3. The saying, Lord, Lord! may imply, thirdly, Many of what are usually stiled, Good Works. A man may attend the supper of the Lord, may hear abundance of excellent sermons, and omit no opportunity of partaking all the ordinances of God. I may do good to my neighbour, deal my bread to the hungry, and cover, the naked with a garment. I may be so zealous of good works, as even to "give all my goods, to feed the poor." Yea, and I may do all this, with a desire to please God, and a real belief that I do please him thereby: (which is undeniably the case of those our Lord introduces, saying unto him, Lord, Lord!) and still I may have no part in the glory which shall be revealed.

4. If any man marvel at this, let him acknowledge he is a stranger to the whole Religion of Jesus Christ: and in particular, to that perfect portraiture thereof, which he has set before us in this Discourse. For how far short is all this,

of that righteousness and true holiness, which he has described therein! How widely distant from that inward kingdom of heaven, which is now opened in the believing soul! Which is first sown in the heart as a grain of mustard-seed, but afterwards putteth forth great branches, on which grow all the fruits of righteousness, every good temper, and word, and work.

5. Yet as clearly as he had declared this, as frequently as he had repeated, That none who have not this kingdom of God within them, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; our Lord well knew, that many would not receive this saying, and therefore confirms it yet again: "Many" (saith he; not one; not a few only: it is not a rare or an uncommon case) "shall say unto me in that day :" not only, We have said many prayers; we have spoken thy praise; we have refrained from evil; we have exercised ourselves in doing good but what is abundantly more than this, "We have prophesied in thy name. In thy name have we cast out devils; in thy name done many wonderful works." We have prophesied: we have declared thy will to mankind; we have shewed sinners the way to peace and glory.

*

And we have done this, in thy name, according to the truth of thy Gospel. Yea, and by thy authority, who didst confirm the word, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. For in or by thy name, by the power of thy Word and of thy Spirit, have we cast out devils; out of the souls which they had long claimed as their own, and whereof they had full and quiet possession. And in thy name, by thy power, not our own, have we done many wonderful works: insomuch that even the dead heard the voice of the Son of God speaking by us, and lived. And then will I profess even unto them, I never knew you: no, not then, when you were casting out devils in my name. Even then I did not know you as my own: for your heart was not right toward God. Ye were not yourselves meek and lowly, ye were not lovers of God and of all mankind : ye were not renewed in the image of God. Ye were not holy, as I am holy. Depart from me (who notwithstanding all this, are) workers of iniquity; avoua. Ye are transgressors of my law, my Law of holy and perfect Love.

6. It is, to put this beyond all possibility of contradiction, that our Lord confirms it by that apposite comparison: "Every one," saith he, "who heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods. came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house:" as they will surely do, sooner or later, upon every soul of man: even the floods of outward affliction, or inward temptation; the storms of pride, anger, fear, or desire :-"And it fell, and great was the fall of it:" so that it perished for ever and ever. Such must be the portion of all who rest in any thing short of that Religion, which is above described. And the greater will their fall be, because they heard those sayings, and yet did them not. II. 1. I am, secondly, To shew the wisdom of him that doeth them, that, "buildeth his house upon a rock." He indeed is wise, "who doeth the Will of my Father which is in heaven." He is truly wise, whose "righteousness

exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees," He is poor in spirit; knowing himself even as also he is known. He sees and feels all his sin, and all his guilt, till it is washed away by the atoning blood. He is conscious of his lost estate, of the wrath of God abiding on him, aud of his utter inability to help himself, till he is filled with peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. He is meek and gentle, patient toward all men, never "returning evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing," till he overcomes evil with good, His soul is athirst for nothing on earth, but only for God, the living God. He has bowels of love for all mankind, and is ready to lay down his life for his enemies. He loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his mind, and soul, and strength. He alone shall enter into the king, dom of heaven, who, in this spirit, doth good unto all men; and who, being for this cause despised and rejected of men, being hated, reproached, and persecuted, rejoices, and is exceeding glad, knowing in whom he hath believed; and being assured, these light, momentary afflictions, will "work out for him an eternal weight of glory."

2. How truly wise is that man! He knows himself; an everlasting spirit, which came forth from God, and was sent down into an house of clay, not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him. He knows the world: the place in which he is to pass a few days or years, not as an inhabitant, but as a stranger and sojourner, in his way to the everlasting habitations: and accordingly he uses the world, as not abusing it, and as knowing the fashion of it passes away. He knows God, his Father and his Friend, the Parent of all good, the Centre of the spirits of all flesh, the sole happiness of all intelligent beings. He sees, clearer than the light of the noon-day sun, that this is the end of man, To glorify Him who made him for himself, and to love and enjoy him for ever. And with equal clearness he sees the means to that end, to the enjoyment of God in glory, even now to know, to love, to imitate God, and to believe in Jesus Christ whom he hath sent.

S. He is a wise man, even in God's account; for "he buildeth his house upon a rock:" upon the Rock of Ages, the everlasting Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Fitly is he so called; for he changeth not. He is "the same yester day, to-day, and for ever." To him, both the man of God of old, and the Apostle citing his words, bear witness, “Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish; but thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail," Heb. i. 10, 12. Wise, therefore, is the man who buildeth on him; who layeth him for his only foundation; who builds only upon his blood and righteousness, upon what he hath done and suffered for us. On this Corner-stone he fixes his faith, and rests the whole weight of his soul upon it. He is taught of God to say, Lord, I have sinned: I deserve the nethermost hell. I am "justified freely by thy grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. And the life I now live, I live by faith in him, who loved me and gave himself for me." The life I now live: namely, a divine, heavenly life; a life, which is "hid with Christ in God." I now live even in the flesh, a life of love, of pure love both to God and man: a life of holiness and happiness, praising God and doing all things to his glory.

But

4. Yet, let not such a one think, That he shall not see war any more, that he is now out of the reach of tempta tion. It still remains for God to prove the grace he hath given: he shall be tried as gold in the fire. He shall be tempted not less than they who know not God: perhaps abundantly more. For Satan will not fail to try to the uttermost those whom he is not able to destroy: accordingly, the rain will impetuously descend: only at such times and in such a manner, as seems good, not to the prince of the power of the air, but to Him, "whose kingdom ruleth over all." The floods, or torrents, will come; they will lift up their waves and rage horribly. But to them also, the Lord

that sitteth above the water floods, that remaineth a King for ever, will say, "Hitherto shall ye come, and no farther: here shall your proud waves be stayed." "The winds will blow and beat upon that house," as though they would tear it up from the foundation. But they cannot prevail: it falleth not; for it is founded upon a Rock. He buildeth on Christ by faith and love; therefore, he shall not be cast down. He "shall not fear though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea." "Though the waters thereof rage and swell, and the mountains shake at the tempest of the same: still he "dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, and is safe under the shadow of the Almighty."

III. 1. How nearly then does it concern every child of man, practically to apply these things to himself? Diligently to examine, on what foundation he builds, whether on a rock or on the sand? How deeply are you concerned to enquire, What is the foundation of my hope? Whereon do I build my expectation of entering into the kingdom of heaven? Is it not built on the sand? Upon my orthodoxy or right opinions, (which by a gross abuse of words I have called faith ?) Upon my having a set of notions, (suppose more rational or scriptural than many others have?) Alas! what madness is this! Surely this is building on the sand, or rather on the froth of the sea! Say, I am convinced of this. Am I not again building my hope on what is equally unable to support it? Perhaps on my belonging to "so excellent a Church: reformed after the true Scripture model: blest with the purest doctrine, the most primitive liturgy, the most apostolical form of government!" These are, doubtless, so many reasons for praising God, as they may be so many helps to holiness. But they are not holiness itself. And if they are separated from it, they will profit me nothing. Nay, they will leave me the more without excuse, and exposed to the greater damnation. Therefore, if I build my hope upon this foundation, I am still building upon the sand.

2. You cannot, you dare not rest here. Upon what next