lamentable, that we do not maintain good works more than we do? It is evident that many among us do not practise good works; for where do we see our people "deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, as the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, and which bath appeared to us, teacheth?" as the apostle speaks, Titus ii. 11, 12. In whom do we see that separating of themselves from the world, that strict godliness, that holy resignation to the Lord, to do his will in all things, that heavenly mindedness, and that hearty love to God and his people? the most do not know the model, the pattern of these things. Is it not true, hearers? it is surely evident for

:

1. Many, like the Antinomians, look upon it to be unnecessary to do good works; why, think they, are they necessary? and they will, though not with words, yet with deeds, justify the Papists, who say, that if we be saved without any merit of our own, of grace through Christ, we need not then do good works It is as though we did works which had been done already, Are there any whọ look upon good works to be necessary, who separate themselves from the generality, "let their light shine, and do something more than others," according to the commands of Christ, Matt. v. 16, 46, 47, they presently cry out against such persons, as Pharisees, hypocrites, and legalists with the wicked Jews, "they sport themselves, they make a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue," Isaiah Ivii. 4. Do ye then in this manner think to break the yoke, and to burst the bonds, which God hath laid on you, in order to bind you to him, and his service? is Christ in this manner become the minis ter of sin, that he may procure you freedom to practise iniquity; will ye in this manner continue in sin, that grace may abound, and de evil, that good may come? "Your damnation is just," saith Paul, Rom. iii. 8. It is shameful, that ye will not do good works yourselves; but it is particularly abominable, that ye endeavour to dis charge yourselves from your obligation to do them; and it is still worse that ye oppose those who do them. What have ye to do. among us, who urge the necessity of good works, according the word of God? and why do ye not join the Antinomians, for ye are of one mind with them? Rather suffer yourselves to be instructed and see with concern how far ye have swerved in your apprehensions and conduct from the doctrine of truth, which is according to godliness.

2. But others will say, we for our parts know better; we look upon good works to be necessary. I allow that ye do; ye have a thorough and excellent knowledge of the doctrine of truth, and can

defend it manfully, ye can stop the mouths of the Papists, and can confound the Antinomians. But do ye- also do good works? what are they? are ye weaned from the world, and from your own inclinations, and are ye dead to your lusts? is God the great object of your pursuits? do ye strive to do his will? where is your lowliness, your humility? how doth your love to your neighbour appear? do ye show yourselves meek, courteous, gentle, friendly, and ready to forgive the shame, the loss, and the pain, which ye suffer from wick. ed men? In what respect doth your light shine? in respect to your apparel, demeanour and discourse? We do not see it, but we should see it, if it did shine. Notwithstanding all your civility, ho esty, devotion, and liberality to the poor; your earthly mindedness, selfseeking, dissoluteness, pride and alienation from God still ap. pear in all your doings. Yea, how many are there, who, though they have been taught better, are guilty of wicked works! I mean you, ye irreligious persons, violators of the name and day of God: you who indulge yourselves in hatred, envy, anger, revenge, lasciviousness, gluttony, drunkenness, voluptuousness, falsehood and de ceit; yea, as though ye had quitted yourselves well, who "declare your sins like Sodom," with the Jews, Isaiah iii. 9. Are not these abominable sins? and do ye not aggravate them to the utmost, when ye practise them against your better knowledge? "To him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin," as James speaks, James iv. 17. Do ye not dishonour God among the enemies of the truth? do ye not occasion that the way of truth, yea, that "the name of God is blasphemed on your account, as it is written?" Rom. ii. 17-24. Ye cannot imagine that ye will be saved, if ye proceed in this way: "Your own mouth condemns you, and not I," may I say with Eliphaz, Job. xv. 6. Ye certainly do not exhibit any evidence, that Christ hath redeemed you, and delivered you by his blood; ye have not yet been renewed after his image. Or do ye think to escape destruction by "saying Lord, Lord, without doing the will of your Father?" Jesus will reject you, according to Matt. vii. 21, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them," saith the Saviour, John xiii. 17. But "the servant who knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes," thus speaks also your great Judge, Luke xii. 47.

Alas! friends, look well to yourselves, that ye may escape the wrath to come. Descend into yourselves, behold your abominable disposition and conduct: think seriously of your immortal souls, the importance of eternal salvation and damnation, break off your iniqui

ties, and “work the work of God, believing on him, whom he hath sent," John vi. 29 So ye will escape the damnation of hell, and be able, yea, willing to do good works.

В my we not take up a amentation for some of those who are delivered, on account of their unbecoming conduct, and say, Lam. iv. 2 "The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!" Where O believers, is your former and first walking with God, the love of your espousals, your resignation to the Lord, in order to serve him, your tenderness, and carefulness not to conduct yourselves unbecomingly, and that hearty love to good men? men can scarcely conceive any more what this means, they have declined so far from it. The world hath taken away their heart, their sins, which had been smothered a long time, begin to revive, and how many sinful emotions, and evil inclinations are entertained and winked at their heartiness, liveliness and vigour are abated; when they will exert themselves, and " shake themselves," they experience, like Samson, too late, Judges xvi. 20, 21, that "the Lord is departed from them." and that the infernal Philistines have seized on them," and with Paul, that they are "brought into captivity to the law of sin, which is in their members," Rom. vii. 23. And so the soul becomes discouraged, a burthen to herself, and to others, yea, even to the Lord, and she reproaches his name: "Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy Father, that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and establish ď thee?" Deut. xxxii. 6. Hear what "he, who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, and who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks," saith to you also, Rev. ii. 1, 4, 5. I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Therefore, as Paul admonisheth, Heb. xii. 12. 13, 14. "Lift up the bands which hang down, and the feeble knees. And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow after peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."

Come then, ye sluggish persons, let me arouse and persuade you; yea, you also, whose souls glow with zeal to strive for perfection, that ye may be urged the more to "run and not be weary, to walk and not faint," Isaiah xl. 31. (a) Is not the Lord worthy to be feared, loved, served and obeyed by you? hath he not deserved it at your

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hands by all his favours? hath not the Saviour made you ple," by purchasing you with his blood, that ye might be " zealous of good works?" according to the text? doth it not then become you to be thankful to him? yea, have ye not surrendered yourselves to him, and bound yourselves, as it were, with an oath, like David, "to keep his righteous judgments?" Psalm cxix. 106. Will ye not now perform your oath? (b) Is there aught that is sweeter, more delightful, or that can rejoice the soul more? Ye know experimen tally that the life of God, and doing his will, is the life, the element, the meat, drink, and sound health of your souls; "It is joy to the just o do judgment," saith the wisest of kings, Prov. xxi. 15. David saith of himself, Psalm cxix. 14. "I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches." And cannot each of you believers, bear witness of himself in truth, with the great Paul, Rom, vii. 22. "I delight in the law of God after the inward man?” On the contrary, what bitterness, vexation, restlessness and continual perturbation is there in sin! How often must ye complain, with David, Psalm xxxviii. 3, 4, 18. "There is no rest in my bones, because of my sin; for mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burthen they are too heavy for me. I am distressed on account of my sin." Do not then embrace your own sorrow, but delight in living strictly and circumspectly to the Lord. (c) If your holy living to God should not profit your souls in the least, would ye not still reckon it your happiness? how much more should ye then be urged to live such a life now, when "in keeping God's command ments there is a great reward?" Psalm xix. 11. "The Lord will not be sought in vain," Isaiah xlv. 9 "He will not suffer you to shut the doors of his house, nor kindle fire on his altar for nought," Mal. i. 10. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do yet minister," saith Paul, Heb. vi. 10. He bestows for "a cup of cold water, which we give to his little ones," a great and a sure reward, Matt. x. 42 Is it not true? ye know that when the soul endeavours to do his will, she acquires a glorious conformity to his image, 2 Cor iii. 18, that your heart becomes established, that your soul is enlightened, and obtains an undoubted assurance; that "the Father and the Son love you," and manifest it by "revealing themselves to you, and by coming to you, and making their abode with you," as the Lord Jesus promise th, John xiv. 21, 23. Would ye not "convert a sinner from the errour of his way, save a soul from death and hide a multitude of sins?" as the apostle speaks, James v. 20, would ye not at least excite

Christians, who are become remiss? surely ye would. Ye cannos. do this better than by a manly activity in doing good works; and to whom will "God render eternal life? will he not to them, who by a patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, and honour, and immortality?" Rom. ii. 7,

Have ye therefore a desire to bestir and exert yourselves to do good works. (a) Let then your eternal obligation to the Lord, and all the reasons of duty, which we have mentioned, impress your souls; "Hearken, O daughter, and consider, incline thine ear, forget alsó thy father's house, and thine own people: so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty; for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him," Psalm xlv. 10, 11. This would retain you always under the bond and yoke of discretion; therefore bind yourselves frequently to serve the Lord, and say with the man after God's own heart, "O Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant," Psalm cxvi. 16. (b) Endeavour to watch and to keep your hearts, and outward senses and members; for these often mislead and seduce the soul, and detach her from her strictness; "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eye-lids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left; remove thy feet from evil," Prov. iv. 23-27. Beware of looking at evil examples, especially of persons, who are eminently pious; for these are powerful means of seduction. When Peter dissembled, the other Jews dissembled likewise, so that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation," Gal. ii. 11, 12, 13. (c) Depend upon Christ, as your pattern, and imitate him, Eph. v. 1, 2. For this end he suffered and acted in every respect in a holy manner, 1 Peter ii. 21-24. Look upon him as "made sanctification to you," 1 Cor. i. 30, and seek that help which is laid on him," Psalm lxxxix. 19. (d) "Reach forth and press toward perfection," with Paul, Philip. iii. 12, 13, 14. (e) Do ye fall, lie not still through discouragement, but rise up again repeatedly. See Jer. viii. 4. (f) Be not satisfied with one good work, but "be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and the praise of God," agreeably to the admonition of the apostle, Phil. i. 11. "Give all diligence to add to your faith virtue," &c. 2 Peter i. 5-11. Yea, see that all your actions are good, doing them in the name of Jesus, and to the glory of God, according to Col. iii. 18. 1 Cor. x. 31. (g) Perform not good works by any means from a slavish fear, or in order to have a claim on God.