are, and the more of them we do, the more ftill we are indebted to him that enables us to work; and as our Debt to him increases, so our Title to merit any thing at his hands must proportionably without doubt decrease. But let not this in the least flacken our Endeavours, or abate our Hopes. Tho' we cannot in ftrict Juftice claim any Reward, His Goodness will crown our Endeavours, and exceed our Hopes. God is not, cannot be a Debtor to the Holieft of his Creatures; but to Himself he is, to his Own Inviolable Truth, whereby he stands voluntarily oblig'd to repay even inconsiderable Services, (if perform'd in Belief of his Promife andObedience to hisCommand,)with an Eternal Weight of Glory. As we therefore expect to be Sav'd by Grace, all our Works must be done in Faith, without which it is impoffible to please God. For we may safely invert the Words of St. James, and as He fpeaks of Faith without Works, fo may we fay of the belt Works, that as the Body without the Soul is dead, fo without Faith they are dead also. For Faith alone it is that animates and gives Life unto them, by directing their first Intention to its proper End, by doing 'em for the Love of Chrift and to his Father's Glory, by teaching us to expect the Acceptation of their Imperfection for the fake of his Perfect

Righteouf

Righteousness, by minding us from whom they fpring, and to whom all the Goodnefs in them is to be afcrib'd, by setting a right Value upon 'em, and laftly by affuring us of as certain a Reward to them from his gracious Promife, as if they had merited it from their own Intrinfick Worth. Let us therefore by the Grace of God, through Faith, heartily fet about these Works that accompany Salvation. Let none fo rely upon God's Electing Grace, as to disregard his Sanctifying Grace, which is abfolutely Neceffary to make that prefum'd Election fure. 'Tis a mortal Delufion for any to think Electing Mercy will bring him to Glory, if he continue in Sin, or that he can reap any Benefit through Chrift's Death by Faith, without Conformity to his Life by Obedience. Let us not flatter and cheat Ourselves with the fond Opinion of Our being predeftinated to Eternal Life, by an Irre verfible Designation of the Secret Will of God, except we be ftudious and careful to perform that Will of his, which he has reveal'd. Let us not trouble our heads with the Order of God's Councils, nor prefumptuously take upon us to range, after this or that Manner and Method, his Decrees, among which in reality there is neither Priority nor Subsequence, fore nor after, being all One fimple, uncompounded, Eternal Act

of the Divine Wisdom and Will. Hear what Mofes fays toGod's own chofen People Ifrael, The fecret things belong unto the Lord our God, but thofe things that are reveal'd belong unto us and to our Children for ever, that we may do all the Words of this Law, Deut. 29. 29. It is fufficient for us to know, that God has ordain'd none to the End, but those to whom he hath ordain'd the Means; that none are fav'd through Faith, but those who are created in Chrift Jefus to Good Works. Let us remember always, that we are call'd to be Saints as well as Believers, and confider that it is as poffible to be Believers without Faith, as Saints without Holiness. And withal that to be the One is as abfolutely Neceffary as the Other; fince by the fame infallible Word, by which we are taught, that be that Believeth fhall be faved, by the fame alfo we are affur'd, that without Holinefs no Man fball fee the Lord.

Now our Lord Jefus Christ himself, and God even our Father, which has lov'd us and given us Everlasting Consolation and good Hope thro' Grace, comfort our Hearts, and encrease our Faith, and stablish us in every good Word and Work. To Him be Glory for Ever and Ever. Amen.

SERMON XII.

I'

F at any Time fince the First Preaching of the Gospel, it were allowable

for a Minister of Chrift to affert the High Dignity of His Calling, and with the Holy Apostle St. Paul to magnify His Office; Surely it is fo, and more than so at this Day. If in any Age it was Seasonable, in this it is Neceffary. An Age wherein we have seen, between an Atheistical Company of formal Pretenders to Philofophy and Reafon on one Hand, and a giddy, fenfelefs Crew, who are call'd Wits by the fame Propriety of Speech that the former are called Deifts on the Other, the whole Difpenfation of the Gofpel of Chrift, the Wif S 4 dom

dom and Power of God to Salvation, ridicul'd and despis'd as an Abfurd and Irrational Impofition upon their Understandings, or a Trick or Cheat to enflave their Wills, an Affront to their Reason, or a Defign upon their Liberty. Between the grave Arguers against Myftery and the lewd Drollers upon Prieft-Craft, the great Masters of Reafon and the little Slaves of Senfe, all Efteem and Reverence due to Perfons or Things never fo Sacred or Divine, is almost exploded and laugh'd out of the World. Which tho' none,that have any regard to the common Faith, can chuse but seriously la ment, yet we can't but have fome Satisfa tion to perceive, that all the while that they mean fo much defpight to Our Religion, they do but the more confirm Our Faith, in fo plainly verifying the Predi &tions of Those who firft preach'd that Gofpel which they Thus defpife. For that the latter Days fhall be times of Infidelity and Departure from the Faith, that there fhall be Scoffers at the Gofpel, and Mockers walking after their Own Ungodly Lufts, we have the affurance of the Apostles, St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. Jude. Since therefore these things have been foretold by the unerring Spirit of God, we know that Offences mult come, but Wo unto Them by whom they come!· Yea, Wo unto Them who do not use Their

utmost