In order to which, let us moft earnestly beg of God, to pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, wtthout which whofoever liveth is counted dead before God.

Grant this, O Father, for the fake of thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. To whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON XXXIX.

OF HOLINESS, WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN MUST SEE THE LORD.

Perfect, O God, what Thou haft begun in me; inspire me with such a lively fenfe and clear knowledge of thy love, that I may be able to convince others of the bleffedness and the neceffity of Holiness, and the way to attain it, through Jefus Chrift. Amen.

HEB. xii. 14.

WITHOUT HOLINESS NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD.2

T is very much to be feared, that the gene

IT

rality of Christians do not know what that holinefs is, without which we must never hope for falvation. And yet there is nothing which it concerns men more to know than this; because there is nothing more certain, than that a Christian, who is not endued with this grace, is no more capable of being happy. in heaven, than a fick man is capable of taking pleasure in a fumptuous feast.

But this is not what is generally confidered, Most people have a confused notion of heaven, as of a place where all Christians will

a See Rom. viii. 1, 2, 3, &c. 2 Cor. v. 17. Eph. iv. 23. I Theff. 2 Tim. ii. 19. Tit. ii. 14. 1 John ii. 29. iii. 3, 9, 10,

iv. 3, 7.

iv. 10.

1 Pet. i. 15.

VOL. II.

one day be very happy; every one for himself making no manner of doubt, but it will be his own portion at the last; in the mean time taking little or no care to be qualified for it. And yet our Lord, to hinder Chriftians from falling into this fad delufion, has affured us,' That wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to deftruction, and many there be which go in thereat: becaufe ftrait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

And indeed a very little confideration would convince any man, how utterly impoffible it is for an unholy man to fee God in peace; for to fee the Lord, that is, to know and to enjoy him, is to fee him as he is. It is to fee a moft holy, juft, and powerful God; one who, for their fin, turned the very angels out of heaven into hell; who deftroyed the whole world. with a flood, for their wickednefs; who, for their unholy lives, destroyed whole cities with fire and brimftone; who has declared by his own Son, that this fhall be the very sentence, which (at the day of judgment) he shall pass upon ungodly finners, Go, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Now, let us but confider, how we bear the fight of a man like ourselves whom we may have unworthily provoked, and who has it in his power to punish us; and then we may judge how a finner can abide the fight of an angry God, whofe fervice he has forfaken, whofe

Matth. vii. 13, 14.

< 1 John iii. 2.

whose invitations he has flighted, whose commands he has all his life long broken, whose offers of pardon he has rejected, neither regarding his threats, nor valuing his promises! How can fuch a finner poffibly bear the fight of fuch a one, and be happy? And is it not for this reafon, that the fcriptures are every where fo exprefs, concerning the neceffity, the abfolute neceffity of being converted, of becoming new creatures, of perfecting holiness in the fear of God? Is it not for this eternal reason, becaufe WITHOUT HOLINESS NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD?-No man whatever, no man who hopes to be faved.

This fhews the delufion of those who are apt to imagine, that they may be dispensed with for leading a life of holiness, either on account of their ignorance, bad circumstances, their profeffion, worldly bufinefs, their age, or the like. If no man, without this qualification, fhall fee the Lord, then neither the rich nor the poor, the master nor his fervant, neither the clergy nor the laity, neither the husbandman nor the tradefman, neither the young nor the old, ought to fatisfy themselves, ought to be easy, without that holiness (which the gospel requires of all its profeffors, of all who hope for happiness.

And indeed, as religion, and the holiness it requires, is neceffary for every man, so is it confiftent with every lawful calling and employment in the world. There have been