holy princes, and holy beggars; holy laymen, as well as holy clergymen; piety in the shop and in the field, as well as in the clofet and in the church. There have been devout foldiers and devout feamen. And God requires it ftill, which he would not do, were it not neceffary, were it not confiftent with every condi

tion of life.

How neceffary it is, we should easily fee, if we confider the condition we are in, by reafon of the fin of our firft parents.

Indeed we are all of us ready enough to own that we are fubject to fin; and the confequence is, we do many things that displease God, and make him our enemy; and then it is very natural for us not to love him, not to defire to be where he is. And until this diforder be mended, God can take no pleasure in us, we can take no delight in him, we can hope for no favours from him.

To mend this great diforder, and that we may not be for ever miserable, God has appointed us to be holy, as the only way to be happy:-He has given us rules and means to make us fo; and he has made known to us the danger of not closing with them. It concerns us therefore, more than our life is worth, to be truly informed,

Ift. In what this holiness confifts.

2ly. What it is which the generality of Chriftians fatisfy themselves with, instead of true holiness.

3dly. How

3dly. How this habit of holiness is to be attained.

And,

Laftly. To have fome fure marks, by which we may have the comfort of knowing that we are in the way of holiness, and confequently. of happiness.

And these are the things which I would defire you to confider with the most serious

attention.

I. We will first confider, What this holiness is, which is fo necessary to our happiness.

Now, all Chriftians being dedicated to God in baptifm, are thereby become HOLY TO THE LORD; that is, God is pleafed to look upon them as his own, and to give them laws to govern themselves by; and they oblige themfelves to obey thefe laws. He gives them his Holy Spirit to enable them to do fo; and promises them eternal life, if they continue faithful to their vows.

Now, if Chriftians, when they come to years of difcretion, would lay these things feriously to heart, they would moft thankfully make good the conditions promised on their part; that is, they would endeavour to be holy, as he is holy to whom they are dedicated. But, instead of being fo, too many quite forget that they are Chriftians, and fall into fuch ways of living, as make God their enemy, and forfeit all the bleffings which he had promised them. And most fad would have been the confequence, had not God, who forefaw this diforder,

disorder, provided also a remedy; and this is, a fincere repentance for fins paft, and a fincere obedience afterwards. But then, Chriftians must beware of abufing this goodness; for if they fail in these, there are no hopes of mercy.

So that you fee that THIS HOLINESS, without which no man must see the Lord, must begin in a SINCERE REPENTANCE,-in devoting ourselves a-new to God, and in ftudying to please him all our days, by leading a life agreeable to the gofpel of Chrift.

And most miferably blind are they who will not fee the danger of putting off their repentance; for while they do fo, they are in the way of damnation.

Now every finner who is ftartled at this, and knows that the grace of repentance is the gift of God, will beg it of him with the greatest earnestnefs, and without delay, as a most neceffary preparation to that holiness without which he must be miferable for ever.

In what that holiness confifts, we now come to confider. And, in general, it confifts in fuch a prevailing love of God, as makes a Christian to hate all fin, as a thing moft hateful to God; to be afraid of, and to avoid all temptations to every thing that he believes will displease God: fuch a love as makes us zealous to promote the glory of God, and to please him in every thing; defirous to know his will, and refolved at all times to obey it; and cheerfully clofing with all the means

which he has ordained to work in us these holy difpofitions.

But to be a little more particular, and to confider it, as it has relation to God, to our neighbour, and to overfelves.

Holiness with regard to God confists in a firm faith in God as our Creator and Redeemer, in a juft dread of his power, in a thankful fense of his goodness, in a grateful acknowledgment of his mercies, in hearing his word with a glad mind, and in fubmitting our reafon to the revelation he has made of himself, and of his will; in obeying his laws; and at all times owning our dependance upon him, by praying to him for whatever we want, and ever praifing him for his daily favours; in having a great regard for every thing that belongs to him, his word, his day, his house, his ordinances, and his minifters. And whoever fails in any of these particulars wilfully, will fail in a very material part of holiness with regard to God himself.

Holiness which refpects our neighbour confifts in loving him fincerely; that is, in doing to him all that in reafon we defire fhould be done to ourselves; particularly in being just and kind to him, in relieving his neceffities; in forgiving our enemies, and praying for them; in comforting the afflicted; in giving good advice to those that stand in need of or defire it; in reproving those that fin, and in being ready to every good work; in a dutiful

obedience

obedience to our fuperiors, whether in church or state; and lastly, in being fo exemplary in our lives, as to lead others to love, to fear, and to ferve God.

And then, for that holiness which relates to ourfelves; it confifts, in keeping the body pure and undefiled, as the temple of God ought to be, and the mind as free from errors as poffible; in ferving God devoutly, and making religion our delight, as it is our duty; in abstaining from every thing that is evil; in remembering our past fins with deteftation; and in returning to our duty without delay, whenever we are fenfible that we have done amifs; in moderating our defires after all earthly things, whether they be pleasures, riches, or honours; in fubmitting to the will of God, being content with that condition his providence has ordered for us, bearing afflictions patiently, and endeavouring to profit by them; in denying our own wills and defires, and in weaning our hearts from the world, that we may love God above all things, which is the fure principle of holiness, and the greatest happiness of a foul ready to part from the body.

And they that fatisfy themselves with any thing less than this holiness which we have now described, they do it at their utmost peril.

II. This will oblige us to make fome reflections upon thofe delufions with which too many Chriftians make their minds eafy, instead of ftriving after that holiness which the gospel requires.

And