with law (or authoritative prescription) for our fubmiffive conformity thereto; without which the grace will not fave us. We must obferve therefore,

I. Though the great God has fent his Son to redeem us, yet the defign of that redemption is to rescue us from fin and restore us to God. To rescue us from the love of fin, and from our averfion to God. Now in our found repentance of and for fin, this facred rescue begins. Therein we begin to loath our impieties, and ourselves for them; and to lament after the Lord. This repentance must be preach'd, wherever the news of this redemption comes. The Redeemer himself would preach it. Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And there is no entrance into the kingdom without it. I tell ye, except ye repent, ye shall all likewife perish. The Redeemer himself will not exempt impenitent fouls from ruin and deftruction. There must be no pretence then to remiffion of fins, or ftate of falvation, by the hardened and impenitent in tranfgref fion. Now this repentance will humble the spirit of man, and abase him before God; will fink his pride and vanity, and teach him to esteem and improve the grace that is fet before him.

II. Though the Son of God has made a kind atonement for us, yet he justly expects to be received and embraced by us, in order to the Ends of his atonement. He is fet forth to be a propitiation thro' faith in his blood. In this faith our hearts cleave to him, to be wash'd from all our fin in his blood,and to be presented pure and spotless to the Father, thro' him. Without this faith in him, we are secluded from the pardoning, juftifying efficacy of his death and redemption; and fo must continue under the legal guilt of our fins. He that believeth on the Son (intrufts himself and his foul-affairs with the Son) bath everlasting life (is intituled thereto by the Son, on whom he hath believed); But he that believeth not the Son (nor will truft him in the appointed way to life) fhall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (a) Wo then to the unbelieving foul! How will he be able to bear the wrath of God! Who then fhall venture to conceit himself exemp (4) John. iii. 32.

ted

ted from the wrath of God, as long as he he believes not on the Son of God! And where this faith is, it will purify the heart, and present it unto the Lord Chrift. He dwells in the heart by faith; and where he dwells, he reigns. In vain do any pretend to faith in Chrift, that allow not him to reign and govern.

III. As there is an intimate union between the Father and Son ; so they ineffably love each other, and will fuftain each others honour. The Father loves the Son, and hath committed all judgment to him, and will not pardon or juftify any that kifs not the Son; or make not obey fance to him; but will make his enemies his footftool. The Son loves the Father, and will not forgive thofe that are impenitent towards God. The law of God alfo (though made up into the covenant of Grace) is in the Mediator's hand, which he delivers to all his believers, as their rule and way to life. And he fays to them, Be ye followers of God, as dear children! Be not conformed to this world, but be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, that ye may prove (and approve) what is the good and perfect and acceptable will of God. To them that are contentious (with the rule of religion) and obey not the truth; but obey unrighte ousness, (to them shall be repaid) indignation and wrath; tribulation and anguish upon every foul of man, that doth evil; of the Jew first, and alfo of the Gentile. With this holy Lord there will be no respect of perSons.

IV. It is here also enacted, that, let perfons put on never fo fair a fhape and show of religion without, if they are not found and fincere within, they shall have no share in the promised falvation. They may be very demure and precife in formalities; they may load themfelves with ceremonies and feparations from others; they may confine themselves to various aufterities and abftinences; they may impofe upon themfelves long pilgrimages and penances; they may fast twice in the week, and give alms and tythes; they may make long prayers, and be reverenced for their devotion; they may boaft themselves of being of the purcft fociety, and enjoying the pureft inftitutions of worship; they may be arrayed with a curious form of godliness; yet be unacquainted with the power

and practice of it. And if they are fo, the Lord Chrift, and their own fin will find them out. The great God will not be mock. d. The Son of God will not be impos'd upon. He will bring to light the hidden works of darkness; and make all the churches (his own gather'd focieties) to know that he fearches the hearts, and trieth the reins.

V. Since there is a remnant of corruption in the best, the Lord Chrift calls his profelites to examine themselves whether they are in the faith or no; to beware of leaning to their own opinions and ftrength; Let him that thinketh be ftand th, take heed left he fall. To fear, left a promife being left us of entring into reft, we should feem to come short of it, through unbelief. To work out our falvation with fear and trembling (left we fhou'd be deceived and fail of it at laft). He calls us to humility, felf-denial and mortification of all fin, that, by all means, we may make our calling and election the more fure, and walk more cautiously and fafely in the way to him and his kingdom.

VI. If any begin well, and fet out fair in the Christian race, and yet bold not out unto the end, all their attainments aud performances fhall be forgotten, and do them no good in the day of apoftacy. Tho' they fhould be enlightned in the Chriftian truth, though they fhould have tafted fweetncis in the word of God, and be anointed with ornamental Powers and donations by the spirit of Chrift, fhould work miracles in his name, and even caft out devils from others; fhould these, after all, fall away to fin, or the world, or the flesh, their latter end will be worse than the first; they will be abandon'd by the Son of God, will be fearch'd by the fiery indignation that is to confume his adverfaries, and remanded to the flaming prifon, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever.

Such is the law of the holy inftitution! Procul hinc, procul efte prophani! Time was, when the Lord Chrift terrified his own profelites, in order to make them dread wantonnefs and hypocrify. Great fear came upon the church, and on as many as heard of these things. And prophane fpirits were afraid of coming there. Of the reft durft no man join himself to them (where hypocrify was fo branded). Such

fevere

fevere distinction must not still be made. But the day is coming, when the diftinction between the pure and the vile, fhall be made for ever. And the judge himself will be a swift witness, against all the villanies (or vile ones) that abuse his love, and turn his grace into lafciviousness, libertinism or licentiousness.

SECT. XV.

The Chriftian Inftitution provides and ordains the moft noble employment for our fhort time in this tranfitory world.

IT

T continually inculcates that needful and even vifible Leffon, That time is fhort; the fashion and scene of the world is passing away.. One generation arifes and thrufts off from the face of the earth, that that was there before. Cities and countries are continually lofing their inhabitants. Let a man be feparate from his native place, twenty or thirty years; upon his return thither, he finds all his acquaintance, it may be, and almost all the neighbourhood, round about, lain under ground and drawn into another world. We appear as fojourners for a season, and strait disappear again. And what are men doing all this while? Where are their minds and their hearts? They toil for trifles; and labour for that which will be infignificant to them in a few days. Their thoughts are intent on earth, and confined to vifible, perifhing things. That the poor gentiles should spend their time and care upon earthly things, may be more excufable. They scarce know any better. Their notices of another life and world are dark and glimmering; fcarce able to conquer the temptations of this. But the chriftian has fomewhat else to do. Most excellent and important business is cut out for him; fuch as will deferve all his powers, and recompenfe his care and faithfulness. For,

I. To

I. To him life and immortality is most illuftriously brought to light. He has the faircft view of the original dignity of human nature. Philofophy discovers the incorporiety and vitality of the foul. But Chriftian theology more. Redemption puts a vast value upon it, and purchases it for immortality. In the Christian revelation, a prospect is opened to us into heaven. There we behold the city of God, and the bright inhabitants; and a voice comes from thence, which fays, Come up hither! leave that dark, defiled, delufive, vanishing world, and come up hither! Angels would have us be fellow-citizens and partners with them. Therefore,

II. He is called and obliged to fecure a mansion in the heavenly state. He muft, in the first place, feek the kingdom of God, and the righteousnefs, that leads thereto in humble expectation, that (in the way of God's providence) other things will be given in to him. Here's work for an elevated mind! The kingdom of God (especially as it is to be poffefs'd aabove) is worthy all our fearch and fedulity. 'Tis an everlasting, glori. ous, felicitating kingdom. There God reigns, and communicates light, peace and joy to all the happy subjects. There the fubjects are pure and perfect, concordant and harmonious, fill'd with everlasting fatisfaction and pleasure. There is the habitation of bright and beauteous angels; the Seraphims, that stand in the presence of the divine glory. And what will it be to be like them, and partners with them in their station and felicities! Here is work for finful fhort-liv'd mortals! To ftudy the angelical world, and a translation thither! This is fomething elfe than pampering the body and studying its appetites and gratifications! Something elfe than amafling of treasures and hoards of wealth, which as they came from the earth, are buried in darkness, and muft, at laft, be refign'd to those that are left behind. And then, whofe are all these things that thou haft provided! And what is the hope of the hypocrite (and what will become of it) though he hath gained (all the treasures of Guinea and of the Indies) when God taketh away his foul! Somewhat clfe, than joining houfe to houfe, and adding one cftate to another, 'till there be scarce any room in the country for any body clfc. Something else, than

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