SERMON XXXII.

Success of all our Labours depends on God's Blessing.

LUKE V. 4, 5, 6. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto

Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a

draught. And Simon answering, said unto him, &c.

SERMON XXXIII.

......

89

The Perplexity and Danger of the Double-minded.

JAMES i. 8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. 105

SERMON XXXIV.

The Creed put into Practice.

TITUS i. 16. They profess that they know God, but in works they

deny him; being abominable and disobedient, and unto every

good work reprobate: [that is, void of judgment.]

SERMON XXXV.

The Creed put into Practice.

........

119

JOHN xvii. 3. This is Life Eternal, that they might know Thee the

only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. .... 139

SERMON XXXVI.

The Creed put into Practice.

ACTS ii. 32, 33. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are

witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted,

and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost,

he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear.

SERMON XXXVII.

... 161

The First and Great Command; or, the Love of God.

MARK Xii. 32, 33, 34. And the Scribe said unto Jesus, Well,

Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there

is noue other but he: and to love him with all the heart, and with

all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the

strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all

whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he

answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the

Kingdom of God.

SERMON XXXVIII.

183

The Second Great Command; or, Thou shalt love

thy Neighbour as Thyself.

MARK Xii. 32, 33, 34. And the Scribe said unto Jesus, &c.

.. 199

SERMON XXXIX.

Of Holiness, without which no Man must see the Lord.

HEB. xii. 14. Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord

SERMON XL.

215

The Resurrection; or, the Reward of Holiness.

LUKE XX. 34, 35, 36. Jesus answering, said unto them, The children

of this world marry, and are given in marriage; but they which

shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrec-

tion from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the Angels,

and are the children of God, being the children of the resur-

rection.

235

SERMON XLI.

The Duty of improving the Talents committed to

our Trust.

LUKE xii. 48. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall

be much required.

SERMON XLII.

251

The Duty and Advantages of rightly considering the

Shortness of Human Life.

PSALM XC. 12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply

our hearts unto wisdom.

271

SERMON XLIII.

The Great Danger of not knowing the Day of

Visitation.

LUKE XIX. 41, 42, 43, 44. And when he was come near, he beheld

the city, and wept over it; saying, If thou hadst known, even thou,

at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!

but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come

upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and

compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side; and shall lay

thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee: and

they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou

knewest not the time of thy Visitation.

SERMON XLIV.

The Great Duty of instructing the Ignorant.

287

MARK iv. 28. The Earth bringeth forth Fruit of herself, first the

Blade, then the Ear, after that the full Corn in the Ear.

....

305

SERMON XLV.

The Danger of Living in any Known Sin.

ROMANS i. 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in

their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do

those things which are not convenient.

SERMON XLVI.

.....

319

The Example of the Jews a Warning to Christians.

1 COR. X. 11. Now all these things happened unto them for ensam-

ples: and they are written for our admonition.

SERMON XLVII.

337

The Repentance of Sinners matter of Joy in Heaven.

LUKE XV. 7, 10. I say unto you, That likewise joy shall be in Hea-

ven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine

just persons which need no repentance. Likewise I say unto

you, There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one

sinner that repenteth.

SERMON XLVIII.

The Design of God's Judgments.

MATTHEW VI. 11. Give us this Day our daily Bread,

SERMON XLIX.

343

The Folly of undertaking any Business of Moment

without Regard to the Will and Honour of God.

PROVERBS XXI. 30. There is no Wisdom, nor Understanding, nor

Counsel, against the Lord.

SERMON L.

359

The Suppression of Vice and Impiety, the Duty of

all Persons in Authority.

GEN, vi. 1, 2, 3, 7. And it came to pass, when men began to mul-

tiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto

them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they

were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And

the Lord said; My Spirit shall not always strive with man. And

the Lord said, I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the

face of the earth

371

SERMON LI.

The Duty of Magistrates.

DEUT. i. 17. Ye shall not be afraid of the face of Man; for the

Judgment is God's.

389

SERMON XXVI.

THE NECESSITY OF COMING TO SOME CERTAINTY WHETHER WE ARE IN THE WAY OF SALVATION OR NOT.

O Holy Spirit of Grace! I implore thy assistance, that I may speak upon this important subject, so as to be understood, so as to touch the heart, so as to edify those that shall hear me. And grant that I may never forget to try and examine my own faith by those marks which I propose to others; and that I may be an example in faith and life; for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

2 COR. xiii. 5.

EXAMINE YOURSELVES, WHETHER YE BE IN THE FAITH;• [THAT IS, WHETHER YE BE TRUE CHRISTIANS, AND IN THE WAY OF SALVATION?—WHETHER YOUR LIVES BE ACCORD. ING TO YOUR PROFESSION?]

MY

Y Christian brethren! I am going to lay before you the absolute necessity, as we hope for heaven, of coming to some certainty whether we are in the way of salvation or not.

Every body must own, that it is a matter of great concern for a man to know whether his faith be such as it should be, such as will please God, such as will influence our lives, and fit us for heaven. I need not, therefore, use many words to prevail with you to attend very seriously to what you are going to hear.

One cannot, in charity, but conclude, that any one of you would part with his life, sooner

• See Matth. vii. 20, 21. 2 Cor. v. 7. Gal. vi. 3, 4. VOL. II.

John xiv. 1, 6. Acts xxiii. i. Rom. viii. 16.
Phil. I. 27. 2 Tim. ii. 19. John iii. 21.

B

than he would renounce his faith and his christianity this being the general persuasion of all Christians, that whoever renounces his faith, renounces all hopes of salvation. And so indeed he does. We have the word of the Son of God for it: He that believeth not, shall be damned.*

But then let us have a great care of deluding ourselves, by fancying, that because we would not for all the world renounce our christianity, that therefore we are such Christians as we should be. For he only is a true Christian, who believes as he should do, and leads a life agreeable to his faith.

Now, this ought to put every one of us upon examining ourselves, in very good earnest, whether we be in the faith; that is, in other words, whether we be Christians in deed and in truth, as well as in name? By doing this, we shall either have the comfort of knowing that we are in the way of happiness; or else, we shall see our danger, which through the grace of God may awaken us, and put us upon a new course of life.

In order to this, we need not examine into the many disputes among Christians, to settle our faith and our religion. We have a rule of faith, which will infallibly lead us to heaven and happiness, if our life be but answerable to our creed. But that which I would propose to you, is a much surer way of knowing whether you are sound in the faith; that is, by examining, whether your life and conversation be such as becometh the gospel of Christ ?

* Mark xvii. 16,