therefore, when our blessed Lord had so plainly established one, he might be understood, by certain inference and implication, to have established the other also.

I have but one thing more to observe upon the text; namely, that some persons have presumed to argue from the words," for all live to him," that souls do not actually live in a separate state, but only that dead men shall be recalled to life, and that for the present they live only in God's decree, and in a metaphorical sense: but this is a forced construction of very plain words, without reason or foundation for it. To live to God is a phrase which is to be understood in opposition to living in the flesh, or living unto this world: and it is of the same import with what we meet with in Ecclesiastes, where it is said, “The 66 spirit shall return unto God who gave it a;" or with that of the book of Wisdom, "The souls of the right"eous are in the hand of Godb." This is what is meant by living to God: they are under his eye, and within his protection, in the invisible world, after having taken their farewell of this: in short, when they have done with the life that now is, they yet remain, and are alive unto God, enjoying his presence, and rejoicing in his favour and protection.

The sum then of what has been said is, that the soul of man is of a substance distinct from the body; that it subsists in a separate state, after the animal dissolution, and never dies; and lastly, that all men shall one day rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works. The practical use of these principles is obvious; that since a future judgment is certain and inevitable, and that disbelieving it (with the Sadducees of old, or with others since) can do a man no service, except it be to swell the sad account; and since there is no possible way of fencing against it, but by taking all due care to be provided for it; since these things are so, the best, and indeed the only expedient we have to trust to, is to lead

a good life, to endeavour after universal righteousness, both of faith and manners: so may we be able (in and through the all-prevailing merits of Christ) to abide the tremendous judgment, and be received with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, into those blessed mansions which God has prepared for as many as sincerely love him and keep his commandments.

SERMON XXV.

A good Life the surest Title to a good Conscience.

1 JOHN iii. 21, 22.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

THESE words will lead me to treat of the nature and quality of a good conscience, and the comforts of it. The Apostle had been before speaking of assuring our hearts before God by the strongest evidences possible, by a true and unfeigned love of the brethren. "Hereby," says he, 66 we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure "our hearts," that is, pacify our consciences, "before "him." Then he adds, "For if our own hearts condemn

us," God will much more condemn us: inasmuch as "God is greater than our hearts," his knowledge is of greater extent than ours, he "knoweth all things." But "if our hearts condemn us not," after close and impartial examination of our conduct," then have we," with good reason, "confidence toward God;" not doubting but that he will freely grant whatsoever we may properly ask of him, so long as "we keep his commandments, doing "those things that are pleasing in his sight." Such appears to be the tour or turn of the Apostle's sentiments, collected from the text and context. In discoursing farther, it may be proper,

I. To state the nature and quality of a sure conscience, or clear conscience, or what we commonly call a good conscience.

II. To set forth the advantage and comfort of it.

I.

The nature of a sure or clear conscience ought to be first justly stated, lest we should mistake shadow for substance, appearances for realities, presumption and vain confidence for truth and soberness. The Apostle points out the general nature of a good conscience by this mark; that " our hearts condemn us not," and that "we know "that we are of the truth;" know it by some certain rule, namely by this, that "we keep God's command"ments," doing that which is "pleasing in his sight." Here is a rule given whereby we may first measure our conduct; and if our conduct be found, upon a just examination, to square with that rule, then our consciences are clear, and we may look up with a becoming confidence to God. This is a matter of great weight, and of the last importance and yet there is no where more room for self-flattery and self-deceit. It is extremely natural for a person to bring in a verdict in favour of himself, when he has made no examination at all, or a very superficial one, or however not so strict and severe a scrutiny as an affair of such delicacy, and withal of such moment, deserves. A man will often call it acting according to his conscience, when he acts according to his present persuasion, without ever examining how he came by that persuasion; whether through wrong education, custom, or example; or whether from some secret lust, pride, or prejudice, rather than from the rule of God's written Word, or from a principle of right reason. This cannot be justly called keeping a good conscience: for we ought not to take up false persua sions at all adventures, and then to make those persuasions our rule of life, instead of that rule which God hath given us to walk by.

It may perhaps be said, that St. Paul himself has warranted that way of speaking: for though he had once very

wrongfully and grievously, under rash and false persuasion, persecuted the Church of God, yet he scrupled not to say, upon a certain occasion, afterwards, "Men and "brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before "God until this daya." But as there is no necessity of construing the words in that large sense; so there are good reasons to persuade us, that St. Paul had no such meaning. How frequently does he charge himself, in his Epistles, as having been a very grievous sinner, yea," chief "of sinners b," on account of his having once persecuted the Church of God! How then could he modestly pretend, or with truth say, that he had lived "in all good con"science," all his life, to that day? At other times, whenever the same Apostle speaks of his having a good conscience, he constantly understood it with a view only to what he had done as a Christian, in his converted state. "Here"in," says he, " do I exercise myself, to have always a "conscience void of offence toward God, and toward "men." This was said in the way of answer to the false accusations of the Jews, like as the former, and occurs in the chapter next following: and the words plainly relate only to his Christian conversation; not to his former Jewish one. He had lived in all good conscience, with respect to what the Jews had accused him of: for, "neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the "temple, neither yet against Cæsar," had he "offended any thing at alld," from the time of his conversion to Christ. So St. Paul's phrase of a good conscience did not mean merely the living up to one's persuasion, of whatever kind it were, but living up to a just and wellgrounded persuasion of what is consonant to the will of God. If a person acts merely according to his present illgrounded persuasion, which he never seriously and impartially examined into, he cannot be properly said to maintain a good conscience; because, if he has any self-reflection at all, his conscience must smite him, and his own heart

66

Acts xxiii. 1. b 1 Tim. i. 15.

< Acts xxiv. 16.

d Acts xxv. 8.