cies, and dread to provoke a power that can ruin us?

Shall we not defire and endeavour to please a moft gracious God, who has promised eternal happiness to his faithful fervants?

Shall we not imitate his holiness, depend upon his promises, take care not to abuse his patience and long-suffering?

Shall we not beg of God to increase our faith; to manifest himself and his glorious perfections every day more clearly to us, that as we grow in years we may grow in grace?

And fhall we not abhor and avoid the company and the conversation of all fuch profane people as may weaken our faith, whether by their wicked examples or loofe principles?

Let us look upon all fuch as the devil's inftruments, doing his work, and promoting his intereft, and his kingdom. All who profane the name of God, who make a mock of fin, who mind not his word, who regard not his worship, who obferve not his day, who defpife his minifters and his ordinances: these are people of no faith, no religion; have nothing to reftrain them from the greatest wickedness, but the fear of man, or their own carnal interests.

And believe it, Christians, for an undoubted truth, that fuch as have no true faith in God, who do not shew it by their lives, have no true religion, no honour, no justice, no truth, no humanity, no fincerity, to be depended upon.

As

As for ourselves, for all fuch as profess to know God, to believe his word, and to hope for his mercy; let us lay this down for a most certain truth, that he who does not fhew his faith by his works, has no proof of his fincerity, or of his acceptance with God.

My God! if this be fo, how few are there who truly believe the Creed they profess!

Vouchfafe, O God, by thy almighty grace, to awaken all fuch as hold the truth in unrighteousness; who have a form of faith and of godlinefs, but deny the power thereof. Preferve all Chriftians from fuch fatal blindnefs; and deliver all fuch as are under the power of it.

May these faving truths which we believe, be received in all the world, that thy glorious name may be adored by the heathens!

O God, the Creator of all, have mercy upon all whom thou haft made, for the Lord Jefus' fake, the Redeemer of all. To whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON XXXV.

THE CREED PUT INTO PRACTICE.

O Jefu benigne! Cœlefti tuo verbo et fpiritu illumina me, ut veram fidei indolem et naturam in corde meo perfentifcam, et ex vivâ experientiâ gregem meum pafcam. Miferere gentium quæ fedent in tenebris, miferere eorum qui fidem ore jactant, operibufque divinis deftituti mifere feipfos decipiunt. Amen.

JOHN Xvii. 3;

THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL, THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW THEE THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM THOU HAST SENT.a

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IFE Eternal is what we all hope for, what we all promise ourselves. Would to God, we could all be perfuaded seriously to think how we may attain it; that we could be perfuaded to believe, that none are ever like to attain eternal life and happiness, but fuch as make it their great concern to know and to love God; and that none can know and love God as they fhould do, but fuch as study to know Jefus Chrift, and what he has done for us: the eternal lot and portion of every man living being in the hands of Jefus

John i. 12. viii. 24. xiv. 1. xvii. 2. Acts 2 Cor. v. 7. 2 Pet. ii. 9. 1 John v. 4, 5.

Chrift:

Christ: he himself affuring us of it; and that God has given him power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to as many as God fhall give him.

It behoves us therefore, as much as our fouls are worth, not only to know the only true God the Father Almighty, but also Jefus Chrift, whom he hath fent to feek and to fave us.

And this is that part of our Creed, which I fhall at this time endeavour to explain to you; and after fuch a manner, that you may fee the neceffity, not only of confeffing with your mouth the Lord Jefus, but of leading a life answerable to fuch a profeffion, as you hope for eternal happiness.

I have, in a former difcourfe, endeavoured to fhew how the knowledge and belief of God the Father Almighty ought to affect us; how his infinite power, his wifdom, his holinefs, his juftice, his faithfulness, ought to influence our practice. But then we are to confider, that to know God, without the knowledge of Jefus Chrift, would only fill our fouls with fearful apprehenfions of what may become of us when we die.

For to know that God is infinitely holy, and infinitely juft, as well as powerful; and at the fame time to know that my nature is extremely corrupt, and prone to fin continually; that as fuch, fo holy and just a God can take no pleasure in me; and that of my

felf

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