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the duties of christianity, and die without fearing any danger.

If one feriously confiders what this delufion is, it will appear to be this,-That moft Chrif tians do hope that they have not fo much to answer for as really they have.

I have made choice of these words of our Saviour, to convince you, that we have, every foul of us, more to anfwer for than we are generally aware of; that we have, all of us, received much, and much will be required of us.

I know this will hardly be believed; and one must take fome pains to convince Christians that it is really true, and that their falvation depends upon it.

I am not now fpeaking of those to whom God has given excellent parts and understandings, great opportunities of doing good, time to fpare, and abilities to learn and to know a great deal:-Nobody questions but such perfons have a great deal indeed to answer for. But that which I would have you convinced of is this; that fuch as are apt to think themfelves leaft accountable will have much to answer for, even more than they generally think of.

Is it knowledge you want? Do not deceive yourself; you know things as hard to be understood as the things which concern your falvation. Without religion, no man must hope to be faved; every man, therefore, is capable of knowing as much as God will ex

pect

pect from him, provided he be really defirous to know his duty.

Is it time you want? You will not fay fo, when you confider, that religion is the work of the heart, more than of the body; and that a man may be very religious, doing his duty, pleafing God, at the fame time that he is about his worldly business.

Is it the want of a will you complain of? Be affured of it, that you may have it for asking, if you are fenfible of your want, and beg of God to give you a will to be concerned for your foul.

And if it be the weakness of your refolutions, and the corruption of your nature, that you are afraid, and complain of, remember, that the very moment you give yourself to God, he has bound himself to affift you by an all-fufficient grace.

In short, every Chriftian living knows enough to make him very serious, and concerned for what may come hereafter: every Christian who is thus concerned for his foul, does or may know, what God requires of him in order to his falvation: and every Christian, who knows this, is bound, at the peril of his foul, to look to himself, left by his own negligence he be miserable for ever.

Every man, even the most ignorant, knows that he must die, and that in a fhort time. Every Christian knows that this life is only a ftate of trial, and that as we behave ourfelves

felves well or ill here, we shall be happy or miferable in another life.

What our behaviour ought to be, in order to our being for ever happy when we die, every Chriftian does or may know, if it be not plainly his own fault.

He knows, for example, let him be never fo unlearned, that a good and holy God will always be beft pleafed with good and holy men, and good actions; and that wicked men will only be fit company for wicked spirits like themselves.

He cannot but know, that if God fees every thing that is done under the fun, he cannot hope to hide any evil action from God; and this will hinder him from doing any ill thing whatever, if he do not ftifle his knowledge. And this knowledge will make him strive to do what he believes will please God, because he knows that God, who fees him, will one day reward his piety.

The moft ignorant Chriftian feels the corruption of his own heart, and he knows that he cannot, of himself, mend his own nature; but then God has promifed and will give the Holy Spirit to them that afk him; the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and ghoftly ftrength, the Spirit of knowledge, true godlinefs, and holy fear, to lead them in the knowledge and obedience of his word, that in the end they may obtain everlafting life.

Every Chriftian, knowing this, will be without excufe, who does not most earnestly beg of God to give him this holy Spirit; and who is not very careful not to grieve him, and drive him away by any evil deeds.

Every man who knows, (and who does not?) that he has done a thousand things to offend and provoke God, will be glad to know whether, and upon what terms, God will pardon and reftore him to his favour. And every Chriftian, who is thus concerned, will be defirous to know what he must anfwer for.

Now, that we may be as particular as poffible upon a subject of fo great concern, and be better prepared to answer our King and Judge at that day; I will fet before you, in one short view, what will most certainly be required of every foul of us, even of the most ignorant and unlearned.

It will, in the first place, be required of every Chriftian, that he has given entire credit to the word and will of God, contained in the holy fcriptures; because these scriptures have been confirmed and established by undoubted miracles, and have been received in all the Christian world.

And because these fcriptures were written by the direction of the Spirit of God, and cannot be understood or received but by the affiftance of that Spirit by which they were written, it is our duty, and it will be required

of

of us, that we have prayed to God for a true understanding of the fame.

The first and great defign of thefe fcriptures being to establish us in the true faith, without which it is impoffible to please God, it will be required of us that we have received the truths contained in them with the fimplicity of children, that is, with fubmiffion, without questioning the wifdom of God in giving them, his authority, or his goodness, however hard they appear to be to our reason or understanding.

Efpecially it will be required of us, that having plainly feen the wisdom, the power, the juftice, and the goodness of God, manifested in thefe fcriptures, we fhall feverely answer for it, if we behave not ourselves accordingly: that is, If we do not fear to offend this great and just God; if we do not live as in his fight; if we do not depend upon his word, his truth, and promises, and fear his threatenings; if we do not honour his holy name, and serve him faithfully all our days; we shall be plainly without excufe, and fhall dearly pay for it.

And then, forasmuch as thefe holy fcriptures affure us, that there is no falvation for any man living, (every one having finned; and come short of the glory of God) unless his peace be made with God by Jefus Christ, it will be required of every Chriftian, that he lay hold of and clofe with this mercy, as he hopes to escape the wrath of God; that is,

that

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