fall into; namely, to fatisfy themselves with performing the outward parts of religious worship, without confidering, that the stricteft obfervation of fuch duties will avail us nothing in the fight of God, if we are not by these, and through his grace, brought to lead a godly, righteous, and sober life, to his honour and glory.

This was the falfe hopes of the Jews, and this was their ruin at last, when they would not be perfuaded, either by their prophets, or by Chrift, or by his forerunner the baptift, to mend their lives, but depended upon their acceptance with God, on account of their ftrict obfervance of their outward worship and ceremonies, without a change of heart and manners.

At the fame time we must not imagine, but that the publick worship and ordinances of religion are an acceptable way of honouring our Creator and Redeemer; of obtaining the graces and bleffings of God; and a powerful means of forwarding our falvation. But still they are only means, and intended by God to lead and enable us to perform the duties, the neceffary duties, which we owe to God, our neighbour, and ourselves; namely, to live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent evil world.

Outward ordinances are a powerful means of bringing us to falvation, through the grace of God. For indeed, if we did not obferve

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one day in feven, we fhould foon forget the God that made us, and the Saviour who redeemed us; if we did not go to church to hear God's word, we fhould be ignorant of his will; if we did not often pray to God for his bleffing upon ourselves and our labours, we fhould forget that we depend upon him for life, and breath, and all things; that is, in other words, we should live without God in the world; we should be downright atheists.

But when we join with our fellow-chriftians in glorifying God for our creation, prefervation, and all the bleffings we enjoy, or hope for; this will be a powerful means of imprinting on our hearts a grateful reverence for God when we leave his house.

So when we hear his promises of eternal happiness to those that obey him, and the dreadful judgments that must be the portion of those that neither love, nor fear, nor worship God, as they ought to do; these truths, often repeated, are very proper to comfort and encourage fuch as are ferious and good, and to awaken and to amend the wicked.

And fo for the other outward ordinances of christianity; they are truly means of falvation, when they are obferved as they ought to be.

What an invaluable bleffing is it, to be received into the church of God by baptifm; to be made a member of Chrift, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven; to be under the government of

God's

God's holy Spirit, and under the care of his angels!

These are powerful motives to fuch as have any thoughts and concern for their fouls, to live as becomes the children of God, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven.

The facrament of the Lord's Supper is another outward and powerful means of falvation. We are too apt to forget what was promised for us when we were made Chriftians, and too apt, God knows, to fall into the fins we have repented of. Now in this facrament Jefus Chrift has provided a remedy for both these evils. We are here put in mind, and required, to examine into our lives, whether we live as becomes the gospel of Chrift; and if we have not done fo, to repent and amend, as we hope for falvation, with affurance of pardon, through the merits and mediation of Chrift, if we do fo.

These are means of making us religious, and acceptable to God; but then we must have a care of flattering ourselves, that because we obferve these outward ordinances, that therefore we are truly religious, and in a happy condition; for a man may have a form of godlinefs without the power. One may be a ftrict obferver of the Lord's Day, a careful attendant upon the publick worship, without an heart fincerely difpofed to lead a Christian life, to be governed by the word we have heard, and the precepts given us in the gospel.

They

They hear my words, (faith God, by his prophet') but will not do them.

You shall hear what God faith by another prophet: Will ye fteal, murder, and commit adultery, and come before me in this houfe, which is called by my name, and fay, we hope for pardon? - Is not this to make the house of God a den of thieves, of drunkards, and all uncleanness?

You fhall hear what an apostle of Chrift tells us, That in the laft days, even an outward profeffion of Chriftianity fhall be attended with the greatest crimes: Men (even men profeffing Christianity) fhall be lovers of themfelves, covetous, boafters, proud, blafphemers, difobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, falfe accufers, incontinent, fierce, defpifers of those that are good, traitors, beady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

Need we any greater proof that we are even now in the last days of Christianity; when we see Christians, so called, guilty of such crimes as these, under an outward form of religion? Not confidering, that they crucify to themselves the Son of God again, and put him to an open Shame.

Now, in order to prevent these sad delufions, let every serious Chriftian, who hopes for falvation, ask himself, Why do I call Jefus Chrift my Lord; or, in other words, why do I profefs myself to be a Chriftian? Is it not Ezek. xxxiii. 31. Jer. vii. 9. d 2 Tim. iij. 2.

с

• Heb. vi. 5.

becaufe,

because, as we are finners, we are under the difpleasure of God, and therefore can have no hopes of falvation, if by the merits of Jefus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we are not restored to God's favour, and obtain his pardon, and by his Holy Spirit are enabled to lead an holy and a christian life? If we do not therefore endeavour to lead fuch a life, we must never hope for the kingdom of heaven, notwithstanding all our outward devotion and professions.

You obferve the Lord's day, and attend the fervice of the church: this is certainly a chriftian duty, and well done; but then, if you are not a better Chriftian for it all the week after, it is to be feared you went to church out of fhame, or out of custom only, and not out of devotion to God, or to obtain fuch heavenly difpofitions as are necessary to your leading a good life.

We come to church to glorify God, by owning our whole dependance on him, and to give him thanks for his providence and care of us; but then we must not forget, that God will be more glorified by our good lives when we return home, than by our good words here. You have our Lord's word for this: In this is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit.

We come hither to confefs and beg pardon for our fins. Now if we come with an unforgiving temper, or without a full purpose, through the grace of God, of leading a new life, not

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