very little the generality of Christians do mind it: and this I have done, not to expose the weakness and corruption of human nature, but to awaken us all into a ferious fenfe of the bad condition of those who live without God in the world: and that every one of us, feeing how fadly we come short of our pattern, may be ashamed and afraid too, left our repentance and amendment fhould come too late. And lastly, that fuch Christians as have made the life and the doctrine of Chrift their pattern, may by this representation have the comfort of feeing that they are not of the number of thofe unhappy people, who content themselves with the bare name of Chriftians, with mere fhadows of religion and piety, without endeavouring after that holiness without which no man fhall fee the Lord.

And now, you fee plainly, that to be a Christian, and a true Chriftian, are two very different things.

A TRUE CHRISTIAN fets his pattern before his eyes; and, because his falvation depends on it, he refolves to make it the rule of his life. He ftudies therefore the truths and the duties of the gofpel; prefers the light he meets with there to all others: he refolves, that what the gofpel declares, that he will believe, let what will be faid against it; that what it recommends, he will follow that, and avoid what it forbids. If, upon examining his confciénce, he finds that he does any thing con

trary

trary to what the gofpel prefcribes, he is ashamed and forry for it; begs God's pardon, and his grace to obferve it better for the time to come; watches over his inclinations, avoiding every temptation that may lead him to fin; never confulting the world, its authority, its customs, or its frowns, for what he ought to do, or what to avoid. And by doing this, he fecures the favour of God, his grace here, and eternal happiness hereafter.

On the other hand, thofe Chriftians who live, as too many do, in a general forgetfulnefs of God; taking no care of their fouls; contenting themselves with fome outward formalities, and bare fhadows of religion, without feeling its power; who make the world their pattern, notwithstanding the caution Jefus Chrift has given us not to follow its ways and maxims. Such people, under the name of Chriftians, are very heathens, will be rejected of God, and are referved for a punishment dreadful to be named.

Christians muft not, to excufe themselves, fay, that they cannot come up to their pattern, to be what the gofpel requires them to be. It is no less than blafphemy to fay fo. For God's grace is fufficient; his grace may be had for asking; and he requires no more of us than what (upon our fincere prayers and endeavours) he will enable us to perform.

To conclude: God has given us a law, by which he will judge us; by this law we are to

judge

judge what our condition is like to be hereafter, whether happy or miserable. That we may make this judgment more impartially, let us confider what our thoughts will be when we come to die. Whether, for inftance, we fhall not be in the utmost confufion, when, our life and pattern being fet before us, it fhall appear that we have lived in a plain contempt, or neglect at least, of what we profeffed to believe, what we knew to be our duty, and what we were often put in mind would be the confequence of neglecting it? Or whether we shall then have the comfort of having compared our life with our pattern, seen our errors, made our peace with God by a timely repentance, and lived to bring forth fruit anfwerable to amendment of life?

One of these two will be the cafe of myself, and of every one here present; how foon, we know not; but it highly concerns us to be prepared for it, and that forthwith, left the night come, when no man can work.

To this end, let us retire, and beg of God, who has given us our pattern, and who alone ⚫ can enable us to follow it, to put his fear into our hearts, to give us the grace of repentance, to fanctify us both in body and foul, that we may be meet to be partakers of an inheri tance with the faints in light. Which God grant we may all be, for Jefus Chrift's fake.

SERMON

SERMON XI.

Septuagefima, Sexagefima, Quinquagefima, Lent.

FEAR AND CARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IN OUR WAY TO HEAVEN.

FILL my foul, O Lord, with a falutary dread of the unfaithfulnefs of my own heart; and, while I am labouring for the falvation of others, give me grace to fear for myself. Amen.

I PETER i. 17.

PASS THE TIME OF YOUR SOJOURNING HERE IN FEAR.2

HESE words are a ferious admonition to

THE

all Chriftians. I hope, therefore, you will hear them explained with great attention. The plain meaning of them is this:-Forafmuch as your eternal happiness or misery will depend upon your behaviour in this life, it concerns you, as much as your fouls are worth, to live with great care and fear, left, when you die, you should be miferable for ever.

Care and concern (for that is the meaning of fear in this place) are neceffary even in our worldly affairs, if we would not let them go

* See Pf. ii. 11. and xxxix. 1. Luke xii. 37. and xvii. 28. 2 Cor. V. II. and vii. I. Eph. v. 15. 1 Theff. v. 6. 2 Pet. i. 10.

VOL. I.

to

to ruin. But Chriftians must be ftrangely careless, fearless, and unthoughtful, who profefs to believe a judgment to come, and yet are unconcerned what fentence their works fhall deferve, what fentence God in justice must pass upon them.

And yet all Chriftians, who are not careful of their lives, who are not fearful of offending God, are in this defperate condition. They are going headlong to certain ruin, to a ruin that never can be remedied; and yet are fearlefs and unconcerned.

b

The duty therefore, good Chriftians, which I would explain to you at this time, and which I would charge upon you and upon myself, as ever we hope for heaven and happiness, is this; to preserve ourselves as much as poffibly we can, and at all times, in a ferious temper. This being what the apostle means, when he exhorts Christians to pass the time of their fojourning here in fear; when he bids us in another place, be fober, be vigilant. The fame which St. Paul advifes Chriftians, to work out their falvation with fear and trembling; that is, with a concern answerable to the great work they have to do, and to the lofs they are like to fuffer, if it be not done. This alfo is what the fame apostle intimates in these words: Let him that thinketh he ftandeth, take heed left he fall: that is, let no man be too fecure of himfelf, left he fall when he leaft thinks of it. ↑ Phil. ii. 12. d I Cor. x. 12.

b I Pet. v. 8.