefs degrees in faith ; there is a 
 itrong and lively faith, as well as a weak 
 and languid. Thofe who are the fubjefts 
 of the former, it is faid, are obedient to 
 the dictates of it ; faith, in them, becom 
 ing an operative, practical principle : 
 Whilft thofe, whofe faith is feeble and 
 weak, do not give themfelves up to the 
 guidance of it ; this weak faith not being 
 a practical principle, as the other is : But 
 if it were ftrengthened to a certain degree, 
 it is fuppofed, it wou'd become fo ; and 
 certainly be productive of good fruit. 
 Thus, as fome fuppofe, it comes to pafs, 
 that faith is aftually a principle of obedi 
 ence in fome perfons, and not in others. 
 But this is far from being a full folution 
 of the difficulty : For the queftion ftill 
 occurs, how it comes to pafs that fome 
 men are thus flrong In faith while others 
 give but a feeble and cold aflent to the 
 great truths of chriftianity ? Befides, if 
 there is any fuch thing as human liberty, 
 it is certain that, of different men, whofe 
 faith is the fame, both for kind and degree, 
 fome may aft agreably, others contrary 
 thereto : And to fay, that all men whofe 
 faith is alike ftrong, muft aft alike, is, in 
 effeft, to deny that men are free creatures ; i 
 
 unlefs 
 
286 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. unlefs we fuppofe their freedom lies rather 
 in believing, than acting. For if there 
 is a neceflary connection betwixt men's 
 faith and prattice, it is plain that they can 
 not be free in the latter of thefe refpefts ; 
 fo that they muft either be free in the/Jr- 
 mer, or not at all. And, to human ap 
 pearance, fome great and ftrorig believers 
 are much worfe men, than fome who 
 have but little faith. 
 
 OTHERS fuppofe that here is a fpe- 
 cifici effential difference in the faith it- 
 felf, of thofe who obey the gofpel, 
 and of thofe who do not : From which 
 difference in the kind and nature of their 
 faith, it is faid, we are to account for the 
 difference which there is in their lives and 
 manners ; one of them being always, and 
 univerfally, a principle of chriftian obe 
 dience ; the other, never. But it feems 
 impoffibleto give any intelligible account 
 of this fuppofed Jpecific difference in men's 
 faith. For to fay, that one man's faith is 
 wrought by the fpecial operation of the 
 fpirit ofGod upon his heart; and another's, 
 not ; is not to point out to us the differ 
 ence which there is fuppofed to be in thefe 
 men's faith ; but only to tell us, how thefe 
 different perfons come by their faith : 
 Which is quite another thing. If two 
 perfons affent to the fame diviue truths ; 
 
 if 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 287 
 
 if they believe in the fame God if they SERM, 
 depend upon the fame Saviour ; their IX. 
 faith is, for kind, the fame, in how dif 
 ferent a manner foever we may fuppofe 
 they became the fubjefts of it. This faith, 
 as was laid above, may, indeed, be ftrong 
 in fome perfons, and weak in others : But 
 this makes only a gradual, not a fpecijic 
 difference in their faith itfelf. 
 
 SoiME, who fuppofe there is a fpecijic 
 difference betwixt the faith of obedient, 
 and that of difobedient chriftians ; in or 
 der to make out this difference, and to 
 mow how faith becomes a principle of o- 
 bedience in fome perfons and not in o- 
 thers ; tell us, that one is a penitent faith, 
 an humble faith, an holy faith ; and fo 
 on : Whereas the other is an impenitent 
 faith ; not humble, unholy, &c. But upon 
 examination, it will appear, that this is 
 rather to tell us how men differ from each 
 other, than how their faith differs. For 
 fmce a penitent faith, includes penitence, 
 an humble faith, humility, and an holy 
 faith, holinefs ; to fay that one perfon 
 has a penitent, humble, holy faith ; but 
 that the faith of others is not a penitent, 
 not an humble, not- an holy one ; really 
 amounts to no more than faying, that 
 fome believers are penitent, humble and 
 holy ; but that other believers are -not fo. 
 
 Which 
 
288 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. Which is only telling us,how widely pro- 
 fefled chriftians differ from each other in 
 their moral and religious character ; not 
 fhowing us how the faith of a good man 
 differs Jpecifaally from that of a wicked 
 one. 
 
 THE fame faith, both for kind and 
 degree, may be attended, or accompanied, 
 with different qualities in different men. 
 One believer may be wife and learned ; 
 another fimple and unlearned. Does this 
 difference betwixt the men, infer znyjpe- 
 cifc difference in their faith ? No furely ! 
 Thus alfo one believer may take a par 
 ticular pleafure and delight in the exer- 
 cife of one worldly calling or occupation ; 
 another, in another. Do thefe different 
 turns of men's minds, infer a fyecific dif 
 ference in their faith ? You will juilly 
 anfwer, None at all. Well : In like man 
 ner (for aught that has hitherto appeared) 
 the fame faith may be accompanied with 
 repentance,humility, holinefs,in one man; 
 and with hardnefs of heart, pride, unho- 
 linefs, in another. Thefe contrary quali 
 ties may be found in believers ; the for 
 mer of them in fome, the latter in others: 
 But neither of them are faith, ftfidlp 
 and -properly fpeaking ; but fomew^hat quite 
 diftinft from it, Tho' fome believers 
 are penitent, humble and internally holy ; 
 
 yet 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 289 
 
 yet thefe moral and religious qualities, SERM. 
 or thefe chriftian graces, Jiri&ly fpeaking, 
 are not faith ; but they are as diftind u 
 from it, as wifdom and learning ; or any 
 other natural and civil accomplifliments ; 
 or any particular turn of mind, with 
 relation to fecular employments. We 
 might as well fay, that there is a fpecific 
 difference betwixt the faith of a wife man, 
 and that of an ignorant one ; betwixt the 
 faith of a chriftian magiftrate, and that of a 
 chriftian merchant ; as that there is fuch a 
 difference betwixt the faith of & faint , and 
 that of a finner : Yea we might as well 
 fay, that there is a fpecific difference be 
 twixt the faith of a man of a/i/>, and one 
 of a dark complexion ; the faith of an 
 European, and that of the ^Ethiopian bap 
 tized by Thilip. For, in truth, learning 
 and ignorance, civil magiftracy and mer 
 chandize, darknefs and fairnefs of com 
 plexion, are not more diftinft from faith, 
 properly jfo called, than moral and religious 
 qualities are ; fuch as repentance, humi 
 lity and holinefs. Thefe good qualities 
 are not only diftinft from faith, and faith 
 from them ; but there is no necejjary con- 
 neftion betwixt them. Some believers 
 are pofTefled of them ; others are not. 
 Nor can this fad be accounted for, by fup- 
 poiing, that there is a fpecific difference 
 U betwixt 
 
290 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SE RM. betwixt the faith of the former, and that of 
 IX. the latter. For if there were really any 
 ' fuch difference, yet the queftion would 
 ftill recur, How comes one man to have 
 the good faith ? another, only that of an 
 inferior kind ? And befides ; thofe who 
 have endeavoured to make out fuch a 
 fpecific difference, have not,by any means, 
 done it. For they either only tell us how 
 we come by true faith, faying it is wrought 
 in us by the fpirit of God, &c. (which, 
 however true it may be, is not to (how 
 us wherein that faith, confidered in itfelf, 
 differs from any other ) Or elfe they tell 
 us, it is a penitent, humble, holy faith : 
 Which is, Jn effeft, to fay, that the faith 
 of fome men differs fpecifically from that 
 of others, by having fomewhat which is 
 .really diftinft from faith, joined with it ; 
 "'viz. repentance, humility and holinefs. 
 So that to have recourfe to this fuppofed 
 fpecifc difference in men's faith, in order 
 to accotmt for fome men's obeying, and 
 others not obeying, the .gofpel ; is* really 
 no more than faying, in other words, that 
 fome men obey the gofpel, becaufe they 
 do not only believe, but are alfo penitent, 
 hurr^ble and internally holy ; /. e. they o- 
 bey it, becaufe -they obey it ! While o- 
 thers difobey it, becaufe, tho' they be 
 lieve, yet they remain impenitent, proucf, 
 
 unholy ; 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 291 
 
 unholy ; /. e. they difobey it, becaufe SERM 
 they difobey it ! And is not this a very 
 notable folution ? When the very thing 
 which is inquired, is, How it comes to 
 pafs, that fbrne believers are penitent^ 
 humble and holy ; others the reverfe ? 
 
 BY this time, I fuppofe, it is very evi 
 dent, as was hinted above, that this in 
 quiry runs diredly into another ; and ter 
 minates therein : I mean, the perplexing 
 queftion concerning hitman liberty and it 
 can only be refolved fully by thofe, who 
 can fully reconcile our freedom (which 
 ought not to be doubted of) with the fcrip- 
 ture-doftrine of God's fore-knowledge, 
 and eternal counfels ; of his governing 
 providence, and the operations of his fpirit 
 and grace. To pretend to anfwer the 
 difficulty, by defying human freedom, and 
 reiblving all into the abfolute fovereignty, 
 and power of God, is only to cut the knot 
 -And on the other fuppolltion, that we 
 are free, there is fomewhat in this fub- 
 jeft, which is, even at firft view, above 
 humanity fomewhat, to which we can~ 
 mt attain -fomewhat, which is evidently 
 too high for creatures of fuch limited facul 
 ties ;and probably for all CREATURES. 
 And if we exenife ourfehes in the/e things, 
 I know of no valuable end it can aniwpr 
 ' except that of convincing us of our ig- 
 U 2 norance, 
 
"292 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. norance, 'till we come, at laft, to fit 
 IX. . down contented and refigned, ivbere the 
 
 * ~v-^ holy apoftle did, laying with him " O 
 " the depth of the riches both of the 
 " wifdom and knowledge of God ! how 
 " unfearchable are his judgments, and his 
 
 \ Rom. 1 1 W ays paft finding out ! "f God's counfel 
 and providence govern the world ; but yet 
 men are free I 
 AND if we are really free creatures, we 
 cannot go any farther towards a folution 
 of the queftion we have been confidering, 
 than this Some men -will and chafe to 
 conform their tempers and practice to their 
 faith ; and do fo, by the concurring in 
 fluences of God's Spirit. Others loill and 
 chuff to continue in their fins ; not as be 
 ing tempted (much lefs compelled} thereto 
 of God ; but being " drawn away of 
 ." their own lufts and enticed."* Higher 
 than this, I think, we cannot go, without 
 lofing ourfelves. We muft either take 
 up with this fimple, fcriptural account of 
 the matter ; or elfe bewilder ourfelves 
 with that, both needlefs,and fruitlefs inqui 
 ry, What determines our will and choice 
 to one fide, rather than to the other ? 
 With relation to which queftion, I fhall 
 only obferve, That in all thofe refpefts, 
 wherein we are actually Free, (whatever 
 refpe&s they are) certainly nothing deter 
 mines 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 293 
 
 mines us neceffarily, or unavoidably, fo thatSsRM. 
 we could not but make the choice we do : IX. 
 We are Arbiters here, chufing for, and 
 determining, Ottrfehes.; this being the 
 proper notion and nature of liberty, as 
 oppofed to neceffity. 
 
 THOSE perfons who deny the fore 
 knowledge, and the eternal purpofes of 
 God, becaufe they cannot clearly recon 
 cile this doctrine with that of human li 
 berty, feem very worthy of blame : Since, 
 if the fcriptures. are true, thefe doctrines 
 muft both be true. But thofe who,becaufe 
 of the difficulty which they find hcre,deny 
 that man is free, are ftill much more 
 blameable : Becaufe the denial of liberty, 
 is the charging of all our fins on God ; 
 making him the author, as well as the 
 puniiher, of them : and fo, abfolutely de- 
 itroys his moral character : Whilft, at the 
 fame time, this is of the moft fatal tenden 
 cy with reference to practical religion 
 
 IN that revelation, with which God 
 
 has favoured us, it is forever taken for 
 
 granted, that we have a f elf "determining 
 
 power ; (whatever difficulties may attend 
 
 the fuppofition) I mean, the power either 
 
 of accepting the mercy offered us, by 
 
 complying with the gracious terms of it ; 
 
 or rejecting the counfel of God againft our* 
 
 Jches. So that none ever had, or (hall 
 
 U 3 haye 
 

 . 
 
 294 Of th e Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM have, juft caufe to complain, that theGod 
 IX. of all grace and mercy, fo cruelly mocked 
 and infulted them, as to offer them de 
 liverance from the 'wrath to come, and eter 
 nal life in his moft glorious prefence, upon 
 impracticable conditions : Which would, in 
 effeft, be to give us a fight of heaven, on 
 ly to render us more wretched in the lofs 
 of it ; and to make damnation itfelfthe 
 more intolerable ! Such doftrine as this 
 we, indeed, fometimes hear ; fuch bard 
 fpeeches ! But if you can believe Him, 
 for w r hom it is impojjible to lye, " Life and 
 death are jet before you, bleffing and cur- 
 fing :" And of this, both " heaven and 
 " earth are called to bear record ; there- 
 " fore CHOOSE Life !" * f 
 
 BUT 
 
 f THERE are many things attended with infuperable diffi 
 culties in fpeculation j things, of which no clear account, or 
 Rationale can be given ; yea, which feem to run us into feme 
 abfu'dicy, iffuppofed true: Which things are, neverthelefs* 
 certain, indubitable fafts ; fuch as cannot be denied, without 
 denying our own daily experience. Liberty, as oppofed to 
 necfffity, I take to be fomewhat of this kind. Great perplex 
 ities and difficulties arifc apon the fuppofuion of it ; but much 
 greater, upon the denial. All human language is exactly 
 accommodated to the do&rine of freedom : fo that we could 
 neither underftand each other, nor ourfelves, without the idea 
 of liberty ; or a power both of choofing and acting varioufly, 
 or differently, within a certain fphere, under the fame given 
 circumftances. For this is the true, proper notion of liberty : 
 At lead, this is the fenfe in which the terms libtrty, freedom* 
 fftive power, are ufed in this note. And without the idea of 
 fuch a power, what do we mean by fuch forms of expreffion as 
 thefe, which are common ? viz. That we can do fo or fo * 
 but cannot do another thing ; That we would do this or that* 
 
 i - 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. $ 9 5 
 
 BUT it is not intended in what is faid a- SERM. 
 bove,concerning human power and liber- IX. 
 U 4 ty, ^- J 
 
 if we could ; but cannot: And, viceverfa, That we could 
 do this or that, if we would ; but uill not: That we 
 will try, or ufe our endeavours to do fo or fo ; and do it, 
 if ws can. This is the language of nature ; and every man 
 underftands thefe forms of expreffion : Which, yet, would be 
 quite fenfclefs and unintelligible to us, without the idea and 
 fuppofnion of liberty. There would be no foundation for 
 fuch a diftinction betwixt what we can, and what we cannot 
 do, &c. All men have therefore the i lea of liberty : which 
 is, indeed, one of the moft plain and fimple of all our 
 ideas : Even children have it. And 
 
 IT may be fairly argu'd that we are free, and confcious to 
 ourfelves of our being fo, from our having this idea. For 
 how did we, at fir ft > come by it ? It could not, I think, 
 come into our minds, originally, from any thing external and 
 material ; or by means of any of our corporeal fenfes and or 
 gans. There feerns to be nothing in all vilible nature, which 
 could fuggelt it to us at firft ; tho' fpontaneous animal motion 
 bids the faired for it. If we had not actually experienced 
 the thing ourfelves, we ccmld have no more idea of it, than a 
 blind man, of colours, or a deaf one, of founds. This idea 
 could be gotten only by refle&ing upon what has p?.fied in our 
 own minds ; upon whac we have experienced in ourfelves, 
 by a kind of internal fenfadon. We are, therefore, cenfcious 
 of our freedom : So that thofe who deny there is any liberty 
 in man, do not only contradict the experience of others ; bu 
 their own. For they have this idea, r.o Ids than others ; 
 which yet, they could not have, but from experience. 
 
 HOWEVER: IfuftvxiU be faid, that we do not get the 
 idea of active power, by i, fleeing on our oivn experience ; 
 but that it might be naturally fuggefted to the mind ab extra, 
 by animal motion, of which we are duily witnefles ; or by a- 
 ny other phaJnomena in nature : It will, even from hence 
 follow, thajjjj|ere are really fom pi-'cenomena in nature, which 
 correfpond to this idea ; for otiievwife the idea could not have 
 been naturally fuggefted to our minds by thefe appearances. 
 So that, even upon this fuppoiition, it follows that the notion 
 ef liberty, or active power, is a natural one ; bro't into our 
 minds by daily obfervation. And if. this is the cafe, it is 
 Jurely **t#r*l {9 believe there i? freedom ; Confe^uently to 
 
 deny: 
 
2 9 6 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. ty, that men either do, or can, obey the 
 gofpel in the manner required of them, 
 
 inde- 
 
 deny this, 5s unnatural ; and to contradict a man's own daily 
 obfervation. For we do not live a day without fteing what 
 has, at leaft, the appearance of liberty ; and what, according 
 to the prefent fuppofition, originally fuggefted to us the no 
 tion, or idea of it. 
 
 THERE is, demonilrably, liberty fomewbcre ; in fomc One 
 Being, at leaft. AH things could not have proceeded in an 
 eternal feiie? of neccfTary caufes and effects, each of which is 
 both ?n effect with relation to fomewhat preceeding, and a 
 caufe with relation to fomething following. We muft afcend, 
 and follow the chain, 'till we come to a firft Mover, how dif- 
 tant and remote foever : Which fiift Mover, muft be a free 
 Being, or have a principle of active power, which is the fame 
 thing. He cannct be neceffarily actuated by any thing : 
 \Vhich would be, in effect, to fuppofe there is a Caufe of the 
 firft Caufe ; or that the firft Caufe is a neceflary effect of ano 
 ther neceflary Caufe, &V cjV. 
 
 To deny to this great firft Caufe, the power of imparting 
 to his creatures a meajure of freedom ; or of nruking a free 
 creature, who can either chufe and act, or not, within a certain 
 fphere, ( how narrow and limited foever that fphere may be ) 
 is making much too free witb Him. There is not the leaft 
 contradiction or abfurdify, in the fuppofition of a creature's 
 having active power, or bdng a free agent. And 
 
 IF active power be rot an incommunicable attribute of the 
 Creator ; ( which we have no reafon to think it is ) or if a 
 creature may pojpbly be endovv'd with liberty ; we have no 
 reafon to doubt but that we have it ourjelves : Since, upon fup 
 pofition that we were actually free, we could not be more 
 experimentally certain that we were fo, than we are at prefent. 
 That we are poficffed of aelive power, is fo immediately, fo 
 experimentally known by us ; and we have fuch an inward 
 confcioufnefs and feeling; of it ; that no difficulties, merely 
 fpecu/ative, can overthrow, or in any meafure invalidate, this 
 evidence of it. We are not more certain of any one thing, ex 
 cept, perhaps, of our own exiftence, than that we are free 
 creatures. 
 
 BUT it will perhaps be faid, that tho' we do, indeed, Jetm 
 to ourfelves to be free ; yet we may not really be fo : This 
 may be ail a ddufion. To which it is anfwsred, that if this 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 297 
 
 independently of the concurrence and SERM. 
 bleffing of almighty God* The meaning IX. 
 
 fhould in faft be the cafe, it is impofiible for us to knew it to 
 be fo ; or to have any reafon to think it f:> j fince we are as 
 immediately and experimentally certain of our fixed- nn, as 
 we are of any one thing whatever, with the fingie ex epil.n 
 mentioned before. Thofe notions and principles, which lead 
 People to doubt of their freedom, mult in their own natu;e, 
 be far more precarious lhan that is. We might as well ca ! l in 
 queltion the teftimony of any, or all of our fenfes, as doubt the 
 trurh and certainty of our experience in this cafe ; this confci- 
 oufnefs of our freedom, Imean,whacever fpeculative JrflkuJties 
 may lye in the way. We might as plaufibly, at leatt, que- 
 ftion the exillence of an external, material world ; queltion 
 whether we realty fee, hear, fmell, tafte or feel, any thing ; 
 bccaufe of the difficulties which occur refpe&ing the modus of 
 that communication and intercourfe, which there is betwixt 
 body and rnind : We might as piaufibly, at leaft, fay, that tho' 
 things ffem to be fo and fo ; yet they may not be really fo ; but 
 we be deluded by falfe appearances : We might, 1 fay, as 
 piaufibly talk thus, as call in quettion the reality of our free 
 dom, becaufe we cannot clearly fee bow we can be free, con 
 fidently with fome fp^culative opinions ; nor fully folve all 
 the difficulties arifing upon the fuppofition of our being fo. 
 The former is not more certainly a matter of daily experience 
 to us, than the latter : We are confcious of, and feel, our 
 freedom within us, as truly and certainly as we fee or feel cor 
 poreal objefts without us. 
 
 IF men will not reft fatufied with fuch experience ; but 
 will ftill doubt the truth of their own outward fenfes, and in 
 ternal confcioufnefs j faying, that tho' things feem to be thus, 
 yet they may not be fo in reality ; there is no remedy 
 Thefe are the faculties which the Author of our beings has 
 given us : Nor have we any other way of coming to the truth, 
 which is better than this, or even fo fure and infallible. If 
 the^truth of thcfe faculties, or the certainty of the teftimony 
 which they bear, is called in queftion, we are, of courfe, 
 reduced to a total abfolute Jcepticifm ; having no Data, no 
 #rft principles, on which to proceed in any cafe whatever ; 
 whether with reference to religion, or common life : We may 
 floubt of every thing, or believe any thing ; even tranfubjlun- 
 tiation will be no longej aa abfurdity, or incredible for the 
 
 good 
 
298 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. is only this, that God does actually afford, 
 or is at leaft ready to afford,, his aid and 
 
 affi (lance 
 
 good old protefttnt-reflfon, that it is a conSradiflion to experi 
 ence and common fenfe. For altho' all our fenfes feem. to con- 
 tiadil it ; yet it may be really true 
 
 CERTAINLY thofe things, of which we have fuch an imme 
 diate confcioufnefs, fuch an experimental knowledge, as is 
 here intended, and as we actually have refpe&tng our OWQ 
 freedom- ; ought not to be called in queilion, upon any pre 
 tence of Speculative difficulties : Which muft nccefTarily, and 
 in their own nature, be more doubtful and precarious. We 
 are to look upon the former tefrft principles, ( as they really 
 are ) from which if we once depart, we have abfolutely no 
 footing ; no ground at all left to ftand upon ; but are plunged 
 into an abyfs, orendlefs labyrinth of doubts, from whence r,o 
 clue can extricate us And, indeed, whaf a paradox is this ? 
 that mm mould deny what they acknowledge feems, even to 
 themfelves, to be true from experience, on account of difficul 
 ties merely fpeculative t This is the cafe with relation to li 
 berty : For thefe men univerfaily confefs, that they jeem to 
 themfelves to be free. This is fuch a degree of fcepticifm j U 
 is {uch infdelity to common-fenie ; fuch a want offaitfr and 
 iritjl therein, and to thofe faculties which God has given us 
 for the more immediate, and the mod infallible, guide of life ; 
 that one would think k impoffible, were there not examples 
 ol" it \ Moreover, 
 
 THE doctrine of liberty only, accords naturally to that com 
 mon moral fenfe of things, of actions and characters, which ail 
 mankind in all ages, in all countries, have had, and have : I 
 mean, their fenfe of ill-defert, and its contrary, both in them 
 felves and others. It is indeed the notion or fuppofition of li 
 berty, (ever intimately prefent to the human mind, tho' fome 
 perverfely difown it : It is, I fay, this idea of liberty ) which 
 partly conftitutes that moral fentiment, and internal feeling, 
 which is here intended. All men know what peculiar lenti- 
 jaent that is, which poffefles the human mind, upon feeing, or 
 only hearing of, fome remark-able inftance of cruelty, injuftice 
 or perfidy. This fentiment (or,call it what you pleafe)is clofe- 
 Jy connected with the notion of liberty : Or rather, the former 
 cannot be, without the latter ; which is really a condiment 
 part of it. There is fomedmes indeed a momentary refentment 
 iad anger, rambling it, raifed in our breads, even againft 
 
 inanimate, 
 
ef Evangelical Obedience. 2 9 9 
 
 afliftance to men, in fuch manner and SERM. 
 fuch meafure, that they may, thereby, IX. 
 
 ivork 
 
 inanimate, inaftfae beings. But we foon check fuch refemment 
 by refk&ing, that tb-it at which we are angry, was intirely 
 paffive j that it hid no felf-moving, active principle ; but was 
 actuated in f >me manner, as to itfelf, quite unavoidable. This 
 fipgie reflection, that the being, or thing, could not help, 
 could not avoid what has happened, immediately allays all re- 
 femment ; tho' we may have received harm and damage there 
 from. Which fhows,that there is a clofe,an intimate connexi 
 on, betwixt the ideas of blame-worthinefs and liberty ; fo that 
 the former cannot be without the latter, as was hinted before. 
 Nor can a man calmly and cooly think any aftion really culpa 
 ble, or him that did it, of ill-deiert. without prefuppofing, that 
 he was a free being : At lead no mm can think fo, 'till he has 
 made bimjetf another kind of creature than God made him. 
 
 AND now, fince the great Author of our being has framed 
 our minds in fuch a manner, that we thus naturally connect 
 the idea of liberty, with that of demerit, or ill-defert ; fo that 
 it is aimoft, if rot altogether impoffible, to have the latter of 
 them without the former j we may fairly conclude, that He 
 Hlmfelf cannot refent, or be angry with his creatures for, any 
 thing befides the abufe, or the neglect, of their own freedom 
 and adUve powers. Confequently, He neither does, nor will 
 punim them, properly fpeaking, for the omiffion of that which 
 they had no power to perform, or the doing of that which they 
 could not forbear. We cannot be more certain that there is 
 really a righteous moral government eftablifhed in the univerfe, 
 than we are of this : We cannot even have the idea of fuch a 
 conftitution, without taking this fuppofition along with us, our 
 minds being moulded and fafliioned as they are. And whether 
 it becomes Us to attribute fuch a kind of proceed ing to the Au 
 thor and Lord of all, as we all neceflarily condemn in each 
 other, under the names of cruelty, injuflice> tyranny, &t, &c. all 
 arc left to judge ! 
 
 BUT it is particularly to be obferved, that both the Jewijb 
 and the Cbrijiian revelations, proceed wholly upon the fup- 
 pofition that men are free creatures. This point is never once 
 brought into queftion ; but is always taken for granted : And 
 upon this foundation the whole fuperftruclure of precepts, 
 exhortations, promifes and threatnings, is apparently built : 
 Revelation, in this refpecl, exa&ly co-inciding with, and cpr 
 
300 Of tie Nature and Principle 
 
 OF. KM. 'work out their own farjatiov ; fb that if 
 IX. they do not,, it is owing to a criminal 
 
 negleA 
 
 refponding to, the natural fentimefits, the common feelings of 
 men's own bv tails and conferences. So that human liberty is, 
 in f .61, the true bafis of the moral conftitudon of things ; or 
 GOCJ'S moral government as diltinguimed from his natural : It 
 is the bafis of all religion, whether natural or revealed. And 
 from hence k follows, that any fyllem of principles whieh 
 militates againft this doc\rine ;. or which cannot be fupported, 
 but by the denial of it, muft xectfarily be fa If e ; and (tW 
 ehriften'd by the venerable name, of religion) mutt be a real 
 tontradiSion to all religion. 
 
 BUT if it could be truly ford,, (as it cannot )that CHriftTamty 
 either aflerts, or fhppofes, men not to be free creatures ; 'tis 
 plain, Chriftianity ought not to be credited. For we ate more 
 certain of this/}//?, that we are free, from daily experience i 
 than we can be of the truth of Chriiliani'y, in the way of in 
 ference, deduction, or reafomr.g ; Which reasoning all roari- 
 felUy depends on the truth ot fome kifierical fts y of which 
 we rnuit, in the nature of the tiling, be lefs certain than we 
 are of the other. No revelation, therefore, can potfibly over 
 throw the doftrine of human liberty : So far from this, that any 
 pretended one which contradidls it, ought to be accounted ant 
 impo/lure, for that very reafon. We c?>uld not rationally have 
 been believers in thrift, without being firit believers in our 
 own fcnfes, had we been fpeclators if his miracles ; or,, even 
 tit&jubjefts of them, feeling in our bodies, that we were healed 
 by him : (Mark 5. 29. ) Nor can any man fet Chriilianity ac 
 variance with the experience and feeling, with the common 
 fenfe and reafon of mankind ; or ey&\\. faith to triumph in their 
 ruines ; without being firft more truly an Enemy to them, lhaa 
 l>e is a Friend to religion afterwards 
 
 WHAT good ends Chriilians can propofe to themfelve.s, e- 
 ven m making i r a queflion, whether men have liberty cxr not J 
 (which, farely, is never made one in the holy fcriptures ) I am 
 unable to conceive. But their attempting to eftablifh the nega 
 tive, is ftill more furprifmg ; unlels they were forethat they 
 were right, beyond the poflibility of a miftake : For mould they 
 happen to be wrong, they cannot well be infenublc of the fatal 
 jnifchiefs which may naturally follow, if they could perfwadc 
 people to believe, that they can chuje and aft no otherwtje. tban. 
 they do ; tbiu funiifliing them witjbi a full and ample cxcufe for 
 
 alt 
 
vf Evangelical Obedience. 301 
 
 of the power which they have, 
 not withstanding the fuppofed depravity, 
 
 and 
 
 all the impieties, and vilUnies, which they are eiiher guilty of 
 at prefent, or may have an inclination to commit ! And 
 how gravely focvcr men may talk, or write, while they are en 
 deavouring to reconcile the dcftfine of neceffny with our daily 
 experience ; with our natural notions of virtue and vice, merit 
 and demerit ; with a righteous moral government, and with 
 the religion of the Bible \ I muft confefs it appears to me, to 
 be no better than firmzl* fd:mn trifling upon a fubjeft, which 
 ought not to be trifled with ! In fhort, if any fpeculative prin- 
 cip'e can be jultly faid to be contrary to the common fenfe, or 
 fentiments, of mankind ; to be immoral ; to be impious ; it 
 is tbisy of an univerfal necefuty : For it really terminates in 
 Albdim, if purfued in its juft and natural confequences. 
 
 IT is, probab!y, a great while before men can bring them- 
 fdves heartily to acquiefce in this opinion : Common reafon and 
 fenfe greatly re!u.t at it. And if it ever fits quite eafy upon 
 peoples minds at lift, it is becaufe their minds are, iy fome 
 meant or olber, corrupted and debauched. Some perfons, 
 doub:kfs, have recourfe to this doclrine, as a falvo for their 
 vices ; and that they may find reft from a guilty confdente. Fof 
 this is a mort, tho 1 not a wife and fafe method, for men to rid 
 themfelves of the remonltrances and upbraiding? of that offici 
 ous, troublefome companion : Tho' I would not, by any 
 means, faggeft, that this is always the cafe. 
 
 OTHERS feem to have embraced this dodlrine, merely be- 
 caufe they tho't it followed from fome pbih/opbica! &nd anatomi 
 cal principles, which they had laid down, and were not willing 
 to part with. Thus, particularly, a learned Phyfician and 
 Anatomift, who, not long fmce, wrote in defence of it, tells 
 the world, That he had great reluctance at embracing it ; be- 
 caufe it feemed to him, at firft, to be incontinent with the na 
 tural idea of vice and virtue, and the principles of religion ; 
 (in which he feems to have been a ferious believer) However, 
 he fays, he found himfelf obliged to admit it, in confequencc 
 of his bypotbefis concerning the vibratory motion of the nerves ; 
 the medullary fubftance ; they^W marrow, &c. ' 
 
 IF fome other Gentlemen had, with equal plainnefs and 
 honefty, declared to the world their reafons for embracing this 
 dorine of neceflity, ii is probable they would have faid, " It 
 was becaufc they were revived, at all adventures, to defend 
 
 tlnir 
 
302 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. and real imbecility of human nature. 
 IX. However incautious or extravagant any 
 
 may 
 
 tbtir (religious* mall I call it ? or irreligious ?) hypothecs ; 
 which they knew ndt how to defend well without it." How 
 ever, That fyftc m of Theology is, perhaps, as indefenhble with, 
 s without this doctrine : Since it is, hereby, weakened and 
 pulled down in fome refpetfs, in the fame proportion that it is 
 ftrengthcned and built up in others. The doftrine of rieceflity, 
 if true, would, indeed, afford a folution of fome of the diffi 
 culties refpeding fore-knowledge, precleftination.and 'Their me- 
 thanical converfion : But if thefe Gentlemen defign, in Their 
 fyftzm, to vindicate the moral Character of God, and the equity 
 of his dealings } particularly in configning the wicked to endlefs 
 torments, rather than the bolieft man on earth, or angel in 
 heaven ; if this, I fay, is really any part of their defign, they 
 are fo far from receiving any help at all, in this refpecl, 
 ( wherein they needed fo much ) from the dodrine I am 
 fpeaking of ; that that which was before their grand difficulty, 
 is hcighten'd, hereby, into an abfolute impoffi6i/ityFor 
 
 IT is to no purpofe for thefe Gentlemen to tell us, " That 
 vicious men are juftly punifhed, becaufe they are not acluated 
 by a foreign, external conftraint ; but will, and chufe to fin, 
 and do it voluntarily : Which is the method in which fume of 
 them have endeavoured to vindicate the divine juftice in the 
 perdition of the wicked. This is equally evafive and futile. 
 For what they call willing and cbujing to fin, and doing fo vo* 
 luntarily, is either that which the finner might have avoided, 
 or that which he could not avoid :-Let them chufe their alter 
 native If they fay, this was avoidable ; then the doclrine of 
 neceffity is given up : If, unavoidable ; then the objection a- 
 gainft puniftiing the finner for it, remains in its full ilrength : 
 for if the finner ( it feems we muft ftill c all hi m fo /) could not 
 pofiibly have avoided thus willing^ chuJing^^A afling ; but wa$, 
 in every fucceflive moment of his exiftence, even from the firft, 
 laid under a neceffity of doing juft as he did ; whether this 
 were owing to any external conftraint, or to fome internal, o- 
 riginal hyafs. or impulfe of nature makes not the leaft altera 
 tion in the cafe, fo far as divine juftice is concerned in it. He 
 is as blamelefs on the latter fuppofition, as he would be on the 
 former : And if it would be unrighteous to punifh him on oncjs 
 at would be equally fo, to do it on the 
 
of Evangelical Obedience 303 
 
 niay have been, in their reprefentations of SERM, 
 our corruption ; our inability to do good ; IX. 
 and,of the manner of God's operations up* 
 on tlie hearts of men ; yet it is the unde 
 niable doftrine of the gofpel, that vicious 
 men cannot attain to true evangelical holi- 
 nefs, merely by their own ftrength, or ex- 
 clufively of the divine affiftance. But ftill, 
 this affiftance being afforded to all, who 
 fet themfelves to feek it, and to correft 
 their tempers and manners, as they may, 
 and ought to do ; it follows, that the per- 
 verfenefs of men's will, not their impo 
 tence, is the reafon why any fall fhort of 
 that internal purity, and external obedi 
 ence, which is neceflary in order to their 
 inheriting eternal life : Nor can any one 
 doubt, but that this is the truth, unlefs he 
 firft doubts the veracity,or mifunderftands 
 the words, of Him who has faid ." Every 
 c one that alketh, received! ; and he 
 
 " that 
 
 BUT what was intended at firft, only for a fhort marginal 
 note, is already become a very long one. I (hall, however, juft 
 add, that it is aftonifliing to fee fome apparently fober, religious 
 men, Co follicitous to eftablith Their doftrine of the divine de 
 crees, of the uncontronlable Sovereignty, and all-determining 
 providence of Gi !, as to do it at the expcnce of his moral per- 
 ffffhns ! to fee them fo much more follicitous to prove, That 
 the Judge of all the earth DOES WHAT HE WILL ; than That 
 " the Judge of all the earth WILL DO RIGHT !" If it is im 
 piety, even to . " fpeak wickedly FOR God" ; J how much 
 greater impiety is 1i,to fpeak wickedly AGAINST Him !"| 
 
 J Job 13. 7, I P/a/m 139, 20, 
 
304 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 that feeketh findeth ; and to him that 
 knocketh it fhallbe opened"- " If ye- . 
 being evil, know how to give good 
 " gifts unto your children ; how much 
 " more fhall your heavenly Father give 
 " the Holy Spirit to them that alk him?" f 
 f Luke ii. So M E , by faith, which they call a prin 
 ciple of obedience, feem evidently to in 
 tend believing, together with that repen 
 tance ; that humble and pious temper of 
 foul, which is the fruit of God's fpirit, co 
 operating with our fmcere defires to obey 
 and ferve him : /. e they mean internal 
 goodnefs and holinefs, as well as faith. 
 And indeed the fcriptures frequently ufe 
 the term faith in the fame latitude ; par 
 ticularly, when we are faid to \^juftified 
 thereby. And if we underftand it thus, 
 faith is indeed always, and in all who 
 have.it, actually a principle of obedience; 
 I mean,of external obedience; for this faith 
 is ///^//"obedience, confidered as a practical 
 principle in the heart : and therefore it 
 cannot, with any propriety, be oppofed to, 
 or contradiftinguifhed from, internal piety 
 and goodnefs ; or that d'ro'me nature^ of 
 which we are made partakers by the great 
 and precious promifes of the gofpcl,accom- 
 panied with the divine blefling, 
 
 IT feems impoffible, in the nature of the 
 thing, that any perfon who is pofleffed 
 
 of 
 
" 
 
 " 
 
 of Evangelical Obedience. f 305 
 
 of this divine principle of feith, under- SERM. 
 flood in the complex lenfe here fpoken of, 
 fhould not externally walk agreably to the 
 gofpel ; or that he fhould continue to 
 work iniquity. For this would be to fup- 
 pofe, that a man might be wicked exter 
 nally ; and yet be internally pious and 
 holy ! Whereas our Saviour fays, with 
 reference to this very point, That 
 EVERY good tree bringeth forth good 
 fruit ; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth 
 evil fruit. A good tree CANNOT bring 
 " forth evil fruit ; neither can a corrupt 
 " tree bring forth good fruit." Faith, ^ 
 confidered in this large fenfe, feems to 
 have a clofe and infeperable connex 
 ion with chriftian obedience : In any 
 other fenfe of the term faith, it has no 
 fuch connexion therewith. And it 
 may be added, that no man can obey 
 the gofpel as a chriftian ought to do, 
 without having this divine principle ia 
 his heart : If this is wanting, a man is in* 
 ternally wicked ; andfo not juftified ; nor 
 intitled to the glorious promifes of the 
 gofpel, whatever his external behaviour 
 may be. 
 
 I AM not much concerned, whether 
 
 that which is faid above, is moft agreable 
 
 to the fentiments of this, or the other de 
 
 nomination of Chriftians; being verily 
 
 X per- 
 
306 Of the Nature and Principle 
 
 SERM. perfwaded, it is the truth as It is injefas-*** 
 Nor do I know how I can conclude this 
 difcourfe better, than by befeeching you 
 all, to fee that your faith is improved in 
 to fuch a practical principle of holinefs 
 arid obedience in your hearts, as has been 
 tiow fpoken of. Without faith, in this 
 fenfe ; or unlefs people have fuch a pious 
 truft and confidence in God, thro' Chrift; 
 fuch a perfwailoii of his goodnefs and 
 holinefs ; of the truth of his promifes and 
 threatnings, that they are formed into the 
 divine image ; and internally refign them- 
 felves to the -divine will ; their outward 
 behaviour, however irreproachable, can-* 
 not be well-pleafing in God's fight ; as 
 that of Chrift's- faithful fervants is. There 
 fe a faith which is dead for want of 
 works : There may alfo be works which 
 are dead, for want of faith ; I mean for 
 want of a truly pious and chriftian tem 
 per at the bottom, in conjunction with 
 what is more -ufually termed faith. With 
 out this, our external obedience is fcarce 
 better than mere formality, and empty 
 ceremony ; fuice God looketh at our 
 hearts. That is not a pure fountain, from 
 whence fuch obedience flows : Nor are 
 thofe who perform it,truly made alive un 
 to God, by Jef us Chrift ; They have not 
 yet ill them that well of living water, fpring- 
 
 ing 
 
vf Evangelical Obedience. 307 
 
 Ing ftp info everlaftiftg life, which our Sa~ SERM. 
 viour fpeaks of ; intending hereby the 3K 
 Jpirit 'which they they that believe on him * -v" * 
 fiottld receive.. But " let him that is a- 
 thirftjCome > and WHOSOEVE'R WILL, let 
 him take the water of life freely*" f Rev. 21. 
 
 ISfiRMON 
 

 . 
 * # * * * * * # * 
 
 S E R M O N X. 
 
 S.v 
 
 On the Extent of Evangelical 
 Obedience. 
 
 JAMES L 21, 22. 
 
 ^tf r/ all filthinefs and Jiiperflujty of 
 naugbtinefs, and receive with meeknefs the 
 ingrafted word, ivhich is able to fave jour 
 ,fonls. But be ye doers .of .the ivord, and 
 mt bearers onlj^ deceiving your oivnfefocs. 
 
 THE nature and principle of evan 
 gelical obedience having been con- 
 fidered in the forgoing difcourfe ; 
 we are now to confider the extent of it ; 
 and to give a fhort defcription thereof, as 
 it is found in good men, who are the heirs 
 of falvation. This was the laft head of 
 difcourfe propofed, whea we entered up- 
 
 fu this fubjet 
 i 
 
of Evangelical Obedience. 309 
 
 I HAVE, more, efpecially,. two reafons 
 for fpeaking of the extent of chrittian o- X. 
 *bedience ; and giving a'fhort description ' 
 of it, as it is actually' found /in the hearts. 
 and lives of Chrift's true difciples. One 
 is, that they who are really chriftians, 
 and not only nominally, fuch, may have 
 the great and blefTed fatisfa&ion of know 
 ing that this character belongs to them ; 
 and ib may reafonably hope for the mer 
 cy of God unto eternal life ; being ftill 
 excited by this very hope, to purify them- 
 felves yet more ; to make farther progrefs 
 in piety and virtue ; and to perfefl hoti- 
 vefs in the , fear of God .The other end 
 which I have in view, is, that thofe who 
 are not truly doers of the ivord, may not 
 deceive their OIVH felves ; that they' may 
 not hope to be bleffed In their deed \ but 
 may know wherein they fall fhort of 
 what is neceflary to conftitute the chrifti- 
 an charafter ; and fo be excited to amend. 
 their \vays, 'till they come up thereto. 
 
 THESE two ends may, by the blefling 
 of God, be both attainedby laying before 
 you the chriftian rule of life and conduft, 
 (by which we are to be judged hereafter) 
 in order to your comparing your own 
 tempers and manners therewith. Thofe 
 whofe hearts and manners correfpond to 
 this law of liberty, (allowing for fuch de- 
 ~X 3 viatious 
 
On tie Extent of , 
 
 SERM, viations as may properly come under the 
 X* head of human infirmities) may juftly 
 have confidence towards God ; and affure 
 their hearts before Rim. On the other 
 hand, thofe whpfe own hearts condemn 
 them, as being prefumptuous, wilful tranf* 
 greflbrs of this. Ignv of liberty, may be 
 equally fure that they are not heirs to the 
 blefiings annexed to the obfervance, but 
 to the condemnation annexed to the vio 
 lation,, of it.. The gofpel, as it is a rule of 
 life co us, and as we behold the glory and 
 perfections of God therein, is a fort of 
 fpiritual fountain, or intellectual mirrour $ 
 fey looking into which, we may difcern 
 the true features and lineaments of our 
 fouls. In this it is, that the good man 
 may difcover the beauty ofholine/s (the di-> 
 vine image) in himfelf, as it w r ere by re^ 
 flexion from it : It will give him back, and 
 make him fee,, his own Hkenefs ; his <K 
 tberfelfi And, at the fame time that it 
 jfhews him. all that is truly beautiful and 
 amiable in his inner man, it will alfo Ihew 
 him, wherein that &\\\ needs pblifhing and 
 adorning, By means of this, the wicked 
 may likewife come to a fight of their 
 moral deformity : For this glafs reprefents : 
 pglinefs and deformity in their juft and 
 proper colours^no lefs than it does beauty 
 and cQi^elinefs ; in theirs : It is not a dc* 
 
 ceitfut 
 
Evangelical Qfad&tce* 311 
 
 one, which will either flatter the 
 bad, or bely the good ; but it will truly 
 {hew every perfbn to himielf, who, in- 
 Head of taking a carelefs fide-glance at it, 
 looks full and direct upon it,\vith an open 
 and honelt face. Nor ihould either the 
 good or bad, having looked into it when 
 prefented before them, and beheld them- 
 ielves therein, go their way and forget what 
 manner of men they are. * But this is. often 
 doiie by vicious men ; who do not like i. 24 
 to retain either God, or themfelves in 
 their knowledge and remembrance. They 
 are difgufted at the ugly image reprefen- 
 ted to them, when they fee themfelves in, 
 comrade with the purity and holinefs of 
 God, as exhibited to them in His word* 
 Far different from NarciJJus in the fable ^ 
 who was loth to lofe fight of himfelf in 
 the chryftal ftream ; and fo would have 
 gazed forever ; They are generally for 
 lofing fight of themfelves as foon as poffi- 
 ble. Such a difagreable and loathibme 
 object as a finful, polluted, guilty foul, fills 
 them with honor, inftead of delight ; and 
 they are unealy 'till the very idea of it is 
 erafed from their Minds, Good men, out 
 the other hand> receive a facred pleafure 
 fey obferving tlje image and fuperfcription 
 of God in their own hearts, while they 
 are contemplating His word ; tho' this is, 
 ^ 
 
312 On the Extent of 
 
 .1. 
 
 SERM. a pleafure attended with humiliation, and 
 X. a degree of grief, becaufe they approach 
 no nearer to the great Exemplar. How 
 ever, by continuing to look into this facred 
 mirrour, they grow daily into an exafler 
 conformity to the glorious, the divine Ori 
 ginal : - They all, iv Itb open face, beholding 
 as in aglafs the glory of the Lord, are changed 
 into the fame image, from glory to glory, even as 
 Cor bytheJpiritoftheLord.^ But I wander too 
 1 8. far from the particular defign of this dif- 
 courfe; which, you rcmember,was to con- 
 fider the extent of chriftian obedience. 
 
 AND it is evident that this obedience, 
 ought to be co-extended with the rule of 
 it. What is that ? The law of Chrift ; the 
 whole collective body of chriftian ftatutes, 
 injunctions, and prohibitions : Sofpeakje 
 and Jo do, as they that Jh all be judged by the 
 law of liberty.* It is manifeft that our obe- 
 .* I2 - dience is not truly chriftian, unlefs we 
 pay a religious regard to the whole evan 
 gelical law, however broad this command 
 ment may be ; and how many points, or 
 diftinl precepts, foever, it may be diftri- 
 buted into. People may flatter them- 
 felves as much as they pleafe, and ima 
 gine it as eafy as they pleafe, to be truly 
 pious and good. But one may be bold to 
 fay, that no man was ever altogether a 
 chriftian, without giving his heart intire,- 
 
 and 
 
Evangelical Obedience 313 
 
 and undivided, to God thro' Chrift ; fo SERM, 
 as to be internally difpofed to yield obe- X. 
 dienceto all his known commandments. 
 There is no true principle of chriftian 
 piety and goodnefs in the heart, but what 
 is an univerfal one; not confined to this,or 
 the other precept and duty, but extended 
 to all of them in general. This will be e- 
 vident to any one, who attentively con- 
 fiders what is implied in a principle of o 
 bedience to God, and of fubmiflion to his 
 authority. For this is really a principle 
 uniform, and confident with itfelf, thro'- 
 out. He that truly loves virtue, as being 
 what it is,loves it univerfally ; tho' a man 
 may in many cafes put on the appearance 
 of it, without really loving it at all. S6 
 he that truly loves God, and reverences 
 his authority, as fuch, reverences it uni 
 verfally, fo as to have a temper of mind 
 difpofed to fubmit, in all refpe&s, to the 
 divine will, without referve or limita 
 tion. In this refpeft, there is a wide 
 difference betwixt a due principle of obe 
 dience to God's will, as difcovered to us 
 in the gofpel of his Son, and a principle 
 of obedience to any human authority, 
 whether civil or parental. No one but 
 God, has an abfolute, unlimited authority 
 over us. We may therefore (and indeed 
 ought to) have referves in our breafts* 
 
 with 
 
314 On the Extent of 
 
 SERM. with regard to all human authority ; -not 
 X. being obliged, in reaibn, to yield up our- 
 felves intirely to the will and difpofal of 
 men ; or to do whatibever may, by them, 
 be injoined upon us. We are bound to 
 reverence, and fubmit to, our natural pa 
 rents, and the civil Powers, ib far as their 
 right of commanding extends: If we do 
 fo, it is fufficient. But if we have not a 
 difpofition thus to fubmit to all their 
 rightful commands, \vc can neither have 
 the temper of dutiful children, nor of 
 loyal fubje&s : /. e. we cannot have either 
 a true principle of filial obedience, or of 
 obedience to the Powers that are ordained 
 cfGod. Apply this to the cafe in hand ; 
 to that obedience which we owe to God ; 
 and then the argument wiill ftand thus : 
 The authority of our Saviour, or that 
 authority of God, with which he is in- 
 veiled, has no limitation, befides thofe 
 which God's own infinite wifdom, juftice 
 and goodnefs, fix and prefcribe to it : 
 which is, in effect, to fay that it has none 
 at all- There is nothing,which can in the- 
 nature of things, interfere with the autho 
 rity of fuch a Being, fo as to limit it, to 
 fuperfede it, or fet it afide : It is in its own 
 nature bothjupre?ne and unroerfal. Is it 
 not, then, evident that our obedience ought 
 to be without any referves, exceptions 
 
 or 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 315 
 
 or limitations ? and that God's holy will SERM. 
 and commands, as made known tons in X. 
 the gofpel, are the only meafure and 
 ftandard of that obedience which is truly 
 chriftian? Is knot incongruous to imagine, 
 that we can really reverence the divine 
 authority, with reference to any of the 
 divine commandments, without doing fo 
 as to all of them ? The fame principle of 
 love, reverence and fubmiffion, to God 
 and our Saviour, which is even neceflary 
 to conftitute a truly chriftian obedience, 
 to any one commandment ; muft and 
 will run thro', and take place with re 
 ference to the whole divine law ; to all 
 points and branches of it. It is, in the 
 very nature of it, an uniform, univerfal 
 principle ; which regards the divine autho 
 rity, as fuch ; and is therefore co-exten 
 ded with the divine commandments : They 
 alone can limit and bound it, in thofe 
 perfons, in whom it really takes place* 
 My meaning is, that no man who fu- 
 premely loves and reverences God, and, 
 from this principle, lives conformably to 
 feme of his commandments ; can perfe- 
 vere from time to time in known, wilful 
 difobedience to others of them ; or even 
 to one only. It is a contradiction. We 
 may therefore be as certain, as we can of 
 thing, that he who has not a difpofi- 
 
 tion 
 
3 1 6 On the Extent of 
 
 SERM. tion to obey the gofpel univerfally, ha* 
 X. not a truly pious difpoiltion to obey it at 
 " all ; /. e. that he has no principle of obe 
 dience which comes up to the evangeli 
 cal ftandard. Knowingly and habitually 
 trangreffing any one commandment, is a 
 demonstration that a man obeys no others 
 in the manner which he ought to do. Ho 
 has not cut off that right hand ; he has not 
 plucked out that right eye 'which offends^ 
 Either mammon, or fome other worldly ob- 
 jeft has the poffeflion of, and the do 
 minion over his heart ; and ftill feparates 
 it from God. There is fomewhat, in this 
 cafe, which has the preheminence, and 
 fupremacy in a man's heart : It is plain 
 that God has it not : If He had, a man 
 could not thus prefumptoufly tranfgrefs 
 one of his commands from time to time,, 
 for the fake of ferving another maftcr : 
 And his Servant he is, to 'whom he obeys. He 
 is not truly the fervant of God and righte- 
 oufnefs : he does not truly, and in the 
 manner he ought to do, obey any of 
 God's laws ; which cannot be done,, 
 without a fupreme love to him, and a re 
 verence of his authority as fuch. So that 
 known habitual fmning,in any cafe what 
 ever, is a proof, that a man is, in fome; 
 fort, guilty with reference to all the com-, 
 xnandmeuts ; tho' he may feem to keep? 
 
 them 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 317 
 
 them all, with one fingle exception. SERM. 
 
 T H i s is not fo much my own reafoning, X. 
 as it h St. James's j for I muft now confefs 
 to you, that I borrowed it all from him. 
 You have itcomprifed in theiothand i ith 
 verfes of the 2d chapter of his epiftle 
 " Whofoever fhall keep the whole law, 
 u and yet offend in one point, he is guil- 
 " ty of all. For he that laid, do not com- 
 " rnit adultery, (aid alfo, do not kill : 
 " Now if thou commit no adultery ; yet 
 u if thou kill, thou art become a tranf- 
 " greffor of the [ whole ] law. " The 
 meaning is not, that one offence com- 
 prifes all other offences in it, or makes 
 a man a* tranfgreflbr of the whole law, 
 becaufe this is offending againft that one 
 fupreme authority, which binds all the 
 commandments upon us : This is, I think, 
 a forced, unnatural conftruftion ; and 
 very remote from the true fpirit, and fenfe 
 of the paflage. The apoftle afferts no 
 fuch thing : But what he intends is, that* 
 offending in one point, tho' it does not of 
 kfelf make a man guilty of all, yet it 
 proves him to be fo, and he certainly is 
 fo, in fome degree, tho' he m&yjeem to 
 keep the whole law, excepting in that 
 one point. And the argument to prove 
 this [ver. n,] is conclufive, ifunderftood 
 -*That Q9<J wU9 has forbid one 
 
 crime. 
 
3 1 8 On the Extent of 
 
 SERM. crime, has forbid all others : Therefor^ 
 X. if you truly reverence his authority, you 
 
 *"- "*"* ^ will obey all his commandments : And 
 tho* you may pretend to obey many of 
 them, and appear both to yourfelves and 
 others to do Ib ; yet if you habitually and 
 prefumptuoufly difobey any one of them, 
 it is certain you do not obey any of them, 
 as you ought to do ; arid, therefore, muft 
 be more or lefs guilty with refpeft to all 
 points of chriftian duty. This feems to 
 be plain and intelligible : But if the ar 
 gument needs further illuftration, it will 
 receive, from the laft verfe but one in 
 the preceeding chapter ." If any man a- 
 " mong you feem to be religious, and 
 " bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth 
 " his own heart, this .man's religion is 
 " vain." The obvious meaning of which 
 is, that how religious foever any man 
 may feem to be ; yet if his tongue is not; 
 under any reftraint ; if he offends in that 
 one point ; he is deceived in himfelf ; all 
 his religion is fcarce better than^<?w, and 
 vain formality : He has no real principle' 
 of piety or goodnefs in him ; and there- 
 fpre muft be guilty, in a degree, with re 
 ference to all points, even thofe wherein 
 he may feem to keep the law. There is 
 nothing forced in this conftruftion. Arid 
 3tnay not what tjhe appftle fays concerning. 
 
Evangelical Qltdienct \ 319 
 
 that one point, of not bridling the tongue, SERM. 
 be applied to all other vicious, immoral 
 practices ? May it not be faid, with equal 
 certainty, that if any man among usjeem 
 to. be religious ; and yet is a Thief, a 
 Drunkard, a Liar, an Extortioner, or 
 Adulterer, &c. this man's religion is alfo 
 vain ? that he has not the fear of God 
 before his eyes, nor the love of God, and 
 of his Saviour in his heart ? that he is no 
 true difciple of Jefus Chrift ; but that all 
 his religion is mere formality and fhew ? 
 that tho' he may, to outward appearance, 
 keep the whole law, one point of it ex-, 
 cepted ; yet he really obferves none of* 
 the commandments, from a principle of 
 love and reverence to God and his Re 
 deemer ? that he is, therefore, really 
 guiky, in a degree, with reference to all 
 points even of the law of liberty ? and 
 that he muft therefore be condemned as a 
 tranfgreflbr of this whole law? -This 
 feems to be evidently true ; and it is, I 
 think, the plain doftrine of St. James, f 
 
 MANY 
 
 f I HAVE in part, tho' not wholly, followed the common 
 interpretation of Jaws 2. 10, n. Which interpretation 
 I find, fince the writing of this Sermon, is r jetted by the 
 learned Dr. SHERLOCK, the prefent Bifhr-p of LONDON,- 
 in a-^difcourfe lately published on Matthw 22', 4. His 
 Lordfhip tells us, that that interpreted^ i " amounts to^ 
 " this '. AlMaws arc founded upon one ard the fame authori-" 
 ^ ty of God i therefore every Offence againft any law, is a 
 
 < ( contem 
 
320 On the Extent of 
 
 OERM. MANY cannot reconcile themfelves to 
 this doftrine, That a man muft have re- 
 
 fpeft 
 
 *' contempt of the authority upon which all laws depend ; and 
 " therefore every acl of difc-bediencc, is a breach of the whole 
 ' Jaw."~" To thofe who have plain fenfe, and can fol- 
 " low it, he fays, thie muft appear abfurd :" And that " the 
 " true and natural interpretation," is to be collected from the 
 new-teftament " Notion of love, as being the fulnefs of the 
 u law, and of all the commandments being comprehended in, 
 " this faying, Tboujbalt love thy neighbour as tby felf" And 
 when the Apoftle fays, that wkofoever offends in one point, if 
 guilty of all ; his Lordfhip tells us, that *' in this verfe, he con- 
 " fiders the royal law, Tboujbalt lave thy neighbour, &c. as the 
 " whole law." 
 
 His Lordfhip judges, that the common interpretation is 
 " evidently liable to all the difficulties of the StctYs paradox 
 V that all offences are equal" So that " there will be no dif- 
 " ference between killing your neighbour and your neighbour's 
 " horfe j for he that has forbid you killing your neighbour, has 
 " likewife forbid you doing any at to the hurt and detri* 
 " ment of your neighbour. " 
 
 His Lordfhip fays farther, that " the apoftle's inference in 
 ** the latter part of the verfe [ i. e. ver. 1 1. ] does not anfwer 
 " to the principle laid down in the former," in the common 
 method of interpretation. " He thatfaid do not commit abultety, 
 " faid iilfo do not kill. This is his principle : And he infers, 
 *' Now if tbiu commit no adultery, yet iftbou kill, tbou art be~ 
 V fome a tranfgreffbr of tbe law--* But what is this toward* 
 " fhowing that the breach of one law, is the breach of all ?" 
 His Lordfhip thinks, that the tranflators have " mifled 
 " -people in the underftanding of this whole pafTage." For fays 
 he, " Tnftead of for be tbatfaid, it mould be rendered for tbe 
 ** lawwbicbffiid^&c. And " the place thus rendered contains 
 ' t clear reafon of what went before. If, fays he, [i. e. the 
 " Apoftle] you offend in any point of charity or duty, you 
 " become a tranfgreflbr of this whole law, Thou /bait love thy 
 r.eighbwr as tfyfelf. " The Bifhop judges, that this in 
 terpretation is evidently favoured by the whole preceeding 
 context, wherein the apoftle is treating of the rojalhw of 
 charity, and of relative duties. And * * This place in St. 
 w James, fays he, being thus underftood and explained, thcrd 
 " Is no occafion for any niceties or diftm&iojis," Jec* 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 321 
 
 Fpertto all the commandments, in order SERM. 
 to his efcaping condemnation 5 and inherit*- 
 Y ing ' 
 
 THIS is the fum of his Lordmip's reafoning upon the point. 
 But (with all the deference that is due to an author to whom 
 the world is fo much indebted for his excellent difcourfes on 
 Tome practical fubjefts, as well as thofe in defence of Chriftia* 
 nity,) the old interpretation of St. James, feems to be as un 
 exceptionable as the new ; even- afcer his Lordmip has endea 
 voured to explode the one, and to eftablim the other. 
 
 His Lordihip's interpretation feems as " evidently liable 
 " to all the difficulties of the Stoic" 1 * paradox, " as the old one. 
 For if he who, in any one inftahce, injures his neighbour, is 
 a tranfgreflbr of the whole law of charity ; ( which contains in 
 it all the facial, duties, and forbids every kind of injury ) may 
 it not ftill be objected, that this is to make all offences againft 
 bur neighbour equal ? Who, it may be afked, can do more or 
 worfe, than to break this whole law of love ? For to break the 
 whole, is to break it in all its parts, or in all points. But yet 
 this is what every man does, according to his Lordmip, who 
 trefpafles in any one particular point : For thus he interprets 
 the Apoftle, " If you offend in any point of charity or duty, 
 *' you become a tranfgreffor of this whole law, T-bmjhalt love" 
 &c. How can the whole of a general law, which contains in 
 numerable particulars, be broken by violating it in one point 
 only ! And if, according to the old interpretation, (viz. that 
 he who offends in one point is guilty of all, becaufa he violates 
 that one Authority, upon which all laws depend } all crimes 
 are equal, as his Lordmip fays they are ; One would think, 
 that even according to his own, all offences againft our neigh 
 bour muft alfo be equal ; fince any one is a breach of the 
 whole law of chanty. So that it feems to be as true,according 
 to his, as it is according to the other interpretation, that there is 
 11 no difference between killing your neighbour and your 
 " neighbour's horfe" : Fof that law of charity which fays, 
 Tbou Jh 'alt not kill thy neighbour, fays alfo, Tbou Jhatt not kill 
 thy neighbour's borfe : And the whole of this law, his Lordfhip 
 tells us, is actually broken by him, who " offends in any 
 " one pofcit of chanty or duty." But if any think the Stoic's 
 paradox may be avoided here, by faying, that tho' any parti 
 cular offence againft our neighbour is a breach upon the whole 
 law of charity ; yet the nature and circumftances of fome of- 
 fns may render th*m inert criminal than otheri : Why 
 
 xnajr 
 
222 On the Extent of 
 
 SERM. ing eternal life. Many a perfoii doubtlefs 
 X. reafons thus with himfelf " What harfh, 
 
 rigorous 
 
 may not the fame paradox be alfo avoided, in the old way, by 
 faying, that tho 1 every tranfgreffion is, in a fort, the violation 
 of all God's law in general, as it is a violation of that one ge 
 neral authority, on which all laws depend ; yet the nature and 
 circumitances of fome fins againft this one great authority, 
 may render them more heinous than others ? " Tojome men 
 " who have plain fenfe, and can follow it," there will, per 
 haps, appear no m ye abfurdity in this latter method of folving 
 the difficulty, fo far as it relates to the ftoical paradox, than 
 there will appear in the formtr. 
 
 AND tho' his Lordfliip is pleafed to fay, that " the apoftle's 
 " inference in the latter pan of the [i ith ] verfe, does not 
 " anfwer to the principle laid down in the former," in the old 
 Way of interpretation ; I muft beg leave to think it arfwers as 
 well thereto, in this, as in his Lordmip's interpretation : Tho f 
 One would not diflent from fuch an acknowledged mailer of 
 reafon and critical learning, but with caution and diffidence. 
 This i ith verfe evidently contains the grounds of the aflerdon 
 in the preceeding verfe, viz, That wktfoever offends in one point 
 is guilty of all [points.] And considered in this light, the 
 meaning of the inference, Thou art become a tranjgrejfor of the 
 law, muft be this, Thou art a tranfgreffor of the whole law, fo 
 as to make thetgui/fy of 'all ; as it is exprefled ver. 10. Tim 
 is the defign of the argument, both in his Lordfhip's method 
 of interpretation, and in the other ; it is common to them : 
 Only his Lordfhip confines the words, guilty of all, to the 
 great law of charity ; the perfon fpoken of, is guihy of break 
 ing that whole law, tho' not of all laws in general And a- 
 greably hereto, his Lordftiip, by a tranfgreflbr of the law, ver. 
 1 1. underftands " a tranfgreflbr of this whole law, Tb u jhalt 
 " love? &c. So that in both methods of interpretation, the 
 inference in the latter part of ver. 1 1, muft anfwer, not only to 
 the principle laid down in the former part ; but alfo correfpond 
 to the Propofition to be proved, viz, that he who offends in 
 cm point is guilty of all ( points.) And the queftion is, How 
 this inference anfwers better, either to the .principle in the for 
 mer part of the verfe, (which is the medium to prove the pro- 
 pofltion,) or to the propofition itfelf, upon his Lordfhip's hypo- 
 thefis, than upon the old. Upon the old one the argument 
 ftands thus, The one great Lawgiver, on whofe authority all 
 
 laws 
 
Evangelical ' Obedience 323 
 
 rigorous doftrine is this, under thegfa- 
 
 r/0#.f drfpenfation of the gofpel ! Muft I 
 
 Y 2 forfake 
 
 laws depend ; and who has faid, Do not commit adultery, 
 has faid alfo do not kill : Therefore, if thou doft not commit 
 adultery, but yet killeft, thou art a tranfgreflbr of his whole 
 Jaw ; fo that thou artgui/iy of all [points] thereof ; /. e. as thou 
 violated that one authority which extends equally to all points. 
 If the inference does not anfwdr to the principle, ( or medium ) 
 or to the proportion to be proved, in this way : Let us fee, 
 whether it anfwers to either of them any better, in his Lord* 
 fhip's. Upon his hypothefis, the thing to be proved is. That 
 whofoever offends againft his neighbour in one point, breaki 
 the whole law of charity ; or is guilty of all [points of that 
 royal law.] The principle or medium of proof (in his 
 Lordfhip's translation) is this- " For the law which faidj* 
 &c. And the argument, I humbly conceive, muft (land 
 thus The fame royal law which " has forbid you killing 
 " your neighbour, haa likewife forbid you doing any al toi 
 " the hurt and detriment of your neighbour" : Therefore if 
 thoii doft not kill thy neighbour ; but yet injureft him in any, 
 ene refpeft, thou art become a tranfgreflbr of this whole law of 
 charity ; fo that thou art guilty pf all [points] thereof ; i. e. 
 as thou violateft that one royal law, which extends equally to 
 all points of facial duty and benevolence. This is evidently 
 the true ftate of the argument, upon his Lordlhip's hypothefis $ 
 but 1 muft confefs I am not able to fee, that the inference an 
 fwers any better, either to the principle, (or the medium of 
 proof) or to the proportion to be proved, in this method of 
 interpretation, than it does in the old. Jf it does not follow* 
 that becaufe all laws depend upon one and the fame authority 
 of God, therefore he who tranfgrefieth one law, is a tranfgref- 
 for of the whole law, or guilty of all [points ;] it feems not to 
 follow, that becaufe all particular focial duties are compre 
 hended in one and the fame law of charity, therefore he who 
 tranfgrefleth one branch of that law, is a tranfgreflbr of the 
 whole of it, of is guilty of all [points] thereof. There feems 
 to be as much " occafion for niceties and diftinftions 1 ' in one 
 cafe, as there is in the other. 
 
 His Lordftiip judges, that his tfanflation " Tor the law 
 Which faid" inftead of For he that faid, removes the difficul 
 ty which there is, .otherwife, in this paflage. However hfi 
 f andidly allows, that " the words in the original are of doubt- 
 
 " iul 
 
324* n the Extent of 
 
 DERM, forfake every known fin ? or elfe lofe my 
 X. ^ foul at laft ! Tho' I dilregard one of the 
 
 com- 
 
 *' ful interpretation ;" as they certainly are. And fince the 
 term law, is not in the original ; and the Greek participle may 
 te as well referred to that One Lawgiver ', exprefly mentioned 
 by St James in this epitlle, as to the Jaw iifeSf, whether the 
 royal law , or the law in its utmoft extent and latitude ; there 
 feems to be no real neceffity for departing from the common 
 tranflarion. But admitting hisLordihip's tranfLtion to be pre 
 ferable, it is not cafy to fee, how this helps the matter in any 
 degree. For what is the law ? or what can it fay, confi Jered 
 independently of the will and authority of the One Lawgiver ? 
 Thus abftra&iy confidered, i: lays us under no obligation : nor 
 can it be broken in a moral or religious fenfe. It is only ink 
 and/^/<sr, if written ; only. found, if articulately pronounced j 
 even tho' pronounced in "i bunder* as at Sinai. So that tho' 
 the true critical rendering were, " For '.be /aw which /aid* 
 &c. as his Lordfhip judges it is ; yet we are obliged to recur 
 to the will and authority of the Law-giver j and to confider 
 Him as fpeaking tons in and by the law. The law, ftrielly 
 fpeaking, is only the will of the Lcgiflator, in fome way or o- 
 ther ma<le known to us ; And this equally, whether the royal 
 law of charity only, be intended by St. James, or the tvbsle 
 law of God in general. So that tho' his Lordmip's tranflation 
 were received ; yet this would not, I humbly conceive, in 
 any degree, tend to eftabiifh his fenfe of the apoitle's doftvine, 
 or to overthrow the common. This feems to be no more than 
 a verbal criticifm ; which cannot, in the prefent cafe, (tho' it 
 might in many others ) make the leaft alteration in the fenfe 
 and true defign of the writer : Settle this point how you will, 
 cither one way or the other ; yet the refult will be exactly the 
 fame at laft. 
 
 IT mull be added, ( becaufe his Lordfliip lays flrefs upon it ) 
 that tho' St. James is certainly fpeaking, in the preceeding 
 context, more direftly concerning the great law of charity and 
 the focial duties ; yet this does not fe'.m to be a fufficient ground 
 for underfhnding him in the joth and i ith v"r(es, as fpeak 
 ing of that royal law, and of thefe duties, cxattfi'jdy of others. 
 The reafoning here,may be naturally extended f o all other laws, 
 all other branches of duty ; and flill be as go->d and conclufive, 
 as if it were reftrained to the law and duties of ch-rity. And 
 there is, perhaps,** truly a connexion betwixt all chriitian v ir- 
 
 ' tues 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 325 
 
 commandments; yet certainly my religi-SfcRM. 
 ons obfervation of all the reft, will turn . X- 
 Y 3 the 
 
 tues in genera], fo that they may be refoJved into one, viz* 
 that of filial lwe and reverence to the One great and good Law 
 giver as there is a connexion betwixt all \\\c Jocial virtues, fo 
 that they may be refolved into that cne, of loving our j.eigbbgur 
 
 UPON the whole ; whatever of difficulty, or paradox, there 
 is in this paffage, in the old method of interpretation, it feems 
 evidently to remain, in his Lord (hip's. For it is particularly 
 to be obferved, (tho' his Lordfhip has not mentioned it) That 
 when a man who tranfgrcffcth in ons point, is faid to be guilty 
 of all ; the word all is plural in the original ; and fo cannot 
 naturally be refered to any one general law. It is ufed in op- 
 pofition to the one point, or cne rejpefl, in the preceeding 
 claufe : And the obvious cdjnftru&iori is, that whofoever of 
 fends thus in one point, is (infimefcxfe or otb-r) guilty in all , 
 points. The grand difficulty really lies here : And this, I 
 humbly conceive, is not, in any meafure, lefleued by his 
 Lordfhip's obfervations. For tho' you admit his propofed 
 emendation in the verfion ; tho' you admit all which he fays 
 upon the context ; tho' you allow, that St. James is fpeaking 
 only of that royal law of charity ; ( which extends to all points 
 of focial duty, and prohibits all kinds cf injury to your neigh 
 bour) tho' you conceed all this, ftill the queRion returns, 
 Why, or in what fenfe, he who offends in one point of this ' 
 great royal law, muft needs be a trangreflbr of the wbde of that 
 law ? or quality as to all points thereof ? This remains as '[ 
 much a difficulty, upon the fuppofnion that the great law of , 
 charity only, is here treated of ;.as it is upon the old fuppofi 
 tion, that the apoftle is fpeaking of God*'s law in general. 
 All God's laws may be confidered as one general law, confill- 
 ing of various points, or branches ; as well as all the particu 
 lar laws of juftice and charity, may be reduced to that one, 
 royal law, Tboujbalt lew, &c. Nor has the apoftle's reafon- '; 
 ing, ver. n. any more obvious a tendency to prove, (on his 
 Lordfhip's fuppofition) that he who offends in we point of the 
 general law of love, is a -tranfgrefTor of the whole of that law, '. 
 or guilty of all ; than it has to prove, (on the other fuppofi 
 tion) that he who offends in one por; of God's general, uni- 
 verfal law, is a tranfgreflbr of the whole of that law, or guilty 
 The reafoning, I humbly conceive, receives no ad 
 
 ditional 
 
326 On the "Extent of 
 
 SERM. the ballance in my favour. A merciful 
 X. God will not caft me off forever, for in-* 
 
 dvtlging 
 
 ditior.al clearnefs, weight or cogency, by fuch a change of the 
 fuppofidon. For there is ftill a general law, cor.fifting of in 
 numerable p^rts, or branches, the whale of which, it is faid, is 
 broken, by him that offends in one point of it. And whether 
 it were The law, which faid, or the Lawgiver^ which faid, 
 TlfouJhah not, &c. this makes not, fo far as I am able to fee, 
 
 {he leaft alteration in the cafe. 
 
 THAT which makes this paflage appear fo paradoxical as it 
 does to many, is a palpable miilake of St "Jamcfs fenfe ; in 
 fuppofjng him to affcrt fomething which he does not ; viz. 
 that orTendjng in one poiot, or as to one particular law, is 
 what makei, renders, or conftitutes a man guilty with reference 
 to all others ; qr " that an offence againft one law, is a breach 
 *' of all laws, however different they are in kind pr degree. 1 * 
 This would, indeed, be rather a contradiction than a paradox ; 
 and equal)} fj, whether faid only with reference to the vari 
 ous points of the royal law of love ; or to the various branches 
 of G''d's law in general. But the apoftle aflerts no fuch thing 
 as either. He aiTerts only, that the man who thus offends in 
 one point is [really] guilty of all ; and that he is a tranfgreflbr 
 of the [whole] law : Which is quite a different thing from 
 faying, that in that very aff, by which a man offends againft 
 one precept, he offends qgainft all the left. Let us therefore 
 keep to the very words of the apoftle " He is guilty of all.'* 
 But how ?- in what fenfe guilty ? Certainly he does not exter- 
 r.ally difobey all the laws of God : For the fame man is fup- 
 pofe^, in the former part of the verfe, to keep the whole law, 
 [outwardly] with on? fingle exception Now look to the 26th, 
 ver. of the preceeding chapter ; and there you will find a fure 
 tnd eafy clue to the a.poftle's meaning : If any man among you, 
 feemto be rt/igicu.s, and bridletb not bis tongue, tbat man's reli 
 gion is yai$. Offending in that one point, or giving a wicked 
 licence to the tongue, is a proof that all a man's religipn is 
 vain ; however religiojs he may feetn to himfelf or others to 
 be : Yea tho' he feam to keep the whale law in other refpecfy 
 he deceivetb his own heart ; and is guilty with reference to aft- 
 the commandments : For fmce fuch a man does not truly and 
 pioufly obferve any of the commandments j but his religion is 
 ?11 vain ; certainly he is guilty in all points ; or with relation 
 |o $11 the commandments, JFor there is reaUy no medium be- 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 327 
 
 dulgihgone luft only, when I fo fincerely SERM. 
 ferve him in the general courfe of my life. X, 
 Y 4 That 
 
 twixt truly and pioujly keeping the commandments, and really 
 breaking them. Such a man is, therefore, guilty of all ; a 
 tranfgrefTor of the whole law. Tho' he does not tranfgrefs the 
 whole, BT offending in one point ; ( which it were abfurd to 
 fuppofe) yet his thus offending in one point, is a proof and e- 
 vidence of his being wicked and hypocritical at the bottom. 
 And an evil and wicked heart is more properly a contradiction, 
 to, and a tranfgrejjion of, all God's commandments ; than any 
 external conformity thereto, without a pious, good heart, is 
 ebeditnce 10 them. 
 
 FOR the farther illuftratjon of this paffage, it is to be obferv- 
 cd, That, upon the footing ok mere law, any fingle deviation, 
 tho' but for a moment, and in the lead point, would render a 
 man a tranfgreflbr of that zubole convenant of works ; or of 
 that whole law. The whole law in this cafe would be, in fuck 
 a fenfe one ; [one covenant ;J that it muft be cither wholly kept, 
 or wholly violated, by every perfon under it. There could be 
 no medium here. Such a unity is of the very nature and elTence 
 of a difpenfation merely legal. But the apoftle is here fpeak- 
 ing to Chriftians, upon chriftian principles ; the principles of 
 evangelical grace. And cho 1 he ufes the terms taw, in the ioth 
 and i ith verfes ; yet he means the chriftian law, as contradif- 
 tinguifhed from the Mofaic covenant of works : This he calls 
 the law of liberty, ver. 12. And there is really fuch an unity 
 even in this covenant of grace alfo, that it muft be either 
 wholly kept, or wholly broken, by each man that is'under it. 
 This appears from the condition of it, on our part : Which is 
 faith, in that comprehenfive fenfe in which the word is often 
 ufed in fcripture ; i. e. as including uprightnefs of heart to 
 wards God j which every rnan is either poffeffed of, or not. 
 So that every man either wholly keeps, or wholly breaks this 
 covenant of grace. This uprightnefs, or fincerity towards 
 God, is oppofed to perfection on one hand ; and both to re 
 fined hypocrify t and to frefumptuoui finning, on the other. It is 
 the medium betwixt them. No fincere chriftian is perfecl ; no 
 one is an habitual tranfgreffor in any one point. The former 
 is incompatible to the prefent imperfeft ftate of mankind 5 the 
 latter is inconfiftent with fincerity towards God ; or with 
 faith, in that fenfe of the term before alluded to. And thefe 
 things being confidered, the fenfe of this paffage wiJJ, I con- 
 
328 On the Extent of 
 
 SERM. That compaffionate Redeemer who loved 
 X. men fo well as to die for them, can 
 not, furely, be fo fevere to mark ini 
 quity againft me. No : If I uprightly 
 
 and 
 
 ceive, be intelligibly cxprefled ; and the rcafoning cf the a- 
 poftle fet in a true and convincing light, in the following 
 paropbrafe of the loth and nth verfes, q. d. Whofoever lhall 
 externally obferve the whole gofpe) rule of life, excepting in 
 one point, wherein he knowingly and prefumptuoufly offends; 
 tho 1 he may feem to be religious, yet that man is certainly dc- 
 (litute of fincere piety to God ; his religion is vain ; he dtfti-. 
 vetb his own Heart. This is an evidence that he obeys none 
 of the commandments in a truly chriftian manner ; and there 
 fore, tha: he is guilty with refptdl: to all of them in general. 
 For remember, that the fame great Lawgiver, who forbids 
 murder, forbids adultery aifo ; and His commands, >ou 
 know, are equally obligatory in all cafes : So that whomever 
 truly knows and loves Him, and fincerely reverences his au 
 thority, will have no referves, but pay a facred regard to all 
 his commandments. At;d ih'icf^rc, tho' you fhould not 
 aftualiy commit adultery, in the common grojj fenfe ; yet if 
 you commit murder,or live in the practice of any other known 
 fin ; this proves you to be fuch contenders of God and his 
 authority, as cannot be fuppofed truly, and in a chriftian 
 manner, to obferve any of hi:, laws, however you may flatter 
 yourfelves. And if you do not rroper-y obferve any of them j 
 you mnft,' of confequerce, be adjudged tranfgn ffors of ihe 
 whole chriftian law j and guilty, in a gi cater or lefs degree. 
 With reference to all points of your duty in general. Sincerity 
 and piety towards Qod, being wanting, you a^e nothing ; and 
 are cut ofT from all reafonable hopes of falvation, even tho* 
 you are under ihe merciful covenant of the gofpel. 
 
 I HAVE b^en the Ion go in endeavouring to mow the true 
 fenfe of 'his paflage, and wherein the force of St. Jameis rea- 
 {bning lies j becaufe I cor. ceive this to be a point of real im 
 portance. Tho' I mould fcarce have faid any thing upon it, 
 in the way of criiidfm, but as an APOLOGY for myfelf ; for 
 not embracing Bimop Sherlock's i ew intcrpret5tion t : Whofe 
 [ jufth ] great name and character feemed to demand this ; and 
 ivhofe writings are fo n>nc;i .ieemed amongft us ; tho 7 , by 
 none more thn by hira, who tas thus prefumed to 
 
Evangelical Obedience, 329 
 
 and confcientioufly obey all his known 
 precepts, one only excepted ; he will 
 furely accept this obedience ; and over- 
 lodk this one tranfgreffion, on the fcore 
 
 eff human weaknefs. " O thou 
 
 Hypocrite ! Doft thou talk of thy iincere, 
 religious, and confcientious obedience to 
 ChriiVs commandments, whilft thou ac 
 knowledged, there is one of his com 
 mandments which thou difregardeft ! I 
 tell thee, in the name of the living God ! 
 that thou doft not truly and properly obey 
 any one precept of the gofpel, while there 
 is any one which thou prefumptuoufly 
 violateft from day to day. Thou decei- 
 veft thine own heart : Thou art a tranf- 
 greflbr of the whole law,and guilty of all, 
 rather than a true and confcientious ob- 
 ferver of the law, in any one refpeft. If 
 thou hadft a real principle of love and du 
 ty toChrift in thy heart, thou wouldeft re 
 gard all his known commandments ; and 
 not think any of them grievous : Thou 
 wouldeft not think of compounding with 
 thyCreditor and graciousBenefaftor thus ; 
 but be defirous, as far as poflible, to pay 
 thy whole debt to him. Thou canftnot 
 ferve two Mafters : Thou canft not be 
 half loyal to thy King and Redeemer, and 
 half rebel : Thou art all rebel, 'till thou 
 intirely fubmitteft thy will to -His, and 
 
 makeft 
 
330 On the Extent of 
 
 SERMV makeft THAT a univerfal rule to thee to 
 X. walk by ; 'till thou renounceft that be 
 loved luft, which caufes thee thus tq 
 tranigrefs in one refpeft. However thou 
 may ell flatter thy felf, this fin which- ib 
 eafily befets thee, is the lord which has 
 dominion over thee ; and thou art the 
 fervant of fen unto death - 
 
 BUT let us fuppofe, for the prefent, 
 that the terms of falvation were lefs rigo 
 rous : Let us fuppofe that the gofpel had 
 aflured us, that provided w^e heartily 
 and fincerely obey all the divine com 
 mandments excepting one, we fhall 
 be faved. Tho' the very fuppofition of 
 our heartily and cpnfcientioully obeying 
 fome of the commandments, while we let 
 any one of them at nought, is abfolutely 
 abfurd, and felf-contradi6lory ; yet I will 
 take the poflibility of it for granted ; and 
 fee what fuch a gracious diipenfation for 
 breaking one commandment will come to 
 *what the confequence will be. God 
 being thus condefcending, it muft be pre- 
 fumed that it is left to every particular 
 man to chufe what particular command 
 ment he will ftrike out of the decalogue : 
 Which will be that, certainly, to the ob- 
 fervance of which, he is the moll averfe ; 
 that which the molt thwarts his own par 
 ticular turn and temper and inclination, 
 
 For 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 331 
 
 For example, one man has aftrongandpe- SERM. 
 culiar difpofition to fwearing and blafphe- 
 my ; to the taking of God's name in vain : 
 before him, the third commandment, cer 
 tainly, falls a facrifice. Another is pecu 
 liarly addicted to cozening and dealing : 
 He ftrikes out the command which for 
 bids this. Another has a peculiar difpo 
 fition to bely, and (lander his neighbours: 
 He will be at no lofs what command 
 ment is moft grievous to him. Another 
 has a particular pique againft thefivetih 
 commandment ; becaufe he cannot en 
 dure to be under fuch a reftraint, with 
 refpect to his neighbours wives and 
 daughters, as that lays him under. Ano 
 ther is very cholerick ; and could often 
 tafte the fweets of bloody revenge, were 
 it not faid, Thoujhalt not kill : With Him, 
 the fixth commandment will find no quar 
 ter : And fo on Every man will make 
 a facrifice of that commandment ; of 
 that particular precept or prohibition, 
 which ftands moft in the way of his gra 
 tifying his^ favourite, mafter-paffion ; of 
 that which would keep him from his oiw 
 iniquity ; from the Jin that doth fo eafily 
 lefet him. Well ; God is fo gracious as 
 to difpenfe with the obfervation of one of 
 his commandments, thus far, that the 
 habitual tranfgreffor of it, fhall not be 
 
 fubjedecj 
 
 
 
On the Extent of 
 
 DERM, fubjefted to condemnation ; but obtain 
 X, eternal life, thro' tile merits of Chrift, 
 provided this habitual firmer pionfly and 
 confcientiaufly obferves all the other com 
 mandments : This being the cafe, I lay, 
 it follows, that every man may give full 
 fcope to himfelf, as to that particular luft 
 or fin, which his heart is moll fet upon. 
 And he will doubtlefs efteem this a great 
 and blefled privilege, which he enjoys by 
 the Gofpel ; and improve it accordingly. 
 
 IT is farther to be obferved, that there 
 is no one great, cardinal vice or impiety, 
 to which one man or another is not more 
 inclined, than to any other : And every 
 perfon, by the prefent fuppofition, being 
 permitted to practice that one fin, which 
 luits his humour and tafte the beft j it 
 plainly follows, that all fins are permitted ; 
 not, indeed, all to one and the fame man, 
 but one to one man, and another to ano 
 ther. No one muft be fo felfifh as to en- 
 grofs and monopolize all kinds of fin .* 
 But yet all men may take them all, and 
 (hare them amongft themfelves : And yet 
 no man give up his hopes of falvation ! 
 
 Now let me alk any man in his fenfes, 
 Whether this is not to give all manner of 
 wickednefs and impiety a free courfe, that 
 they may run and be glorified m the world? 
 Is not this, in effed, to open the gates of 
 
 the 
 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 333 
 
 the bottomlefs pit, far a monftrous, hettifo SRM. 
 fwarm of vices to iifue out, and overfpread 
 the face of the earth ; like the hcufts 
 which St. John few in his vifion, coming 
 up from thence ! How wretched and mi* 
 ferable ? how much like hell, muft this 
 world be, if every man might habitually 
 break one commandment with impunity ? 
 if one man might cheat or rob ; another 
 perjure himfelf j another blafpheme his 
 maker ; another commit adultery ; ano 
 ther, murder ; and fo on ? Does not the 
 prefent fuppofkion tend to deluge the 
 earth with a flood of wickednefs and vio 
 lence. For fince men are not generally- 
 much fet upon the pra&ice of more fins 
 than one ; and iince, upon the prefent 
 fuppofition, every man may indulge him 
 felf to the full, in one ; there is manifeflly 
 but little difference betwixt giving men- 
 a licence to indulge themfelves in that; 
 particular Jin, which they are the moft in 
 clined to ; and giving them the fame li 
 cence with refped: to all others. Howe 
 ver different the two fuppofitions may ap 
 pear at firft view, they come very near to 
 the fame thing at laft : So that you had 
 almoft as good take off all the reftraints 
 and obligations of religion from men's' 
 minds, at once ; and tell them they might- 
 be faved, althp' they habitually violated- 
 
 all 
 
334- n e Extent of 
 
 all the commandments ; as take off that 
 X. obligation in one refpeft, by telling them, 
 ' they may be faved altho' they perfevere 
 in the breaking of one commandment. Is 
 not fucti an indulgence as I am fpeaking 
 of, absolutely repugnant to the wifdom 
 and holinefs of God .''-that God, who is 
 of purer eyes than to behold iniquity ? It is 
 certainly repugnant to all fober, rational 
 conceptions of God, and of a moral go- 8 
 vernment, to imagine that He gives men 
 any fuch difpenfation for finning, tho' but 
 in one point ; or that he will have mercy 
 upon thofe who thus offend. Nor is this 
 fefs contrary to the exprefs declarations of 
 the gofpel, than it is to fober reafon.- - 
 But, as was faid before, this fuppofjtion 
 kfelf, that men may poffibly obey all the 
 commandments of God, fincerely and pi- 
 oufly, as chriftians ought to do ; and yet 
 prefumptuoufly perfevere in any known 
 fin, is a contradiction. There is no true 
 and hearty obedience to any of God's com 
 mandments ; there is no truly pious and- 
 holy principle in the heart of a man, un- 
 lefs all the commandments are regarded. 
 Piety and virtue, or evangelical holinefs, 
 is a uniform character. No man can be 
 habitually pious in fome refpefts, and yet 
 habitually impious in others : No man can: 
 truly love virtue, as fuch, in fome in- 
 
 ftances^ 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 
 
 itances, without loving it in all. He may, SERM. 
 indeed, do many pious and virtuous ac- X. 
 tions, if you confider them externally 
 and view only the furfaces of things : But 
 God koketh at the heart ; and while that re 
 mains rebellious to one commandment, 
 God accounts the tranfgreflbr, as he real 
 ly is, in fome fenfe, guilty of all. 
 
 UPON the whole : A truly good man 
 prefumes not to fay in his heart, " 'fhefe 
 commandments will I keep, becaufe I can 
 do fo, without much trouble or incon 
 venience to myfelf ; but that other I will 
 diibbey, becaufe it is irkfome to flefh and 
 blood ; and requires great felf-denial." 
 This is evidently the language of ftub- 
 bornefs and rebellion ; 'tis the language 
 of an heart unfubdued to the authority of 
 God ; an heart unanimated with love and 
 
 fratitude to Chrift ; an heart unfanftified 
 y the Holy Spirit ; and therefore un/ealcd 
 to the day of redemption. The language of 
 a truly good man's heart, is this, "Q my 
 God' ! O my Redeemer, and Saviour ! I 
 am not mine own, but bought with a 
 price : Therefore will I be wholly thine ; 
 I will glorify God in my body and in my 
 fpirit which are his ; I will do nothing 
 which thou haft forbidden ; I will re 
 nounce every luft however dear : I will, 
 by -thy grace and affiftance, walk In all tbj 
 
 com* 
 
336 On the Extent of 
 
 bERM. commandments and ordinances blamelefs" * 
 He that has not fuch a principle of univer- 
 fal, unreferved fubmiffion to the will of 
 God and his Redeemer, rooted in his heart ; 
 has none that is truly chriftian : But he is 
 ftill alienated from the life of God thro the Ig 
 norance that Is In him, becaufe of the blindnefs 
 of bis heart. 
 
 HAVING thus fhown, That chriftian 
 piety and virtue is a uniform, univerfal 
 principle in the heart, extending itfelf to 
 all the precepts of the gofpel; fo that who* 
 foever truly obeys in one inftance does fo 
 in all inftances ; and whofoever difobeys 
 habitually in one refpecl, is, in a fenfe, 
 guilty, of all ; I proceed now to give a more 
 particular description of this obedience, as 
 it is found in the heirs offahation. 
 
 IT appears from what has been faid a- 
 bove, that chriflian obedience is partly 
 internal, partly external. It begins in the 
 heart, in faith, or a principle of real piety 
 and virtue feated there. Thence it diffufes 
 itfelf into the aftions and lives of men, 
 regulating and animating all their outward 
 deportment. Thofe who are really the 
 fubjefts of chriflian piety, or evangelical 
 holinefs, are the fame men within, that 
 they are without, or in appearance. If 
 you could look into the breaft of a good 
 man you would there fee that, which cor- 
 
 refponds 
 
Evangelical Obedience* 337 
 
 retponds and anfwers to his outward be- S 
 haviour ; the latter being only a refem- 
 blance and copy of the former ; tho f one * ~^ 
 attends the other as certainly and invari 
 ably as the fhadow does the fubftance, 
 there being an infeparable connexion be 
 twixt them. So that, on one hand,He is 
 certainly no chriftian, all whole religion is 
 within, pot exerting itfelf in a good exter 
 nal behaviour : And, on the other hand, 
 He is no chriftian,all whofe religion is ex 
 ternal, having nothing which correfponds 
 thereto in his own heart and breaft. The 
 one has neither the power nor the form of 
 godlinefs : The other, tho' he has the 
 form, yet he denies the power thereof ; 
 being like thofe,. whom our Saviour com 
 pares to " ivhited fepukhres, which indeed 
 appear beautiful out-wards, but are within 
 full of dead men's bones, and of all un- 
 cleannefs." 
 
 AGAIN : As the precepts of the gofpel 
 may be diftributed under the two heads 
 of negative and pofetive ; /. e. commands 
 prohibiting the doing of fome things, and 
 injoming the doing of others ; chriftian 
 obedience may be diftributed into negative 
 and pofitive, likewife ; fo as to correfpond 
 to thefe different kinds of precepts. The 
 true difciple of Chrift accounts himfelf o- 
 bliged, not only to abftain from what his 
 Z Lord 
 
338 On the Extent of 
 
 Lord has forbidden,but to do thofe thkigs 
 which he has required. Accordingly he 
 avoids with care, all thofe paths which he 
 is admonifhed not to walk in ; and con- 
 fcientioufly performs the duties which are 
 injoined upon him. He knows that in 
 the judgment of the great day, according 
 to our Saviour's own reprefentation of it, 
 men will be condemned, not only for 
 committing thofe crimes which the gofpel 
 has forbidden, but aifo for omitting thofe 
 duties which it has required us to pradice. 
 He is therefore cautious, on one hand, 
 left he fhould trefpafs againft any of the 
 Negative commandments ; and careful on 
 the other, to fulfill all the duties and obli 
 gations -lying upon him. 
 
 THIS leads me to obferve, that chrifilan 
 obedience refpefts both the morals of the 
 gofpel, and the pofttive inftitutwns of it. 
 A true difciple of Chrift efteems himfelf 
 bound to conform to the inflitti ted \vorfhip, 
 and the ritual or ceremonial part of Chrift's 
 religion, as well as to that part of it which 
 we diftinguifli therefrom, by the name of 
 morai. With him, every thing is an effen- 
 tial branch of duty and obedience, which 
 Chrift's laws Lave aftuaily and plainly in- 
 joined, by whatever name it is called* 
 whe-ier morality, or pofitive inftitution. 
 lade^d the - -obligation is, in a feiiie moral, 
 
 altho' 
 
Evangelical Q&edieftce. 
 
 altho' the duty, cpnfidered in itfelf, may not SERM* 
 be fo. For certainly we are under a mo- X. 
 ral obligation to comply with the whole 
 will of God and our Redeemer, in what 
 way foever it is made known to us ; whe 
 ther by the light of nature, or by revela 
 tion and pofitive command. I do not, in 
 deed, aflert that a chriftian lays an equal 
 ftrefs upon every thing which Chrift has 
 commanded. There were fome 'weightier 
 matters of the law, of old : There are al- 
 fo fome 'weightier matters of the gofpel 
 now : And our Saviour and his apoftles, 
 have evidently made this diftindion. 
 However, a fincere chriftian does not 
 think any of his Lord's command men ts 
 of fo little importance, that they need not 
 be obeyed. There is, in (hort, no trifle 
 in our religion* unlefs you will fay, that 
 the Author of it was a Trifler ! All the 
 real duties of it are folemn , weighty and 
 important, in their refpedive places ; and 
 all ftamped with a divine authority. The 
 whole lyftem of chriftian duties, or of 
 chriftianity reduced to life and pradice, 
 is like a; goodly fabrick, arifing into uni 
 formity, proportion and beauty, by a 
 correfpondetice and due adjuftment of the 
 various parts. A ikilful Af chit eft will o- 
 mit nothing which might contribute to 
 the regularity, the ftrength and beauty of 
 2 2, the 
 
On the Extent of 
 
 oERM. the whole pile, merely becaufe it is not a 
 main pillar in the building, nor a part of 
 the foundation. Neither will a wife and 
 good man neglecl any one duty, under 
 the vain pretence,that it is not & fundamen 
 tal one ; or that his fpiritual edifice will 
 ftand ftrong enough without it. And thofe 
 who excufe themfelves from known, plain 
 duties,under this hypocritical pretext, will 
 find that they have not built their houje up 
 on a rock, but only upon the fand ; and 
 great will be the 'fall thereof* 
 
 BUT I mult be a little more particular 
 ftill,in this account of the chri Irian temper 
 and character, as it refpects God, our Sa 
 viour, our neighbour, our fclvcs. 
 
 THE fincere Chriftian has an undif- 
 fembled love and veneration for God, as 
 the beft and greateft, and moft glorious 
 of Beings. He heartily refpeds and ho 
 nors Him ; is thankful for His mercies ; 
 trufts and hopes in Him ; and prizes His 
 favour above all things. Hence it is to 
 him as his meat and his drink to do the 
 \vill of his Father, who is in heaven. He 
 is patient under adverfity, as being Cent 
 or permitted by Him for wife and good 
 ends. In profperity, he confides not in 
 the uncertain things of this world ; but in 
 the living God, 'who giveth him all things 
 richly to enjoy. He is truly grateful to 
 
 Him, 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 341 
 
 Hiip, as the original author and beftoiv- SERM. 
 er of every thing good and defrreable, 
 whether pertaining to life or godlinefs. 
 He is heartily forry and penitent for his 
 fins ; confeflmg them, from time to time, 
 with humility and a contrite heart ; pray 
 ing for the forgivenefs of them, in the 
 fpirit of the ^Publican ; and imploring the 
 divine affiftance, that he may walk more 
 as becomes a child of God for the future, 
 and be kept by his power thro* faith unto fal- 
 nation. To which end, he does not only 
 pray, but alfo ivatch ; and is diligent in 
 the improvement of all the means which 
 God has appointed, in order thereto ; 
 thinking it great prefumption and impiety 
 to truft in God for falvatioii, in any other 
 
 ray than that which He has ordained. 
 THE truedifciple of Chriflr, loves Him 
 alfo in fincerity ; and heartily efteems and 
 honors him, as being the image of the in- 
 vijible God, the brightness of his glory, the 
 exprefs image of Ins pcrfon. He confiders 
 him as the great AmbafTador and Prince 
 of peace, whom God lent into this apof- 
 tate, guilty world, to fave imners ; to lave 
 that, which was loft. This he accounts 
 a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation > 
 as good tidings of great joy to all people. He 
 loves and honors this great Minifter of 
 heaven, as One who has fliown the moft 
 2 3 amazing 
 
342 On tie Extent of 
 
 SERM. amazing kindnefs and condefcention to 
 X- guilty men, in becoming incarnate ; in 
 undergoing poverty and reproach, and 
 enduring the contradiction of jinners againft 
 hhn/e!f; in pouring out his foul unto death, 
 and bearing our fins in his own body on the 
 tree, The true difciple of Chrift cannot 
 think of thefe things, without being filled 
 with plea (ing admiration, with holy gra 
 titude, love and joy, And having a fixed 
 belief of their truth, and a thorough fenfe 
 of them upon his heart, he accordingly 
 repofes his trult in Chrift for faivation, in 
 fubofdinatidn to the Father, who fent him 
 on this gracious errand. He willingly re- 
 Figns himfelf into the hands of his great 
 Redeemer, in full confidence that 'he is 
 able tofave them unto the iiitcrmoft, who come 
 unto God by him ; and that he is faithful to 
 keep that tuhich is committed to him. And 
 knowing that God has exalted him, that 
 he might be a Trince, as well as a Saviour , 
 he conflders him as his Lord and Sove 
 reign, whom he is bound to obey ; and 
 accordingly fubmits to be governed by his 
 Jaw r s. Without this he knows that Chrift 
 can profit him nothing. However this is 
 not the only motive of his obedience : 
 Love and gratitude to One, who has laid 
 him under fuoh mighty obligations, are a 
 ftrong incenuve thereto - f and lie is fenfr- 
 
 Wo 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 343 
 
 ble.he can never live enough to Him, who SERM. 
 has died for him. From thefe and fuch- X. 
 like confederations, the -iincere Chriitian 
 chearfully conforais hiinielf to the com 
 mandments of his Redeemer ; often cal 
 ling to mind the time when the heavens 
 which have received him, fhall again re 
 veal him with his mighty angels, in the 
 glory of the Father ; to Be admired in all 
 them that believe ; and to render to the ir 
 reclaimable workers of iniquity, accord 
 ing to their doings : The contemplation 
 of which finaLfeene,' and great decifive 
 "day, when the myften of God fiall be fini- 
 Jhed, fills him with facred awe, mixed with 
 holy hope and joy ; all confpiring to 
 make him diligent that he may be found 
 of his Judge in peace, without f$ot and 
 blamslefs. 
 
 CHRISTIAN obedience may alfo be 
 confidered with particular reference ta 
 our fellow-men. A chriftian looks upon 
 all men as his brethren by nature ; as the 
 offspring of the fame God, the common 
 Father of all. He accordingly bears a 
 hearty good will and benevolence to all ; 
 efpecially when he refle&s, that Chrift fa 
 loved them^ as to give his life a ranfemfor 
 all. This extenfive charity makes him 
 bear a part both in the joys and forrows 
 af others ; He is not an indifferent, uncon- 
 Z 4 ccrned 
 
344 OK ^e Extent of 
 
 SERM. cerned fpe&ator of the woes and calami- 
 X. ties that befall his fellow-mortals ; or like 
 the rock on the fea-fhore, which proudly 
 looks down on the fhip wreck at its foot, 
 without a groan, or fympathizing tear. 
 No ! He feels for all ; 'weeping -with them 
 that weep, and rejoicing with them that J<* 
 rejoice. As he has opportunity, he Joes 
 good to all men ; but effect ally to them that 
 are of the houfhold of faith. He is fincerely 
 defirous of a&ing fuch a part upon the 
 jftage of life, aa may render him fervice- 
 able to the world, whatever ftation pro 
 vidence has affigned him ; ferviceable, 
 more particularly, to thofe, with whom 
 he has any fpecial connexion or inter- 
 courfe. He therefore proceeds, accord 
 ing to his capacity, in all the tranfaftions 
 of civil and ibcial life, by the rules of juf- 
 tice, charity and prudence. Is he a civil 
 ruler? The apoftle's defcription is exem 
 plified in him ; >He is the minifter of God 
 jor good ; a terror to evil doers, and a praife 
 to them that do 'well. Is he a private fub- 
 jet ? He is a quiet and peaceable one ; 
 being fubjefl for conference fake, and giving 
 honor, to 'whom honor is due ; fear, to 'whom 
 fear ; tribute, to whom tribute. * Is he a pa 
 rent ? He is a kind and tender one ; and 
 endeavours to promote both the prefent 
 and future welfare of his offspring. Is he 
 
 ' 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 
 
 a child? He honors his parents In the Lord, 
 knowing that this is right. Is he a mailer ? X. 
 He is a juft and reafonable one, retnem- 
 bring that he allb has a mafler in heaven. 
 Is he a fervant ? He is faithful and diligent, 
 with good will doing fervice ; knowing 
 that TV hat good thing Jeever a man doth, the 
 fame bejball receive of the Lord, whether he 
 be bond or free. The true chriftian is juft 
 to all men, rendering to all their dues : He 
 is obliging to his friends, grateful to his 
 benefactors, placable to his enemies, com- 
 paffionate to the poor and afflicted, fmcere 
 in his promifes, faithful in the perfor 
 mance ; more difpofed to cover, with the 
 mantle of charity, the faults and follies of 
 his neighbours, than wantonly to expofe 
 them. He does not judge, and condemn, 
 and fet at naught his brother, merely be- 
 caufe he is of a different perfwaiion in re 
 ligious matters ; this common practice be 
 ing as contrary to the fpirit and genius^ 
 and to the exprefs precepts of the gofpel, 
 as either dritnkennefs or ftealing, adultery or 
 profane fwearing. In fine here ; the real 
 Chriftian loves his neighbour as himfelf; 
 and from this principle, does unto all men 
 ivhatfoever he would that they fiould do unto 
 him. By this grand, comprehenfive max 
 im, he regulates all his focial behaviour ; 
 even in -thole cafes where exprefs, pofitive 
 
 precepts 
 
346 On tie Extent of 
 
 SERM. precepts are wanting, as well as thqfe 
 X. where they take place. 
 
 LASTLY : Chriftian obedience may b'e 
 confldered with relation to a man's felfV 
 And if we coniider it in this light, the 
 true difciple of Chrift keeps under his bo 
 dy, and brings it into fubje&ion : Or in, 
 the language of St. T'aul in another place, 
 He, thro* thtfpirit, mortifies the deeds of the 
 body. The rational and fpiritual part in 
 him ( which is king by divide right, in the 
 ceconomy and conftitution of man ) bears 
 fway over animal nature, reftraining the 
 fubjeft-paffions, and giving law to them. 
 No fin reigns in his mortal body, fo that 
 he obeys it in the lufts thereof. He is nei 
 ther a gluttonous man, nor a wine-bibber, 
 nor an unclean perfon ; but is fober and 
 temperate in all things, as one that ftrives 
 for the maftery* He poffefTeth his body 
 in /anftification and honor f, as the temple of 
 pCor6.ic) the Holy Ghoft J, and the habitation of God 
 Epb.z.22 thro the Spirit *. 
 
 THUS I have confidered the extent of 
 evangelical obedience ; and given you a 
 fhort defcription of it, as it is found in the 
 hearts and lives of good men. It is, in 
 deed, only the out-lines, and fome of the 
 moft ftrong and diftinguifhing features of 
 the ne^v man, which I have drawn : There 
 is not dine to fill up and imifh the pi&ure. 
 
 Some 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 34.7 
 
 Some perfpns would, probably, have been SERAI.- 
 better pleafed, if I had talked more of 
 high flights, and raptures, and extafies, and ' 
 lei's about the morality of the chriftian cha- 
 rafter. But fuch things, in this kind of 
 painting, I mud confefs, appear to me to 
 to be no better than vain ornaments, and 
 ftmtrijhtf, and a gaudy drapery ; which ra 
 ther obfcure, than heighten and improve, 
 the beauties of a piece. The chriftian 
 character is fo amiablfe in itfelf, without 
 any thing of this fort, that it ftands in no 
 need thereof to recommend it to thofe, 
 who have a true and juft tafte. It is not 
 every chriftian that is caught up withSaint 
 Tan!, into the third heaven, and hears un- 
 fpeakable words, and has a multitude of re* 
 relations given to him : And many that 
 only fancy this is the cafe with them, are 
 lifted up above meafure ; thinking them- 
 telvzsfofpiritualj that they have no need 
 to be moral. In fhort, to fpeak of things 
 of this nature, I mean of thefe flights and 
 raptures, as common to fincere chriftians, 
 and the evidences of a good eftate, (as 
 many do) has a direct tendency to miilead 
 and beguile people ; but none at all, to 
 edify them, or make them ivlfe tofahation. 
 For which reafon I have chofen to con 
 fine myfelf within the limits of ftri6V,fober 
 truth, in fpeakihg upon this important 
 
 point. 
 
348 On the Ex tent of 
 
 SERM. point. Nor can I think that any man has 
 X. a right, according to the dodrine of the 
 ' gofpel,to look upon himfelf as a favourite 
 of heaven, and an heir of thepromifes,the 
 temper of whofe mind, and whole out 
 ward behaviour, does not in general cor- 
 refpond to the account given above. In 
 deed that kingdom of God which is -with 
 in us,confifting in righteoufnefs and peace 
 and joy in the Holy Ghoft, is, in fome rc- 
 ipefts, like His external and vifible king* 
 clom : It is, as a grain of muflard feed, 
 ( which is the leajf of all) when it firft 
 takes root in the heart : but it afterwards 
 becometh a tree, fhooting its branches to 
 heaven ; and,being watered with the dew 
 thereof, and warmed by the influences of 
 Him, who is a Sun as well as Shield, it 
 beareth more than twelve manner of fruit, 
 grateful to God and man. Hence it 
 comes to pafs,that all truly good men may 
 not be able to fee, with equal clearnefs, 
 the evidence of their being fuch ; becaufe 
 this mufl depend, in a great meafure, up 
 on the progrefs they have made in good- 
 nefs and holinefs. However the new-born 
 babe, as well as the full-grown man, in 
 Ckrift Jefus, has all the features and mem 
 bers of a chi Id of God : Tho' I have been 
 fpeaking of the chriftian temper and cha- 
 ra&er in general, without defending to 
 
 any 
 
&v angelical Obedience. 349 
 
 any fuch niceties ; which Teem to be'un- SERM. 
 profitable, 'and therefore needlefs. 
 
 I H A v E been laying before you, my ' 
 Brethren, that law of liberty^ which is the 
 rule of your obedience, and by which you 
 are to be judged hereafter : I have been 
 holding up to you that facred mirrour, 
 which I mentioned to you in the begin 
 ning of this difcourfe, in order to your 
 feeing and knowing yourfelves. Have 
 you looked into it ; and beheld the true 
 features and complexion of your fouls ? 
 your moral and religious characters ? If 
 you have, differ me to be fo officious as 
 to afk you, What manner of men you are ? 
 Do you find the chriftian temper within 
 you, fo that you can reafonable look 
 upon yourfelves as being in a ftate of fa 
 vour with God ; and rejoice in hope of 
 His glory ? Do your confciences bear you 
 witnefs, that your hearts are upright to 
 wards God ? and that you come up to the 
 character of thofe who are doers of the 
 word ? to the* char-after of Ch rift's faithful 
 difciples ? Has the gofpel had its proper 
 influence upon your hearts,fo that you do 
 not only fecm to be religious, but are 
 really and internally fo ? Do you perform 
 the various duties required of you, as well 
 as abftain from thofe fins which God has 
 forbidden ? Do you pay a due regard v both 
 
35P On tke Extent of 
 
 SfiRM. to the moral and the inftituted "part of chri* 
 X. ftianity ; walking in all the ordinances 
 and commandments of the gofpel ? thofe 
 which you yourfelves cannot but acknow 
 ledge to be fuch ; and obligatory upon 
 you ? Do you love God above all things, 
 efteeming his favour as life, and his lov- 
 ing-kindnefs as better than lifel Is your trea- 
 fure and your heart in heaven, whither the 
 fore-runner is for us entered, even Jefus ? 
 Do you fincerely love and honor y our Re 
 deemer ? Do you love your neighbour as 
 your felves ? Are you juft to all men ? for 
 giving? kind? charitable according to your 
 6wn capacity, and the neceffities of o- 
 thers ? Do you honor your fuperiors ? Are 
 you condefcending to your inferiours ? 
 Do you rejoice in the profperity, and 
 inourn in the adverfity, of others ? Do 
 you obferve all the known laws of fobrie- 
 ty and temperance, mortifying your members 
 'which are upon the earth ? cherifhing and 
 cultivating your rational, intellectual part, 
 dnd walking in the fpirit ? In fine, are your 
 wills fubdued to the divine authority ; fo 
 that you make the known laws of the gof 
 pel the rule of your conduit ip. every re- 
 fpeft ? " As many as walk according to 
 " this rule, peace be on them, and mer- 
 sy, aiid upon the Ifrael of God !"- * 
 f! IF you can anfwer thefe important 
 
 questions 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 351 
 
 s in the affirmative, you have no SERM, 
 reafon to doubt but that you are the chil- X. 
 dren of God ; and if children, then heirs, 
 heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jefus 
 Chrift, to an inheritance incorruptible and un- 
 defiled, and that fadeth not away If you 
 cannot ; you have certainly no ground to 
 think yourfelves Chrift's true difciples, 
 fuch as he will own hereafter, when he 
 ihall be revealed from heaven. If there 
 is any one known commandment which 
 you habitually violate, you have no lot nor 
 portion in this matter. And if any fhould 
 think fuch doftrine as this, harflj and ft* 
 vere ; and that, according hereto, by 
 far the greater part of the chriftian world 
 muft be condemned ; I (hall only anfwer, 
 that you are not to blame me for this : I 
 had no hand in making the terms, upon 
 which God offers eternal life to his fmful 
 creatures : I was not his counfeller ; but 
 only declare to you, as plainly as I can, 
 what thefe terms really are 
 
 BUT however rigorous this doftrine 
 may feem to men that are wedded to this 
 world ; that are immerfed in fenfuality 
 and vice, inftead of being purified in the 
 fountain opened to wafh in, therefrom I 
 doubt not, but fome of my hearers judge 
 otherwife ; and can truly fay, that both 
 their inward temper, and external condud:* 
 
 correfpond 
 
On the Extent of 
 
 SERM. correfpond to the reprefentation given a- 
 bove, of evangelical obedience. Happy, 
 thrice happy, are all fuch ! They may be 
 aflured, that their tranjgrejftons are forgiven, 
 and their fins covered ; that they are jttfti- 
 fed from all things ; that there is no con 
 demnation belonging to them ; that they are 
 the friends of the great, the eternal God ; 
 that they are intitled to his favour in life, 
 in death, thro'out eternity ; and that when 
 He, who once died for them, and unto 
 whom they now live by faith, fhall appear 
 the fecond time 'without fin, they flail aljo 
 appear iv/th him in glory ! " For he is 
 faithful that promifed. " 
 
 THERE are, probably, other Perfons, 
 who are in doubt whether they come up 
 to the character of chriftians, or not. 
 And it is certainly incumbent upon all 
 fuch, to be" impartial in the examination 
 of their own hearts ; and to grow better 
 than they are at prefent, that fo thefe 
 doubts may be removed. Poflibly they 
 may be truly good and pious, notwith- 
 ftanding their fufpicions concerning them- 
 felves : It is alfo poffible that their fufpi 
 cions are but too ivell grounded ; and that 
 they are, at leaft, as bad as they fear they 
 are. ,.Bjjf Be their real ftate and character 
 what it will, it will certainly be no difad* 
 vantage to 'them, to endeavour to. know 
 
 what? 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 353 
 
 \vhat it is ; and to make their calling 
 eJeSion fine. To be in doubt, in fo inte- 
 roiling and important a point, muft needs 
 occafion great difquietitde in the breaft of 
 every good man ; but it may be of fatal 
 confequence for the vicious to come to a 
 ivrong determination as to themfelves : 
 And this is what they are in danger of, 
 by reafon of that partiality, which is fo 
 natural to us all ; and to which vicious 
 men are peculiarly fubjech 
 
 Bu T not withftanding felf-condemnation 
 is fo irkfome and difagreable ; yet it is to 
 be feared that fome cannot avoid it ; the 
 conviction of their wickednefs being too 
 full and ftrong upon their minds to be re- 
 ilfted, or evaded. Would to God there 
 were none, whofe whole temper and cha 
 racter in general, is fo direftly and fla 
 grantly the reverie of the chriflian, as ab- 
 folutely to take away from them the pow 
 er of doubting in the prefent cafe ! Can he 
 who neither fears God, nor regards man ? 
 Can the profane fwearer and blafphemer ? 
 Can the thief ? Can the liar ? Can the re- 
 viler of his brethren ? Can the drunkard I 
 the adulterer ? the whoremonger ? Can 
 a perfon who knows that either of thefe 
 characters belongs to him, make it a 
 queftion, whether'he is a chriftian, or not I 
 whether he is intitled to the great and 
 A .$ precious 
 
354 On the Extent of 
 
 SERM. precious promifes of the gofpel ! whether 
 he is a fon and heir of God, and a joint 
 heir with Chrift, to the heavenly inheri 
 tance I No : it is impoffible, if he looks into 
 the perfeB law of liberty ; and into his own 
 heart, at the fame time :, He will find his 
 fin 'written with a pen of iron, and ivltb the 
 print of a diamond, and graven upon the table 
 \Jer.\j.\ of his heart, f He rinift know, that he i 
 not of God ; but of his father the devl 
 $7^-8.44 whofe lufls he does. | I will not, indeed, 
 prefume to fay, that there are any perfons 
 of fuch a flagitious character in this af- 
 fembly : ( For I would not bring a railing 
 accufatlon even againft the devil, tho' I 
 were contending with him, as Michael 
 "' 9 * did, about the body of Mofes ; much lefs 
 would I bring fuch an accufation againft 
 my brethren :) However, One may venture 
 to fay, without giving juft caufe of offence, 
 that there is feldom fuch a number of 
 people together, in any part ofChriftendom 9 
 where there are not more than one, or t%uo f , 
 or ten perfons, to whom no better a cha- 
 rifter belongs' .What the natural pre- 
 fnmption is, therefore, in the prcfent ftate 
 of the wv-M, You are as able to judge as 
 
 I The matter is refered, as. in the 
 
 prefence of Him, who is acquainted rivlth 
 all our 'ways, to every man's own breaft 
 and confcience, 
 
 ALL 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 355 
 
 ALL revealed religion is an appeal to SERM. 
 the reafon and conferences of men ; to the 
 law originally written, by the finger of 
 God, upon the flefhly tables of our hearts. 
 Chriftianity, the ivord which you hear, 
 and ought to receive luith meeknefs, is a 
 flip or cyon brought from heaven to earth, 
 to be ingrafted upon the natural, ivild olive- 
 tree ; that fo you might bring forth fruit 
 unto God. But if you will perverfely tear 
 out this cyon ; if you will not fuffer it to 
 grow ; if you will not give in to the dic 
 tates of your own hearts and confciences, 
 but will thwart and contradict them, (as 
 people often do) what remedy can be 
 found ! >Tbo one arofe from the dead, you 
 would not give heed to him ! Let every 
 one who hears me, be admonifhed, there 
 fore, not to rejecT: Mofes and the Trophets^ 
 Chrift and the apoftles. I warn you, in 
 the name of that God, who has given you 
 your reafon and moral fenfe of things, to 
 reverence your felves ; and not to put your 
 reafon and confcience to {Hence, as you 
 value the fahation of your fouls. O Man'! 
 God is greater than thy heart, and knoweth all 
 things. Thinkeft thou, then, that thou 
 Ihalt efcape his righteous judgment, when 
 thou condemneft thyfelf ; and canft not 
 avoid doing fo ? I will not appeal even 
 unto CV/ar, in this interefting caufe ; but 
 A a * to 
 
356 On the Extent of 
 
 SERM. toyourfehes. Under a perfectly right and 
 good adminiftration of things, all depends 
 upon a right temper of mind ; upon honef- 
 ty and uprightnefs of foul. Therefore if 
 thou halt not this temper, thy foul is loft 1 
 Heaven is fliut againft thee, whofoever 
 thou art,that perfiiteft in rebellion againit 
 thy God, thy Redeemer, tby/e!f. Turn then, 
 at God's reproof ; at thy Saviour's reproof; 
 at thine o\\ 11 reproof; at the reproof of thine 
 (nun conference ; for to this I make my ap 
 peal. Do you not know that you are Jin*, 
 ners ? Fly, then,/c>r refuge to lay hold upon 
 the hope Jet before jou ; that fo you may 
 have that ftrong confutation, which refults 
 from the gofpel, to them that bold both 
 faith and a good conjcicnce, inliead of holding 
 the truth in unrighteoujnejs. And Behold ! 
 that God, whofe righteous laws you have 
 fo often broken, is gracious and merciful ; 
 not 'willing that you Jlmild periflj* If you 
 humbly confefs and forfake your fins, He 
 will, forgive your fins, and cleanfe you 
 from all unrighteoufnefs,even in the foun 
 tain that was opened, by the Roman fpear, 
 in thy Redeemer's fide : For the blood of 
 Cbrift cleanfeth from all fin. Behold ! He 
 who once bare your fins in his own body 
 on the tree, and is fince " paiTed into the 
 heavens, Jefus the Son of God, " is a mer- 
 vfol ML& faithful high prieft,ia things per 
 taining 
 
Evangelical Obedience* 
 
 taining to God ; and thofe that come un- SERM 
 to him, he will in no wile call out. Be- X. 
 hold ! that bleflcd Spirit of prwiifc, of dif- 
 cipline and comfort, -which you have fo 
 often grieved and quenched, and driven 
 away from you, is ready to return, to reft 
 upon you, to take up his abode in your 
 hearts ; and to Jealytii to the day of redemp 
 tion. Behold ! " there is joy in heaven o-' 
 ver one firmer that rcpcnteth !" But if 
 neither the feverity of the law, nor the 
 grace of the gofpc4 ; if neither the fear of 
 hell, nor the hopes of heaven ; if neither 
 the terrors of divine and merited wrath, 
 nor the endearments of divine unmerited 
 love ; if neither of thefe things, nor all of 
 them in conjunction, can bring down, can 
 foften and diffolve thy flony heart ; if 
 thou art thus abandoned, thus Irreclaim 
 able ; if thou hadft rather caufe exultation 
 and triumph in hell, amongft the angels 
 of darknefs, than rejoicing in heaven, a- 
 mongft the angels of light ; take then, 
 thine own courfe, and fee what the end 
 of thefe things will be ."the end of them, 
 who obey not the gofpcl of God. " * In 
 vain do you hope for mercy upon other 
 terms than thofe, which the God of mercy 
 and of truth has marked out to you : In 
 vain has He manifefled fo much love and 
 compaffion to you : In vain has He given 
 A a 3 his 
 
3 5 S On the Extent of 
 
 his own dear Son to be the Saviour of the 
 world : In vain was a body prepared Tor hi; 
 in the divine counfel, before the founda 
 tions of the world were laid : In vain was 
 he made manifeft in the flelh, in thc////- 
 iiefs of time : In vain was that body 
 hung, and broken, and pierced on the 
 crofs, the fun, in the mean time, hiding 
 his face, the vail of the temple being rent 
 in twain, the earth quaking, the rocks 
 rending, the graves opening, the dead 
 Luke 11. Ailing : # In vain was " the blood of the 
 Math. 27. everlafting covenant ' poured out for 
 ^ i, 52. you : In vain has God railed his Son from 
 the dead, and given him glory, that he 
 might be a Prince and a Saviour : In vain 
 is the forgivenefs of iins that are pail, thro* 
 the forbearance of God, preached to you 
 in his naifte : In vain is all this done, if 
 you will not accept of eternal life, upon 
 thofe gracious terms on which the gofpei 
 offers it to you : And if you believe it can 
 be obtained upon any other, than thofe of 
 being doers of the word, you deceive your- 
 civnjefoes, and YOUR FAITH is ALSO 
 VAIN ! Remember that divine admonition, 
 " Becaufe I have called, and ye refufed, 
 " I have ftretched out my hand, and no 
 " man regarded : But ye have fet at 
 " nought all my counfel,and would none 
 " of my reproof; I alfo will laugh at your 
 
 " calamity, 
 
Evangelical Obedience. 359 
 
 ' calamity, I will mock when your fear SERM. 
 cometh ; when your fear cometh as X. 
 defolation, and your cieftruftion cometh '-NT ' 
 as a whirlwind ; when diftrefs and an- 
 " guifh cometh upon you. Then fhall 
 " they call upon me, but I will not an- 
 " fwer ; they fhall feek me early, but they 
 " fhall not find me : For that they hated 
 " knowledge, and did not CHOOSE the 
 V fear of the Lord.- Therefore fhall they 
 ' eat of the fruit of their own way, and 
 
 ' be filled wth their own devices." $ prff - ' 
 
 24-31. 
 
 
 A a 4 SERMON 
 
360 
 
 
 SERMON XL 
 
 On the Deceitfulnefs of the Heart, 
 and GOD's per fed Knowledge 
 thereof. 
 
 " v 
 
 JEREMIAH XVII. 9, 10. 
 
 heart is deceitful above all things, and 
 dcfperately ivicked ; -who can know it ? 
 I "THE LORD Jearch the heart, I try 
 the reins, even to give every man accord 
 ing to his ways, and according to the fruit 
 cf his doings. 
 
 o M r lP*HERE are three things to be confi- 
 JL dered in the fubjeft before us : 
 
 FIRST, What is implied in this afler- 
 tion, That the heart is deceitful above all 
 things, and defperately wicked fo that it is 
 extremely difficult^ if not impoffible, ex- 
 adlv to know it ? 
 
 SECONDLY, What is to be underftood 
 by Gvtfsfe arch ing the heart, and trying the 
 reins. 
 
 THIRDLY, 
 
On the Deceitfulnefs of the Heart^ &c. 361 
 
 THIRDLY, The end hereof, namely > SERM. 
 That He may give every man according to XI. 
 his ivayS) and according to the fruit of his 
 doings. 
 
 THESE things comprehend the whole 
 fubject, which is to employ our thougljfs 
 at this time : And, being confidered, they 
 will lead us to fome practical reflexions 
 of the moft important and interefling na 
 ture. 
 
 FIRST, Let us confider, what is im 
 plied in this aflertion, That the heart is 
 deceitful above all things, and defperately 
 ivlcl.e I ; fo that it is extremely difficult, 
 if not impoffible, exactly to kno-w it. 
 
 THE heart of man, in the moral, fcrip- 
 tural and theological fenfe, intends the 
 mind, of foul ; that living, aftive prin 
 ciple within us, which thinks, choofes, 
 determines ; and which is, properly fpeak- 
 ing, the agent in all we do, whether good 
 or bad, the body being only its inftru- 
 ment ; intirely paffive, and therefore not, 
 in ftricl propriety, the fubjeft of any 
 moral or religious qualities whatever. 
 So that to fay the hearts of men are de 
 ceitful and wicked, and to fay that men 
 are fo themfelves, amounts to the fame 
 thing at laft. And accordingly, in com 
 mon difcourfe, when we fpeak of a wick 
 ed and good, a deceitful and honeft heart, 
 
 afcribing 
 
362 On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM. afcribing one to one man, and the other to 
 XL another ; we intend hereby to diftinguiih 
 betwixt the real characters of men, confi- 
 dered in a religious or moral view ; and 
 to give to them refpectively, that which 
 belongs to them : This is what we defign, 
 in this manner of fpeaking, however un- 
 juftifiable it may be, to make fo free with 
 our neighbours characters, as we often do. 
 FROM the foregoing obfervation, it is 
 evident that w r hen it is. faid, that the*heart 
 'is deceitful, &c. it cannot be intended, 
 that the hearts of all men are fo : For this 
 would be, in effeft, to fay that all men 
 are deceitful above all things, and defpe- 
 rately -wicked. To fay which, in abfolute 
 terms, and without limitation, would in 
 faft be, to take away that diflinclion 
 which we always make betwixt the cha- 
 rafters of men, faying that thefe are up 
 right and good, but thofe falfe and wick 
 ed : Which diftin&ion betwixt men, is 
 alfo conftantly fuppofed, taken for grant 
 ed, and afferted, in the holy fcriptures. 
 Can he be a good and upright man, whofe 
 heart is deceitful above ail things, and 
 defpe rately -wicked ! If he can, he muft be 
 fuch a kind of good man, as neither fcrip- 
 ture, nor common fenfe, knows any thing 
 of : So far from it, that in the language 
 of fcripture and common fenfe 3 to fay 
 
 ' that 
 
of -'the Hearty &c. 363 
 
 : a perfoiVs heart, is thus deceitful^ thus 
 crately wicked, is to characterize him 
 as a bad man, diredly the reverfc of him, 
 whom the fcripture ityles good and up 
 right. We mult therefore, either totally 
 confound all characters, aflerting that 
 there are no fincere good man, or elfe \ve 
 muft acknowledge that thefe words in the 
 prophet, are ipoken of the hearts of the 
 wicked, excluiively of others. ' For it is 
 abfolutely impoflible to Iliow, who is the 
 good man in distinction from the wicked, 
 or who the wicked man, in cliftinction 
 from the good, if it is common to all men 
 to have hearts that are fo deceitful and 
 -wicked. You can fay nothing worfe of 
 the worft men, than you actually fay of 
 the bed, if you apply this to all men in 
 general : So that either your diftinclion 
 betwixt good men and bad, muft be vain 
 and groundless ; or elfe you wreft and 
 pervert the fenfe of fcripture, when you 
 apply this. worft of characters to all men 
 without exception. However, it is jiot 
 defigned in what is here laid, to intimate 
 that the hearts of any men are perfectly 
 upright and good. There is cloubtlefs a 
 degree of deceitfulncfs and tvickednefs in 
 the hearts of the belt. But the fcripture 
 does not, by any means, authorife us to 
 fpeak in fuch ftrong, general terms, a 
 
 theli 
 
. 
 
 364 On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM. thefe in the text, concerning the hearts of 
 XL thofe, whom our Saviour himfelf diftin- 
 * ^--^ guifhes from others, by faying, that they, 
 * Lukf 8. have an boneft and good heart. * Certainly 
 ! 5- no one man's heart can be both boncfl and 
 goody and deceitful above all things, and dej- 
 feratelj wicked. To fay both thefe things 
 of the fame perfons, at the fame time, 
 would be as palpable a contradiction as 
 can be named. Were a man to tell me, 
 that my heart was " deceitful above all 
 things, and defperately wicked," how 
 ever true this might be, I fhould think he 
 called me nothing better than a Knave or 
 a Villain : And all thofe who acknowledge 
 this of their oiun hearts, do, in reality, ac 
 knowledge that the fame character belongs 
 to themfelves ; tho' I am perf waded that 
 many, who exprcfs themfelves in this man 
 ner, neither deferve fuch a character, nor 
 would be willing to take it upon them : As 
 to fome others, I will not be confident. 
 WHEN it is faid in the text, that the 
 heart is deceitful, 6'^ it is evident that the 
 prophet had the Jews more efpecially in his 
 eye, whofe general, national character at 
 this time, was that of a profligate, abando 
 ned people, in the common grofs fenfe ; 
 in contradiftinftion from a pious and vir 
 tuous people : Such they are reprefented 
 to be, in this very chapter ; and particu 
 larly 
 
of the Hearty 8cc. 365 
 
 tu-ly in the firft verfe of it " The fin of SERM. 
 ifc Jufyfc'is written with a pen ofiron,and XI. 
 " with the point of a diamond ; it is gra- 
 " ven upon the table of their hearts, and 
 " upon the horns of your altars." It might 
 well be faid of fuch a people, in general, 
 that their hearts ivcre deceitful above all 
 things, and defperatcly 'wicked ; tho* there; 
 were, doubtlefs,/?;^ men of an honeft and 
 good heart among them, even at this very 
 time. It is evident, therefore, from the 
 context, from the common ufe of words, 
 and from the real dirtinction which there 
 is betwixt characters, (which diflinction 
 is conftantly fuppofed and aflerted in fcrip- 
 ture) that what is here faid of the heart,is 
 not to be refered to the hearts of all men 
 without diftin&ion. This can no more 
 be fuppofed, than it can, that when ourSa- 
 viour fays, " Out of the heart proceed evil 
 : thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornicati- 
 1 ons, thefts, falfe-witnefs, blafphemies; >J 
 he intends ^ to reprefent all men in com" 
 mon,as being murderers, adulterers, forni- 
 cators, thieves, falfe-fwearers, and blaf- 
 phemers ! Which certainly he did not in 
 tend, fince none, to whom either of thefe 
 charaders belongs, . fhall inherit the 
 
 kingdom of God."* Indeed, as was*' Q C ' r ' 6 ' 
 iaid before, the beft men are not perfeftly 
 Ireefronj all deceit and wickednefs : But 
 
 ftill, 
 
366 On the Decehfulnefe 
 
 ftill, to be deceitful and wicked is not their 
 general, predominant character ; but the 
 very reverje of it, viz. to be fincere, up 
 right and good. * 
 
 IT is to be farther obferved, That when 
 the heart is faid to be deceitful, the pri- 
 maty and moft direft meaning, probably, 
 is, that it is deceitful with regard to other 
 perfons ; fo that they cannot know it per 
 fectly , nor fafely repofe an intire, abfolute 
 confidence in a man, however juft he may 
 appear to be : A man may be deceitful 
 and hypocritical in all his pretences to 
 virtue and religion ; in all his promifes ; 
 and fadlv difappoint thofe who put their 
 truft in him This fenfe feems naturally 
 fuggefted by the verfes immediately pre- 
 ceeding-* " Curfed be the man that truft- 
 " etli in man, and maketh flefli his arm ; 
 
 " and 
 
 * IT would not be nach to the purpofe, to objeft to what i^ 
 aid above, the account which St. Paul gives, Rom. ^d. of the 
 urjiverfal wickednefs of mankind ; as uhere he fays, '* There 
 is rone righteous, no not one," &c. Becaufe it is manifeft, 
 that St. Paul here means, rigbtews in the ftrift, legal fenfe : It 
 being his aim, in this pniTage, to prove, That all the world is 
 become guilty before God, in fuch a fenfe, that by the deeds of tb* 
 law, no fefi ftiall be juftifud : And fo to fhow the neceffity of 
 cv irsgelical grace and mery t in order to juftification, The a- 
 poftle intends, that there is no man wholly without fin : Or as 
 it is exprefied, Ecclef. 7. 20. That " there is not a juft man 
 f( upon earth, that doth good, mAJinnetb not" Which, fure- 
 ly, is a very different thing from faying, that tlie heart of the 
 bolieft man on earth is " deceitful above all thing*, and 
 rarely wicked. 1 ' 
 
of the Heart^ &c. 367 
 
 " and whofc heart departeth from the SERM. 
 " Lord," &c. Why ? Becaufe the heart is 
 deceitful ; and God alone, who is true and 
 faithful, can be fully and intirely confided 
 in. This feems to be the primary, and 
 moft obvious meaning of the paffage. 
 However, fmcc every man who is deceit 
 ful with reference to his neighbour, is al- 
 fo, in fome fenfe, deceitful and falfe to 
 himfelf ; and fince the fcripture notion of 
 hypocrify, evidently includes both thefe 
 fpecies f difhonefty ; and (I may add) 
 fince the words of the prophet are fo ge 
 neral, that they may well enough com 
 prehend both ; I lhall take the liberty to 
 fuppofe, that both may be actually intend 
 ed here. And accordingly we may con- 
 fider the deceitfulnefs of the heart in a 
 twofold light ; firit, with reference to 
 ethers ; and then, with reference to a 
 man's /elf. 
 
 i st - WITH reference to 'others.. There 
 is fcarce a man, however deftitute of vir 
 tue, religion, and honor, who does not, 
 at times, put on fome ihew and profeffion. 
 of them : And this is often, tho' not al 
 ways done, with a fix'd, formal intention 
 to deceive others into a good opinion of 
 him ; that fo he may carry his' worldly 
 defigns and projects into execution more 
 than he could, without the 
 
 con- 
 
On the Deceit fulnefs 
 
 SERM. conveniency of a mafk. Mafks are not 
 XL only ufed in kings courts, where great men 
 J * are gorgeoujly apparalled, and walk in flip 
 per? places ; they are alfo worn in cottages, 
 by the ignoble vulgar. And they are put 
 on by both, for the fame end in general ; 
 which is, that the Wearer may accomplifh 
 Ibme finifter, diflioneft purpofe, which 
 he could not accomplifh fo well without. 
 Thofe who pretend to a public fpirit, to 
 a patriotic principle of conduft, are not 
 always the men they would be tho't to be. 
 No ! They are fometimes as void of true 
 honor, integrity, and love to their coun 
 try, as the meaneft fycophant and court- 
 parafite. The mafk will, perhaps, drop 
 off in a little while ; and you will fee 
 thefe raving patriots become as arrant 
 parafites, as thofe, againft whom they 
 raved ; bartering all their pretended ho 
 nor, and public fpirit, for the wages of 
 unrighteoufnefs, or only a title. But de- 
 fcend from thefe heights, to the inferior 
 ranks of life. Do you not fee artizans, 
 tradefmen, labourers of every fort, yea, 
 even beggars, putting on a mafk of honor, 
 virtue and integrity, in their way, in order 
 to deceive, and impofe upon, other peo 
 ple ? in order to accomplifh their particu* 
 Jar ends? The deceit, the wickednefs of 
 jaen's hearts, is the fame ia every degree 
 
 and 
 
of the Hearty Sec* 
 
 ftation of life: It is as true, that men 
 if degree are vanity , as it is, that men 
 'jf 'high degree are a lie. * ' 
 
 SHALL we fay then, that there is hd 
 Rich thing as honor, virtue, and publick 
 fpirit, in the world ? that all men's pre 
 tences thereto, dfe Vain and hypocritical ? 
 and that they would throw off the mafk^ 
 could they accomplifh tlieif ambitious, 
 covetous, or othdr Worldly defigns ? J No i 
 We can only fay, that we are offer, delud 
 ed and mocked by falfe pretenders to vir 
 tue and honor : Unlefs there' were really 
 fuel! qualities in nature', there could be no 
 counterfeits of them, toy more than there 
 could be falfe, counterfeit coin* without 
 any true and genuine Not only the ig 
 norant and over-credulous,are often cheat 
 ed and deceived by the falfe pretenders to 
 virtue ; but even the wife and prudent j 
 I might add, the very ele& : For evert 
 good men are not exempted from decep 
 tions and impositions of this kind. Yea$ 
 how great a paradox foever it may feem, 
 it is certainly true, that honeft, good, tm- 
 defigning men, in whdm there is no guik^ 
 and who always fpeak and acT: in the fim- 
 plicity of their hearts, are oftner deluded 
 fi b by 
 
 J A Sir ^1 ^ tnay tUnk ttiis a triie representation df 
 jmanlcird ; bat a S^ A. Q .. knows it is not ; and evcf/ 
 konejl man know* fo 6oo< 
 
37 On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM. by thefe falfe appearances of virtue, than 
 XL other perfons. They are not fo apt to be 
 fufpicious and jealous, and therefore are 
 not io much upon their guard in this re- 
 fpeft, as others. Knowing, even from 
 experience, that there is in nature fuch 
 a thing as uprightnefs, honelty and good- 
 nefs, they are prone, to confide in the pre 
 tenders thereto ; and to take up with any 
 plaufible appearances. And this is the 
 only clue ? that will lead us fully into the 
 fenfe and fpirit of St. Taufs words 
 "Charity thinketh no" evil believeth all 
 " things, hopeth. all thiiigs." A man 
 who is truly good and beneficent him- 
 felf, knows that goodnefs and beneficence 
 are not empty names, but real qualities 
 and characters : And he is, therefore, dif- 
 pofed to think that all who have the ap 
 pearance, have the reality and truth of 
 them. On the other hand, he who does 
 not find in himfelf thefe moral qualities, 
 tho' he fometimes puts on the fhew of 
 them, is inclined to think all others who 
 pretend to them, falfe and hypocritical, or 
 at beft fanciful men ; that all is but a mafk, 
 in order to a perfon's carrying on his pri 
 vate felfifh defigns- And whoever thinks 
 thus ; whoever tells me that there is no 
 real honor, religion, virtue, or public fpirit 
 Si the world, tells me, in other words, 
 
 that 
 
of the Hearty &c. 371 
 
 that he himfelf has no honor, religion, SERM, 
 virtue, or publick fpirit : And tho' I could XI . 
 believe him, if he laid this only of himfelf \ ^-NT -* 
 yet I cannot, when he lays the fame of 
 all other men. No one, who himfelf ex 
 periences what is termed honefty, good- 
 nefs, religion, charity, can, in the nature 
 of the thing, doubt whether any man can 
 be held and influenced by thefe princi 
 ples, or not. And therefore a man's de 
 nying that any are, or can be, thus held 
 and influenced, is not only a tacit con- 
 feffion, but a plain demonitration, that he 
 himfelf is a wicked man, and a Villain at 
 the bottom ; and equally fo, whether he 
 be a low or an high-liv d one -But not to 
 digrefs too-far- 
 
 THERE is no one virtue or grace, but 
 what is laid claim to by perfons who are 
 deftitute of all. The Tharifces, of whom 
 we read fo much in the gofpel, were, if 
 we can believe our Saviour, fuch men. 
 They made many and long prayers ; they 
 fafted ; they gave alms ; they did many 
 good things ; fo that they outwardly appeared, 
 righteous unto men. * But, what faid He, 
 who knew -what was in man ? He faid they 2 g' ' 23 
 made long prayers for a " pretence" ; that 
 they gave alms to be " feenof men ;" that 
 they were " hypocrites ;" that they were 
 like " whited fepulchres j" and that they 
 B b z fliould 
 
3? 2 On the fieceltfulncfs 
 
 fhould " receive the greater damnation/' 
 Charity, the bond of perfect nefs, was Ju* 
 das's pretence^ when he objected againfl 
 the wafte of precious ointment on his 
 Lord ;but the truth of the cafe was, that he 
 wanted to have it" fold for more than three 
 hundred pence," and the money put into 
 the bag which he carried, being a Thief. 
 It is not he, who pretends to have the 
 greateft abhorrence of difhonefty and kna^ 
 rery, that is the freeft from them in his 
 commerce and intercourfe with mankind. 
 Nay ; the moft wicked and treacherous 
 defigns are often carried on under the ap 
 pearance of friendfhip : Which long lince 
 gave occafion to that obfervation of So* 
 Tomon, that " the kifles of an enemy are 
 deceitful " : And this was remarkably ex 
 emplified, when the Son of man himfelf 
 was " betrayed with a kifs." The moft 
 folemn promifes and engagements of fer- 
 vice, and friendfhip, are often fo far from 
 being ftrong enough to hold him that 
 makes them, that they are made by him, 
 with a formal intent to break them ; and 
 to do fome greater injury to the, perfon 
 who relies on them, than could have been 
 done without them. In fhort, there is no 
 ttian, who has a mind to deceive, that 
 cannot find many ways of doing it, unlefr 
 he is a fool as well as a knave* Religion 
 
 itfelf, 
 
of the Heart) Sec. 
 
 itfelf is, perhaps, often er made a clokc for SERM. 
 wickednefs, than any one thing. Tho' XL 
 all men who appear religions, are not de- 
 figning hypocrites ; yet " gravity is of the 
 very eflence of impoiture. J And many 
 peribns,by an affected gravity, by a ferious 
 kind of grimace, by a pretended fcrupulo- 
 iity about fome trivial things, by a fliew 
 of zeal, and a feries of religious tricks and 
 artifices, have cheated the world into an 
 high opinion of their fanclitv, without 
 having one iingle virtue. And it is to be 
 obferved, that people fometimes put on 
 this maik of religion, with a formal de- 
 fign to impofe upon the world ; that they 
 may indulge their vices, and injure their 
 neighbours without being fufpecled of do 
 ing it, or in danger of detection. There 
 have been fo many known examples of this 
 grofs hypocrify, that we can have no cer 
 tain, infallible dependence upon any man, 
 Thofe, of whom we have had experience 
 for many years, fometimes turn out to be 
 the reverfe of what we took them to be : 
 And we do not know, but others may do 
 the like hereafter ; fince we cannot know 
 the heart ; So deceitful is it, fo defferately 
 -wicked ! 
 
 OUR blefled Saviour has given us the 
 fureft criterion, the moft infallible rule, 
 that we can go by, in forming Qur judg- 
 B b 3 
 
374 n th e Deceitfulnefs 
 
 ment about men and characters: " By their 
 " fruits ye fhall know them." And by at 
 tending to this, we may fometimes difco- 
 ver thofe to be inwardly ravening ivofoes, 
 who come to us, and live amongit us, iu 
 Jbeeps cloatbing. But even this rule is, in 
 one fenfe, infufficient > becaufe - no rule 
 can make Us infallible in the application 
 of it. It is much eafier for us to know 
 who are, and muft be, wicked men, than 
 to know who are certainly good. The 
 former is, in fome cafes, poffible : Since 
 he that is vifibly immoral, impious and 
 flagitious in the courfe of his life, cannot 
 poffibly be good in his heart. But on the 
 other hand, he, whole behaviour is, to all 
 human appearance, the moft pious and 
 unexceptionable, may yet poffibly not be 
 good : He may fin where he ought to 
 pray, in fecret : He may be habitually 
 guilty of many vices, which fhun the 
 obfervation of the world. In which cafe, 
 his heart is certainly bad : Yea,his aftions, 
 which appear the moil fpecious and com 
 mendable to us, may fpring from fuch 
 principles as would rather denominate 
 them vicious, than virtuous, in the eye 
 of One who could penetrate to the fource, 
 and bottom of them. Were not even the 
 prayers of the Tharifees wicked and im 
 pious, when made for a pretence ? and that 
 
 they 
 
of the Heart, &c. 37 
 
 they might devour widows houfts ? Such SERM 
 fufpicidns are not, indeed, to be indulged XI. 
 with refpeft to our neighbours, while their ^ V '""~~ 
 behaviour is vifibly good and blamclefs : 
 But as this may poilibly be the cafe, thr- 
 mentioning hereof, tends to illuftrate' and 
 confirm what is faid in my text, concern 
 ing the deceitfalnefs of the heart ; and 
 the impoffibiiity of our coming to a per 
 fect knowledge of it. But 
 
 2 di y . I T j s now time to conilder the dr- 
 ceitfulnefs of the heart, in the other pcint 
 of light propofed, viz. with relation to a 
 man's jelf. There is fuch a thing as a 
 deceived heart, an heart which deceives, 
 and impofes upon, itfelf; as well as an 
 heart which is deceitful and difhoneft with 
 relation to others. There are many .per- 
 fons, to whom thofe words of the prophet 
 are applicable, " A deceived heart hath 
 turned him afide. " * This is a character * V A - 44- 
 which we often meet with. Nor is the 20 ' 
 fcripture-notion of hypocrify, only this, 
 that a man fometimes puts on the fliew or 
 appearance of religion and virtue, on pur- 
 pofe to delude his neighbours. This hy 
 pocrify is of the grofleft kind. Every fuch 
 man muft be confcious to hitnfelf, that he 
 is only a fling a part. But there is a more 
 fubtile and refined kind of deceit, where 
 by a man deludes even himfelf, while he 
 B b 4 is 
 
3 76 On the Deceit fulnefs 
 
 SERM. Js not fenfible that he is deluding others, 
 nor lias any formal intention to do fo < 
 That we are thus in danger of delufion 
 from "within, from ourfelves, is plainly 
 implied in all thofe paflages of fcnpturie, 
 where we are admonifhed pot to deceive 
 our ovwjehes ; to try, to. 'prove, to examine 
 ourfelves, and the like. And the felf-de- 
 ceit, which we are thus warned to guard 
 againft, is, I fuppofe, what the fcripture 
 more generally intends by hypccrify, than 
 it does the grofs kind mentioned before. 
 
 THIS will, probably, found like a pa 
 radox to many, For it may be afked> 
 *' What we are fa intimately acquainted 
 " with, as with ourfelves ? Do we not 
 *' know what paflfes within us ? our own 
 " thoughts, and defigns ? the principles 
 a and motives upon which we aft ? Is it 
 " not a contradiffion to fuppofe, that we 
 *' can be ignorant of thefe ; or deceived 
 " about them? So that it. is fo far from 
 " being difficult for any man to know his 
 " heart, that it is . impoflible for him not 
 * to know It/*' 
 
 BUT Jet us proceed deliberately here. 
 Do you know your heart, in the fenfe of 
 an Anatomlft^ when he talks about the 
 heart, becaufe you are confcious of your 
 own thoughts, defires, volitions, <&c \ 
 You \\^ill anfwer, No ; t^is is quite ano 
 
of the, Hearty &c. 277 
 
 ther thing : You muft fee a human body SERM. 
 opened, the heart diifecled, and view XL 
 every part of it carefully, before you can ' ~\r--^ 
 know the heart in this fenfe. Very jufl. 
 Well : You do not any more truly know 
 your heart, in the moral, fenpturdl andro 
 liglous fenfe of the term, merely by being 
 confcious of your own thoughts, volitions, 
 &c. than you know it in the anatomical 
 fenfe : But in order hereto you muft, if 
 I may ufe the expreflion, fee the foul <///- 
 fefted ; and examine the parts, or fevcral 
 powers, faculties and operations of "it 
 diftinclly ; compare them together, and 
 the whole, with the rule of moral right. 
 Without this, you may be iritirely igno 
 rant of your hearts, or be deceived as to 
 your own true character and temper ; not 
 knowing ivhat manner of fpirlt you (ire of] * * Lukf 9- 
 however confcious you may be of your 55 ' 
 own thoughts, deilres, volitions, actions. 
 Is it not probable ? is it not certain, that 
 many pcrfons have been miftaken as to 
 their own moral and religious character ; 
 thinking themfelyes good and upright 
 men, \yhen they were the reverfe hereof 
 Is is not probable that many of the Tha- 
 r//^/ofold, and many other perfons in 
 later times, were, and are, thus miftaken 
 in themfelves ; thinking their character 
 good and honeft, tho' really bad and clii^ 
 
 boneft, 
 
On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM. l&neft, at the bottom ? This will not be 
 XL denied. Certainly then, there is fuch a 
 
 *~~-Y** J thing as clifhonefty of heart, which a man 
 is infenfible of ; fuch a thing as felf-deceit ; 
 fuch a thing as a nian's impofmg upon, 
 and cheating himfelf, in fome way or o- 
 ther ; and doing it fo artfully, that he does 
 not ftand convifted and condemned of 
 himfelf, afterwards : He is hardened thro the 
 deceit fulnefs of fin, even while he cries, 
 " The temple of the Lord, the temple of 
 the Lord ;" and aftually thinks he has 
 a right to fay to others, as thofe ky- 
 pocrites in Ifaiah did " Stand by thyfelf, 
 " come not near to me, for I am holier 
 
 Cha P .6s " than thou." * 
 
 ver - 5- To lay open this whole myflery of ini 
 quity, which has already worked, and, 
 probably, (till works, in fo many perfons, 
 would require much more time than there 
 is for it at prefent. Nothing more is, 
 therefore, to be now expedted, than fome 
 general hints- It is all to be deduced from, 
 as it may all be refolved into, two well- 
 known principles or affections in human 
 nature : I mean a fenfe of moral obliga 
 tion and religion, which all men have in 
 fome degree, fo that. they cannot but wifii 
 to die the death of the righteous and a love 
 to this prefent world, fo that they are de- 
 firous to enjoy the gains, the honors, the 
 
 pleafures 
 
of the Heart^ &c. 379 
 
 pleafures of it. Thefe principles, inma-SERM. 
 ny cafes at lead, interfere with each o XL 
 ther ; and fo there arifes a ftrife and con- ' <~~* 
 teft betwixt them, for the dominion and 
 fovereignty, the flejb lu fling againft the fpi- 
 rit, and the fpirit agahift thefiejb ; which 
 livo being contrary the one to the other, a 
 man. cannot do the things ivhicb he -would. * *cat+.\-j, 
 He 'would be religious, arid yet gratify his 
 worldly lulls and paffions : He would 
 ferve tivo maftcrs^ both God and Mammon : 
 He would unite thofe things, which can 
 not really be united f He will not re 
 nounce all pretenfions to religion and vir 
 tue, for the lake of the world ; nor yet 
 will he renounce the world for the fake of 
 religion and virtue : He would make the 
 profecution of both confift together ; and 
 be under the joint fway of two Lords ; 
 which, in this cafe, is impoiilble : No 
 fuch com poll don can be made. 
 
 BUT tho' this is evidently the cafe ; yet 
 what is this to the deceitfulnefs of the 
 heart ? to hypocrify \ to felf-deception ? 
 You will prefently fee. Every man muft 
 be the fervant either of God, or of the 
 w r orld : He muft be either good or bad : 
 He muft have a certain, determinate in 
 ternal character. But thofe whofe charac 
 ter is really bad and vicious, are not will 
 ing to fee and know it. They could not 
 
 but 
 
380 On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM. but be more difTatisfied with themfelvcs, If 
 XI. they thoroughly kneiu tbemfehes. Hence, 
 they open their intellectual eye but half 
 way, fquint, wink hard, look aikaunce, 
 take only fide-glances,and ufe a magnifying 
 glafs,if I may fo exprefs it, when they take 
 a view of any thing which they imagine 
 commendable in themfelves, turning the 
 other end of it, when they look upon 
 their faults. The heart plays fuch jugg 
 ling, legerdemain tricks with itfelf ! Men 
 that are void of fairnefs and probity of 
 mind, evidently put deceptions upon 
 themfelves, in various ways ; infenlibly 
 flattering themfelves, that they are certain 
 ly and truly good, and upright, while they 
 certainly are not ; but live in the prac 
 tice of flagrant immoralities, which every 
 one almoft, except themfelves, fees plainly 
 enough. So deceitful are men, even'with 
 regard to themfelves ! And the clue 
 mentioned, if purfued, would lead us 
 thro' all the doublings, and * labyrinths 
 of a difhoneft heart ; that den of brutal 
 lufts and paffions ; that cage of unclean birds 
 that dark- vault, which is full of dead men's 
 bones and of all uncleannefs, tho' the monume nt 
 over it may appear white and beautiful. 
 
 TH E principle of confcience fometimes 
 operates fo ftrongly in a man, that he 
 cannot go direftly counter to it, with his 
 
 eyes 
 
of the Heart, &d. 38 
 
 eves wide open : And vet the worldly SfcRM 
 
 i v > i /* i_ /r 
 
 and vicious principle is io much itronger, 
 that he mitft obey the latter, and ttilljeem 
 to himilif to be religious ; or, at leaft, 
 not very vicious* Hence fuch a man will 
 have numerous evafions and palliations, 
 by the help of which he will juftify him- 
 ielf, to himfelf, in his evil practices. He 
 can make human frailty, perhaps, a falvo 
 for almoft any thing : " His faith is quite 
 orthodox, (b that he abhors the very 
 name of Anmmanifm : The temptation is 
 great; and the Devil is a powerful, fubtle 
 adverfary : Or every thing muft be refol- 
 ved into the over-ruling providence of 
 God : Who is there that, is wholly free 
 from fin ? Even good men, formerly, were 
 Ibmctimes guilty of greater fins than his, 
 he fuppofes : He is, befides, punctual in 
 the performance of fome duties ; none of 
 the external ordinances of religion are 
 negle&ed by him : Or he often gives 
 alms to the neceffitous : And charity, he 
 reads, will cover a multitude of Sins : Or, if 
 that will not, certainly the righteoufnefs 
 of Chrift will : This or that precept of 
 thegofpel, he thinks, needs not be fo 
 rigoroufly interpreted, fince we are un 
 der grace, not the law : Altho' fuch and 
 fuch things would be criminal in other 
 circumftances j yet this cafe is peculiar, 
 
 and 
 
382 On the, Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM. and the general rule does not extend to it." 
 XL By fuch\ fubterfuges and tergiverfations ; 
 f uc h twiftings and ferpentine windings, 
 a man that is not truly upright, will often 
 evade thole religious and moral obliga 
 tions, which every honeft, good man, fees 
 and feels, and is influenced by : To him, 
 darknefs will be light, and light darknefs ; 
 bitter will be iweet, and fweet bitter ; 
 evil good, and good evil. He will pacify 
 his confcience fo far, that he will not 
 much cenfure himfelf, if at all, for the 
 greateft immoralities and impieties. Yea, 
 he will think he is doing God fervice, by 
 Ihedding the blood of his faints : He 
 will, perhaps, vent his unholy pride, his 
 fpleen and malice againft man, even in 
 his prayers to God ; condemning, and en 
 deavouring to expofe another, as an here- 
 tick, an hypocrite, and a wicked man ; 
 thinking that this is all true Zeal for God 
 and pure religion So when the Tharifee 
 &Tubltcan went up into the temple to pray, 
 the former faid, God, I thank thee, that I am 
 not as other men, or even as this public an. \ 
 lo - Poor man ! He was full of arrogance, fpi- 
 ritual pride, and cenforioufnefs, while he 
 was accufmg his brother to the Father, as a 
 gracelefs hypocrite ; and bleffing both God 
 and himfelf, that he was not as other men. 
 Thus will thofe, who are not thoroughly 
 
 honeft 
 
of the Heart^ Sec. 383 
 
 honelt at the bottom, deceive their oivnfelves : S E R M. 
 Thus will they behold, or think they be- XL 
 hold, a mote in their brother's eye ; and 
 yet not fee the beam that is in their own : 
 They would not do thus, were' they not 
 hypocrites ; if they had &fingle eye, inftead 
 of an evil one : For honefly as well as 
 charity, begins at home. Under a fpecious 
 ihew of fanffity, and zeal for God and re 
 ligion, there often lurks a corrupt, phari- 
 jakal heart ; but yet fo difguifed, that the 
 unhappy owner of it does not know //. 
 So deceitful is the heart ! fo dejperatelj 
 'ivicked ! 
 
 THE hypocrify here fpoken of, is ef- 
 ientially different from that, which con- 
 lifts in putting on the garb and form of 
 Godlinefs, with a premeditated defign to 
 impoie upon, and to delude, others.- 
 When a man does thus, he muft be con- 
 fcious to himfelf, that he is a deceiver and 
 impoftor : But this other kind of hypocri 
 fy, confifts in felf-deception ; in a man's 
 accounting his vices, no vices ; his ima 
 ginary, counterfeit virtues, fterling and 
 genuine ; and fo in miftaking his own 
 moral and religious character. However, 
 the former kind of hypocrify, it is proba 
 ble, often ends in the latter, being quite 
 fwallo wed up and abforbed therein : I mean 
 chat men who, at firft, put on the malk 
 
 of 
 
3 8 4 On the Deceit fulnefs 
 
 OERM* of virtue and religion chiefly for the fakd 
 XI- of deceiving others, wear it 'till they coifte, 
 J by degrees, to think it is not a mafk at all, 
 but true religion : So that they are at 
 length as much deceived in thernfelves, as 
 others were miftakert in them before. 
 This irtay be illuftrated. by that which 
 I take to be a juft, as \vell as common ob j 
 fervation, viz. That men fometimes invent 
 lies and {landers, and propagate thefn at 
 firft, knowing them to be fuch ; but hav 
 ing long repeated them, they themfelves 
 come at laft to think them real truths, and 
 propagate them afterwards as filch ! 
 
 THIS kind of hypocrify, when it has 
 taken deep pofleflion,and ftrong hold of a 
 man, renders him almoft proof againii 
 conviftion ; To that his cafe is really more 
 defperate than that of people, who hardly 
 make any pretenfions to virtue arid reli-* 
 gion. Perlbns,being thus intrenched and 
 fortified, thofe fpiritual weapons tvhicli 
 are mighty thro' God to the pulling down 
 of ftrong holds in other men, are ufed to 
 little purpofe, in order to the battering 
 down their high-towering imaginations $ 
 c\nd bringing into captivity every thought to the' 
 obedience ofChrift. * You can much eafier 
 come at thofe, who live profligate lives, 
 without making any fhew or pretence of 
 being religious, than at thefe felf-flattererSj 
 
 and 
 
tf the Hearty Sec, 385 
 
 and felf-deceivers : Which is the true SERM, 
 ground of thofe remarkable words of our 
 Saviour to the " Chief PRIESTS," in the l 
 temple " I fay unto you, that the publi* 
 " cans and the harlots go into the kingdom 
 " of God before You. f" 
 
 HYPOCRITES, in the fcripture fenfe of ^ ! con ?P a " 
 
 ti fed with 
 
 the word,not only deceive their neighbours wn 2 ^ 
 and themfelves ; but they, at leaft con- 
 ftruftively, and by natural implication, 
 endeavour to deceive and mock God ; to 
 palm upon Him their counterfeit religion 
 and virtue, for true ; and to conceal from 
 Him their real wickednefs. In the lan 
 guage of the Prophet, they " feekdeep 
 " to hide their counfel from the Lord,and 
 " their works are in the dark ; and they 
 " fay, Who feeth us ? and who knoweth 
 " us ? " But " wo unto them ! " * For the , 7 
 LOR D fearchetb the heart. Which brings t *.' * 9> 
 us to the fecond general head of difcourfe 
 propofed, Viz. 
 
 SECONDLY, To confider what is im- 
 plied in God's fe arching the heart, and try 
 ing the reins : Upon which point I need 
 not be long. This is fpoken after the 
 manner of men. Searching and trying, 
 when applied to creatures, fuppofes fome 
 difficulty in the cafe ; and being literally 
 \inderflood, it connotes imperfe&ipn ; 
 which certainly muft be no part of the 
 Cc 
 
386 On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 DERM, idea when thefe terms are ufed with 
 
 XL tion to Him that is " perfeft in know- 
 * v -* ledge ;" and by whom " actions are 
 " weighed." The fenfe in general is, that 
 however deceitful men's hearts are ; how 
 ever difficult or impoffible'it is for Us ex- 
 a&ly to know either the hearts of others, or 
 even our own ; yet God has themoft tho 
 rough, immediate, and perfect knowledge 
 of them. However we need not fcruple to 
 ufe the phrafeology of fcripture, with re 
 ference to this point, or any otherIt 
 would be needlefs, and in vain, not to fay 
 prefumptuous and impious, for us to fcru- 
 tinize into the manner, in which God 
 knows our hearts, or knows any thing 
 elfe. u There is no fearching of His un- 
 * Ifa. 40. derftanding," * who fearcheth our hearts, 
 * 8 - which we cannot perfectly underftand 
 ourfelves. It fufficeth, (or, at leaft it ought 
 to fuffice Us, fhort-fighted mortals) that 
 both reafon and fcripture evince, that the 
 great Author of all things can be ignorant 
 of nothing ; not even of our hearts, our 
 moft fecret tho'ts, counfels, defires and 
 purpofes ; or the internal frame, tem 
 per, and operations of our fouls. " Neither 
 " is there any creature that is not mani- 
 " feft in his fight ; but all things are na- 
 " ked, and opened unto the eyes of Him, 
 f Heb " with whom we have to do j" f to 'whom 
 iv e muft give an account* GOD 
 
of the ' Heart, &c. 387 
 
 GOD judges of men's characters, not by SERM. 
 outward appearances, but by their hearts : XL 
 His eye penetrates into the moft iecret re- 
 ceffes of our fouls ; and therefore His 
 "judgment is according to truth." He 
 takes cognizance of our hearts in all we 
 do. When we come before him to ferve 
 him, and " fit before him as his people fit- 
 teth," he obierves whether we do it in fin- 
 cerity and devotion, or whether our hearts 
 are ftill " far from him. ' : When we 
 pray to, or praife him, he obferves whe 
 ther we worfhip him " in fpirit and in 
 truth," or for a pretence only ; and that we 
 may get leave of our consciences to in 
 dulge our lufts. When we impart of our 
 temporal fubftance to the neceffitous, he 
 obferves whether this is done in chriftiart 
 charity, and fingleriefs of heart, or that 
 we " may be feen of men. " Whatever 
 good things w^e do, and whatever fins we 
 abftain from, he obferves whether we do 
 thus from a fenfe of duty, and a regard 
 to his authority, or merely from fome 
 prudential and worldly considerations. 
 He difcriminates exaftly betwixt the in* 
 ward characters of all men ; knowing 
 who are truly good and upright, notwith- 
 ftanding their numerous imperfections and 
 failings ; and who are at the bottom 
 ftill vicious, notwithftanding fome things 
 C c z which 
 
 , c~ 
 
388 On the Deceit fulnefs 
 
 which may appear good and commenda 
 ble in them. 
 
 NOR does fuch. a perfect knowledge of 
 our hearts, as is here intended, only im 
 ply in general, that God diftinguifhes be 
 tween good men and bad ; but alfo that 
 he obferves in what degree either of thefe 
 characters belongs to us ; what enhances 
 the guilt of fome ; what leiTens that of 
 others ; what exalts and enobles our vir 
 tues ; what tarnifhes and fullies them. 
 It farther implies, that God fees our good 
 and bad purpofes, whether we have ever 
 an opportunity to put them in execution 
 or not. On one hand, he takes notice if 
 there be a 'willing mind,, altho' a man has 
 it not in his power to lo according to his 
 wiihes. On the other hand, he fees our 
 evil devices, purpofes and inclinations, 
 altho' they never become effect. In fine 
 here, when God is faid to fearch our 
 hearts, and try our reins, the meaning is, 
 that none of thofe artifices and difguifes 
 which men ufe, in order to impofe upon 
 one another ; nor any of thofe deceits and 
 delufions, " which they fometimes put e- 
 ven upon themfelves, can in the le'aft 
 degree conceal their true charafter from 
 almighty God. The ' Father of Spirits" 
 immediately infpefts our fouls ; penetrates 
 to the bottom of them ; and traces them 
 
 thro' 
 
of the Heart) 6cc. 389 
 
 thro* all thofe labyrinths, and doublings, SERM. 
 
 and dark paths, which neither our own, XL 
 
 nor the vulture s eye hathfeen.^. " O Lord ! 
 
 " thou haft fearched me, and known me. 
 
 " Thou know eft my down-fitting, and 
 
 " up-riiing ; thou underftandeft my tho't 
 
 u alar off. Thou compafleft my path, 
 
 " and lying down, and art acquainted 
 
 " with all my ways. For there is not a 
 
 " word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, 
 
 " thou knoweft it altogether. * Thou 
 
 " haft befet me behind and before.- 
 
 " Whither (hall I go from thy Spirit ? or 
 
 " whither fhall I flee from thy prefence ? 
 
 " If I fay, Surely the darknefs fhall co- 
 
 " ver me ; even the night fhall be light 
 
 " about me. Yea, the darknefs hideth 
 
 " not from thee ; but the night Inineth 
 
 " as the day. The darknefs and the light 
 
 " are both alike to thee : For thou haft 
 
 " pofTeffed my reins." f But let us pro- 
 
 " ceed, 
 
 3 dl y- To confider the end for which 
 God thus fearcheth our hearts, and trieth 
 our reins, Namely, To give every man ac 
 cording to his iv ays, and according to the 
 fruit of his doings. This is ftifl fpeak- 
 ing after the manner of men. God is 
 necefTariiy omnifcient, and therefore can 
 not buc know our hearts. However, 
 He is here reprefented as fearching 
 , C c 3 them. 
 
390 On the Deceit fulnefi 
 
 SERM. them with" a particular defign and 
 XI. tion : Which manner of fpeaking, when 
 ufed with regard to men, implies iome- 
 what voluntary, as oppofed to that which 
 is necefFary -But we may keep to the 
 language of fcripture, notwithstanding \ 
 always remembring, it is not an imperfect, 
 but a perfect Being, that is fpoken of. 
 
 WE are to confider God, not as a curious 
 Speft^tor, taking notice of our ways and 
 hearts for his amufement ; but as the 
 fovereign Lord and Judge of men ; the 
 gracious Rewarder of the good and up 
 right, and the juft Punifher of the wicked 
 and deceitful man. This mighty " Judge 
 of all the earth, will do right;" finally 
 rendering to every man that which is 
 fitting and proper, whether it be good or 
 evil ; and this, in due meafure and pro 
 portion, He who has done every thing 
 elfe by rule ; He that has adapted one 
 thing to another in the vifible world, with 
 the greateft wifdom and exaftnefs ; He 
 that has not only " weighed the moun 
 tains mfcales, and the hills in a ballance" ; 
 He that has not only " numbered the ftars, 
 calling them all by their names/' and 
 ^ meted out the heavens with his fpan ;" 
 but alfo " numbered the very hairs of our 
 heads," the fands upon the fea-fhore, and 
 the drops in the ocean ; He that has ad- 
 
 jufted 
 
of the Heart y &c. 391 
 
 jufled and proportioned all things in the SERM. 
 natural world, I fay, with the utmoft XI. 
 care and exaftnefs, from whence there 
 refults fuch an aftonifhing order, beauty 
 and harmony ; This moil glorious Being 
 cannot, furely, be lefs exaft in what 
 ever relates to the intellectual and moral 
 world, for the fake of which alone, the 
 other was created. Happinefs and mifery 
 will eventually be dealt out by Him to 
 thofe, to whom they refpe&ivcly belong ; 
 and this in exaft weight, rccufure and 
 proportion, according to every mans ways, 
 and according to the fruit of his doings ; in a 
 manner befitting the great Author, the all- 
 powerful, all-wife, all-juft, all-good and 
 merciful Governor of the world. 
 
 NOR could He do what is right, fit and 
 equal, in this fenfe, unlefs he fearched our 
 he art s, and tried our reins. This is necei- 
 fary for a moral Governor ; in order to a 
 proper diftribution of rewards and punifh- 
 ments, happinefs and mifery. The know* 
 ledge of our words and external aftions 
 only, would not (if I may ufe fuch an 
 expreffion concerning God) qualify him to. 
 judge the world ; and to render to moral, 
 religious creatures, that which is right and 
 fitting. For the goodnefe or badnefs of a 
 moral and religious creature, fuch as man, 
 evidently depends, in a great meafure, if 
 C c 4 . not 
 
392 On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 not wholly, upon the internal frame and 
 temper, the turn and difpofition of his 
 heart. The love of Goodneis is plainly 
 eflential to a good character : So that if 
 we could, any ways, certainly know, 
 That that man, whofe moral and religious 
 conduct, externally confidered, is blame-^ 
 lefs arid good, (fuch as it ought to be) had 
 yet no regard to religion and virtue in hi? 
 heart, no jfincerity or upright nefs, but 
 was only acting a part ; fhould not we 
 ourfelves be far from looking upon his 
 character as good, in the fenfe now in 
 tended ? Should we account any one a 
 pious man, becaufe he often faid his pray 
 ers, if we knew him to be an Atheift in 
 his heart ? or only knew, that he had no 
 love and reverence for that God, to whom 
 he prayed ? Should we account any one 
 a true chriftian, becaufe he " named the 
 name of Chrift," if we knew that he did 
 not believe in him ? that he did not refpecl 
 and honor him ? Should we think any one 
 truly charitable, becavife he " gave his 
 g^ods to feed the poor, " if we knew that 
 he had no fixed principle of benevolence in 
 him ; but " did alms to be feen of men ?" 
 Should we think any one temperate and 
 fober, in the moral and religious fenfe, 
 becaufe he abftained from ads of intem 
 perance, if we knew that this proceeded 
 
 fole ly 
 
of the Hearty &c. 393 
 
 folely from a regard to his health and re- SERM. 
 putation? Certainly we fhould not. Well ; XL 
 this may all be true with refpecit to fome 
 perfons, altho' we do not know it to be 
 fo. Yea, fome pares, at leaft, of this 
 good behaviour externally considered, 
 may proceed from a bad principle ; from 
 fome finifter, vicious deiign. For a man 
 may " bring even his prayers to God 
 " with a wicked mind." How then muft 
 fuch a man's character Hand in the eye of 
 Omnifcience ? Or how could God " give 
 every man according to his ways, and ac 
 cording to the fruit of his doings ;" if he 
 did not " fearch the heart, and try the 
 reins ?" Under a perfect moral govern 
 ment, mull not the heart be the ftandard 
 of the man ; fo that he (hall be rewarded 
 or punifhed according as that is good or 
 bad ? upright or deceitful ? and in pro 
 portion as it is either ? No actions can be 
 deemed good, under fuch a government, 
 any farther than there is an honeft, good 
 temper within, which correfponds to 
 them : Nothing truly bad and culpable, 
 any farther than there, is fome what wrong 
 and vicious in the heart. We fhould ne- 
 ^er have tho't of fettling and determining 
 the moral and religious characters of men, 
 by their outward conduft, had it not been 
 fpr our own neceflary imperfection ; be- 
 
 caufe 
 
394 n *he Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM. caufe we cannot fee the heart, we muft 
 XI. judge by the outward appearance. This 
 is the beft rule for us to judge by ; the ap 
 pearance being a probable indication, tho' 
 not an infallible one in all cafes, of the 
 internal, real character. But a perfect, 
 all-knowing Being, Hands in no need of 
 fuch a clue : He looketh direclly at the 
 heart : There he feeth the character as it 
 really is ; and he will give every man ac 
 cording to his own, whatever it be. 
 
 FOR the farther illuftration of what is 
 here intended, let us fuppofe a perfon 
 born with fuch natural infirmities, or 
 placed in fuch difadvantageous circum- 
 ftances, that he could perform none of 
 thofe actions which the world ufually calls 
 good and virtuous. This perfon might, 
 neverthelefs, be bleffed with a pious and 
 virtuous mind, a good and upright heart : 
 Would he not, then, be one of a pious 
 and good character, and as rewardable 
 under a righteous moral government, as 
 if he had been in a capacity to " bring 
 forth good things, out of the good trea- 
 fure of his heart ? " Or will you fay, his 
 character is vicious, and that he is of ill 
 defert, merely becaufe he does not per 
 form thofe good works which others do ? 
 and which he himfelf would perform, 
 were it in his power ! Suppofe another 
 
 perfoa 
 
of the Heart^ Sec. 39 5 
 
 perfon labouring under the like infirmities SERM. 
 and disadvantages ; ib that he has never XL 
 had it in his power- to do any harm ; to 
 do any one action which the world calls 
 impious or immoral. This perfon might, 
 neverthelefs, have an impious, malicious 
 turn of mind ; his heart might be full of 
 envy and malice ; he might have an in- 
 inclination to do the evil which he can 
 not. Is not his character, then, bad and 
 vicious ; fo that he as truly deferves punifh- 
 ment, from a perfeft moral Governor, as if 
 he had been externally vicious ? Certainly 
 he does. Thefe fuppoiitions are made on 
 ly to ihow, that a man's character, is really 
 good or bad only in proportion as his 
 heart is fo ;and that it mull finally be well 
 or ill with him accordingly. And other- 
 wife there would be no need of God's 
 fearching the heart, in order to his giving 
 every man according to his ways. For this 
 he might do without knowing the heart, 
 if external aftions made the character; 
 and men were no farther either rewardable 
 or punifhable, than they are outwardly 
 virtuous or vicious. Why need the heart 
 itfelf be fearched, unlefs the heart itfelf is 
 to be " brought into judgment, with every 
 " fecret thing ? " 
 
 THIS is evidently the doftrine of the 
 gofpel, and, I think, the di&ate of reafon 
 
 alfo. 
 
396 On the Deceit fulnefi 
 
 alfo. Upon any other fuppofition, what 
 will you make of St. Taufs dodrine, that 
 tho a man give all his goods to feed the poor y 
 and his body to he burned, and have not charity, 
 he is nothing ? What will you make of St. 
 John's dodrine, that <wfafj hateth his brother 
 is a murderer ? What will you make of 
 our Saviour's own dodrine He that look- 
 eth hath committed adultery already in h(s 
 heart ? Apply what is laid in thefe paflages, 
 to all other inftances of virtue and vice, 
 and it will hold equally true. What 
 ever good deeds a man does ; yet if he 
 has not a corresponding good temper, he 
 is nothing: Whatever lins and lulls a man's 
 heart is fet upon, of thofe he is guilty in 
 the fight of Him, who looketh at the hearty 
 and will give to every man according to 
 what he lees therein. I (hall juft add here, 
 that it may be taken for granted, every 
 man is internally vicious, at leaft in 
 the fame degree that he is externally fo. 
 But it cannot be fuppofed, on the other 
 hand, that every man is internally good 
 and pious, in the fame proportion that he 
 ieemeth to be fo, for this plain reafon ; 
 Becaufe, were this feft, there could be no 
 fuch thing as hypocrify, or deceitfulnefs 
 of heart ; as there manifeftly is, in that 
 twofold fenfe which has been confide- 
 red, 
 
 UPON 
 
of the Hearty &c, 397 
 
 OP ON the whole: We are allured that 
 God " hath appointed a day, wherein he ^ 
 will judge the world in righteoufnefs, by ' 
 that man, whom he hath ordained. " In 
 that day the fecrets of all hearts, which 
 are not even now fecrets to our Maker, 
 will be difclofed to all : And it fhall fare 
 with men according to their real goodnefs 
 or badnefs, their internal chara&er. It is 
 indeed, oi ten laid in the holy fcriptures, 
 That men fhall be u judged according to 
 their works; " " according to their deeds/* 
 according to " the things done in. the bo 
 dy. " But it is fo exprefled, upon a pre- 
 fumption that men's hearts correfpond to 
 their works ; or, vice ve. \ r heir works 
 :o their hearts : Which, in general, may 
 be taken for granted, not with (binding any 
 thing that has been faid in this difcourfe. 
 Bur there are manifeftiy fome exceptions : 
 And it is equally manifeft, that in thofe 
 cafes where there is not fuch a correfpon- 
 dence bt twite men's hearts and their 
 deeds, a man's heart, not his deeds, is 
 what mult be regarded by the righteous 
 Judge of all. All men (hall be dealt With, 
 according to what they really are in the 
 eftimation of the all-knowing, all-juft and 
 good Governor of the world ; not accor 
 ding to outward appearances, or die falfe 
 judgments which any form either of 
 tiiemfelves or others, T H 
 
398 On the Deceit fulnefs 
 
 THE reflections which, I fuppofe, na- 
 XI. turally ariie out of this fubject, are fuch 
 
 Wrv "- J as follow. 
 
 WE are hereby cautioned not to place 
 any undue truft or confidence in men ; 
 but to exercife a degree of warinefs and 
 circumfpeftion in all our intercourfe with 
 them. " It is better to truft in the Lord 
 " than to put confidence in man : It is 
 " better to truft in the Lord than to 
 " put confidence in princes. " Common 
 prudence, which ought to be reckoned 
 among the virtues, requires this caution 
 and circumfpedion ; fmce men may be 
 very different from what they appear to 
 be. " Counfel in the heart of man is like 
 " deep water ; but a man of underftanding 
 " will draw it cut. Moft men will pro- 
 
 *Prov.2o. claim every one his own goodnefs ; but 
 " a faithful man who can find ! " * . Thus 
 faid the wifeft, if not the beft of men. A 
 diftruft of our fellow-men may, indeed, 
 be carried to an extreme : ( Which is 
 moft frequently done by men that are 
 themfelves deftitute of honor, honefty and 
 virtue :) Without a confiderable degree of 
 mutual truft, faith and confidence, it is 
 manifeft that there can fcarce be any fuch 
 thing as facial happinefs, and a friendly, 
 agreable intercourfe with our neighbour, 
 And a good nuu would rather ftrain a 
 
of the Heart, Sec, 399 
 
 point, hope all things, and expofe himfelf SERM. 
 to fonie disadvantages and impofitions, XL 
 than, by an untverfal diftruft and fufpicion 
 of others, cut himfelf off from the fatis- 
 fation of thinking he is converging with 
 thofe that are as upright as himfelf. It is 
 to be added, that the daily commerce, 
 and various affairs of the world, could 
 not be carried on in a manner the moft 
 beneficial to the Whole, were jealoufy, 
 and diffidence of man to man, univerfally 
 to take place. The prefent ftate of man 
 kind, however imperfecl, plainly requires 
 fome degree of mutual faith and depen 
 dence. However, there is, in fome fenfe, 
 an extreme even in virtue. Intire, unre- 
 ferved confidence is to be placed in God 
 alone : And thofe who place it indifcrimi- 
 nately in others, may poffibly have reafon. 
 to lament their eafy credulity ; and expe 
 rience the truth of the prophet's words 
 Cur fed is the man that trufteth in man. 
 
 Bu T fmce men's hearts are, in fome 
 fenfe, treacherous and deceitful even with 
 regard to themfelves ; we are hereby ad- 
 monifhed to examine our own ; to fcruti- 
 nize them with the utmoft care, and to 
 keep them with all diligence : For out of them 
 are the iffues both of life and death. Solo 
 mon tells us, that " he that trufteth his 
 own heart is a fool." His meaning is, that 
 
 fined 
 
4QO On the Deceltfulnefs 
 
 SKRM. fince there is great deceitfulnefs in the 
 XL hearts of wicked men, aiid a degree of it 
 in the hearts of all men, it is folly in any 
 One to be unfufpicious, or not jealous, 
 concerning the integrity of his o-wn. A 
 truly vyife man will be, in fome degree, 
 faithlefs and unbelieving towards his own 
 heart. But you will fay, perhaps, " My 
 : heart is good and honeft : Why, then, 
 " fhould I be fo injurious as to diftrufl 
 ' it ? " It is true, your heart may be good 
 and honeft ; but how do you know it is 
 fo, unlefs you have examined it ? unlefs 
 you have put it to the queftion ? unlefs you 
 have tryed how it will bear the torture of 
 being fevered from the world ? unlefs you 
 have denied yourfelf as to thofe fins and 
 lulls, which molt ea/ifj befet you ? unlefs 
 you have taken up your crofs,and follow 
 ed your Saviour ? This is the teft of an 
 honeft heart. And if you have never done 
 thus ; if you have never diftrufted your- 
 ielves, nor do fo at prefent, it is almoft a 
 demonftration that you are one of thofe 
 un'wife men, of whom Solomon fpeaks ; and 
 that, however charitable you may be to- 
 wards/your own heart, it is ftill deceitful 
 above all things, and defperately wicked. Some 
 other perfons, you allow, are miftaken in 
 thinking their hearts good and upright, 
 while they are not : May not thispoffibly 
 be your own cafe ? But 
 
of the Hear^ &G. 401 
 
 BUT whatever fome perfons may think, SERM, 
 it would be a great abufe of this fcrip- XL 
 ture-doftrine, That the heart is deceitful, " 
 to infer from it, that a man, by felf-ex- 
 amination, by attending to the operations 
 of his heart, and bringing it to the teft of 
 fcripture and reafon, under that influence 
 of the good Spirit of God, which is com 
 mon to all men, cannot come to a fcrip- 
 tural, rational, and fatisfadory determi 
 nation concerning his own heart, whether 
 it be good or bad. The poffibility of 
 this, in the way of rational deduction and 
 inference, ( to fay nothing of the Witnefs 
 tf the Spirit ) is plainly prefuppofed in all 
 thofe pafTages, where we are admonifhed 
 to prove and examine ourfelves to this 
 end, that we may know ourfehes : Par 
 ticularly in thofe words of the Apoftk, 
 " Examine yourfelves, whether ye be in 
 " the fakh ; prove your own felves* 
 ' Know ye not your own Jelves, how that 
 6 Jefus Chrift is in you, except ye be re- 
 u probates ? f " What propriety ? what 
 fenfe would there be, in this exhorta* 
 tion, unlefs profeffed chriftianfc in general 
 might, by exercifing due .care, come to a 
 rational, latisfaftory, and fcriptufal deter 
 mination, concerning their own proper 
 character > ft is to be farther oblerved, 
 Tj^at <J truth, and real good fenfe, and 
 D d thorqugh 
 
a 
 
 4O2 On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM, thorough integrity, carry along with 
 them a peculiar confcioufnefs of their 
 own genuinenefs : There is a feeling 
 belonging to them, which does .not ac- 
 " company their counterfeits, error, folly, 
 " half-honefty, partial and flight regards 
 " to virtue and right, fo far i s they are 
 " confident with that courfe of gratifica- 
 " tion which men happen to be fet up- 
 " on. " * A truly honeft, good man, 
 either muft, or may if he pleafes, and 
 provided time and opportunity are allow 
 ed him, fatisfaftorily know his own heart ; 
 he may know his own religious charac 
 ter fo far, at leaft, that anxiety and fear 
 fhall be cajt out. And may not a wicked 
 man know, if he will, that he is really fo, 
 with equal certainty ? He may : He is un 
 der no ncceffity of difhoneilly clofing his 
 eyes, any more than a good man ; tho r 
 he may be more inclined to do it. There 
 is no difputing fafe ; many wicked men 
 have actually feen themfelves to be really 
 fuch- Since then both are polfible, it high 
 ly concerns us all to prove, to examine, 
 and know our ownfehes : For whether we 
 do fo or not, there is ANOTHER who 
 ^ fearcheth our hearts, and tryeth our 
 " reins,, even to give every man accord- 
 
 tt ing 
 
 * IBUhop Butter's Sermon on z Sa m* i*. 7* 
 
vf fie Hearty &c. 40 3 
 
 ** ing to his ways, and according to the SF.RM, 
 " fruit of his doings/ 1 XL 
 
 THERE -are none, perhaps, who have ' 
 more reafon to be fufpicious of themfelves, 
 than yoitr hot religious zealots ; the great 
 fticklers for what they call orthodoxy, 
 whether juftly, or unjuftly, it now mat 
 ters pot. You will fometimes fee meii 
 wrangling in fuch an imchrittian manner, 
 about the form of godlinefs, as to make 
 it but too that they deny the 
 
 power thereof. You will find fome who 
 pride themfelves in being of what they call 
 the true church, fhowing by their whole 
 conversation, that they are of \h& Jynagogue 
 vf Satan. Some contend, and foam, and 
 curfe their brethren, for the lake of the 
 Athanafian Trinity, 'till 'tis evident they do 
 not love and fear the ONE living and true 
 God as they ought to do. Others you 
 xvill fee raging about their peculiar notions 
 of original fin, fo as to prove themfelves 
 guilty of aclual tranfgreffion : About elec 
 tion, 'till they prove themfelves repro 
 bates : About particular redemption, 'till 
 they fhew that they themfelves are not 
 redeemed from a vain converfation. You 
 Will hear others- quarrelling about imputed 
 righteoufnefs, with fuch fury and bitter- 
 nefs, as to fhow that they are deftitute of 
 About fpecial grace, fo as to 
 D d 2 jfhow 
 
On. the Deceit fulnefi 
 
 fhow that -they have not even common :' 
 About faith, while they make fhip wreck 
 of a good confidence : And about the 
 ( iinal perfeverance of the faints, 'till they 
 prove themfelves to be no faints ; and that 
 if they had ever any goodnefs or grace, 
 they are now. fallen from it But, " who 
 " is a wife man, and endued withknow- 
 " ledge amongft you ? let him fhew out 
 "of a good converfation his works with 
 " meeknefs of wifdom. But if ye have 
 " bitter .envying and llrife in your hearts, 
 *' glory not, and lie not againft the truth. 
 " This wifdom defcendeth not from a- 
 " bove; but is earthly, fenfual, devilifh. 
 " The wifdom that is from above, is firft 
 " pure, then peaceable, gentle, and eafy 
 " to be intreated, full of mercy and good 
 ". fruits, without partiality, and without 
 ".t>)>pocr$." * 
 
 THE extreme folly of hypocrify is very 
 evident from what has been faid. God 
 knows our hearts already ; and the falfe, 
 deceitful man, who has deluded others or 
 toimfelf, will be as certainly condemned 
 hereafter, when we fliall " all appear be- 
 " fore the judgment-feat of'Chrift," as 
 thofe notorious profligates, who " declare 
 " their fin.as^^w." Go on then, Oman, 
 to deceive thy fellow-mortals and thy- 
 felf ! Go on to mock God, faying in th}r 
 
 heart/ 
 
ef the Heart, Sec. 405 
 
 heart, " The Lord (hall not fee; neither SERM, } 
 " ihall the God of Jacob regard it ! " But XI. . 
 yet, " He that planted the ear, (hall not He 
 44 hear ? He that formed the eye, fhall not 
 44 He fee > He that chafteneth the Hea~ 
 44 then, (hall not He correct" * Thee alfo.! 
 Thou mayeft put out the eyes of thine 
 own underftanding, and become blind to,, 
 thy felf and thy danger * But thou can' ft. 
 not quench the eye of day ; thou can'ft. 
 nqt put out the eyes of thy Judge, which 
 are as a flame of fire " in every place, be- 
 " holding the evil and the good : " J.j 
 There is no darknefs, neither foadow of. 
 death, where thou canft hide thy felf from 
 Him. It is faid, there are fome animafe, 
 which, being purfued, are fo fimple as to. 
 (hut and hide their eyes from the purfuer, 
 and their danger ; thinking both are re 
 moved when they are no longer feen ; 
 and fo being felf-blinded, they become a 
 more eafy prey. Thefe filly animals ( if 
 there are any iuch) are no ill emblem of 
 foolifh, felf-deceivers ; who being hunted 
 and haunted by their own confciences, 
 and purfued, as it were, by the great 
 Avenger of blood, " make lies their re- 
 44 fuge, and hide themfelves under falf- 
 14 hood ; " and become blind to their * 
 danger, thinking that God fees them no 
 longer when they are hidden from them- 
 D d 3 felves. 
 
40 6 On the- Deceitfulmfi 
 
 Telves. But in vain ! They wrll'-foon fall 
 into His hands* whofe eye ivlll ''not Jf are 
 'ihe day of vengeance ! 
 BUT tho' this fubjeft (honld be confide- 
 4*,\v\-i*red .primarily. and principally, as a warn 
 ing and admonition to all falfe pretenders 
 to religion and virtue ; yet it may be im 
 proved 'with great propriety, For the en 
 couragement and confolation of all thofe, 
 wilofe hearts are right with God ; efpe- 
 dally thofe, whofe lot it is to have their 
 " riames caft "out as evil ; " to be reputed 
 wicked and gracelefs men, arid " fepara- 
 rated from the company" of them who 1 
 fty, We tire holier than thott. While fome 
 of the worft men have been extolled for 
 thtir piety, it has often been ( (hall I fay, 
 the hiippineft ? or ), the unhappinefs of 
 thtfbeft, fuch " of whom the world was 
 ridt worthy, *' to. live and die under re- 
 pro^ich; to have all their good evil-fpoken 
 of ; all they fay or do, raifconftrued, 
 and perverted to their difadvantage, by 
 wicked or miftaken men; Thus partial, 
 thus blind, thus unjuft, is the world in 
 which we now live. But let us -not ac 
 count thofe upright men miferabl'e, whom 
 *, .our Saviour pronounces bleffed, j how- 
 "*" * -i'* 2 ever defpitefully they may be /^atpre- 
 fent. God " iearches the hearts, and 
 trie's the reins, " not only that he may 
 
 render 
 
cf the Heart) -&c. 407 
 
 tender to the hypocrite and the wicked SERM. 
 man, his juft deferts ; but that he may al- XL 
 fo give to the upright, in whom he de- 
 lights, fuch things as eye hath not feen, 
 nor ear heard, neither have entered into 
 the heart of man to conceive ; He does 
 it, " even to give every man according to 
 " the fruit of his doings, " whether he 
 be wicked, or fincerely good : And 
 great is Their reward in heaven. With 
 this confideration, holy men of old ufed 
 to fupport their fpirits under the cenfures 
 and ill-ufage, which they received from 
 the world : None of thefe things moved 
 them : They were kept in perfett peace, 
 their minds being flayed upon God " It 
 " is required in ftewards, that a man be 
 " found faithful. But with me it is a 
 " very fmall thing that I fhould be judged 
 " of you, or of man's judgment : He 
 " that judgeth me is the Lord. There- 
 " fore judge nothing before the time, un- 
 " til the Lord come, who both will bring 
 " to light the hidden things of darknefs, 
 " and will make manifeft the counfels of 
 " the hearts. " * With fuch confidera- 
 tions the prophets, and apoftles, and o- 
 ther good men of old, ufed to comfort 
 themfelves under bad ufage, and fo, in 
 a fort, to defeat the malice of their ene 
 mies ; And in proportion as men in 
 D d 4 later 
 
408 On the Deceitfulnefs 
 
 SERM. later ages have the fame faith in God, 
 XI. and the fame integrity of heart, they will 
 alfo derive confolation from them, under 
 iimilar trials, or any other. 
 
 THE world is now in a great meafure 
 mafked : Even profelTed Chriilians often 
 carry two faces, more refembling Jantts 9 
 the pagan deity, than their Father 'which 
 is in heaven. But the time is coming when 
 all the world will be unmalked ; when one 
 mari fhall have but one face ; when every 
 perfon ihall appear in his own proper co- 
 .lours ; when the deceitful, hypocritical 
 man, fliall be ftripped of his gay plumage, 
 and borrowed ornaments ; and the Up 
 right (hall appear to be what they really 
 are, adorned with thole internal graces 
 and virtues, which are " in the fight of 
 4 . Q OC J O f grear price. " Men's true cha- 
 rafters fhall be thus made manifefly in the 
 day of the rev elation of the righteous judgment 
 of God-, when ".the Lord himfelf fhall 
 " defcend from heaven with a fhout, with 
 " the voice of the arch angel, and with 
 : the trump of God ; " when He w fhall 
 u fit upon the throne of his glory, " (ill 
 nations being gathered before him, the 
 fieep. on his right hand, but the goats on 
 the left. In this day of retribution, on 
 the decifions of which, our whole interefl 
 and being depends, how different may we 
 
of tie Hearty &c. 409 
 
 rcafonably fuppofe men will appear, from SERM. 
 what they appear to themfelves and o- XL 
 thers in this world, where fo many walk ^^^^J 
 about in difguife, in a vainjktw ! Whom 
 do I behold yonder, on the right hand> 
 with holy joy and triumph in their faces, 
 in expectation of the bleffed fentence ! 
 Are not many of them thole, whofe 
 unaffefted piety and virtue was unnoticed 
 in this world ? Are not many of them 
 thofe, who were once reproached and 
 condemned by rafh men, as infidels, as 
 heretics, as hypocrites, as workers of ini 
 quity ? But what do I hear Him, whofe 
 judgment is according to truth, faying to 
 them ? - " Come, ye blefled of my Father, 
 " inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
 " from the foundation of the world !" 
 " Whom do I behold yonder, on the left 
 hand, with unutterable woe and anguifh 
 in their faces ; curfing tliefea, death and 
 bell, for giving up the dead 'which 'were in 
 them!* and praying to the deaf, unpitying * Rw. 10 
 'rocks and mountains to fall on them, and I3 ' 
 "hide them from " the face of Him that fit- 
 " teth upon the throne, and from the 
 
 ; wrath of the Lamb ! " f Are they only f V( ? tl \\ 
 thofe, whofe " fins were open beforehand, 
 
 ' going before to judgment ? "J Are not * I 1 *j 8 ** 
 many of then! thofe, who once made a 
 profeffion of religion ? thofe, who once con- 
 
 tendcg 
 
4^0 On the Decehfulnef$ 
 
 SFRM. tended fo earnefllj for what they called 
 XL faith delivered to the feints ? Are not many 
 ofthemthofe, whom this deluded world 
 tho't -aim oft- the only faints in it ? Are not 
 many of them thofe, who Ihew'd fuch 
 zeal even about the circurnftantials and 
 forms of religion ? Are not many of them 
 thofe,, who were once the great aflertevs 
 of what they termed orthodoxy .? and who 
 were for compelling, even by carnal ivea- 
 potts, all they fuppofed out of the true 
 church, " to come in ? r '' Are not many 
 of them thofe,. who once tho't and laid, 
 that they who did not believe exaftly as 
 they did, fhould perijh everlafthtgly ? Are 
 not many of them thofe, who once ima 
 gined almoft all mankind excepting them- 
 felves, would be damned ? ^But what fen- 
 tence do I hear from the mouth of Him, 
 who knoweth the hearts of all ? " De 
 part from me, ye Curfed I" What is now 
 become of all that feeming concern for 
 the glory of God ? the purity of religion ? 
 the falvation of fouls ? Alas ! this was on^ 
 ly a cloke, a malk : Worldly policy, am 
 bition, a party-fpirit, pride, covetoufnefs, 
 felf-conceit, imcharky, bigotry, unholy 
 wrath, cenforioufnefs, or the luft of do 
 mination, was at the bottom, concealed 
 from thefe men themfelves, perhaps, as 
 well as from many others, under thofe 
 
 fair 
 
of the Heart, &c. 4.11 
 
 fair pretences! While they made broad SBRM. 
 their phylatlerics, and affefted fo much XL 
 gravity, devotion and fan&ity, they ftill v VT * 
 loved the chief feats in theftnagogues, and 
 -Xifsajls ; greetings in the markets , and to 
 be called, Rabbi, Rabbi. Are there no 
 men of this fame character in the world 
 at prefent ? Would to God there were 
 not ! There are, indeed, many profeffed 
 enemies to the gofpel, treating it with 
 the utmoft contempt, fcorn and derifion ; 
 and blafphemoufly reproaching the Author 
 of it ; which to them is an evident token of 
 perdition, f notwithftanding their pre- t p ^ f - t. 
 tences to probity of mind, and a fincere 28 * 
 love to truth and virtue : For if the gof 
 pel is true, we know that fuch men hats 
 the light. But there are, probably, many 
 other perfons, who cannot endure what 
 is commonly called infidelity and irreli- 
 gion, or even the leaft deviation from the 
 principles which they have received by tra 
 dition from their fore-fathers ; who are yet 
 as deftitute of real goodnefs and integrity 
 of heart, as many open revilers of Chrift : 
 So that had they lived when their pre- 
 deceflbrs, the Tharifees did, 'tis likely 
 they would rather have cried, " Crucify 
 Him, Crucify Him," than " Hail Matter ;" 
 unlefs, perhaps, they had cried, "Hail/' 
 and kiffed Him, only to betray \ O vain 
 
 mortals ! 
 
On the Deceit fulnefs 
 
 mortals ! God is greater than your hearts, 
 and knoweth all things : Fie now fearch-' 
 eth them, " even to give very man ac 
 cording to his ways." To His equal, im 
 partial judgment, I leave you ; praying, 
 that ye may approve things that are excellent ; 
 that ye may ^SINGER , and without of" 
 i. fence 'till the day of Chrifi. * So lhall not 
 lhame, indignation and wrath, but glory, 
 honor and peace, reft upon you, Alas ! 
 " The hope of the ungodly is like duft 
 " that is blown away with the wind ; 
 " like a thin froth that is driven away 
 " with the ftorm, like as the fmoke 
 ". which is difperfed here and there with 
 44 a .tcmpeft, and pafTethaway as the re- 
 u membrancc of a gueft that tarrieth but 
 " a day. But the righteous live forever*- 
 " more : Their reward is with the Lord, 
 " and the care of them is with the Moll 
 " High. Therefore (hall they receive a 
 " glorious kingdom, and a beautiful 
 " crown from -the Lord's hand : For 
 " with his right hand (hall he cover them, 
 " and with his arm fhall he proteft 
 " them." t 
 
 f Wifthm ofSetmon, V. 14, i$ 16. 
 
 SERMON 
 
SERMON XII. 
 
 ON the Shortnefs and Vanity of 
 human Lifet 
 
 Occaftoned by the Death of a young Perfon, 
 
 PSALM XXXIX. 5, 6. 
 B EH. OLD, Tho u haft made my days as aft 
 . hand-breadth, and mine age is as nothing 
 before Thee : verily every man at his be/I 
 eft ate is altogether vanity. Selab. 
 SU RELIT every man ivalketh in a vaix 
 flew : farely they are difquieted in vain 
 
 fubjeft of this facred Ode, is the 
 JL brevity of human life : A fubjefl, 
 which cannot be attentively confidered, 
 without making us wifer and better. 
 The TJalm was compofed by David in a 
 time of ficknefs, as plainly appears from 
 the latter part of it : " Remove thy ftroke 
 " away frpm me When thou with re-> 
 
 " biikes 
 
414 On the Short nefs and Vanity 
 
 bukes doft correct man for iniquity, 
 " thou makeft his beauty to confume a- 
 way like a moth O ! fpare me, that I 
 " may recover ftrength before I go hence, 
 " and be no more." People in the gloom 
 of adverfity, efpecially when they have a 
 profpe6l of foon 'walking thro the 'valley of 
 the Jhadvw of death, often entertain very 
 different fentiments of the prefent life, and 
 its enjoyments, from thofe which they en 
 tertained in high health, in the vigor of 
 youth, in great profperity, -when the candle 
 ofGodfliined upon their heads. * Men are 
 not generally rouzed into a thorough fenfe 
 of the fhortnefs of this mortal race, and of 
 the vanity of life, 'till the race is almoft 
 run thro', and forrow comes faft upon 
 them. In early life, and in our profpe- 
 rous days, we lay with Him in the para 
 ble, " Soul, thou haft much goods laid 
 " up for many years ; take thine eafe, eat 
 " drink, and be merry ; " not confidering 
 that " this night our fouls may be requi 
 red of us." Thus do many fondly build 
 tipon length of days, and pleafe themfelves 
 with the gay hopes of a long fucceffion of 
 pleafurable enjoyments here : When " Be- 
 " hold ! God has made our days as an 
 hand-breadth, and our age is as nothing 
 before him : When every man at his 
 beft eftate is altogether vanity ; walking 
 
 " 
 
of human Life* 415 
 
 " In a vain (hew : " So that if we eagerly SERM. 
 purfue after, and expeft, felicity here be- XIL 
 low, we do but " difquiet ourfelvcs in ' *** ' 
 Vain." Time and experience will, foon- 
 er or later, convince every man that fuch 
 hopes are delufive ; and that fuch purfuits 
 terminate where they begin, in vanity and 
 vexat'wu offpirit ; not in the poffeffion of 
 that folid happinefs and fatisfadion, which 
 is the objea of them. It were well for 
 us, if we were convinced of this moft cer 
 tain, this moft falutary truth, more fea- 
 fonably than we ufually are ; that fo, 
 knowing our eW, and the weafure of our 
 Jays, what it />, we might early apply our 
 hearts to ivifdom : For we could fcarce 
 fail to do thus, did we but number our days 
 aright ; did we but know how frail we are % 
 and itiake a proper eftimate of this vain 
 life To which end it is, that this pafTage 
 of fcripture is chofen for the Aibje6l of the 
 prefent difcourfe. 
 
 AFTER reprefenting to you the Jhort- 
 Kefs, I fhall reprefent to you the vanity and 
 troubles, of this life. Then, both will be 
 confidered as the appointment of almigh 
 ty God : For, behold, it is fie that has 
 made our days as an band-breadth -, and fab- 
 jetted the creature to vanity, fo that the whole 
 creation groaneth^and travaileth in pain toge 
 ther until now. f Thefe things being dif- . R 
 
 T ' 
 
4i 6 On the Shortnefs and Parity 
 
 DERM, tin&ly, tho' briefly* confidered, the fub- 
 XIL jeft will be clofed with ibme practical 
 inferences and reflections. 
 
 FIRST, Let us confider the brevity of* 
 life. Our days are faid to be as an hand- 
 breadth, one of the fhorteft meafures in ufe : 
 And our age is as nothing before God ; 
 before Him, with whom " one day is as 
 " a thoufand years, and a thoufand years 
 " as one day." With relation to an eter 
 nal, omnifcient, all-comprehending Mind, 
 the longeft limited duration muft be in 
 deed as nothing. When the Prophet fpeaks 
 of the greatnefs, the power and majefty 
 of God, he fays that " all nations before 
 " Him are as nothing ; and are counted 
 " to him lefs than nothing. " And when 
 \ve contemplate Him, who is God from 
 everlafting to everlafting, the King eternal 
 and immortal ; and then confider the 
 fhort fpan of human life, we may adopt 
 the fame prophetic ftyle, and fay, that 
 .our age before God is not only as nothing, 
 but even lefs than nothing ar.d 'vanity. 
 , BUT the duration of this our mortal 
 life is as nothing, ven with relation to 
 fome finite Beings : I mean thofe which 
 vvere prefent, and miniftring fpirits to 
 God, \vhen the foundations of the earth 
 were laid ; and when it was faid, " Let 
 <c US inake man. " The Angels, thofe 
 
 " Morning 
 
. of hutnah Life. 417 
 
 14 Morning Stars, then fang together, and 
 " ALL the SONS of God fhouted for 
 " joy." * How long they had then exifted, 
 tve cannot tell ': But they will furvive 'till 
 the human race is extind. They beheld 
 E c our 
 
 * Job 1$. 7. Compared With J/ai> 4. 12 "How art tnott 
 fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the morning /" The 
 King of Babylon is here more immediately- intended, (ver. 4.) 
 but there is a plain allufion to the Prince of the Dez'i/s> once ft 
 Sftt of t be morning, a mowing Staf, arid ond of the Sons of God, 
 who are fometirries called Elobim. It does not appear that ther 
 Were any apoilate fpifits, or drills, before man's creation. Lit- 
 lifer, the fir ft PRETENDER, feems then to have falleti 
 when he tempted man to rebel ; fettinghimfelf up as thePrjnctf 
 and God of this world ; and telling our firft Parents that the^ 
 mould not die, but be as the Elobim. After the fall, We knottf 
 there were many Elobim both good and bad ; but only Ohl 
 JEHOVAH, who was to be wormipped by facrifice, Exofa 
 22 20. tgui Jacrificat Diis, [ Heb. Elohim ] pr&:erquamfoli 
 J&HGtFJB, anathema ft : He that facrificeth to the gods, [to 
 the Ebbim] except to the only JEHOVAH, lei him be accur- 
 fed. This is the language of the old teftament : What fayj 
 the new ? " There be gods many, and lords many, but to 
 " us there is but One GOD, the FATHER" The contraft 
 to Lucifer, fee Heb. 1.9. Thou baft loved rigbte i/Jnefs and ba 
 ted iniquity ; therefore GOD, even Tby GOD, bath anointed tbet 
 toitb the oil of gladuefs above tby FELLOWS. Betwixt vVhorri 
 and the Serpent Was it, that enmity was to be put ? Who was 
 finally to bruife his bead, after a long conteft ? See Dan. 10. 
 13. and frer. 21. Alfo Chap. 12. Ver. i. ] Who was manifef- 
 ^ed in thefulnefs of tirrie, to deftroy tbe works of tbe devil ? to( 
 judge, and caft out, \hsprince oftbts world, who was a Liar ami 
 a Murderer from the beginning ? Was it not the Logvs /'-tie' 
 who is, bv vVay of eminence, ftyled', The only be?otten of th 
 FATHER, the fir ft -Bern of every creature ? Ele who was 
 known [imperfeclly] even under tne old teftaiiK'rit. by thefe 
 titles;'^ Ahgel of tbe. Lor^s prefence ; 'The Aiigelif tbe cove- 
 rant ; ^Jbe Mejfinger of tbe covenant ? and whom David iri 
 Jfirit called his Lord, tho' he vyas to be his Son accord!^ totho 
 fcjb ? The cobtell betwixt th^ great Friend acd PaSroh of man. 
 
4i 8 On the Short nefs and Vanity 
 
 O ur origin from the duft of the earth ; 
 they behold us returning to duft again 
 in quick fucceffion : They fee our begin- 
 'ing and end, as it were in the fame in- 
 Jtant ; themfelves (thofe of them I mean, 
 
 that 
 
 kind, together with the final deciffion and iflue of it, was re- 
 prefented to St. John in vifion, dpoc. 12. 7 " And there 
 " was war in heaven : JliiV<ff/ and his angels fought againfl 
 < f the dragon ; and the dragon fought and his angels, and pre- 
 *' vailed not And the great dragon was caftout, that oldy*r- 
 ' pent, called the devil and fatax, which decciveth the whole 
 " world 1 ' The fcripture informs us that the Logos had a body 
 prepared for him, and that he partook of fejb and blood, that 
 }ie might " thro" death deftroy him that had the power of 
 <!eath, that is the devil. " But that he cook into perfonal union 
 with himfelf, an human Joul, my Bible faith not ; nor that 
 there is any other true God, befides " his Father and our Fa 
 ther, hisGod and our God ." Indeed fome who call themfelves 
 Cbriftians, have exalted even the Virgin Mary above all that is 
 called God in heaven, and that is worlhipped there ; faying 
 that me is more kind- and merciful than God himfelf ; and pray- 
 irg to her to command her Son to befriend them ; ftyling her 
 the Mother ofGd r &c. It; would be no great furprize to me 
 to hear that the Pope and a general Council, had declared the 
 B. Virgin to be the fourth \ or rather the firft Pcrfon, in the 
 Godbead, under the title of God, or Goddejs THE MOTHER ; 
 adding that neither the Per/ons arc to be confounded, nor the 
 fubftance divided ; that the Mother is eternal, the Father eter 
 nal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghoft eternal ; but yet 
 that there are not four Eternals, but one Eternal ; that this is 
 the catholic faitb, which except a man believe faithfully, he 
 cannot be favedR* THAT HATH AN EAR TO HEAR, LET 
 HIM HEAR \ And he that hath a month given him to blafpkeme* 
 [Rev. 13. 5 6.] and a tongue to babble without ideas, (un- 
 dtrjlanding not what he fays, nor whereof be affirms) let hint 
 blafpbeme and babble Tf^But neither Papifls nor Proteflants 
 ftiould imagine that they will be underftood by others, if they 
 do not undcrftand tbemfefoei ; Nor mould they think that 
 nonfenfe wid contrdid\ions can ever be too fared (9 be ri- 
 diculwt* 
 
of human Life. 41 9 
 
 that are not fallen) enjoying perpetual SERM. 
 beauty, youth and vigor. To intelligen- XII. 
 ces which have exifted thro' fo many 
 fucceflive ages, our tranfitory life here on 
 earth, muft be next to nothing and 
 vanity. And 
 
 MANY things, in their nature corrup 
 tible and perifhable, perfevere in their o^ 
 riginal ftate of beauty and fplendor, much 
 longer than mortal man, who fadeth like a 
 flo-wer. The heavenly bodies (thofe great 
 "Preachers and Apoflles of natural religion, 
 which declare the glory of God fo audibly 
 and intelligibly, that " there is no fpeech nor 
 " language where their voice is not heard" ) 
 hitherto fhine, and perform their revo* 
 lutions and feveral functions, without 
 any apparent diminution of their luftre, 
 or vifible figns of decay. The fun, their 
 Prince, who has feen fo many fucceffions 
 of men upon the earth, the rife and fall 
 of fo many nations and empires, that 
 fun is ftill vigorous, and ftrong, and 
 healthy, tho' he is fo old} as a bridegroom 
 coming vtitofhischamber, and rejoycing as a 
 Jlrong man to run bis race : His circuit is 
 unto the end of the earth ; and there is nothing 
 hid from his light and heat.* But even he is * 
 mortal ; iand will one day ficken and Ian- 
 guifh, all' his fires becoming extinft ; and 
 his ruddy countenance, black as fackcloth of 
 B <e z fair. 
 
4 2 o On the' Shortneft and Vanity 
 
 SERM. hair. J For the heavens them felves fhall 
 XII. wax old and perijh ; they fhall befitted up 
 anc l changed But thou Lord ! haft immor* 
 tality, dwelling in light ! Thou art the 
 Father of light s^ ivith ivhom there is no va- 
 riablenefs, neither Jbadoiu of turning ! 
 
 days of man are now as an hand- 
 breadth, even compared with the age of man 
 in the firft periods of the world. We read 
 of one and another of the Antediluvians, 
 who lived to near a thoufand years of Age : 
 Indeed they all did fo, ( excepting Enoch 
 who was tranflated) descending fromsldam 
 down toNoab, in a right line.f And fince 
 
 chap. v. the facred hiftorian makes no remark, in 
 timating that the longevity of thefe Fa 
 thers was unufual at that day, the natural 
 prefumption is, that it was common for 
 other men to live to fuch an age, before 
 the flood. How fhort then is human life, 
 in this age of the world, compared to 
 Theirs \ 
 
 AND in the next period after the flood, 
 men commonly lived four or five hundred 
 years ; as appears fromMofes's account of 
 
 Gen XI. th e generations of Shem, the fon of Noah. 
 However the life of man feems to have 
 been gradually contracted, from the time 
 of Shem to that of Terah, the Father of 
 hittt who is the Father of the faithful. So 
 
 that 
 
of human Life. 421 
 
 that the age of man in ^Abraham's days, SERM. 
 may be computed to be about an hundred XII. 
 and fifty years. From which it feems to 
 have been ftill fhortened, down to the 
 time of Mo/es, who fixes the meafure 
 thereof at threefcore years and ten. " We 
 " fpend our years as a tale that is told. 
 " The days of our years are three/core years 
 " and ten. " * However Mo/es, the author 
 of thisPfalm, does not mean that men ge- 
 jierally attained to thefe years, in that pe^ 
 riod of the world, He intends that a man 
 who arrived at ' Jfuch an age, might be 
 looked upon as one that had lived out all 
 his days, fo that dying then, he came to 
 his grave in a good old age> as a flock of corn 
 when it is fully ripe. The far greater part 
 of thofe who were born into the world, 
 doubtlefs died much earlier ; but to fur- 
 vive longer, might be looked upon as 
 fomewhat unufual and fingular ; and in 
 deed fcarce defireable. For thus it is im 
 mediately after explained : " And 'if by 
 ' reafon of ftrength the^he fourfcore 
 " years, yet is their ftrength labour and 
 -' forrow : for it is foon cut off,and we flee 
 <4 away." This reprefentation feems to be 
 agreahle to the prefent ftate of mankind ; 
 fo that from the days of Mofes, there has 
 probably been no confiderable alteration 
 in the age of .man. To be fure it is not 
 E e 3 
 
422 On the Shortnefs and Vanity 
 
 DERM, protrafted to a greater length in common 
 XII. now than it was then, if it is not fhort> 
 ened. 
 
 IN thefe later ages of the world, but 
 few of mankind, comparatively fpcaking, 
 attain to threefcore and ten ; by far the 
 grcateft part, not to half, nay not to a, 
 ..quarter, of thofe years. Many die in 
 youth ; many more in childhood and in 
 fancy. Many no fooner fee the light, 
 than they are again involved in death and 
 darknefs : and ibme never fee it at 'all, 
 pafjlng aivay by an untimely birth* ' Thus, 
 S 8. O' Lord ! " Thou turned mail to deftruc- 
 " tion ; and fay'ft, Return, ye children 
 " of men. Thou carried them away as 
 " with a flood In the morning they are 
 " like grafs which groweth up. In the 
 " morning it flaqrifheth, and groweth up; 
 " in the evening it is cut down, and 
 " withereth. For we are confirmed by 
 " thine anger."f Before the undiftingxiifli- 
 90. ing fcythe of death, fall promifcuoufly 
 the rich and the poor ; the kings and 
 counfellors of the earth, with their fub- 
 jefts and Haves ; the robuft and the in 
 firm ; the young and the old ; the beauti 
 ful Rachel and the tender-ey'd Leah : 
 With bafer fhrubs, and grovelling weeds, 
 fall the plants of renown, and the cedars 
 the rofe oi Sharon > and the lit- 
 
 lies 
 
of human Life. 423 
 
 lies of the vallies ! All, AH, high and lo^, SERM> 
 great and ftnall, are fwcpt away togetr XII. 
 by the mighty flood which God has t t 
 upon the world : So that the Nile, as 
 I think been defcribed by fome, is an "em 
 blem hereof; fometimes carrying along in 
 it's current, the Lords of this lower world, 
 together with inferior animals, into the 
 common ocean. Thus are we promifcu- 
 oufly carried down with the irrefiftibje tor 
 rent, and launched together into the wide, 
 fathomlefs ocean of Eternity, where we 
 fail like Drake and Columbus, in fearch 
 of new Worlds ! How fhort is the fpace 
 which we have to prepare, and lay in pro- 
 vifions, for fuch a voyage ? Behold, our 
 days are not meafured by furlongs, by 
 leagues and degrees, but by an band- 
 breadth ; and our age is as nothing : Verily 
 every man at his bed eilate is altogether 
 'vanity ! Our life is " as a vapour that 
 " appeared! for a little time, and then 
 " vanifheth away. " But 
 
 SE CON D L Y ; The prefent life is not on 
 ly fhort and precarious ; but alfo attended 
 \vith many forrows. Our days which 
 are/>w, are alfo evil : So that there is no 
 fuch thing as being completely happy 
 here. When we centre our hopes and, 
 expectations in any thing below the flues, 
 E e 4 we 
 
424 > On the Shortnefi and Vanity 
 
 SEPM. we fondly deceive ourfelves ; and gather 
 XII. thorns inftead of rofes. It is as impoffible 
 
 ^-"V"^ for a reafonable, moral creature, to be 
 truly happy in the enjoyment of fenfual 
 #nd worldly objects, as it is for the eye to 
 be pleafed with the found of a viol, or the 
 ear charmed with a beautiful landfkip, 
 Thofe objects, in the enjoyment of which 
 alone, fuch a creature as man can reft and 
 be happy, are thofe of an intellectual and 
 moral kind: Others have no fimilitude, 
 no analogy or agreement., to the fuperior 
 and moft (-excellent part of our nature ? 
 So that the immortal fpirit will ftill 
 pine, and languifh, and crave more, 
 crying, Give, Give, /till it is " filled 
 * with all the fulnefs of God, ' Thofe 
 perfons who are the moft fuccefsful in 
 purfuing worldly happinefs, and whom 
 many may be apt to envy, are not (ber 
 lieve it ! ) really the happy men they are 
 often taken to be. They are generally,not 
 only far lefs happy than they are fuppofed 
 to be ; but alfo, than they would really 
 be, were they not fo eager in the purfuit 
 of fuch a felicity. They walk in a vaifr 
 JheiV) and dif quiet themfehes in yarn, It is 
 only the (hew, the appearance of felicity, 
 which they have ; a gaudy out-fide fhew, 
 the form of happinefs without the power, 
 And the more anxious we are to obtain 
 
 felicity 
 
of human Life. 425 
 
 felicity in this world, independently 
 God, the great fource thereof, the fountain XII. 
 of living waters, the more do we difquiet 
 ourfelves in vain : In the language of -the 
 prophet, vtefpendour money for that 'which 
 is not bread, and our labour for that which 
 Jatlsfieth not. We have wants which can 
 not be removed, defires and affections 
 which cannot be fatisfied, by terreftrial 
 things : So that we are wretched even in 
 fpite of that pride, which prompts us to 
 efteem our condition happy. And if fen*- 
 fual, worldly men, would but fpeak out 
 the plain truth, they would join with SQ~ 
 lomon " Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, 
 and vexation of fpirit; " and confefs, that 
 even in the midlt of laughter their hearts 
 are often forrowfuL 
 
 BUT the vanity, vexation and difquie- 
 tude, from which human life is infepara- 
 ble, arifes not merely from the want of 
 proper objects here below, to gratify the 
 various affections and cravings of our 
 compound nature, and to fill up the 
 mighty void in our breads : There are 
 many fofetroe evils and calamities, to 
 which we are unavoidably fubje&ed. 
 For " man is born to trouble as the fparks 
 " fty upwards.'* The greater part by far, 
 of mankind, are, by the very condition of 
 their birth, to eat bread in pain and forr 
 
 row, 
 
426 On tie Shortnefs and Vanity 
 
 SERM. row, if they eat it all ; to toil hard only 
 XII. for a tolerable fubfiftence and living here. 
 
 ' L -^r~ 1 - 1 Many are, by the providence of God, re 
 duced to great diitrefs, to fuffer hunger, 
 nakednefs .and cold, with all the nume 
 rous and fad attendants of extreme pover 
 ty The greateft part of mankind now 
 are, and alraoft always have been, op- 
 prefTed by wicked tyrants, called civil 
 rulers, kings and emperors ; oppreffed by 
 God's fco urges, that call themfelves his 
 minifters for good. Many are afflifted 
 with long and painful difeaies, which ren 
 der them incapable of relifhing or enjoy 
 ing any thing ; and fo as to make both 
 light and life a burden to them. Some 
 are betrayed by pretended, falfe-hearted 
 friends ; others are affaulted and ruined 
 by profefied enemies. Before we return 
 -to the duft ourfelves, we are often called 
 to weep over our dear deceafed friends 
 and relations, our other felves ; and have 
 forrow upon forrow. In fhort, number- 
 lefs are the difappointments and afflictions 
 of one kind and another, whereof all are 
 partakers. Nor is there any ftation of 
 life, from the throne to the galley, or the 
 mines, exempted from trouble : Purple 
 and Ermine?, as well as rags and fackcloth, 
 often cover an aking, . diftrefTed heart : 
 
 PrM4. ^ nc j eyer y heart knoiveth its own bitternefs.^ 
 
 While 
 
of human Life. 427 
 
 While we tabernacle in flefh, we muft, SERM. 
 whether we will or no, be in one refped XII. 
 like our bleffed Saviour " Men of for- ^- v~ *' 
 rows, and acquainted with grief: " And 
 if we would not keep fitch company, then, 
 as the apoftle faid in another cafe, we 
 muft needs go out of the world. Neither 
 riches nor power ; neither wifdom nor 
 piety, can wholly fecureus from trouble 
 and vexation here : For even thofe good 
 men who have " the firft-fruits of the 
 " fpirit, groan within themfelves, waiting 
 *' for the adoption, viz. the redemption of 
 " the body. " f The Ihort life which t Km. s. 
 we live in thefe mortal bodies, cannot, in z ^ 
 the nature of the thing, but be a life of 
 pain and difquietude, even tho' we live in 
 hope of a better; and were placed in thofe 
 very circumftances, which we ourfelves 
 cfteem the moft eligible of any in this 
 world. Nor is this the effeft of blind 
 chance or fate : For, 
 
 THIRDLY, We are to confider both 
 the brevity and the forrows of this life, as 
 the appointment of God almighty, God 
 all-wife, juft and good " Behold, Thou 
 " haft made my days," &c. Indepen 
 dently of revelation, we know but very 
 little how we came into this ftate ; what 
 we were placed here for ; or what (hall 
 become of us when a period is put to the 
 
 prefcnt 
 
428 On the Shortnefs and Vanity 
 
 SERM. prefent life. But the holy fcriptures give 
 us light in the rnidit of this darknefs. 
 Revelation informs us, that to be fubjeft 
 to forrovv and death, is not the origi 
 nal, natural ftate of man : But that we 
 are brought imo this ftate of -vanity and 
 trouble, by the righteous Lord and Go 
 vernor of the world, in confequence of the 
 difobedience of our common Father. By 
 cne man fin entered into the world, and death 
 Ij ^-Mankind, to fpeak after the man 
 ner of men, were originally defigned for 
 immortality ; and to be ever happy in in-* 
 nocence, and the favour of God : But the 
 apoftacy of our firft parents brought 
 them tinder his righteous difpleafure : an4 
 tjience both they and their offspring be 
 came ftibjeft to death ; which has ao 
 cordingly reigned from sfdam to Mofes^ 
 and from Mofes to the prefent time, even 
 ** over them that have not finned accord-? 
 " ding to the fimilitude of Adams tranft 
 ** greifion. " So that thq' this is the ap 
 pointment, yet it is not the arbitrary ap-. 
 pointment, of our Maker. It is the eifeft> 
 and the manifeftation, of God's juft dif 
 pleafure againft the fin and rebellion of' 
 our progenitors : And He, in this parti 
 cular inftance, vifeteth the iniquity of the 
 FATHER upon the CHILDREN, not on 
 ly to the third and fourth generation^ but to 
 
 all 
 
of human Life. 429 
 
 generations. For iti confequence oi 
 this firft tranfgreffion, " it is appointed un- 
 " to [all] men once to die ;" to die 
 Jfirft death, tho' not the fecwid ; it being 
 certainly only men's own perfonal fins, 
 that can fubjeft them to inevitable mifery 
 and torment in the world to come. Only 
 the fetil that finnetb, fhall die the fecond 
 death.* The general doctrine of fcripture 
 concerning the introduction of mortality 
 into the world, may be fummed up in 
 thofe emphatical words in the book of 
 Wifdwi" God made not death forigi* 
 
 / i_ C7 
 
 '' natty ; ] neither hath he pleafure in the 
 " deitrudion of the living. For he crea~ 
 " ted all things that they might have their 
 ** being ; and there is no poifon of de- 
 w ftru&on in them ; nor the kingdom of 
 * death upon earth. For righteoufnds 
 " is immortal. But ungodly men with 
 " their works and words called it to 
 
 them." *" God created man to be im-' j cfeip. L 
 w mortal ; and made him to be an image **- 3* 
 < of his own eternity* Neverthelefs, thro' 
 
 envy of the devil came death into the 
 world : and they that do hold of his fide 
 
 ^ do find it. " J Such as hold of his fide 
 find, not only temporal, but everlafting 
 death* 
 
 HERE you fee the fource of death. 
 The overflowing flood of mortality, by 
 
 which 
 
43 On the Shortnefs and Vanity 
 
 SERM. which we are carried away> has its origin 
 XII. in the righteous difpleafure of almighty 
 ' God, againft the workers of iniquity. It 
 might perhaps be in vain, I am pretty 
 fure it is unneceffary, for Us to enquire 
 minutely, how the meafure of man's days 
 came to be gradually contracted from time 
 to time, after the fall, till it was brought 
 down to the prefent ftandard, an band- 
 breadth. Some have attempted to account 
 for this, by affigning fome natural, phy- 
 iical caufes : How fuccefsfully, I fhall not 
 pretend to determine. But to me, this 
 matter feems not to fall within the fphere 
 of human knowledge : So that the moft 
 modeft and pious, and indeed the wifeft 
 way of fpeaking of it, is to fay " Even 
 " fo, Father, for fo it feemed good in 
 " thy fight. " It is enough for US to 
 know, That He who, for the fin of man, 
 originally fent death into the world, has 
 alfo, in his infinitely wife, righteous, and 
 good providence, determined the meafure 
 of human life in all the different periods 
 of the world ; by whatever natural means 
 or caufes it may have been contracted 
 gradually, 'till our age is become as no 
 thing before Him. 
 
 THE fame general account is to be gi 
 ven of the forrows and troubles,which has 
 already been given of the fhortnefs, qf hu 
 man 
 
20 * 
 
 f human Life. 431 
 
 man life. For us mortality docs not, fo SERM* 
 neither does affiiS'ton^. come firth of the duft, 
 *tor doth trouble fpring out $f the ground. .* 
 God who ordained the former, ordained 
 the latter alfo : His hand and counjel are 
 equally concerned in bringing both upon 
 mankind. We are fobje&ed to fuch vani* 
 fy, not willingly,, but by reafon of Him 
 who hath fubje&ed us in hope. $ 
 
 IN DEED many of the forrows to which 
 we are here- expofed, feem evidently to 
 flow from, and to be naturally connected 
 with, this decaying, mortal frame, which 
 we have fince the fall. Hence, bodily 
 pains and difeafes, 'till we return to the 
 daft : Hence, our turbulent, diforderly, 
 and uneafy paffions : Hence we are called, 
 from time to time, to mourn our deceafed 
 friends ; our parents, our brethren, our 
 offspring : Hence, when old age comes, 
 with its natural attendants, this is pecu 
 liarly an evil day ; the years then coming 
 wherein the moil fay, that they have no 
 plea fare in them.-\ Thefe and many other 
 evils, feem to be infeparable from this de 
 caying, mortal condition. 
 
 BUT there are fome other forrows, 
 which fpring not fo diredly from our 
 mortality ; and which have no natural 
 connexion therewith, tho' they were 
 connected with it in God's feutence and 
 
 curfe : 
 
On the Shcrtnefs an 
 
 SERM. curfe \ I mean thofe troubles which arife 
 XII. from the fterility of the earth, in confe* 
 quence of the fall ; by which means k 
 becomes a painful, laborious thing, for 
 the greater part of mankind to get a fub* 
 fiftence, This, we know, is agreable to 
 the original fentence j and therefore it is 
 to be afcribed to the will of the fame God y 
 who has fubje&ed us to mortality 
 " Curfed is the ground for thy fake : in 
 " forro'W (halt thou eat of it all the days 
 " of thy life. Thorns alfo and thirties 
 " ihall it bring forth to thee : and thou 
 " fhalt eat the herb of the field. In the 
 " fweat of thy face {halt thou eat bread, 
 " 'till thou return unto the ground.":]: 
 
 THERE are many other evils and for* 
 rows, which may perhaps be more pro 
 perly afcribed to men's own, perfonal, 
 voluntarily mifconduft, than to their ne-^ 
 eeffary frailty and mortality, or to the 
 curfe of God upon the ground. For how 
 numerous are thofe pains and calamities^ 
 which fpring direftly from the lufts of 
 men ? from that intemperance, and thofe 
 other vices, which it would be falfe to 
 fay men could not avoid ; and to charge 
 which upon 'God, would be blafphemy ? 
 Mankind certainly bring innumerable for- 
 rows upon themfelves, by their own ill 
 conduit ; all which it is more juft and 
 
of human Life* &0 4.33, 
 
 reafonable to place to the fcore of their 
 own perfonal wickednefs, than to fpeak of XII. 
 them as the unavoidable confequence of L 
 their being mortal creatures, placed in fueh 
 a ftate as the prefent. 
 
 HOWEVER, even thefe evils feem to 
 flow, in one fenfe, from the original a- 
 poftacy ; or from the cnrfe of God upon 
 man, confequential thereto. For our mor 
 tal body (the confequence of Adams fin,)' 
 being in clofe union with our fpirits, is the 
 feat of thofepaflions, which are the imme 
 diate occafions of. our finning perfonally: 
 " We know that in us, that is in our /?(/?;, 
 " dwelleth no good thing. " It is " the 
 " flefb that lufteth againft the fpirit." It is 
 " the law in our members, that warreth a- 
 " gainft the law of our mind, bringing 
 " us into captivity to the law of. fin. " 
 If fin reigns, it " reigns in our mortal body, 
 and we obey it in, the lufts thereof."? 
 Hence we read of the body of.\ this death ; 
 i<e. this mortal body of fin. It was by 
 the ordination of Gp$ i: that \ve were put 
 into thefe bodies; which expofe us fo. 
 much to temptation, that it is almoft,lif 
 not altogether impoffible. for, us, ' 
 to avoid finning. Ai>d hence, 1 
 it is, that we are faid to be by nature 
 dren of -wrath : for no farther than we are: 
 ^fituratty the children of difobed\enc$)<&\\ ,w.e 
 F f " be 
 
the &bdrt#*fi and Vanity 
 
 be naturally, the children, oif the objects of 
 wrath. * However, no paffion or afte&ion, 
 with whiqh we are born, can be in kfelf 
 finftd^ it becpmes fo, only by wilful -or 
 
 , carelefs indulgence. A crqattire cannot, 
 
 5-ver.6.& n o i r i r ? i Y 
 
 cv. 3. 6. ftnirty. ipeakmg, be a imner, till he has 
 violate^ feme kw of God, or of nature : 
 for ^ im >s the trianjgrejjion of "-the law. J> 
 But not to digrefe-^- 
 
 UPON the whole; both the fhortnefs 
 and the forrows of life, * are the effect of 
 God's rigtiteous difpleafure againft the fin 
 of oua:rftcparents. r Tho' we fhoukl al 
 ways diftkiguifll betwixt thofe calamities, 
 which are infcparable from this our mor 
 tal condition, infeperable from our prefeat 
 ftate.of uial and diicipline, as it is the ap- 
 poiattnent of God; and thofe evils and 
 miferies, which mankind bring upon them- 
 felves by their own wilful mifconduft, 
 by their perfonal vices. For want of 
 iXiaking which diflindlon, many perfons 
 charge.Gtod foolifiily \ and' utter bard Jpeecbes 
 aga^nfb H'fm^ Xvhen they ought only to 
 condemn tbemfelves. 
 
 BUT. our time is poorly employed in 
 contemplating the brevity and forrows of 
 tjus^ajin life, unlefs we are taught hereby 
 te^inafce a right eftimate thereof ; and to 
 th^o* thefe temporary troubles, itt the 
 
 that 
 
of kufiian Life* 
 
 that will never end. Let us, therefore, SERM. 
 now draw fome practical inferences and 
 reflections from this fubjeCt. 
 
 AND here, in the firft place : Altho' it 
 niay be natural for us to lament our mor 
 tal and forrowful condition in this world ; 
 yet fince this is by the appointment ttf 
 God, we ought humbly to acquieite in 
 it, without murmuring. Our duty is fub- 
 miflion, not complaining 'or finding fault. 
 God had an indifputable right either to 
 give us life and being, or not to give it 
 to us either for a longer or fhorter time ; 
 and to make our condition either more 
 or lefs happy, as feemed proper to his tm- 
 erring wifdom and goodnefs. We have 
 no demand upon his juftice for a longer 
 or happier life, than that which he be- 
 ftows upon us in this world, fhort and 
 "unhappy as it is. Nor fhould it be ever for 
 gotten, that perfeCl wifdom, righteoufnefs 
 and goodnefs, are the rule of his difpeit- 
 fations towards his creatures. The State 
 we are now in, is fuch a one as God 
 judged proper to place us in, in order to 
 manifeft to Us, if not to* other beings in 
 other worlds, his holinefs and righteous 
 feverity ; his juft difpleafure agaittft the 
 workers of iniquity. It is a fignal miam- 
 feflktfcn of his anger againft the- firft cranP- 
 greflfors of his law in diis ^orH ; attdba 
 F f ^ perpetual 
 
On the Sbortnejs and Vanity 
 
 mementos to. Us; their poftefhiy, 
 ,13511. ila^a-inarmei* fome what analogous foereto^ 
 
 children of traitors and re 
 bels Icxthein earthly Sovereigns, "are o&en 
 deprived of the iidieritaofcd Lwbiehpfcy/ the 
 .^d&ftitufrbnf i of othe govetonienty 1 would 
 ptherwife liaye, defcended to Ithcna : \ and 
 are Jabjefted.tQ i divers inconveniences ; 
 yea, \ to a.degrefe of ftianaeiaad infamy^ ai- 
 
 fer tbeflmi- 
 
 has trnis fubjec- 
 ted 'xis*:to;nioitality, to vanity and tem 
 poral forrow, ;on; 'account of the original 
 rebeliibcij and treafon of our firft parents, 
 when / they hearkened to the devil, has 
 fubjefteduS w-fope.< ;Our condition is not 
 defperaie : So far from it, that God has 
 made ample provifion for our deliverance 
 From this ftate of bondage, corruption and 
 :deathj into the glorious \ liberty of his SO.HS. 
 For as in Adam we die r fo in Cbrrft we 
 may. be made alive : And as we have bom 
 the image of the ear t/y, fo may .we a/Jo bear 
 4he image of the heavenly. *. How joyfully 
 iG?r.i5. fd Q$ it become, fuch creatures, in 
 ftate, to receive the glad tidings of 
 tion thro' Chrift, who has " -abolifhed 
 4< death, and brought life and immortalr- 
 V ty to light thro' the Gofp'el Jo Sad irt- 
 wottldbeoarcondkion, fubje<ftedto 
 
of human Life. 437 
 
 fo many calamities and fufterings as we SERM, 
 are, and fo ibon to drop into the grave, XII. 
 'if in this life only ivehad hope; if we had no v v~~~* 
 profpecfb of a more deiireable Itate of exif- 
 tance hereafter. Nor indeed can we have 
 any well-grounded hope or profpcct of 
 fucli aftate, independently of the exprefs 
 promifes of God, in the gofpel of his Son. 
 Mere reafon, or the light of nature, fug- 
 gefts no arguments for a happy immor 
 tality, which are conclufive and iatisfao 
 tbry, fo that we can reft upon them. 
 But " blefled be the God and Father of 
 " our Lord Jefus Chrift, who, according 
 " to his abundant mercy, hath begotten 
 " us again unto a living hope, by the re- 
 " furre&ion of Jefus Chriit from the dead 
 " to an inheritance incorruptible, and un- 
 " defiled, and that fadeth not away/'f~ 
 This moft interefting fubjeft of life and ' ' 3t ^\ ' 
 immorcality after death,lay \vrapt in night 
 and darknefs,after all the efforts of human 
 reafon and wifdom, being hid from ages 
 and generations : But it is now fet in the 
 full beam and light of day, by the gofpel 
 finning upon it ; and by Him who has 
 Jlnned into our hearts, to give us the light of 
 the knowledge of His glory, in ' of 
 
 Jefus ChriJL * Tho' ' vexa* ^ > 2 ^ ^ 
 
 and death abide us here ; yet there* are 
 nianfionsof endlefs peaceand joy .prepared 
 
 for 
 
438 On the Short nefs and Vanity 
 
 SERM. for us hereafter, unlefs we will not enter ify 
 XII. thro unbelief. To fuch mortal, miferable, 
 '-^~^~ luj fmful creatures, how good is this ne"w-s 
 from afar country ? how refreshing this cold 
 water, to the foiil which thlrfls after per- 
 Feftion and immortality? The contempla 
 tion hereof, to thofe whoib hearts are folly 
 pofTefled with the belief of thefe things, ajt 
 once makes the hcavieil afHiftions /eeiii 
 light, draws out the veirernQias < fting of 
 death, and fnatches the vklor^fr.orn the 
 grave ; enabling them to triumph over it 
 in hope of the glory of God, and of that ^ e 1 - 
 ternal life, which He that cannot lie hath 
 TIM.*, promifed." * 
 
 BUT we are admoniflied by the fubjeft 
 we have been conficlering, to expert ^f* 
 flittions of one kind or another, while we 
 dwell in thefe earthly tabernacles ; and 
 fhould arm ourfelves with patience, that 
 we may bear them in a becoming manner* 
 It is an important branch of wifdom, to 
 proportion our expectations as. to this 
 world, to the nature of the things of >it ; 
 and not to hope for more felichy h^re^ 
 than it is probable we fliall ever enjoy. 
 Being thus wife, we fhould, I believe, 
 expeft but little from this world, befides 
 vanity and vexation offpirit : At lekft,w 
 ftiould always be prepared to -fmeeft with 
 trials and foiTpws, fo as not fo be much 
 
 fhockcdv 
 
of human Life. 439 
 
 ihoeked or ruffled by them when they SERM, 
 come, as they certainly will, however we XII. 
 may fondly flatter ourfelves. It is both 
 the folly and the unhappinefs of many, 
 that they prom ife themfelves more felici 
 ty here below, than is confiftent with this 
 imperfect ftate, and the defigns of provi 
 dence. If we ever enter into reft at laft, 
 it murt be " thro' much tribulation." * * Aa 
 We are apt to prefume in our profpcrity, 22< 
 that we fhall never be moved ; but fome 
 fudden, unexpected calamity, foon refutes 
 the fond prefumption. And being thus 
 unprepared to grapple with affliftion, it 
 proves- an over-match for us ; and falls 
 much heavier than it would otherwife 
 have done : For to the natural weight of 
 it, there is added the uneafinefs and an 
 xiety, which is always attendant upon 
 difappointment, and fruftrated hopes. 
 There are not many virtues, of which 
 we have more need in fuch a world as 
 this, than resignation and patience. By 
 fnatching too greadily at happinefs here, 
 we only make ourfelves the more mifera- 
 ble " Be patient therefore, brethren, un- 
 " to the coming of the Lord. Behold, 
 6 the hufbandman waiteth for the pre- 
 ' cious fruit of the earth, and hath long 
 ' patience for it, until he receive the early 
 " arid latter rain. Be ye alfo patiei^t ; 
 
 ibblilh 
 
On the Shortnefs and Vanity 
 
 ftablifti your hearts ; for the coming of 
 " the Lord draweth nigh." * 
 
 BUT lince life itfelf is fo fleeting and 
 precarious, we are admonifhed not to put 
 the tho'ts of death far from us ; but to be 
 in daily expectation of, or at leaft, in daily 
 preparation for, this great change. To 
 lay pur account for living long in this 
 world, is one of the, moft- unaccountable 
 follies, and pregnant with numerpus mif- 
 chiefs :^ And yet there is fcarce a folly 
 which is' more common. We have, almoft 
 everyday, affecting examples before our 
 eyes, of human frailty, and the uncertain 
 ty rpf this vain life. We fee our neigh* 
 bours, our acquaintance, our friends, our 
 relations, drppping in death and darknefs, 
 not to arife 'till the heavens be no more. ( We 
 fee.. .people .of all ranks ?( of all . -ages, th^ 
 young: and old, rich and poor, male and 
 female, bond and free, daily bowing be-, 
 fop the King, of Terrors jBiany of w^om,, 
 we cannot but .acknowledge, were fiir Icfs 
 likely a few clays fmce, to ifall before him, 
 than , ourfelves. And yet, fome w r ay or, 
 other, w r e ftill flatter ourfelves, that it 
 be long before our own tvu;u QprpgSi-f 
 homage to. this greatMo;;^^. ,\^^,take it 
 for granted, except, w,heu we are in fome - 
 imminent danger, that we, have feveral 
 years at lead yet to live.' It is not only the 
 
 young 
 
of human Life. 441 
 
 young and healthy, that prefume thus; SB RM. 
 but even the infirm, the aged ; thofe, on Xfl. 
 whofe heads hoary time has fnowed, per 
 haps, more than threefcore years and ten ; 
 and who already {loop, as it were to go 
 down to the tomb. Many, who are 
 icarce more than the remnant, the (hadow^ 
 of their former felves ; and of whom it is 
 almoft a miracle that they are ftill alive, 
 ieem to think that hardly any thing fhort 
 of a miracle, can put a period to their 
 days. Strange infatuation! Mylterious 
 delufion ! " Death ftill draws nearer, 
 " never Iteming near ! " 
 
 THIS fond prefumption upon life, is 
 not lefs pernicious in it's confequences, 
 than it is in itfelf abfurd and unaccount 
 able. It is the fource of the moft fatal 
 errors in the conduct of life. This is the 
 true reafon, why fo many neglecl thofe 
 things that are of the kit importance, and 
 on which their whole being depends, 
 while they buly themfelves in trifles ; 
 while they are careful about many things 
 of no real importance, and dijquiet tkem- 
 fehes in vain. Men could not befo taken 
 up with their amulements and paftimes, 
 or with the cares of this mortal life, as they 
 generally are, if they had a jull fenfe of 
 thefhortnefs and uncertainty of it, and of 
 what depends upon it. Much lefs would 
 G g they 
 
44% n th* Shorttfe/s and Vanity 
 
 they: dam to go dfiy -fcdm time to time, in 
 the violation of God's kn&wn command- 
 Hients, if they ferioufly refle&ed, that the 
 feme hour wherein they fin, they might 
 kft up their eyes in bell, being in torment ! 
 :SiNCB this life is ib'fllon, and the for- 
 rows of it fo -numefotis, it highly con 
 cerns. us . to improve the prefent opportu- 
 i)ity for feciTring the fpecial favour of our 
 MaMer, by: faith unfeigned, and obedience 
 to the gofpel ; that fo we may be forever 
 happy . iriiiis moft glorious kingdom and 
 prefence. We are degraded, in fomemea- 
 lure,from the original dignity and perfecti 
 on of man rBufc we are not totally caft off,, 
 Hnd difmherked, by that great Lord and 
 Fatherp whafe Qffspring we are. He has 
 given us the ftrongeft poilible afTurance, 
 that he delighteth not in obr deftiai<fl:ion ;. 
 bilt that the 'wi eked for fake bis 'way and live* 
 He now allows us an opportunity to work 
 quit our falvation - f ttet fo we may pafs 
 qutof tliis world of forrow and death, into 
 that^whf^4// Uartfiall be -wiped away fi'tfyt 
 cxr ejtefri ^vhete^-ths^-ft^^be^id.moi:^' 
 ^fa/^neitherySrrW^y tit^ dyin& iiekher any 
 more -pain ; the firmer things being paffed a~ 
 Rtv. ai. 'wsa^ If We do not defpije his reft, Mt are 
 4 ^ heartiiy-dMrpus of ehterirtg into it, there 
 is a peaceful harbour provided for our re*^ 
 coption/cfro^'theft^rfi that has almoft 
 
 fbip- 
 
of human Life. 443 
 
 ftiipwreck'd us ; and which continually SERM. 
 beats upon us, while we fail upon the 3Q3. 
 ftream of Life. There is a facred ark -pre- Vi -*v*-> 
 pared for us, w r hich can neither fink nor 
 overfet ; and which fhall finally reft, 
 when the waters are affwaged, not upon 
 the mountains of Ararat, but upon mount 
 Zion that is above, the mount of God ; 
 where all thofe who do not refufe to be 
 faved, fhall appear before Him, and be 
 hold his face in right eoufnefs. Let us not 
 therefore drown, and fink into perdition ; 
 or." neglect fo great falvation ; which .at 
 " the ftrft began to be fpokeh by theLord, 
 " and has been confirmed unto us by them 
 " that heard him ; God alfo working 
 " with them both with ligns and wonders, 
 <J and divers miracles, and gifts of the 
 " Holy -Ghoft,according to his own will." 
 Have we any time to lofe,or throw away, 
 when life is f b precarious, and when our 
 All is at ftake ! What tongue of man, 
 or of angel, can fully exprefs , ; the impru 
 dence and madnefs of ;thofe> who cair 
 trifle and procraftinate, and lull themfeltes 
 to reft in their fins, when they know not 
 \vhat a day, an how, prj $ moment, may 
 bring forth ! M . Awake I.thbu thatfleepeft, 
 c and arife froiu the dead ; and Cbrift 
 " fhall give thee life, " Awake, and call 
 upon tbj God, or thou dieftforetertiiprei 
 G g 2 l4ow 
 
44* n the Shortnefs antiFVanity 
 
 SERM. Now is the accepted time, and the day of 
 XII. foliation ; To morrow may not be fo ; but 
 
 1 ^ v ~ 1 - / the day of perdition to thofe, who having 
 
 * Rev. 2. efface given them to repent, repent not ! * 
 21 Moreover : 
 
 THOSE who truly fear God, while they 
 live in this world of trial and difcipline, 
 altho' they are already Jons, fhould ftill 
 leant obedience by the things ivhich they fuf- 
 
 , #> fi r * t We fhould endeavour to make a 
 g. right ufe of all thefe temporal forrows, 
 that fo they may turn to our fpiritual and 
 eternal advantage. It is, not a mere aft 
 ofjoverefgutj-'in God, to afflift and grieve 
 the children -of Men : nor docs he do it 
 
 Lam. 3. willingly, f For altho' we may have had 
 33 ' fathers ofourflejli, who corrected us only 
 after their own pleafure ; yet the Father of 
 our fpirits chafteneth us " for our profit, 
 that we might be partakers of his holt- 
 nefs : " And if we gave Them reverence, 
 " fhall we not much father be in fubjee- 
 " tion to the Father of fpirits, and live ? ' 
 Our affliftions are friendly admonitions, 
 defigned in providence to wean us from 
 this world, to exalt our tho'ts and defires 
 to a better, to purge away our drofs, and 
 td>i?efilie^i6xirc Dittoes," that being, .thus 
 tryed, we may come 'forth as gold, and be 
 * 4 found unto praife, and honor, and glo- 
 !* xtf Ifwe concur with tha gracious- 
 J 
 
, 
 
 cf human Life. 445 
 
 fign of providence in affliAing us, neither SERM. 
 
 defpifing the chaftening of the Lord, nor XII. 
 yet fainting when we are rebuked of him, v -~v"^ 
 we fhall be made the wifer and better by 
 our troubles ; even they will work together 
 for good to us. To which end, ,of what 
 ever kind our afflictions are, we fhould 
 always confider him, who once endured 
 the contradiction of fmners againft him- 
 felf ; Him, who for the joy that was fet 
 before him, endured the crofs, defpifing 
 the fhame ; Him, who being made a little 
 lower than the angels, for the fufferings 
 of death, is now crowned with glory 
 and honor. For while we keep in view 
 tHs illuftrious example of patient,obedientr 
 fuffering, and of glorious reward, it will 
 be impoflible for us to be " weary or faint 
 in our minds:" * SinCc, if \vcfujfcr with*^' * z> 
 him, and in imitation of him, we know 
 that we fliall alfo be glorified, and fhall 
 reign, ivlth Him.-\ But irreclaimable tranf-f R m ^ 8 
 greffors fhould remember, on the other *i> and 
 hand, That he who being often reproved " n ' * 
 by God's word, and the afflictions which 
 his providence fends, ftrll hardencth his* 
 neck, and his heart, " fliall faddenty be 
 deftroyed, and that without remedy." 
 
 Again : 
 
 SINCE this world is fo full of vanity 
 and forro w -* jSnce there is fo little of folkf- 
 
 hap- 
 
 
446 On the Shortnefs and Vanity 
 
 happinefs to be expe&ed from it,we ought 
 XII. not, furely, to be very fond of living long 
 in it. If God had made our days lefs than 
 an hand-breadth, it is not eafy to fee why 
 good men fhould be much dejefled at this 
 reflexion, unlefs the prefent life had been 
 imich lefs vain and unquiet than it really 
 is. It is very incongruous for thofe, who 
 are daily complaining of the forrows of 
 life, to be fo fond of living, as men ufually 
 are. Why are we backward to leave 
 that world,, where we can find no reft for 
 the fole of our foot ; and are as uneafy as 
 Noah's dove, before the waters fubfided ? 
 Shall I tell you the true reafon, why 
 profefled Chriftians are generally fo de- 
 iirous of living, and fo afraid of dying ? 
 It is becaufe they have fome mif-giyings ; 
 fome apprehen lions that they are not pre 
 pared for another world ; or at leaft, not 
 for that, which they would choofe to go ; 
 and that if they fhould make an exchange, 
 it muft, probably, be for the worfe. And, 
 indeed, it muft be confeflfed, that they who 
 have no rational grounds to believe, but; 
 that if they die, they muft die the death' 
 of the unrighteous, and their laft end be 
 Ifce his, have great reafon to be defirous 
 of living longer here, as troublefome and 
 vexatious as this life is. But what caufe 
 good men to be fond of Iife 3 or afraid 
 
 of 
 
of human Life. 447 
 
 of death ? they,who have a well-grounded SERM. 
 hope in the exceeding great and precious XII. 
 promifes of the gofpel, whereby they are r 
 already " made partakers of a divine na 
 ture ?" Is there any thing on this fide the 
 grave, very defireable ? any thing in, or 
 beyond it, very terrible, to them \ Do we 
 fear the grave will be always victorious ? 
 Do we fear, that the angels, when they 
 receive our departing ipirits, will lofe 
 their way, and not convoy us fafely to 
 Abraham ^ bofom ? Do we dread the tho't 
 of being again united to our dear friends, 
 who died in the Lord ; and who are gone 
 before us to the paradife of God t Are we 
 loth to become communicants with the 
 church triumphant of the FirftBorn, which 
 are both written and bleffed in heaven ? 
 In fine, do we dread the tho't of going to 
 the general affembly of juft men made 
 perfeft ? to the innumerable company of 
 angels ? to Jefus the Mediator of the new- 
 covenant ? to God the Judge of All ? to 
 Him, with whom is the fpring of life ; in 
 whofe prefence there is fulnefs.of joy ;and 
 at whole right hand are pleafures forever 
 more ? There feems not to be any thing 
 very terrible in thefe things ; nor any 
 thing in death, which mould make a fin- 
 cere Chriftian, thro' fear of it, all his life 
 time " fubjed unto bondage," If it is thefe 
 
 bodies 
 
448 On tie Shortnefs and Vanity 
 
 SB RM. bodies which we now inhabit that we 
 XII. are fo fond of, even they Ihall fhortly be 
 
 V"^ 1 '*^ reftored to us : The fea, death and hades, 
 will be faithful to their truft ; and deliver 
 up the dead which are in them, when He 
 who is Lord both of the dead and living, 
 " fhall appear the fecond time, without 
 " fin unto falvation." But thefe bodies we 
 fhall receive, in the renovation of all 
 tilings, not grofs and vile, as they are 
 when laid in the grave ; but fitted up and 
 repaired, and made more fuitable for the 
 habitation of purified, immortal fpirits/ 
 The terreftrial body, fhall be railed a 
 celcftial ; that which is fown in corrupti 
 on, fhall be raifed in iiicorruption ; that 
 which is fown in dif honor, fhall be railed 
 
 i Cor. in glory. * A truly living and chrilliaii 
 15. 40. f a ith, anticipates thefe things,making them 
 prefent to the mind, as tho' they were al 
 ready accomplifhed : So that the language 
 of the apoftle.will appear natural " God, 
 " who is rich in mercy, for the great love 
 " wherewith he loved us, even when we 
 " were dead in fins, bath quickened us to- 
 u gether with Chrift, (by grace ye are 
 " faved) and hath raifed us up together 
 " and made us fit together in heavenly 
 *'. places in Chrift Jefus ; that in the ages 
 " to come he might fliew the exceeding, 
 "riches of his grace, in his kindnefs to- 
 
 *'* 
 

 of human Life. 
 
 14 wards us thro* Chrift: Jefus. " f Be once SERM. 
 fully poflefled of thefe evangelical fenti- XII. 
 ments ; and then, if you can, be ferry iTSfT!' 
 that God has made our days as an hand- 4, 7. 
 breadth, and our age as nothing before 
 Him ; be anxious about what may befal 
 you in life, and fhudder at the terrors of 
 the tomb ! " O death ! where " 
 
 FOR the fame reafon that fincere Chri- 
 ftians cannot confiftently be very fond of 
 life, or fearful of death, they cannot mourn 
 difconfolately for their pious friends, who 
 have already " put off' this tabernacle. ' 
 To the truly good, the day of death is far 
 better than that of their birth: And if we 
 love them, we fhall rejoice becaule they 
 are gone to the Father. If you are not 
 ignorant concerning them that are afleep ; 
 if you do not think they are perijlied if 
 you fully believe the great do&rines of the 
 gofpel, that Chrift both died and rofe a- 
 "gain, and that " Them alfo which fleep 
 in Jcfus" God will raife up at the laft 
 day, as he raifed him ; then go, if yp\i 
 can, and forrow for your pious de^rt^d 
 friends, " even as others 'which have -Wo 
 hope!' Go and mourn, becaufe they are $ ,7^4. 
 taken away from this evil, troubleiome 3 4- 
 world ! Go and mourn, becaufe thJ^-a& 
 gone to the paradife of God ! Gb ic ^n'd 
 'grieve, becaule They, whom you loved 
 H h fo 
 
45 o On the Shortnefe and Vanity 
 
 .foriwell, are become fo happy ! Beincon- 
 XII. .foiable, becaufe They, who once mourned 
 here, are now comforted ! Go and weep, 
 -i^canfe ,all tears, except thofe of joy, &ne 
 wiped forever from Their eyes ! [Make 
 yourfelves wretched in this world,becaufc 
 your friends are to be eternally happy in 
 another ! becaufe They are now at reft;; 
 and ;fhatl hereafter came forth out of,their 
 graves, and live and tuiliKiph forever with 
 iHim^hat was "flam, and has rrecteemed 
 them to God, by his Hood" \ Put on fade- 
 cloth and mourning, becaufe They ihall 
 ihine forth as the fun, in the kingdom ,<jf 
 their Fat&er, eyen wJien that momdfw 
 >^icl> you now : beh.e^, 'j-ftiajl ? be; xfe^ 
 ceafing to give hi? light ; aad the heavens 
 ;tkemfe!ve$ Iliall be hung with blacknefs 
 'gn4 vinpv\miiig for his exit ! And while 
 <ydUL^?e!thvi$ xv^eping oy^r,|ihe gmtes of 
 you & beloved ftieiids, drop' .another tear 
 for yourfelyes, ; becaufe you. ^re to be for- 
 , jbleflfed wit|i theiil -; ble:fiad, even be- 
 QUjC'jipr^fenr iC0n,ceptioas .and 
 ftHi a Ifo fho^ld " -fleep in Jeftjs, " 
 yotir days, -pa ,earth are -numbered 
 
 sn&tifl&b&^^ 
 
 ^ f^lb to th^ (hare >df thofe, 
 
 only fdkky is : m *his world-? f . 
 &# Jl^^m^^tQ^w 0w AU? m 
 
 which 
 
m of human Life. 45:1: 
 
 which to feek our fupreflrte good ? 
 world, where " all that cometh is vanity" ? 
 the fafhion of which " pafleth away," and 
 from which, we ourfelves muft pafs away 
 in a few days ? What is a man profited if 
 he gain this whole world, even tho' he 
 fhould not lofe his own foul ? One would 
 thiak it impoflible for thofe, who have ra 
 tional, immortal fouls, to be much con 
 cerned about any thing here below, althb' 
 theitf worldly purfuits did not interfere 
 with ttoeir eternal intereft ; there being 
 really nothing, or but very little, here, 
 worthy a wife man's tho'ts, defires, and 
 cares. But for men to fuffer this world to 
 engrofs their tho'ts ; and to purfue the vain 
 pleafures, honors, and riches of it, even 
 to the lofs r to the deftru&ion and perditi 
 on of their fouls : What ! -A fummary 
 account of the wifdom of this world, is, 
 that it is inexpreffible folly and madnefs. 
 O envied men ! who are fo wife as to fore 
 go the rnoft folid and durable happinefs, 
 and to incur the frvoft certain, and exqui- 
 fite, aild^durbble mifery, for the fake of 
 bubbles and ftraws and fhadows ! for the 
 fake of this world, the forrows of which 
 are fo numerous ; the very pleaftiites of 
 which are vexatious, and the more eager 
 ly purfued, the lefs iktisffadmy f J-^ 4 '-Let ' 
 tt ; not/owhtart envy finfa^"^ the Vthiey*^ ** 
 H h 2 " fpread 
 
$% 0* *& e Sbortnefi and Vanity 
 
 S&RM< - " fpread themfelves like a green bay-tree." 
 XII; "Vyiiat tho' they live, become old, yea are 
 
 ^yJfTf. BHghty i* 1 P ower - j What tho' their feed 
 713. is eftablifhed in their fight with them, and 
 their offspring before their eyes ?, What 
 tho' their houies are fafe from fear, neither 
 is the rod of God upon them ? What tho' 
 their cow calveth, and cafteth not her 
 young ? What tho' they fend .forth .their 
 little ones like a flock, and their children 
 dance ; ^ What tha they take the tihibrel 
 and harp, and rejoice at the found of the 
 organ ? What tho' they fpend their days 
 in,, wealth?- " In. a moment they go 
 dojwji to the grave!" The wicked, how- 
 evf profperous, fhall foon utterly perifti : 
 
 . p A/3 . " As the fat of lambs fhall they confume ; 
 20, " into fmoke fhall they confumq away."t 
 Such mea mayjindeedjimagine themfelves 
 both, wife and happy for a while, making, 
 a' mock and derifion of thofe, who feek 
 their happinefs in God alone, fowing in > 
 tears, that they may reap in joy. But 5 
 what the final iffue and refult of things 
 fliall affuredly be^both as to the righteous 
 and the wicked, you may take in the lan 
 guage of the book of Wifdom " Then 
 "fhall the righteous man ftand in great 
 " boldnefs before the face offuch as have 
 1 him When they fee it, they 
 troubled with tenibk fear, and 
 
 <*, mti&% t\ 
 
" fliali be amazed at the ftrangenefs o 
 " his falvation, fo far beyond all that they XII. 
 u looked for. And they repenting, and 
 " groaning for anguifh of fpirit, fhall fay 
 u within themfelves, This is he whom we 
 "* had fometimes in derifion,and a proverb 
 4< of reproach. We fools counted his 
 ** life madnefs, and his end to be without 
 " honor. How is [he numbred among the 
 " children of God, and his lot is among 
 " the faints ! We wearied ourfelves in 
 the way of wickednefs anddeftru^lion 
 -but as for the way of the Lord, wt 
 have not known it. What hath pride 
 profited us ? or what good hath riches 
 with our vaunting brought us? All thofe 
 things are parted away like a fliadow, 
 
 and as a poft that hafted by !" f 
 
 , 
 
 \ Wifdom of Solomon, Chap. V. legix. It may, 
 be difficult to afiign a better reafon why the Song, rather 
 fhan the Wifdom, of Solomon, is admitted into the Canon, 
 than this, viz. That people generally love and relifh Swf t 
 better than they do Wijdom - 
 
 
 Wf 
 
 ,. 
 I .IIIX 
 
 V,.- - -'.:^. 
 
 SERMON 
 
<&Y V. Mstttt-tA, \^X-* $& 
 
 ^niqi to fiUugKH "<oi nnui* 
 
 the true V&hie, Ufe and End of 
 h JEif^ ^ !aM l tbe Conduci vends of 
 Keligioiy .to, prolong, , - ; ap^ make 
 r n 3ii. 3i v^-oH /ionojl J * 
 
 
 ffi ^Peath of f^ne aged Perfons. 
 
 calk hjppinefs ! b?Wai* 
 . that newr' tdHQHreK 
 
 aB arf iramortal^ baft, [^ f fc - in 
 
 ^4*v "***/ '-'^ -- - -^v- v ' i- ' 'r - S:*4 V-J 
 
 '* Fond as he feems, condemns Jus joys to death. 
 AoiH Bf.You^c. 
 
 
 PSALM XXXIV. 12, Ts/ 14, i^ 
 
 T * * ^i/ 4 "i - \ "^^^*\ w* * " ^ ii 
 
 WH A "T man is be thatdejjreth Ljfe^and 
 love t K many days, that hf may fee Good ? 
 
 KEE*P thy tongue from evil^ and thy lips 
 from fpeaking guile. 
 
 DETsfRT from evil, and do good: feek 
 peace andpurfue it. 
 
 THE eyes of the LORD are upon the righ 
 teous ; 'arid his ears are open unto their cry. 
 
 SERM. TT is, T Believe, the common wiffi of 
 XIII. J[ mankind, to attain to old age ; at leafl 
 to that which we term fo, tho' there is 
 
 really 
 
Of the true Value of Life y 
 
 really no fuch thing as long life in this SE&M. 
 world. There are but few men, if any, XHL 
 who -would be willing that the glafs o 
 life, which is turned up at their birth, ami 
 then begins to run y fliould:be choaked amd 
 llopped before it is run quite out : We 
 choofe to fee the laft fand fall, and to at 
 tain to the full meafure of man's days ion 
 Hearth. Nor xloes this iatisfy all : OEstefc 
 thueefcore and ten, or fourfcore ymx&, 
 when, by reafon of "unufual :Urength,rthey 
 are attained to, feem but a>fhort life to 
 thofe few who arrive at them, 'being fpe&t 
 us a " tale that is told." * The PfalmiftSs 
 queflion in the beginning of the paflage 
 juft now read, [ " What.'*xsian r i% ^fee ttoct 
 -" delireth life, and loveth many days ?'^r] 
 does not, therefore, imply, that there are 
 ibw, or none, -vviho thios delire tb livfc 
 iong, . Th6;;in^i;Eagai(ansf often ccitttry: it 
 diem a ,iiegiadon' ; their i feniS i is - ^al\vdy^ 
 to be determined .by.rircumftance8,i"au2l 
 the &t|Abj%oitev .o : Accordingly 'tldb 
 .ti'ne Mpprt of cjhfi i <fuelHomQ liuft *&o$b^ 
 That maofeaa>d)iii' general isreatjhMthiiivifl^ 
 defiririg ;? to fee .many jdays vi r ; Hvjhdchr: isi^t 
 truth, evident from pitr:rdiilypbfdirratiDb. 
 arid .experieiicei; ; ni 
 
 TH-A JrMhey m#y> live Ibhg, ' 
 the ; wi(h of pisople in generab/tfbohsr?' 
 may bec^d:^i^\:Com^^ Wytyrtf, \^ 
 
 ther 
 
Of the trueFalue r 
 
 SE-RM. ,ther ? made with, or without Book and 
 XIII. Form : All in a manner conform to it, 
 without any fcruples of confcience : You 
 . will ,r fcarce find a fingle Diflenter. It is 
 the wifli and prayer, which is common to 
 all nations, to all fefts and parties, to 
 people of all religions ; and even to thofe 
 who have no religion at all. Here Pro- 
 teftants and Papitts, Jews and Mahome 
 tans, and pagan Idolaters, are agreed ; all 
 joining unanimoufly in the fame petition. 
 In this point, the high and low, the rich 
 and poor,bond and free ; in this the young 
 and the old, male and female, people of 
 all conditions j occupations and characters, 
 are well united. Good men and bad, 
 are not at variance here ; both generally 
 confenting in the fame wifh and conclufi- 
 on, tho', perhaps, induced thereto by dif 
 ferent, or even contrary, principles. They 
 who ! defpife this world, and they who 
 court and adore it ; Saints and Sinners,here 
 ihake hands ; and even the Atheift i$ not 
 fingular : For' he will pray to Nature, 
 and his iSVdr/, tho'mot to GOD, to grant 
 him many days oin earth. : :That;life is a 
 defireable good, might, then, be an article 
 in every perfon's creed ; and indeed, the 
 lefs' people believe of other things, the more 
 dp they generally believe tbh \ fo 
 t^ie grqateft Sceptics dre, here, the 
 
 greateft 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 45 ? 
 
 greateft bigots ; being attached to this life SERM. 
 and world, in the fame proportion that XIII. 
 they doubt of another. We might there 
 fore change and invert the Pfalmift's quef- 
 tion, and afk " What man is he that 
 " defireth not life, and loveth not many 
 " days ?" And, indeed, the queftion 
 thus put, does, I fuppofe, as fully and 
 exaftly exprefs his meaning, as it does 
 in the other way; the negative par 
 ticle making no real alteration in the fenfe 
 of fuch interrogatories ; the true intent of 
 which, can be determined only by the 
 nature of the fubjeft, to which they relate. 
 IT is farther to be obferved, that the 
 royal Pfalmift does not here fpeak with 
 fuch an air, as would lead one to fufpeft, 
 that he disapproved or condemned this 
 common delire of living to old age. He 
 fpeaks of it,not as being in itfelf criminal ; 
 but as what was natural to man, and 
 therefore innocent ; at leaft under certain 
 reftri&ions and limitations. Mortality 
 and death, are unnatural ; as unnatural 
 as difobedience to God, which was the 
 original caufe thereof. And mere nature 
 cannot but be fond of life, and defirous of 
 removing death to as great a diftance as 
 poffible. When I fay, that mere nature 
 caiinot but cfo fo, I mean that a man can 
 not, unlefs he is influenced by fome high- 
 I i er 
 
458. Of the -try* Value, 
 
 SERM. er principle than that of natural reafon 
 X1JJ;. . andfeafQ ; or el f<?. lies under the preflure' 
 of Ibme heavy calamity, which makes life 
 afc^Fdea ,to hin?H Tto fonder is the 
 cafe of tjhofe good* men, who& trea- 
 fure and heart a>nd hope are in heaven, 
 " ^hither, the Fore-Rumw is for them 
 * 4 ^nte^^ ^yep, J^A>$ :" The /titt^ii is the 
 qafe of thole W'retcliq<.i, thofe 4eiperate 
 men p who feek an aflykmi from pain 
 and forrow h^re, in a tragical, voluntary 
 4eath. Had the defire of long life been 
 kfc itfelf CHminal, we cannot luppoie^ 
 tliAt the ,. iPfalisuft would have encou 
 raged this defire in -us., by telling us, in 
 tj^e uext words, what is the moil likely 
 way- to prolong it, and render it happy 
 " Keep thy tongue from evil ; and thy 
 " lips &om .fpeaking guile : depart from 
 " evil, and, do good, &c." That is, Let 
 liim that loveth many days, that he may 
 good) keep his tongue, &c. This is 
 e<5>terence and natural connexio^n: of 
 
 words. 
 
 i$ alfo oWervable, Tl^at long life is 
 fpofcea of in fcripture, as a goody a 
 blefling, the reward of piety. Xo^ 
 the ftory of good Hezekiab, when 
 be was " ficfc unto death. " Ami God 
 fismetiiiies^acoiimges theobedrenee of the 
 y/owg, with ds^ S$>pes o teBg long. 
 
 4< Honor 
 
Ufe and End of Life y Sec, 459 
 
 " Honor thy Father and thy Mother, that SERM, 
 " thy days may be long" Thus alfo God XIII. 
 fays of the good man, u Becaufe he hath ^ -N^^ 
 c Yet his love upon me, I will deliver him 
 " _ w ith long life will I fatisfy him, and 
 " fliew him 'my falvation." f So length f //*/. 91. 
 of days is faid to be in the right hand of 
 wifdom. And you know, that to die in 
 youth ; to be cut off in the midft of One's 
 days,by a premature death, is ufually con- 
 iidered in fcripture, under the notion of a 
 real evil : and it is fometimes reprefent- 
 ed as the effeft of God's difpleafure. ' To 
 which purpofe are the following paflages 
 " Bloody and deceitful men lhali not 
 x; live out half their days"" Be not 
 " jvickcd over much ; for why fliouldfl 
 " thou die before thy time." Many o- 
 ther paflages might be added to thefe : 
 But it is needlefs. As long life is the de- 
 fire of all in general ; fo the fcripture re- 
 prefents it as being no unreafonable, to 
 before no criminal, defire : It is fpoken of 
 rts the reward of piety ; good men are 
 encouraged Hvith the hopes of it. Un 
 timely, or premature death, on the con 
 trary, is often conildered as an evil ; and 
 threatned as a curfe. 
 
 K T ow it may be ufeful, in farther dif- 
 
 rourfing upon this fubjefl:, to inquire. 
 
 In what refpefts" long life is a bleffing ?' or 
 
 I i 2 why 
 
4.6o Of th$ true Value. 
 
 F ~<\ f- /{ ' 
 
 SERM. >vhy it fhould be accounted fo ? It -will 
 XIII. then be fhown, that the pra&ice of reli- 
 ' gion tends to prolong the life of man, and 
 to make jit happy : 89 th^t it is incum 
 bent 'upon, all, who love many days that 
 , 'they 'may fee good, to depart from .evil 
 } and do good, to fear God and keep his 
 commandments : For " the eyes of the 
 <f Lord are upon the : righteous ; and his 
 "ears are open; unto their cry." Thefe 
 things being done, the fubj eft will be 
 clofed with fome practical reflexions, as 
 the time will allow. 
 
 SINCE we all naturally defire to live 
 long, it were to be wifhed, that we de- 
 fired this upon rational motives, and con- 
 fiderations which it becomes fuch crea 
 tures as we are, to be influenced by, Let 
 us therefore inquire, as was propofecl, 
 
 FIRST, In what refpeds long life is 
 deilreable ? why it fhould be accounted 
 a bleffing ? and how far. If. is really fo ? 
 In order to our making a proper eftimate 
 of life, ; it is neceflary thgt ^e coufider it 
 as it is^ thaf we consider ^it- with thole 
 advantages, andthofe equally real difad- 
 Vantages, with which the pofterity of 
 Adam poflefe it ; that we coniider the re 
 ference which this life has to another ; to 
 the true ends ? and purpofes of life ; and 
 that we coiifi^er wliat influence our pre- 
 
 fent 
 
 It. 
 
UJe and End of Life> &c. 461 
 
 lent behaviour, will have into our future SERM, 
 happinefs or mifery, according to the XIII. 
 principles of religion. Without having 
 all thefe things before us, and keeping 
 them conftantly in view, it is impoilible 
 we fhould judge juftly upon this fubjeft : 
 We fliall not reafon, but only rave ; and 
 bewilder our felves in an endlefs maze of 
 uncertainty and error. If the foundation 
 be not properly laid, the 'fuperftrufture, 
 however regularly built upon it, will be 
 only as an airy caftle in the land of* Fai 
 ries. If -we confider the prefent life, ei 
 ther as more or lefs happy than it really is ; 
 or if we detach it from futurity, as haying 
 no connexion with another ftate ; we 
 fhall never come toil juft conclufion con 
 cerning the point before us : We fhall ne 
 ver know in what refpefts life is a blei- 
 fmg ; how far it is fo ;. how it is to be 
 conduced in order to make the moft and 
 bell of it : We fhall always either under 
 or over-rate its value ; and the refult of 
 all, will be no better than a dream or 
 reverie ; at leafl, it will not be real wif- 
 dom, and ialutary truth. 
 
 L.E T me therefore remind you of a few 
 fafts, and well-known principles, which 
 are to be taken along with us ; and which 
 arc fo fundamental, that without them we 
 cannpt duly eftimate the value of life ; but 
 
 mull 
 
Of the tras 
 
 
 ^ heeds wander far from the truth. 
 
 XIII. IT is to be premifcd, then, That the 
 ' prefent life ''is, at beft, a fcene of great 
 trouble and difqiiietude. This wbHd was 
 originally defigned for a place of happi- 
 nefs, by our Creator : But m'an's apdftacy 
 from God, has changed it, tho' not into 
 an hell,- yet into an habitation of much 
 fbrroTV and 'vexation: For notwithftand- 
 ftfiftoifrg the 'many delights, (for hi ore, in 
 deed, than we could claim as our due) 
 which Providence beftows upon us here ; 
 yet fo numerous, various, and inceflant, 
 are the adverfiries to which we are fub- 
 jefted, that we cahnbt but groan unxler 
 them f , as tmder aidad' and burden, from 
 which We\ wouto r 'g;la:dly be delivered, 
 were it pt>flible without putting off thefe 
 
 ^ -"4 *^ i " ^ <I * ' ' "^ " . r ' \ : f f 
 
 bodies. 
 
 -l-t'is aHb f to be ; obfetved, with relation 
 to the p%fxife^ of this life; that they:ard 
 flattened anil ' cHminifhed by old age. 
 Youth is the principal fc^fon for relifhing 
 ajid r Hrtj3yiiig 'tK6te, J ' ;: ^vltjc9i , are properly 
 called ariiittai; fenfiHvfc 3^c!%brldly ! plea^ 
 fures, as contradiftiri^iili^frbm rational, 
 lildtal, : ^id' religious. ; Iti^ faid with pe- 
 citriiar propiety -" fejoice, O young Man, 
 d In thy yoiilth ; ?M f Mftfi^ hfehrrtheer 
 ft ; ? thec in tHe;cfa^ f ;6f ttiy yolith ; :^ Tor 
 after : ptopile gfet paft the meridiaii of Hfe, 
 
 the 
 
UJe and End of Life^ &c. 403 
 
 the reliili for fuch enjoyments gradually SERM; 
 fails ; much in the lame proportion that XIII. 
 animal nature itfelf decays. To which it 
 is to be added, that old age is ulually at 
 tended with many politive pains peculiar 
 to itielf, youth being a flranger to them, 
 tho' not to all others. And notwithiland- 
 ing ibme exceptions, that is doubtlefs a 
 juft reprefentation of advanced age in ge 
 neral, which the Pfalmiit gives : " If, by 
 " reafon of ftrength, they be fouricore 
 " years ; yet is their ftrength labour and 
 " forrow." Solomon has dwelt longer up 
 on this gloomy theme of old age ; and 
 painted the fccne with deeper (hades. 
 The years are then come, when the moil 
 fay, that they have no plcalure ; f when 
 the fun and the light, the moon and the 
 liars arc darkened ; when the keepers of 
 tti houfe tremble, and the .ftrong men 
 bow themfelves ; when the grinders ceafe 
 becojufc they are few, and thofc that look 
 out of the w r inxlows are darkned ; when 
 they rife up at the voice of the bird, a,nd 
 all the daughters of mulic are broaglit 
 low ; when they are afraid of that which 
 is high, and fears are in the way ; when 
 the almond-tree flourifheth, and tlie gmf- 
 hopper is a burden ; and deilre itfelf foil 
 ed!. .This is Solomons, deicription of tliat 
 old age, wkh its common infirmities and 
 
 pains, 
 
464- Of the true Falue, 
 
 DERM, pains, to which we are fo defirous of liv- 
 XIII. ing. And tho' we flionld attain to it ; 
 yet it is to be rernember'd, that- we are 
 not immortal ; but muft' unavoidably die 
 at laft, how long foever our lives may be 
 protracted. 
 
 WE muft alfo remember, that whether 
 we die young or old, we are to live for 
 ever after this mortal courfe is finifhed ; 
 and either be inexpreffibly happy 'in ano 
 ther ftate, in the favour and loving-kirid- 
 nefs of God ; or inconceivably wretched, 
 under his righteous difpleafure. This is 
 our time of trial and probation. Tho'' we 
 are a finful, apoftate race, yet we are 
 candidates for heaven ; fo that if we are 
 here reconciled to our Maker, thro' Him 
 that was made fin for us ; and ferve God 
 faithfully, we become his children ; be 
 ing "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with 
 " Chrift " to an incorruptible inheritance. 
 And the greater degrees of true wifdom,. 
 of holinefs and virtue, we attain to in this 
 world ; j t>y fo much the brighter crown 
 ofcglofty, will the righteous Judge of all, 
 give us hereafter. Oh the other hand, 
 thole 'who live and die in their fins, are 
 of tfourfe -and confequence, heirs of the 
 fecond death ' dnd muft be rniferable in 
 propdrtioii ; as they haveabufed the good- 
 nefs; forbearance, and long-fuffering of 
 
 God ; 
 
465 
 
 God ; and mifemployed the talents c6m- SERM. 
 mitted to their truft. XHL 
 
 THE things which have been briefly 
 premifed, are the common, well-known 
 principles of religion ; how little foevej- 
 they are attended to in a practical fenfe. 
 And thefe principles, it is necefTary for us 
 to keep continually in our eye, in order 
 to our forming a proper judgment of hu 
 man life ; in order to our knowing, whe 
 ther length of days is defirable, or not ; 
 mid if it is, for what reafons, and how 
 tar it is fo. 
 
 AND in conformity to thefe maxims, it 
 may be laid down for a certain truth, 
 That long life is very little, if at all, to 
 be defired for its own fake, or upon ac 
 count of any happinefs to be attained 
 here, which is purely of a worldly nature, 
 detached from religion, and the hopes of 
 a better life to come. If this is really an 
 happy ftate, upon the whole, 'confidered. 
 in itfelf, and without any Reference to a- 
 nother; it muit,indeed, be -acknowledged 
 to be a defireable one in the 'fame propor 
 tion ; and long life might be wifhed for, 
 were it only in refpecl of that felic'^y 
 which is to be reaped here. I do not ab- 
 folutely deny this to be the cafe : But, 
 Avhen we ballance the account ; 
 n xve comedo weigh the common 
 K k forrows 
 
of life, againft! the common joys 
 of it, the fcale of happinefs will, 1 believe* 
 .very little preponderate, if at all, 03 to 
 the greater pari, of mankind Many p 
 the pains of life are, probably, far more 
 intenfe and vivid r .than. any of its pleafures ; 
 and they, are, certainly, of much longer 
 duration. People fometiines lie in extreme 
 tprtunj t fpr.. whole days, . weeks,.,, and 
 months, if not years tpgether, with fcaroe 
 any intermiffion : In companion of which 
 pains, all fenfual, and worldly pleafures^ 
 are very fhort-liv'd \. and the moft fenfi- 
 ble, probably, the fhorteft. We never 
 iind ourfelves, nor fee others,, for any 
 considerable time together fwallowed uj> 
 ia jay ^nd rapture,. ,-^ ? w^; ofteni fee^ thet^., 
 livajijp^ed ,ijip ( pf forrp-w aad aaguiih., 
 , Bu^ Ifajf^ , ^ncpmrpbn, extraordinai^y; 
 
 nplqs horthfpf profperity anxiadv^rflty^. 
 
 ot tl>e queftion for the prefect ;, ,and 
 
 
 world,; qb-, 
 liged toHpiji liard, tp ,rifp early, and/fet 
 up late, ia ordqr to get a livelihopd for 
 thepifelvpSj and famili^ , ^atipg ,th^ bread 
 of .qarefuinqfsu . . itj. tl^eiii , ^fpecially is f u}-. 
 filled the.pr^diaio^an^thr^atning, when 
 the grouad was curfed for --.jaank fake 
 
Ufe and End of^ife^ &c. 4.67 
 
 ?. In forrow (halt thou eat of it :" What SERM. 
 
 do the lower dalles of mankind enjoy ? XIII'. 
 
 \vhat can they hope to enjoy, which 
 
 fhould make fuch a Jife as this, considered 
 
 in itfdf, -yery defireable to them ! If from 
 
 the land, you turn your eyes , to another 
 
 element ;- =to them that " go down to the 
 
 " fea in ihips, that do bufmefs in great 
 
 " waters ;" is Their kind of life any freer 
 
 from care, difquietude Qr danger? They 
 
 have not always h<ilcy-Qn days ; but expe- 
 
 rience the itorniy wind < and tempeft. 
 
 u They mount up to the heaven, they 
 
 w go down again to the depths, their foul 
 
 " is melted becaufe df; trouble. They 
 
 " reel to and fro~and are at their wit$ 
 
 " end.V f Come afhore again ; and con- 
 
 fider thofe, whofe circumftances place 26, 27.'' 
 
 them above the neceffity of labquring for 
 
 $mir-..Jailyibrad,:Jin ] the -common fehfe of 
 
 the-.plirafc. fias not the merchant, for 
 
 example, various cares and perplexities in 
 
 his calling ; fo that quiet often flies him 
 
 by day y and tleep by night? nnd fo as to 
 
 make Ms life almoft one continued hurry^ 
 
 and fcene of difquietude ? Aftd, perhaps; 
 
 after having made himfelf a' ilave almoft 
 
 all his days, to heap up uncertain riches, 
 
 he either never obtains them, or having 
 
 obtained them, they fuddenly " take ? to 
 
 " " " 
 
 themfelves wings aijd iUkc" aWay " 
 K k 2 leaving 
 
468 Of thf true Value, 
 
 leaving him only poverty, difappointraent, 
 and bkfted hopes, to reward his pains I 
 Refleft upon the man of literature, and 
 iludious of philofophical wifdom and 
 kno wledge: -Solomon, the greateft proficient 
 in this land of wifdom, long fmceobfer- 
 ved, that he that " inereafeth knowledge," 
 does, in fome refpefts, " increafe forrow" 
 alfo. So far is it from making a man tru 
 ly happy ! The joy and tranfport of an 
 Eu R E E K A, is of Ihort continuance : And 
 there are fo many things which we defire 
 to find out, but cannot,, that there is, per^ 
 haps, as much difappointment and forrow, 
 as of folid happinefs and contentment, re- 
 ful ting from thefe refearches ; the wifeft 
 men having the moft thorough, feeling 
 fenfe of their ignorance. Behold one 
 Sage leaping into the Ocean, for grief 
 that he cannot comprehend its ebbing 
 and .flowing ! See another, precipitating 
 himfelf intOjEtna, for forrow that.he could 
 not underftaiid its fires and eruptions ! 
 Were they not more tortured on account 
 of what they did not know, than fatisfied 
 with what they did ? The plain Peafant 
 and Mechanic do not feel thefe pains of 
 ignorance ;. nor run thus learnedly out of 
 their wits* if/ 
 
 CONSIDER, next, the man of ambition, 
 3srho ^ fceketh great things for himfelf, J? 
 
 power 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 469 
 
 power and dignity, and high preferments SERM. 
 in the ftate ; and let him be one, whofe XIIL 
 birth, qualifications and fortune, (to 
 (peak in the language of the world) give 
 him fome reasonable profpect of fuccefs in 
 the purfuit. But there are many rivals 
 and pretenders, fome of whom muft fail, 
 if not the greater part of them. And 
 then the difappointed candidate, is pro 
 bably ftung and tormented with relent- 
 ment and envy. Bat thofe who fucceed 
 in thefe purfuits, afcending to the heights 
 they afpired at, generally do fo, in one 
 refpe<S,as the faints enter into reft, " thro' 
 " much tribulation ;" thro' along feries 
 of vexatious conflicts ; for if they do 
 not often wreftle againfty^/r/to/, yet the}* 
 wreftle againft temporal " wickedneffes in 
 " high places." And after all, the victors 
 do not rind that reft to their fouls, which 
 they promifed themfelves in their eleva 
 ted ftations. New deiires, new cares, 
 and follicitudes, fpring up from the root 
 ofbitternefs, to perplex and trouble them* 
 And what flipper.y places do they walk 
 
 LI.*/!. %/ 
 
 in ? being often raifed by one prince, as 
 it were only to be thrown down by his 
 fucceflbr, or perhaps by himfelf. Per 
 plexing cares haunt the courts and palaces 
 of fovereigns ; where gorgeous apparel is 
 often nothing but the fplendid covering 
 
 of 
 
47 Of the true J^altt&i 
 
 SERM* of woe. -Foals may flare^ and 
 XIII. thinking 'thofe who appear fo gay and 
 ' fmiling, mioift needs be VJery happy : But 
 wife men;know better* - Even thofe who 
 wear a cirow*n, ,and hold; a fcepter, often 
 tremble ; left -one :fhould (fell .from their 
 head, and the other be wrefted from their 
 Hiaad : . And he -that is fo fuccefsful in his 
 politics and wars, r as to iconquer one 
 worldj weeps :becaufe there is not tin-other 
 foriiim to mvarge,: mixing his: tbars.with 
 his /.triumph. 
 
 :BEsiDE& the > troubles, and vexations 
 which are attendant iupon all the different 
 ranks and ftations of -life, :<and 'peculiar tt5 
 them refpefti^dly ; tlierernre others, which 
 are commonxto them all iixgeaieml : Such 
 as bodily pains and difeafes ;and thegricfe 
 which cfpring out of the natural relations 
 offlife ; eTTeinouti of its-; neareft alliances, 
 and Iclofeft connexions*^ :.Tho' there is a 
 degree of happinefs, yet there is alfo a de 
 gree, fomietimes, indeed, a ;much greater 
 degree, of ^farrow andiTExarion, /refulting 
 from thele < comoexions. TFhey, are : che 
 fource of many "difqwretudes, -while the 
 iriWIft ; <and, often,, t>f more and 
 ones, when they .come to.bex:lif- 
 jffajttBtteynoicifi be,;fometime or o* 
 , in SSL world where kieath reiff ns; as in 
 
 j ; 
 
 Relations dear, and all the charities 
 
 Of Father, Son and Brother- Mi/t, lib, 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 471 
 
 ours. The diflblution of thefe natural re- SBRM/ 
 ktions, cannot but deeply affeft and XIIL 
 grieve all thofe, who are not " without ^-^v-- 
 k4 natural affection." The vices of man 
 kind ; covetoufnefs, ambition, the fpirit 
 of contention and domination ; and thofe 
 other lulls of men, from whence come 
 wars and fightings, oppreflion, tyranny 
 and blood ; thefe vices and lufts of men, 
 I Jay, redouble all the other ills of life ; 
 and make it far more reftlefs and mifera- 
 ble, than it would other wife be. 
 
 TAKING this world as we now find 
 it ; and ballancing the happineis and the 
 forrows of it, as nearly as we can, 'tis e- 
 vident, that fuch a life is not much to be 
 defired, for its own fake. One perfon's 
 experience cannot, indeed, be the exact 
 meafure and ftandard of another's : I, 
 therefore, congratulate all thofe, upon 
 their happier lot, who have found much 
 more latisfa&ion and good, than pain, dil- 
 appointment and forrow, here, ab(tra6l- 
 iug- this life from the? prolpeft of a better to 
 come. Put the fupports of religion, and 
 
 the 
 
 J O (hame to meji I Devil with Devil damn'd 
 F-irm CQncord holds, men only difagree 
 Of creatures rational, tho' under hope 
 Of heav'nly grace : and, God proclaiming peace, 
 Yet live in hatred, enmity and. ftrife 
 Amongft themfelves, and levy cruel wars, 
 Wafting the eartb, each other to dcftroy ! MM. Lit.lL 
 
 Yid.Afrf/*, 12. 24* - *7-; 
 
472 Of it>e true Value, : 
 
 SERM* the hopes of futurity, out of the queftion ; 
 XIII. and I fliould, for my own part, be almoft 
 
 * -v ' tempted to fay with Jot, " Let the day 
 " periih wherein I was born, and the 
 " night in which it was faid, There is a 
 " man-child conceived. Let that day be 
 " darknefe, let not God regard it from a- 
 " bove,neither let the light (hine upon it I 99 * 
 Were it not that people generally flatter 
 
 * ?**' themfelves, that things will go much 
 more according to their wifhes fometime 
 or other, in this world, than they have 
 done heretofore ; did they not prefume, 
 and take it for granted, that they fhall 
 live more to their mind in the remaining 
 part of their life, than they have hitherto 
 done, I believe moft men of reflection, 
 would, to fay the leaft, be very indifferent, 
 whether they lived much longer or not : 
 I mean, provided they were certain, that 
 the whole term of their exiflence was 
 comprifed within the limits of this life. 
 Many, doubtlefs, would -chufe rather to be 
 annihilated now, than to live over juft fuch 
 another life as their paft, an hundred or a 
 thoufand times, and then be annihilated 
 at laft.f It is generally that hope, which 
 
 " fptiugs 
 
 f Dawdestnt&iursprefentt, Jans 7' eftoir des plaijirs 
 Nous lie vivontjamnsi mus attentions iavie'. 
 Demain\ .demain, dit on, va combler tout nos voettx > 
 ;D'emain~vient , ft mus iaifft enter e plus tnalbeureux* *{ '.; 
 >if elle eft F erreur, betas ! du.join qui mus devere, 
 Jyttl cte 9us ne voudrait rccmmtncer fan court ^- * 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 473 
 
 -<- fprings eternal' in the human breaft, " SF.RM. 
 rather than any pbfitive happinefs and 
 enjoyment, which makes people fo fond 
 of this lite. By this hope we . are led 
 on, from goal to goal, from one ftage 
 of! life to another, Ihll .expecting to find 
 fome greater good and fatisfation than 
 we have found already ; which hope u- 
 fually proves abortive in the -end. So 
 that thofe who have lived long, who 
 have had air the means of procuring 
 worldly happinefs which any ever had, 
 and gone the round of every feufitive en 
 joyment, have at laft been compelled to 
 own, that all is but vanity and vexation of 
 Jpirit ; that what the world calls happi 
 nefs, is fcarce more than a fhadow or a 
 dream : And it is wife in others to truft 
 Their experience, left themfelves fhould 
 alfo be difappointed in the end. 
 
 THE reiuk of what has been faid, is, 
 That the prefent life, confidered in itfelf, 
 if it may be properly called an happy one 
 upon the whole, is yet fo but in a very 
 low degree ; and therefore, that long 
 life is but little to be defired, for the fake 
 of any happinefs that can, probably , ; fee 
 attained to here: (Tho' I wiil.notcotttrftr 
 did tlie .common "opinion ,'vf. tj^e rtaartd. 
 ib.mucii us to (ay, tliat the farrows -of ;life- 
 ro, .gcacrally : fpeaimg, more than a b.ai^ 
 L 1 lance 
 
aui 
 
 the fenjoymentfexrf it, being. ab- 
 ftmded from tope: .) Prom whence it fol- 
 lows, that life itfeif, andilength of days tip- 
 On earth, are a bleffing, chieflyyconfidered 
 $?ith relation to futurity ^ as this ftate is 
 introdtK&ory 10 another., and as ifcng life 
 heris gi^es us .greaser )sppatumty and 
 advantage than afhort one^ ifonacquaint- 
 ing ovirielves with God ; ifor-ifervitig Him, 
 and our .generation according to his will ; 
 for "working ^out cmr falvatidB, and fecn- 
 ling to omrfehnes ^ Chappy :iwwnxDtttality -af 
 ter death. Such a life as -tfae prefent, 
 however long, ntnfefs conftdered ihi this 
 conciexiDn wish fi&iarity, and foniewhat 
 that is to.&icoeed'it, would, I think, 'de- 
 maud m> *>great nttainks 'to th -Andior of 
 k ; it <bfcing tost on inconfidembk good in 
 itfeif. Bert -token \vith ics pn^er con 
 nexions and references, it -cannot but be 
 looked 'upom $ a rat ; fcl^flin-g, which 
 demands our < iiticere <praife aod thankifgiv- 
 ing' to't:te ! bountiful Dcmor tifoe<peo It is 
 a price iput into wr ihaaife to get tliat 
 tr^ie wildom ; to do that good in the 
 world j tso^gafe thfofe rdigious qualities 
 and ^gooH babits, which will maffee us 
 in fcxase meafore happy ^ven^now, and 
 ' icrhidi will, -thro' -the goodnefe and grace 
 ef'God, tofttfe to us, and terminate in, 
 vernal -feiUdt. It is 4ue fai thefe 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 
 
 refpefts, that Img life, is definable. To SERM. 
 be candidates for immortal Wife and glo- 
 ry, and put in a way of obtaining them, 
 is certainly a great privilege. And length 
 of days, or a long preparatory, probatio 
 nary ftate, where IQ much is depending 
 as there is upon the prefent life, is cor? 
 tainly preferable to a fhort one. The 
 more time is allowed us, the more efleo 
 tually we may provide for our future 
 well-being ; the more we may acquaint 
 ourfelves with God and his ways ; the 
 greater improvement we may make in 
 piety and virtue. And this will give us 
 greater peace and hope in our latter end -, 
 and both qualify us for, and intitle us to, 
 n brighter crown of immortality, thaa 
 a lower degree of goodnefs would haw 
 done. 
 
 3 SURELY, when we have fo great an 
 intereft at ftake ; when the falivatiom of 
 our fouls depends .upon our becoming 
 truly wile and good here, it is both natw- 
 c ral and reafonable to .ddire, that this opi- 
 portunity for maldng provifion for ano 
 ther world, for &\\* eternal ftate, Ihould 
 LI 2 be 
 
 * There is no ground to think, taking the holy fcriptures 
 for our -guide, that tbofe ivfco Ji*f and die in thqir ftps, ftjiH 
 ever have a future opportunity to^deeni their prefept rinifqir.-. 
 riagcs ; or any other time qf tr.Ul, after this life is ter.niiqaied. 
 So far as I am able Jo fee, .tbe ulrnp.ft ^vhich tbefe fool,i?v 
 mifcraljlc men n hppe for, is k </$* l * cr **$?' 
 
*jf\ /*'- ' T f ' '-tL ifc^t i *v'T"if 
 
 ->'OF the t*m Falue+ 
 
 S&ttM. be ' protrafted as long- as mdy be ; as Jong 
 as is confident -with the good pleafure of 
 God, and this our mortal condition. The 
 rilakirig dite preparation- for another world^ 
 however practicable it^may- be fuppbfed 
 to be in a fhort time, is yet 'a bufinefs of 
 fo great importance, as no considerate 
 man would choofe to have hurried oven 
 f^ ; Crowded hi to -a- r litrf6' riarrovr/fpace, if 
 itr;CQiikl <be avoided/- Pofiibiy a perfon 
 may be fo foolifh and improvident, as to 
 negleft in childhood and youth, which 
 are .vanity, this rnoltimportant of all cor^ 
 cernmedts : And when this is the cafe, as 
 God knows it too often is, is it not a 
 great favour to have a farther time allow^- 
 fidffor this purpofe ; that fa? we -may re* 
 deerh in maturer life, or itrold age,* the 
 'follies and mifconducl of our youth ; and 
 may do thatiivbrk at laft, which;':ought 
 to have been done at firft ? Afk a man 
 wlio apprehends he is juft going out of the 
 world', aiid is confcious that he has hi* 
 djkerto lived & wicked, ;pFofligatelife^ 
 -what he would < give for two or three 
 years more, in which to make his peace 
 rwiith God ? He will tell you, That if he 
 
 ^w:qh^ \!?d 9& gnlM. 1 ^fs^Jbt hn-.-c^^ er; >i y.rfT J 
 
 jng unutterafcltf torments : Thp* I do not aflert, that they can, 
 according to the fcripture account, hope for fo great a favour 
 as even this would be, viz. to be utter '/y blotted out of being I 
 However, it muft beconfefled, that fome expreflions of fcripture 
 $&&& at'fitft^view, to countenance thii fuppoHuon. 
 
Ufe and End of Li fe^ &c, 
 
 was owner of a million times as many 
 
 worlds as ever God created, he would XIII. 
 
 freely give them all for a lingle year. 
 
 And even good men, when they have the 
 prbipeft of a fpeedy, diffolution, unlefs- 
 they have already attained to a full ailii- 
 ranee of faith and hope, cannot well help 
 making the prayer which the Pfalmift did 
 m:hls ilcknefs, " O ! ipare me, that I may 
 fj -recover ftrength before I go hence, 
 -''and be no more." From thele things 
 we learn, the true worth. of time, the uic 
 and end , of life, the. improvement which 
 we ought to make of it ; how deliroable 
 long life is, and for what reafons. All, 
 in a manner, terminates in this one point, 
 i;/z, the. greater advantage and opportu 
 nity which, length of days gives for pre 
 paring for another ftate of exiftence, and 
 making our calling and eleftlon fure. A fu 
 ture ftate being, out of the queftion, there 
 is fo little folid happinefs to be enjoyed 
 here, and fo many afflictions to be luffer- 
 ed, according to the common courfe of 
 things, that it may well be queftioncd 
 whether life is a bleffing at all, or not ; 
 or a long one, preferable to a fliort one. 
 
 UPON thefe principles it follows, That 
 a good man, knowinghimjelftobefucb, and 
 that he is iatitled to the great and precious 
 promifes of the gofpel, has no rcafon, up 
 on-, 
 
478 Of fie true 
 
 SfcttM. on his own accoBfit, to defire to live k>n- 
 ger, how young foever he may be. The 
 great end of life is accomplifhed as ta 
 Mmfelf ; fo that for him to die would 
 be gain. If fuch a man ftill prefers life 
 to death, it muft be folely upon a prin 
 ciple of benevolence to others, and dcvo^ 
 tedneft to the will of God ; that he may 
 be inftrumental of further promoting his 
 glory in this world, and ferviceable to his 
 neighbours, to his offspring, to his de 
 pendents, to thofe, with whom he has 
 fome fpecial connexions, and whofe good 
 he is deeply concerned for* And it is 
 only upon the principles here laid down, 
 that any tolerable fenfe can be put upon 
 the apoftle's words to his beloved Thili- 
 'piaxs*^" Chrift fhall be magnified in my 
 " body, whether it be by life or by death. 
 "For tome to live 1 thrift, and to die 
 " is gain. But if I live in the flefti, this 
 " is the fruit of my labour : Yet what 
 " I fhall choofe* I '-know -not. For I am 
 *' in a ftrait betwixt two ; having a de- 
 ** fire to depart j and to be with Chrift ; 
 <f for this is far better : But to abide in 
 ^Philip. " the^fterti, is mote needful for you."f 
 i. 20, To ftmi. tip all ins i'few words : This is 
 Ttichallfeas, bem^mnlidered initfetf, is 
 very tl^, if Brt all to fee pri2ad : : -Confe- 
 :*6iieritlV ft4$ ef -little w uo concernment to 
 ^ 7. a 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 
 
 a man, whether he lives few or many days SERM 
 here ; only as this life has refpeft and re- XIII 
 ference to another ; and the longer we 
 live, the more effectually we may provide 
 for our future well-being. AfToon as we 
 are prepared for another world, efpecial- 
 ly if this -matter is put beyond doubt to 
 ourfelves, we have no reafon to wift to 
 live longer for our own fakes, and can 
 do fo only upon a principle of charity, 
 and lubtuiJUoa to tlie will and ,prav,i<kttce 
 of God ; waiting all the days of our ap 
 pointed time 'till our change come. "\ For f 
 good men to defire long life upon this 
 principle, (which is, I think, the only one 
 upon which rheGood can rationally -deCre 
 it,) is truly noble and generous : And -the 
 baarj head, whether found upon " filch a 
 " One as Taul the aged," or upo.n any 
 other perfoii, is truly " a crown of glo- 
 " ry, if it be [thus] fouud in -the way 
 " -of Tighteoufnrfs/' f But the .firmer, j 
 
 tho r u >an hondred years old, -flhall-.be ac- 16. 31. 
 
 ^ 
 
 \TT-r 
 
 . 
 
 X*eC><X>!*6<XSk><>bck>6^ ^*^" 
 
 : C--;HX;<^C<X>O<X:;^^ : 
 
 
 SERMON 
 
V:" f Ti T 
 
 S E R M-O N XIV. 
 
 Of the true Value, Ufe and ,' En3 . pf 
 Life ; and the Conducivenefs qf 
 Religion to prolong, and make io 
 
 . . 
 
 Occafioned by the Death of fome aged Pcrfohs.'. 
 
 * ' ' 
 
 PSALM XXXIV, 12, 13, 14, 15. 
 
 WHAT' man is be that defireth Life, and 
 loveth many days, that he may fee Good ? 
 
 thy tongue from evil, and thy lips 
 fpeak'mg guile. 
 DET ARfT from evil, and dot good : feek 
 "y peace and purfue it. 
 
 fHE eyes of the LORD are upm the righ- 
 ~Q$st&it&ip$snd his ears are .open unto .their cry. 
 .^.^" *^M*itr:;> - 
 
 SERM [)EOPLE are fo univerfally dcfirous of 
 ' Jt living long in this world ; and pro- 
 mife themfelves fp rnuch happinefs from 
 it, that it will, doubtlefs, appear fanciful 
 and fbmantic : t&- many, to lay there is 
 fcarce any thing to be enjoyed here, for 
 -which it is worth while to live. But full 
 
 this 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 48 1 
 
 this is the truth of the cafe : This world SERM. 
 is a fcene of folly and confufion, of difap- XIV. 
 pointment and forrow. It's pleafures are ^-^^^ 
 precarious, fuperficial and tranfient ; its 
 troubles are certain, fubflantialj and almoft 
 uninterrupted. So that, were there to 
 be an end of us at death, few or no con- 
 fiderate men, could ever exped: to enjoy 
 much good ; or, confequently, much de- 
 fire to live long here. Such is this life, 
 when confidered in itfelf : But the prof- 
 peft clears up, when we conflder the refe^ 
 rence which the prefent ftate has to, and 
 its connexion with, another after death. 
 Life is valuable, and length of days to be 
 wifhed for, as it gives us an opportunity 
 to acquaint ourfelves with God, and to 
 fccure eternal felicity to ourfelves, when 
 our days here (hall be numbered and fi- 
 nifhed. In any other refpeft, whether 
 we live long, or die foon ;yea, whether 
 we live at all or not, feems to be no ve 
 ry interefting point. But this matter was 
 fpoken of in the proceeding difcourfe. It 
 was propofed to fhow, in the 
 
 SECOND Place, That if we aredefirous 
 of living long, and of making the beil of 
 life while it lafts, it becomes us to con- 
 du& ourfelves. by the maxims of religion: 
 Or, in the language of the Pfalmifl, to 
 " keep our tongues from evil, and our 
 Mm " lips 
 
SfeRM. lips &6m fpeSkhig giiile ; 
 SfiV. from evil, aiid do'good ; tb 
 
 ana-piirfue%." The 
 ^itndefiled religioii, ^h^- 
 ^to 'prolong liiim^n life, a ? nd to /render it, 
 "ifi'ftrtnfe Degree, Chappy, t'or -the ^righ- 
 'teous are j not ^only -intitled to the favour 
 alcfii^hty -God hereafter,' ?; Wut J to r hfe 
 eare 'Stftd; -gUardianMl) Uri tliis 
 y^i^hqre,^ theses: of tlfe Lord 
 the ^ight^olis ; '^iid : his ^ears 
 We -open ointp -their cry," . ^Godlinefs 
 ^hetth r promife 'both df "/fo lifi^kat tM-~is 9 . 
 and alfo- of that 'which is 
 
 fc rt- it rs> prujituvic ttnuf iftt irsrngj*; | . zrxnvi a,ll KlttuS 
 
 8. W arguments are -tifed in'the holy;'fcrip- 
 <tbres, : to-induce iis thereto. The 'prin 
 cipal of them, are thdfe which are 'drawn 
 from a fot?ii^e-ftlte'6f rewards and ptinifh- 
 B6t thofe that'may : be r dra wn from 
 e&ftveftience ^nd inconveiiience, 
 > L bf to^efs Weight and 'force with a 
 wholly pafled over >m 
 ftiiid, 'indeed, the latter 
 may poffibly have a greater itVftiiterice tip- 
 ? ^Ja ] fome v ttiittds, L tMti the fotnier. 
 ^Pii E f lPlSFiMft'fe|^s"it f forgt^i^^^ 
 e&lo^n w'Sy'-men^efierally 'ddGre life, 
 Idte; 'maiiy/ dkysy ; ii,' J ffiat thty may 
 *fie gockl : $?hfcy do hot i dfe ; fire life, r nnerdy 
 'for thetfafce W IJving ; But iii 'hopfes of li 
 ving 
 
Ufe and End of Li fa &c. 483 
 
 ving happily. And -he afTuresus, that the SERM ; * 
 hiofi likely means, both' of prolonging XTW 
 our lives,- and of making them quiet . 
 happy, is to purfue the p^ths of piety aiixl 
 virtue. This being the manifeft fcope 
 and drift of the paflage under confiddfar 
 tion, this fecond head of difcourfe, I think, 
 naturally refolves itfelf into two propoft- 
 dons ; wV'MiBd 
 
 THAT the pra&ice of religion istlfe 
 moil probable means of lengthening out 
 qur lives : i And - 
 
 THAT it is alfo the moft likely way; for 
 us to fee good, or to live happily, God 
 has connected the dufy and int^ett of men 
 together^ not only fo that they fhall,' in 
 the refult of things, find therpfelves gain 
 ers by ferving Him ; but fo that religion 
 'is advantageous to them in ^ the Interim, e- 
 ven in this world ; only the cafe of per- 
 fewtlon fir righteoufnefs fake, is : tp be ex- 
 cepted. 
 
 I st - THE pradic^ of religion is the moft 
 likely means of prolonging human life. It- 
 has a direft natural tendency to lengthen 
 put a man's days ; while irreligion and 
 vice- have plainly a f contrary one. All 
 kinds of intemperance, debauchery and 
 excefs, ten4 tp the deafch^Qf the body, as 
 well as to the- d^ftruSioft of the foul ; for 
 t&fti tfeey whp^ " Uv^ after Jtshe>fleih," oftea- 
 M m 2 die 
 
484 Of the true Value^ 
 
 DERM, die even a temporal death, much fooner 
 XIV. - than ' they would otherwife have done. L 
 Voluptuoufiiefs and fenfuality diforder all 
 the fprings,aftd poifon the fountain of ani 
 mal life,* bringing difeafes upon the body, 
 and nloft certainly fhortening a man's 
 days in a greater or left degree. How 
 many perfons, have, by their criminal 
 excefles, impaired their health ; and gra 
 dually ruined their conftitution, fo that 
 they have fcarce " lived out half their 
 days ?" There are, perhaps,as many, even 
 in Chriftendom, who have died martyrs 
 to the Bacchus and Venus of the Pagans, as 
 have ever died martyrs to Chrift. 
 
 -ALL irregular affections, and inordi 
 nate paffions, fuch as anger, malice, pride 
 and envy, prey alfo upon the fpirit* and 
 life ; tho' not fo apparently, perhaps, as 
 bodily excefles. Thefe mental diforders 
 are the ficknefs of the foul ; and by vir 
 tue of that union and fympathy, which 
 there is between the foul and body, im 
 pair the health of the latter alfo. Even 
 thofe vices of the mind, from which we 
 may not fufpeft any prefent harm, fap 
 and undermine us ; gradually wearing 
 away the ftrength, the vigor, and the lives 
 6f men. So that all the lufts both of the 
 flefh and of the fpiiit, may be confidered 
 as a flow confumption, (tho', i&deed) not 
 
Ufe and End of Life* &c. 485 
 
 a very flow one in fome perfons ! ) which SERM. 
 will prove mortal at laft, tho' not feared XIV. 
 at prefent. For notwithstanding fome ' 
 very diffolute men ; men, none of whofe 
 paffions have been under due reilraint, 
 have lived to a great age ; yet, in all prof" 
 bability, thefe very perfons might have 
 lived a confiderable time longer, had they 
 been fober and temperate in all things, as 
 thofe that ft rive for the ma fiery. Modera 
 tion in all corporeal gratifications and plea- 
 lures, and a mind freed from inordinate 
 affections, from extravagant deiires, from 
 irregular, ungovernable paffions, are life 
 both to the body and the foul ; they are 
 " health to the navel and marrow to the 
 " bones. " * Or, in thofe other empha- 
 tical words of Solomon, "A found heart is g. 
 the life [even] of the flefh ; but envy is the 
 rottennefs of the bones." What is here $c^/.i 
 faid particularly of envy, is alfo true vtr. 30. 
 of all other moral diforders of the mind ; 
 of all vicious affections of the heart. Be- 
 fides ; the vices of men do not feldom 
 bring them to an untimely end, from the 
 hands of civil juftice ; and, fometimes, 
 even from their own hands. Who will 
 harm us, ifive are followers of that 'which is 
 good ? Who would lay violent hands up 
 on himfelf, were he not either deprived 
 of his fenfes, or carried away by vicious 
 
 paffions, 
 
SE,RM, paffions, and extravagant defire,s,. 
 Xiy. have got the mattery; over hiq? 
 
 UPON the .whole, /if i5; mauifeft. tjia$: 
 " righfeoufnefs tendeth unto life;" in, this. 
 worixl, ; antl #n iiy&o de^rh. Ha 
 kind perfeye^efd, from t : h firft, ; p 
 cbedience to Godi in theii* iovrignal 
 cehce, death would not have entered into 
 the world at all : For " righteoufnefs is 
 " immq^tal." And altho' we are all HOW' 
 tinder th^ fentence of death, it being ^^p-r 
 "pointed unto men once to die" ; yet the 
 execution of that fentence is naturally 
 haftened on the fafter, the more we 
 deviate ffbm^t.tlej paths of righteoufnefs. 
 And- tho* religion cannot make us immor 
 tal here, 'yet it has a v^ry obviqus ten 
 dency i in divert refpefts, to protraft our 
 days upon the earth. But. 
 
 2 1 ?- TH E praftice of religion i$ alfo the 
 moll probable means of renidering life e.afy 
 and happy -to U5^ cwfing us tq^ go#$l. . It 
 is, indeed, no great degree of felicity that 
 any of ^h^ fons of Ad-am $$& reafonably; 
 hope for, in this i^erfoft; ftgte^ How 
 ever,, wjaife we YwG$iil te our wifdoiii tOf, 
 make the/beft,0f life,. t#<pafs ; thrq' ij: ; with> 
 as little forjrow, and as mueh pegce and 
 ,, as &cyfi$<# wjth fuch % 
 
 U5, > live yi%^r a/efq:of God .and 
 
 re- 
 
Ufe and End of Life^ &c. 48 
 
 religion ; to keep another world in. -mind, 
 and to regulate our tempers and manners XIV. . 
 with a 'view thereto. It is in this way, if ' *~~^ 
 in any, that happinels is to be found: And 
 indeed, Solomon, who had long and fuffici- 
 ently tried all others, tho' to no purpofe, 
 came at laft to this conclufion, That to 
 " fear God and keep his commandments, 
 " is the whole -of man : "' That the 
 ways of wifdom are " ways of pleafant- 
 "" nefs, and all her paths peace j ; that ihe 
 " is a tree of life to them that lay, hold 
 " upon her ; and that happy is every one 
 " . whoTetain-eth'her." 1 * The paths of ir- Pro. ^ 
 religion and vice are 'full of briars and 
 thorns, like the earth after God had cur- 
 fed it. Whatever diflblute m'en may i- 
 'magme, it is only wifdom, in the practical 
 Tenfc '-'of 'Solomoft, that will be productive 
 J 6f true peace and felicity. Sincere hap- 
 <pinefs grows not upon folly and vice ; this 
 is a foil under the divine malediction. 
 Men may " weary themfelves in the way 
 '" of wickednefs ;" but they will not find 
 the . way of peace, or any reft to their 
 f6uls,'till they find the way of virtue, and 
 walk therein. Vice and folly as certainly 
 mike men miferable in a degree, even 
 now, as they will terminate in irretrieva 
 ble ruin : Religion as certainly contributes 
 to the happinefs of hiiman life now, as it 
 
 will 
 
488 $Qf > the trueF alue, 
 
 will iflue in eternal felicity. For 
 
 IT is to be obferved, That in the fame 
 proportion that religion tends to health 
 and length of days, it is alfo produ&ive 
 even of temporal happinefs. The felici 
 ty of animal life, fuch as it is, has a clofe 
 connexion with health and foimdnefs of 
 body ';..and is, indeed, infeparable there 
 from. The corporeal difeafes which in 
 temperance and other vices bring upon 
 men, and by which their lives, are cur 
 tailed, alfo diminifh their happinefs ; ren*- 
 dering th^m incapable - of relifhing. and 
 ; ,,-t enjoying even thofe .animal pleafures, 
 which are the grand objeft of their, purfui^ 
 Do yw imagine that he who, by : crimir 
 nal indulgences and excefles, and a liber 
 tine courfe of life, has enfeebled Ji is body, 
 ai^d impaired his health, can receive as 
 much happinefs from thofe objects whic^i 
 God has accommodated to btar nature, 
 confidered as fenfitive creatures, as One 
 who, by obierving the rules of fobriety 
 Cind moderation, preferyes himfelf i; in 
 healtli > and vigor ? Far from it ! Such a 
 man fruftrates his own aim ; and while he 
 is Criminally grafping at more pleafure 
 th^n he ought,, deprives himfeif in a great 
 meafure, even of that \yhich he might in 
 nocently enjoy ; yea, often brings fuch 
 pains and difeafes upon himfeif, as make 
 
 life 
 
Ufe and End o f Life > Sec. 489 
 
 life infupportable to him. There is a SERM. 
 
 great variety of evils, too many to be now XIV. 
 
 enumerated, which are naturally confe- 
 
 "quent upon thefe libertine indulgences. 
 
 <"Who hath woe? who hath forrow ? 
 
 : tte who hath contentions ? who hath bab- 
 
 _|b bling ? who hath wounds without 
 
 f fl f caufe ? They that tarry long at the 
 
 " wine, they that go to feek mixt wine 
 
 " At the laft it biteth like a ferpent and 
 
 " ftingeth like an adder Thine eye fhall 
 
 -# behold ftrange women, and thine heart 
 
 " fhall utter perverfe things. Yea thou 
 
 "fhall -be- as he that lieth down in the 
 
 " midft of the fea, or as he that lieth 
 
 " "Upon- the top of a maft." * In fhort, * Pn. 23. 
 
 nothing is more manifeft', than that what * 9 ' 
 
 is ufually called a life of pleafure, by a 
 
 ftrange catachrefis and abufe of language, 
 
 is really a life of pain and wretchednefs j 
 
 and that men cannot enjoy the happinefs 
 
 for which they are defigned, confidered 
 
 only as animals, in its greateft height and 
 
 perfection, while they violate the laws of 
 
 virtue in the purfuit of it. - 
 
 RELIGION and virtue are alfo condu 
 cive to the felicity of life, as 'they gene 
 rally procure the efteem and good will of 
 men ; even of thofe,who have little or no 
 religion themfelves. They promote that 
 peace and good underftanding betwixt 
 N n 
 
Of *5t true 
 
 mafi and man,, in 'which happmefs 
 XIV. ^ very much confifts. "When a man's ways 
 pleafe the Lard, he maketh even his 
 " enemies to be at peace with him/' This 
 Is not, indeed, umverfelly the cafe. Ereh 
 OU-F bleffed Saviour .and his apoftles, wrere 
 %s much or more maligned by the worid; 
 than any other perfons who were ever in 
 iu_ Here were fome peculiar circumfian- 
 es : But in general it is xmqueftionably 
 true, that a religious and virtuous con^ 
 ^u6l a : 6tirats the good*wiH, a$d prociia*es 
 tJbre good ofSces of iartkind. r, A good 
 man is far lefs likely to get into tfbuble- 
 fome contentions and broils* and to have 
 enemies^ than .a proud, ambitious* cove 
 tous or Wrathful one. Daily obfervation 
 confirms this. And there are fome vir 
 tues, which have a more immediate aHij 
 direct tendency to coiuciliate the friendship 
 0f men ; to promote and to cftablifh that 
 good harmony which is fo conducive to 
 bappinefs : I mean thofe vktue^, which 
 ^e inore c%ecialliy alktded to in the te3$t - 
 Let him that would foe gwd % " fceep hi$ 
 " ^ongu^ifromevi^and his lips from fpeak- 
 ** teg gfle let him depart from evil, and 
 f 1 ik> good ; feek peace, and puriue it." 
 
 Iir feiaoreover, and indeed very'p&r- 
 ttcul^^r to bq oWerv^d, Thait inwar4 
 peace, oiid taraacjuilhy of mtiid, is not tq 
 
 be 
 
Ufe and End of Ufa &c. 49 * 
 
 be obtained: bu/t by the praftice of religion. 
 We are moral and accountable creatures ; XIY. 
 and have an immediate confcioufnefs and ^ -v * 
 ieeling of our being fo. And 'rill a man 
 has taken a fatal opiate, and laid his con- 
 fcience afleep > it will frequently call 
 him to a fevcre reckoning for his evil 
 deeds. It is an accufer, witnefs and judge : , 
 which he can .neither fly from, nor eafify 
 bribe. And how unhappy is that .man, 
 whofe own heart condemned! him ? who*, 
 inftead of being able to look up to his Ma 
 ker with confidence, cannot even look 
 himfelf in the face, without blufhing and 
 trembling ? This, in general, is the cafe 
 of wicked men ; there is no peace to them* 
 Even in their greateft profperity, they 
 are frequently difquieted by confcious 
 guilt,; and, in adveriity, that God, wbts> 
 is the " confidence of the ends of the 
 ". earth," is a terror to them. Thus are 
 they " like the troubled fea, when it canv 
 " not reft, whofe waters caft up miire 
 " and dirt/' f How different is theiitua- . 
 tion of the good man, at peace in hisxwh 20 . 
 bt'Caft, at peace with his maker ? in .pro 
 fperity, having all 'liis enjoyments heigh 
 tened by confcioua virtue and integrity^ 
 in adverfrty, having God for his refuge, 
 a very prefent help fin trouble, whfii 
 the help .3of iman is s^ain i Veriiyr- "" 'tte 
 N n a " work 
 
492 Of tie true Valtu Y 
 
 SERM. " work of righteoufnefs is peace ; and 
 XTV. " the effeft of righteoufnefs, quietnefs 
 
 ' L - I ~*~ nJ " and aflurance for ever. " But 
 
 RELIGION is more efpecially fruitful 
 of happinefs, as it gives the glorious pro- 
 fpeft of endlefs felicity in the world to 
 come. " We are the children of God, 
 " fays the Apoflle ; and if children, then 
 " heirs ; heirs of God, and joint heirs 
 " with Chrift For I reckon that the 
 " fufferings of this prefent time, are not 
 " worthy to be compared with the glory 
 
 * Rom. s. " which fhall be revealed in us." * With- 
 * 6 > out this hope of glory, honor and immor 
 tality, which good men, have thro' Him 
 that has abolifhed death, we might fay f 
 all things here below " Miferable com- 
 " forters are they all." What fatisfa&ion 
 can a confiderate man take in this world, 
 who knows that he has both a mortal bo 
 dy and an immortal foul, provided he has 
 noftable,fixedhope of a better life to come? 
 no hope, which is " as an anchor of th.e 
 *' foul, both fure and ftedfaft, entering 
 " into that which is within the vail ?" 
 Wicked men cannot have this hope ; or 
 at leaft, if they have it, it muft be by de 
 ceiving themfelves. And without it, one 
 would think that the various forrows and 
 fufferings of this prefent time, together 
 ;wuh the natural fears of death* muft bear 
 
 very 
 

 Ufe and End of Life, &c. 493 
 
 very hard upon a man's fpirits, leaving SERM. 
 but little room for mirth and joy : But XIV. 
 with it, all things are tolerable ; it 
 lightens every burden ; it inhances every 
 bleffing ; it mitigates every forrow ; it 
 gilds the moft gloomy fcenes of life ; and 
 is a perpetual cordial to the fainting foul. 
 It animates a good man, in every condi 
 tion ; it gives him ftrength to do, and re- 
 folution to bear all things. It delights at 
 home and abroad ; in company and in 
 folitude : It brightens our days, and f wee- 
 tens .our nightly flumbers. From youth 
 to age, it preferves the good in perfeft 
 peace, their minds being flayed upon 
 'God.- Thro* this, they are happy even 
 without thofe poiFeffions and enjoyments, 
 in which others place all their felicity ; fo 
 that " having nothing, they poffefs all 
 u things." It at once difarms both life 
 and death of their fling' and terrors O 
 blefled hope ! it is thou which turned' 
 mourning into gladnefs of heart, darknefs 
 into light, and death into life : It is thou 
 which turned the fufferings of time, into 
 the triumphs of immortality ; and caufed 
 us, even in this vale of tears, " to rejoice 
 " with joy unfpeakable, and full of glory !" 
 IT appears, then, that the practice of 
 religion tends naturally both to lengthen 
 out our lives, and to make them happy ; 
 
 and 
 
494 .: / truz 
 
 SERM* and th&t yice and irreligion 
 XIV. trary tendency, to fihortett, , .and make 
 them fiiiferable. But whjeiirj fpeafc of 
 jreligion as haying iuch a natural tended* 
 cy, this is not tfeiigned, by any means* 
 to exclude the providence, of God, his 
 care and guardian fhip of the, righteous-, 
 Things have no other tendency,than what 
 God himfelf has given; them : It is He that 
 has eftabliflied all their connexions,and who 
 cpnftantly maintains th^rn . by his power 
 and. providence, " working all in all." If 
 the lives of thofe who fear and ferve God^ 
 are prolonged ; or if fuch perfons fee more 
 good .than othei^, it] is becaufe " the eyes 
 " of the LOR -are: uppn the righteous, 
 " and his ears are open unto their cry.;" 
 as it is exprefled \\\ the text. On the other 
 hand, if the wicket! *dte in youth ; or if they 
 liye.^n 'unquiet ^.Jojlefe life, it is. hecaufe 
 ^ thie face of j:he 1 ;L'oR:D is agalnft tliem 
 ^--.jthat: do evil, to cm off the remembrance 
 " of dieti^from the earth ; " ras it is ex- 
 .prefled in the verfe immediately following* 
 Goicl's,pr0vidence is iitiinutdy concerned 
 iu^every -thing that rhappens to us := And 
 both the prayers of the righteous, and the 
 blafphemies f the wicked, are loud and 
 vocal la his ears. They Are heard ftsom 
 the depths of the earth to the haight of 
 Jieaveia, " gc>ing up fbrr ; a mciiaorial brfar^ 
 
 God " ; 
 
Ufe qnd End vf Life) &c. 495 
 
 Qod " ; the one for good, the other for ^BRM. 
 evil. And altho' this is not a ftate of XIV. 
 retribution, but of difcipline ; yet God 
 even now knoweth them that are hfe,and 
 fhews them his peculiar favour ; while he; 1 . 
 in fome degree, chaitizes the impious and 
 yicious, in the courfe of his providence. 
 He has a&ually connected our duty and 
 our happinefs together,even in this world ;' 
 at leaft fa far as to raanifeft, that He is the' 
 righteous moral governor of the world y 
 and that They alone can be happy, who* 
 truly fear him, and work righteoufnafs. > 
 Irreligious, ditlblute men, may flatter and 
 deceive themfclves, if they pleafe : But 
 even tbey^ in their lucid intervals, know, 
 that this is true It' is the immutable de** 
 cree of heaven, that none fhall find their 
 account, even at pcefent, in departing 
 from the living God ; from the w foantaia 
 " of living waters" ! They may, indeed, 
 hiew out unto themfelves cifterns ; butthey 
 will prove leaky, " broken ciiteras^ which 
 " can hold no water " ; which will not 
 retain- a 'drop of pure, unadulterated hap- 
 piiieife ; but tranfmit it all thro', leaving 
 only the fcum, the dregs, and the filth 
 behind- That foolifti prodigal who 
 leaves his Father's houie, " where there 
 u is bread enough, and to fpare," tho' lie 
 "_ would foia fill bis beEy with the hulks > 
 
 (< which 
 
496 Of the true Falue r 
 
 SERM. which the fwine do eat, " fhall frill re~ 
 XIV. main unfatisfied : He fhall even " perifli 
 
 w ith hunger" in a ftrange land, unlefs 
 he comes to himfelf ; unlefs he " arifes 
 "-. and goes to his Father." Then, and not 
 till then, fhall he know what happinefs 
 means, when his Father fhall fay " Bring 
 " forth the beft robe, and put it on him, 
 " and put a ring on his hand, and fhoes 
 " on his feet ; and bring hither the fatted 
 *: calf and kill it ; and let us eat and be 
 " merry : For this my fon was dead, and 
 " is alive again ; he was loft and is 
 " found." In fuch 'language as this, He 
 who came tofeekandjojavetb-at 'which 'was 
 loft, rcprefents the mifery of thofe who 
 are " far from God ;" togetii'er with their 
 happinefs upon -their return to Him : 
 Which defcription, tho* 'tis allegorical, is 
 neither the lefs intelligible,^ nor the lefs 
 emphatical. 
 
 BUT I muft now clofe this fubjeft with 
 fome reflections, as was propofed. 
 
 THOSE perfons who have already at 
 tained to old age, agreably to their wifhes 
 in youth, have great caufe of thankfulnefs 
 to the God of their lives. It is becaufe 
 they have obtained help from Him, that 
 they yet furvivc. This, as has been al 
 ready fhown,is a great favour and bleffing; 
 if not on account of any happinefs of a 
 
 worldly 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 497 
 
 worldly nature, yet, at leaft, inrefpeft o 
 the opportunity which length of days XIV. 
 gives men, for acquainting themfelves * -v^ 
 with God, and providing for their eternal 
 welfare. And certainly thofe who are 
 thus favoured of heaven, ought to return 
 their grateful acknowledgments thither. 
 
 THOSE ofusalfo, whofe friends, efpe- 
 cially whofe Parents ( commonly our beft 
 friends ) are preferred to old age, ought 
 to blefs God upon this account. It de- ^ 
 mands our gratitude, both as it is a fa 
 vour to them, whom we ought to efteem 
 and reverence, and alfo to ourielves. The 
 young need- the counfels, the admoni 
 tions, and good example of the aged : 
 And ought to look upon it as a great 
 blefling of heaven, when their pious pa 
 rents are thus preferved to them. But iu- 
 ftead hereof, fome ungracious children 
 feem to think it a burden and misfortune 
 to them, when thofe, from whom they 
 immediately derived their own being, live 
 to a great age ; having their tho'ts more 
 fixed, probably, upon an 'earthly, than 
 upon an heavenly inheritance. But it 'is 
 certainly very inconfiftent with the honor 
 which we owe to our Father and Mother, 
 that our oiun days may be long in the world, 
 to think the time long and tedious till 
 *Tbey are taken out of "it. And a.ll fiicji 
 O o dif- 
 
 
498 Qf the true 
 
 difrefpe&ful, undutiful children, tetter 
 XIV. deferve the title of baftards than of forts, 
 could it be given them without an impli 
 cit reflection upon thofe, for whom they 
 0-Ught to have a greater -regard and reve 
 rence; He whofe bread is warmed with 
 true filial piety, will be defirous of pro- 
 trafting the life of his parents as long as 
 niay be ^ teui of rendering, age and infir 
 mities- as Supportable and agreeble to them 
 as r he r can, even after he can no longer 
 expeft to receive any confiderable benefit 
 from them. The death of a parent will 
 always rather feem too early ,than too long 
 deferred, in the opinion of fuch perfons. 
 However,- they will alfo remember, that 
 men are born to die ; and fubmiffively 
 bear the feparating ftroke^ when it comes : 
 Knowing, that the' Father and Mother 
 forfake them, they have a Father in 1 . hea 
 ven, eternal and immortal, tho' inviiible ; 
 and whofe paternal care is exercifed over 
 all 'his offspring ; efpecially over thofe who 
 -f'ichave received the fpirit of adoption, 
 8. * - whereby we cry, Abba, Father !" f 
 ; "But to proceed with oar reflexions . 
 
 IT deferves the ferious confideratioft of 
 Mgedy whether they Imve iived fo 
 p^urpofe ? whether they 
 gfv^n I tfceir attention to the great 
 made fuch an improve 
 ment 
 
Ufe and End of Lifejf&cc. 49 g 
 
 ment of their time, that they can give a SERM* 
 good account of it to God, when he calls XIV. 
 them to appear before Him ? 'Which time 
 is now near at hand, even at the door ; 
 ;fii}e they cannot expert to fur rive much 
 longer. It becomes not One, who is him- 
 felf young, to be very officious in cate- 
 chifing or counfelling the Old : But, me- 
 thinks, if I were myfelf old, I ihould. judge 
 it proper to catechife myfelf, income fuch 
 manner as this How have I employed 
 tliofe years which have rolled over my 
 head ? how demeaned myfelf under that 
 goodnefs, forbearance and long-ftiffering, 
 which God has exercifed towards me ?. 
 Have I confidered life as the gift and 
 bleffing of God, to be employed chiefly 
 in learning his will, in acquainting myfelf 
 with his Son Jefus Chrift, and in doing 
 his commandments, in -order to my " ha- 
 " ving right to eat of the tree of life"? 
 Have I glorified God in the world ? 
 and laid myfelf out, to be ferviceable 
 to my fellow men, in the improve 
 ment of the talents committed to me ? 
 Has it been my daily care and concern to 
 approve myfelf to Him, who fearcheth 
 the hearts of men ; and who will finally 
 " give to every man according to his 
 " deeds " ? Has the falvation of my To vd 
 been the grand objeft of jny attention, -as 
 O o 2 almoft 
 
500 Of tie true Value^ 
 
 almoft the only thing that is worthy of it ? 
 Have all other defires and purfuits been 
 habitually fnbordinated to this ? What 
 proficiency in true goodnefs and holinefs 
 have I made, during this long probatio 
 nary ftate ? Have I gained the niaftery'of 
 my lufts and paffions ; and, thro the 
 Spirit, mwtified the deeds of the body, fo 
 that I am now prepared to leave that 
 world, in which I have lived fo long ? 
 How many of my contemporaries are al 
 ready numbered with the dead ; while 
 I am ftill among the living ? Where 
 fhould I now have been, had God taken 
 me out of the world in middle age, or in 
 youth, with them ? in the paradife of 
 God, or in the regions of woe! Suchqucf- 
 tions as. thefe feem proper for every aged 
 perfon to put to himfelf. Nor 'is it to be 
 doubted,but that many could truly anfwer 
 them, in the manner, in which no one 
 could help wifhing them refolved for 
 himfelf ; :all being defirous, whenever 
 they die, to " die the death of the righ- 
 " teous." But, alas 1 is there not reafoii 
 to think, that fome could not anfwer 
 fuch inquiries to their fatisfaftion ? Is 
 there not reafon to fear, that many have 
 fpent their days in a very different man 
 ner? in purfuing the vanities of this world; 
 vruhout any ferious, habitual concern a 
 
 bout 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c> 501 
 
 bout another ? And that even now, when SERM. 
 gray hairs are here and thereupon them, XIV. 
 they confider it not ? I would obferve ' ~~^ 
 the apoftle's direction, " not rebuking an 
 " Elder, but intreating him as a Father, 
 " and the younger men as brethren." Let 
 me befeech the Aged, with all due refpeft, 
 to look both backward and forward ; to 
 refled: upon the life which they have al 
 ready lived, and altnoft fpent ; and to 
 confider that other life and ftate, which 
 they are fo foon to enter upon, according 
 to the common courfe of nature. Poffibly 
 fome of them may, upon a little reflexion, 
 fee that tho' they have lived fo long, 
 they have not lived to fo good purpofe as 
 they might have done : And others, that 
 they have not yet lived to any good pur 
 pofe at all ; but neglected the grand bufi- 
 nefs and concernment of life, 'till life is 
 now almoft brought to a period. It there 
 are any of them, who have not yet num 
 bered their days aright, nor applied their 
 hearts to wifdom, it behoves them to do 
 it now, and to redeem the time. Their 
 days which now remain may, probably, in 
 one fenfe, be very eafily numbered ! 
 
 THERE is fcarce a more melancholly 
 fight to a perfon of fober reflexion, than 
 a man who is juft dropping into his grave 
 with old age, {till tho'tlefs of God, and 
 
 another 
 
562 Of the true Falue^ \3 
 
 SERM, another Hate. It is matter of great grief 
 XIV. to the wife and good, to fee the Young 
 
 * -v ' thus inconfiderate ; thus forgetful cf the 
 God that made them ; thus regardlefs <rf 
 their future intereft : But to lee the Aged 
 fo, is much more forrowful. There is 
 confiderable ground to hope, that the 
 Young may live to fee the error of -their 
 ways, and become wife unto fah*ation. 
 But when, life is already, in a manner, run 
 out ; when men have, -as- it were, one foot 
 in the grave ; and are ftill purfuing vatii- 
 ty, ftraws and bubbles, with all the tho't- 
 1-efs levity and wantonnefs of youth ; therfc 
 is, alas! but little ground for hope with re- 
 fpecl: to them. If thdr cafe is not quite 
 defperate, it is not far from being fo. And 
 furely thofe who have Ipent a long life in 
 fm and folly, muft have a much more aw 
 ful account to give of themfelves at laft, 
 than they who have fpent only a fhort one 
 in the feme manner. They have " beap- 
 
 * James $. " eel itreafu re together for the laft days /'* 
 3- a f ^ treafure of wrath againft the day of 
 
 t Rom.?** wrath/' f Altho' length of days, con 
 s' fidered with reference to the true ends of 
 life, is a great blefling ; yet thofe who 
 thus mifimprove it, convert it into the 
 heavieft of curfes : And good were it for 
 thofe who thus become old in iniquity, 
 and die therein, if they had died in youth ; 
 
 yea, 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 503 
 
 yea, if they had paffed away like an nn- SERM* 
 timely birth ! XIV. 
 
 BUT this fubjeft muft now be applied 
 to the Young, to whom, indeed,^ it moil 
 properly belongs My Brethren, do you 
 * defire life, and love many days, that 
 " you may fee good ?" I know you de- 
 fire it. Hearken then to the coimfel of 
 divine wifdom: " Keep your tongues from 
 " evil, and your lips from fpeaking guile ; 
 " depart from evil and do good" > Be 
 afllired from reafon, from the experience 
 of others,, and efpecially from the infalli 
 ble word of God, that that long life and 
 happinefs, of which you are fo defirous, 
 cannot be wifely and fuccefsfully fought 
 after in any other courfe, than that of fo- 
 ber religion and virtue. The Young are 
 generally hard to be perfuaded of this 
 truth, however certain, and however im 
 portant it is to them, both with relation 
 to this world and another, to time and to 
 eternity. They pleafe themfelves with 
 falfe notions of happinefs ; of an happinefs 
 independent of God, the fource of all be 
 ing, of all good; of happinefs in the a- 
 bundance which a man poflefleth; of hap 
 pinefs in worldly honors and preferments; 
 of happinefs in a fenfual courfe of life. 
 All thefe imaginations, depend upon it, 
 if God is true, are mere delufions of the 
 
 f y V Devil, 
 
 J 
 
504 Of the true Value ^ 
 
 SERM, Devil, both God's enemy and your's. To 
 XIV. purfue happinefs thus, to the negleft of 
 God and your fouls, isamoft certain, in 
 fallible way, to make yourfelves miferable; 
 miferable in fome degree now, and in- 
 conceiveably fo hereafter. And by ta 
 king fuch a courfe you will, probably, 
 fhorten thofe lives which you love fo well, 
 and which were given you for far nobler 
 purpoies. " O that you were wife, : that 
 " you understood this, that you would 
 confider your latter end f"f For o- 
 therwife, you will only weary yourfelves 
 in feeking felicity,*, where it is not to be 
 found.; inftead of feeking it in God, and 
 in his fervice, where none ever fought it, 
 and miffed of it. Doft thpu think that 
 religion is a melancholly, joylefs thing ? 
 Doft thou think we would rob thee of 
 thy happinefs, under the appearance of 
 friendfhip ? Doft thou think there is no 
 true happinefs, but in wealth and equipage ? 
 i& earthly fplendor, and fenfual gratifica- 
 cations ? Is thy heart thus attached to toys 
 ^w-and vanities ? Alas ! thy guardian * An- 
 10. g e i \ireeps Over thee, ready to refign his 
 charge, fearing left he does not now 
 minifter to One, who fhall be an heir of 
 fe^ation'^:^; Yea, He who was -once 
 1. 14. made < a little lower dan the angels for thy 
 Ji^lemptic^i, but is now crowned 'with gk- 
 
 r? 
 
Ufe and End of Life -, &c. 505 
 
 ry and honor ^ and ivorjhipped by them ; f SERM. 
 even He, could grief enter the heavenly XIV. 
 manfions, would weep over thee, as he V^"^ 
 once wept over Jerufakm ! J Yea, His Fa- f chap, i ! 
 ther and your Father, His God and your ( 
 God, is moved with pity for thee, faying, 4U I9 * 
 " How (hall I give thee up ! -how fliall 
 " I deliver thee ! Mine heart is turned 
 " within me, my repentings are kindled 
 " together ! M * * 
 
 THO' you may now, for want of con- 
 fideration and experience, think you can, 
 be happy without being truly religious 
 and virtuous ; yet all the wife and good 
 men who have gone before you, have born 
 their united teftimony, at the clofe of life, 
 to the emptinefs and vanity, and vexatious 
 nature of thofe things, which you are fo 
 apt to fet your hearts upon ; and from 
 which you promife yourfelves felicity. 
 Have they not all declared, at a time 
 when they could have no temptation to 
 deceive us, that they could never find 
 any fubftantial good or fatisfa&ion, in 
 thefe things ? Have they not, at the fame 
 time, born witnefs to the excellency of 
 religion ? to the folid peace, comfort, 
 and joyful hope, refulting therefrom ? 
 Have they not declared, that their real 
 happinefs arofe, in the courfe of their lives, 
 not in proportion to their wealth, honors, 
 P p and 
 
 
ttju& Ifiatiiej 
 
 SB RH. and fenfual indulgences, but in pro A 
 \ XRTZ tipn to thei^ care : to pleafe God, ahfl to 
 ^ Ch * v *"* J 1 "ck>' J*3od in the wqrld ? Have not rt 
 v^fibHdv^ Kadi much niore 
 
 \^ : hat. it is in the -^bw^'pf J -rfehes, 
 
 ly honors; aind pleafures, to give 
 
 taries, than any efUs can evdf^xpeft to 
 
 Jiare ?^-haV not thfe Lords - of- Millions, 
 
 t td gr^at -' 
 
 kings and potentates, as well as : 6l 
 lower life, bo:rn r this teftimony ? Hkve 
 not wife and good men, near the clofe 
 of life> t : hb/t that warnings and admqni^ 
 tions of ; this fort, were -the molt ; Vd!ria i bfe i 
 kigady tMy Gbxtld lea^ tt>, their 6fispringj ; 
 and iurvivintf friends ?- to :l tTiem-V ; 4fho"m ; 
 
 C3 ^ 
 
 they wore fbTaf/ffom Envying any thihg; 
 truly good, that they -loved 'them .as their 
 6wri fcyrfs ? Sh4ll ^v\%-{iay :; iib i^g^ixl 6 
 tte^experienc^^rid teftirnbiiy 6f fb great a 
 cloud of ivitneffesi wh(b being dead y^t 
 fpeak ; exhorting vis-tb be .followers of 
 em, who already' -inherit the- fro 
 
 from heaven ori'purpojfe to^tfide 
 
 thither >? -evri Him Xvlib Ms 
 
 tapoh you, and tearri bf 
 
 ^fe^.B9<fl^?!6f5i^ft9 
 
 ^ 
 
 ll>29> -^-Him wlio has faid, M My peace!/ give* 
 
 ** unto 
 
Ufe and End of Life, &c. 5 -$y 
 
 " unto you ; not as the world giveth, 
 " give I unto you : Let not your heart XIV. 
 " be troubled, neither let it be afraid ?"f 
 Shall we feek for happinefs in this world, 27. 
 where none ever yet found it ? Or where 
 none, who properly feek it, feek it in vain ? 
 Happy are they, who learn wifdom from 
 the miitakes and follies of others ! 'Be 
 ware of the rocks upon which fo many 
 thoufands have been fhipwfeck'd, and 
 wholly deftroyed. Some who have run 
 upon them, have, indeed, been fo hap 
 py as to get off' again : And they have 
 kindly fet up their beacons and landmarks 
 for the direction of thofe, who were to 
 fail-after them upon the fea of life ; where 
 there is many a Scylla and Charybdis, and 
 as many enchanting Syrens to draw us to 
 them. We have, befides thofe landmarks, 
 an heavenly Pilot : Who, then, will pity 
 us, if we refuie to be directed by him ; and 
 will run upon certain deffruftion ? .Even 
 He that made us, 'will not have mercy upon 
 its ; and be that formed us, ivill fiew us ho 
 favour ! . ' 
 
 IF wedefire to live long ; if, to paft 
 thro' the prefent fcene with comfort ; if, 
 to die in peace in a good old age ; arid if, 
 to live and triumph forever in that glorU- 
 ous ftate, where thetfe is neither an infant 
 of days, nor an hoary head-; if this -bS 
 P p 2 our 
 
508 Of the true Value* 
 
 SERM. our defire, let us devote ourfelves, in the 
 XIV. days of our youth, to the fervice of our 
 g reat allc i g OO d Creator. We may then 
 hope that thofe words will be verified in 
 us, " Thou lhalt come to thy grave in a 
 " full age, like as a fhock of corn cometh 
 " in, in his feafon. Lo this, we have 
 " fearched it, fo it is ; hear it, and know 
 
 3 5. " thoil it FOR THY GOOD,"* 
 
 * 7 ' I N fine . Let all bear in mind the great 
 end of life ; and let us all, young men and 
 maidens, old men and children, praife the 
 name of the Lord ; ferving the God of 
 our Fathers, with a perfect heart, and 
 with a ready mind. Tho' religion allows 
 us, while we live here, to be converfant 
 about our fecular affairs ; and altho' even 
 fome good men often give a great part of 
 their attention to this world, (indeed much 
 more than they ought to do) yet it is ef- 
 fential to the Chriftian character, that a 
 man's heart and hope are habitually in 
 heaven. The Mariner's needle, when du 
 ly touched by the magnet, has a direction 
 arid tendency to the North : And tho' it 
 may be difturbed, fo that it will tremble 
 and waver for a time betwixt the two 
 poles, or even feem to incline mail to 
 the fouth ; will yet fix and come to a 
 ftand, only where it ought to do. Thus 
 the foul of a good man, being thoroughly 
 
 touch* 
 
r 
 
 Ufe and End of Life, &c . 509 
 
 touched by the fpirit of the living God, SERM. 
 will ever tend towards Him, and point to XIV. 
 heaven. Tho' it may be difturbed by at- 
 tradlions from below ; and waver for a 
 moment betwixt God and the world, or 
 even feem to incline more to earth than 
 heaven ; yet it will come to a ftand, and 
 fix, towards no other point in the hemif- 
 phere befides theZf////A; whither He, who 
 once defcended,is again afcended, even far 
 above all principality and power; whither 
 He is gone to prepare a place, a fafe re 
 treat from the ftorms and difturbances of 
 this impure, inclement region, for all his 
 faithful fervants ; that it/heretic is, they may 
 be al/o, and behold his glory. If the great 
 end of life is anfwered ; if we truly know 
 God and Jelbs Chrift ; if we are "accoun- 
 " ted worthy to obtain T\H A T world, and 
 " the refurredlion from the dead ;" it is 
 not very material whether we die in youth, 35- 
 or in advanced age. The death of thofe 
 who live the longeft, is fadly premature, 
 if they die in fin and folly : It is, in the 
 worft of fenfes, to die before our time, 
 to be taken out of this world unprepared 
 for another, unlefs it is by being fitted for 
 deftru&ion, and becoming ripe for ven 
 geance ! On the other hand, the death 
 of thofe who live the fhorteft fpace, can 
 not well be faid to be premature, provi- 
 
 elect 
 
\ 
 
 5*% 
 
 S &&MP, ded ftbejr 
 Xjyk t^p be ; ;fa > 
 Vrf?v? old, froS 
 
 t truly -wife andv -v 
 
 ene&:> to >be 
 e t { And feme; 
 
 wbi(ph old sg^ is often a 
 t yp.il 
 
 liair uiirta 
 
 .' -q 
 
 t nc:jm ja^rnour ^nonrfn ar 
 ;till^j^^ \\i&t : ^n^vi3t fiAtij!^! 
 
 II .Xn'4. .."' 
 
 *r if :I> E E '"$ 
 
 'vfcifti ' lii iliiioh '. i -u' -; . [>i)Cin>vi> ni 10 
 
 " 1 * 
 
 ; - : ' 
 
 : ' 
 ' 
 
 ^A- . j __ 
 
 adi nO M. 
 
 'j OVil Oa7/^f 
 
 
 
**--*> *--*> *-*> 4-* *--*" *-**-*> *-*-* 
 
 2f TO*/? material ERRATA <?//<? Prc/} ; /&?/* in the pointing, 
 and tvenfms in tbefpelling, being omitted. 
 
 Page, Llne t Read, 
 
 13 13 effectual means &c. 
 
 1 6 12 from the bot. by others heretofore. 
 
 25 8 bot. terreftrial &c. 
 
 3 1 3 difciple above his Lord Arc. 
 
 32 4 not be the word &c. 
 
 35 i marginal note paflage &c. 
 
 36 10 to better &c. 
 
 45 3 one and another &c. 
 
 58 7 bot. do&rine &c. 
 
 59 3 bot. eclipfe all the mental &c. 
 
 60 i infufceptiblc &c. 
 
 65 1 1 be made truly good &c. 
 
 71 14 bot. reafonably &c. 
 
 7612 at the fame time &c. 
 
 79 9 bot. men in j in order &c. 
 
 87 9 they call &c. 
 
 88 10 flaftiy &c. 
 
 101 3 bot. than the whole current &c, 
 
 105 3 inconfiderable foever &c. 
 
 107 6 confiftency &c. 
 
 113 i reafonings &c. 
 
 121 7 were not &c. 
 
 131 13 & 14. bot. many things which &c, 
 
 1 39 8 & 9 bot. mail actually &c. 
 
 141 5 internal fandity &c. 
 
 142 2 bot. to a great &c. 
 167 14 bot. than God &c. 
 243 2 bot. ofien faid by &c. 
 2^1 4 abideth &c. 
 286 1 1 that there is &c. 
 
 318 14 receive it from the &c^ 
 
 325 15 marg. note bot. guilty as to &c.,,^ 
 
 327 20 marg. note bot. the term law &c. 
 
 349 15 bot. reafonably look &c. 
 
 363 7 good men &c. 
 
 377 5 bot. Is it not &c. 
 
 389 9 bot. SECONDLT, to confider See. 
 
 400 n bot. diftrufted yourfelf &c. 
 
 412 3 every man &c. 
 
 472 ult, Marg, voudroit &c. 
 
 7 their original &c. 
 
b. 
 
 
 . 
 
 i 
 
 ;s 
 
 
 " 
 
 .s 
 
 "-mi 
 
 --4;8 : 
 
 
 r