Or

SERM. ther he be a King or no? Let us take care, XVIII. and get fatisfied of this in time, for it will be too late to own it when his power fhall be vindicated by our own damnation. being convinced of his authority, dare we yet to difregard his Laws? This is but like the Jews, with a feigned fubmiffion to mock and ridicule him, to array him in Scarlet, put a crown upon his head, and a reed in his right hand, and then in mere derifion to bow the knee before him, with a bail King of the Jews *. And can we believe fuch infolent mockery fhould go unpunished ?

Again, if the fame fcriptures be a perfect law, containing a fufficient Rule of Faith and Manners for all forts and conditions of men to direct them to falvation: let us then reft in it as fuch; let us use it as rational creatures, according to that light which God has given us, making it the Teft of other men's practice, and the guide of our own; the Judge of all doctrines which any man fhall teach, and the standard of thofe which we are bound to believe. So fhall we not be left to the uncertain guidance of oral and obfcure Traditions, nor to the yet more uncertain. mazes of whimfies and Enthufiafm.

Laftly, if thefe fcriptures alfo be a law of liberty, if they teach us the glorious * Matt. xxvii, 28, 29.

Privileges

Privileges of the Chriftian Difpenfation SER M. why then in God's name, let us ftand faft XVIII. in the liberty wherewith Chrift has made us free, and not be again entangled with the yoke of bondage*. Only take we care, that we ufe not liberty for an occafion to the flesh; that we always keep in memory the juft diftinction between liberty and licentiousness, that we iniftake not our christian liberty for a licence to fin, whereas it confifts (quite contrary) in a deliverance from it, and fubjection to that God, "whofe fervice is moft perfect freedom."

To that God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, be all Honour, and Glory, now and henceforth for evermore.

* Gal. y. I.

Amen.

+ Ver. 13.

SERM.

XIX.

SERMON XIX.

The GOSPEL a perfect Law of
Liberty.

JAMES i. 25.

But whofo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful bearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

HAV

AVING already in a former difcourfe largely explained the character here given of the Chriftian Rule of Faith and Manners, in that it is called the perfect law of liberty, I proceed now in the

II. SECOND place to confider our own duty with regard to it, viz. to look into it, and continue therein, to be not forgetful bearers but doers of the work.

In the former of thefe expreffions the Apoftle (you may obferve) has manifest allufion to the fimile laid down in the verses

going before, where he compares them SERM. that place the whole of Religion in exter- XIX. nal ordinances,

of the word, em that are hearers only

but are not diligent to prac

tife it, to a man that takes a tranfient view of himself in a glass, and inftead of ufing That opportunity to difcover and correct what may be amifs, either looks fo perfunctorily as not to obferve, or (if he does obferve) is still more culpable for neglecting to amend. The law of Chriftianity here in the application anfwers to the glass, which (if diligently attended to) will fhew the errors of our lives, and inftruct us in the proper method of reforming them. He therefore who reads or hears this Law explained, is faid, by a continuance of the metaphor, to look into it. And if he does this frequently, with ferious attention, meditation, reflection, and application to himfelf, he is faid moreover to continue therein. And if this virtuous difpofition be (as one would think indeed it cannot but be) attended with a fuitable practice, he is then not a forgetful bearer but a doer of the work. So that in proceeding farther upon this head, it will be my bufinefs to fhew,

1. That it is our duty to read and hear the fcriptures explained, or (as the Text expreffes it) to look into the perfect law of liberty.

SERM. 2. That this ought to be done with freXIX. quency and diligent attention: we must 'not only look into it, but continue therein. And

3. That what we thus read and hear, fhould influence and direct our practice: we must not be forgetful bearers, but doers of the work.

1. First then I fay, it is our duty to read and hear the fcriptures explained; or (as the Text expreffes it) to look into the perfect law of liberty. For fo far the man in the fimile did well. His fault was not in looking, but in looking to no purpose. And therefore we are in the application, re quired to look as well as he. If the fcripture be indeed a Rule of faith and manners, we must then confult and have recourse to it for Direction. Otherwise how can it answer the end and purpofe of a Rule? how fhall it inftruct us in our duty? or wherein fhall we differ from them that have no fuch written rule vouchfafed them, except it be in that our not knowing our duty is our fault, whilft theirs is but their misfortune?

Now for the better edification of the church in this particular, for the easier use and application of this Rule, the great Author of our Religion has been pleased to appoint a distinct Order of men, whofe duty it is (as one part of their facred office)