SERM.

II.

one, if applied, would prevail with the finner to break the whole law, or any of its commandments, which actually prevails with him in the one point wherein he does offend. Now what is the confequence from all this? So Speak ye, and fo do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. Let the influence of your profeffed expectation of a future judgment by the gospel, appear in the whole of your Conduct, in all your works and words, Do not imagine, that you fatisfy the obligations of your chriftian character, or that you can maintain the wellgrounded hope of divine acceptance at last by fome good actions, and abstaining from fome fins, unless you abound in every good work, and abftain from all kind and all appearance of evil.

One reflection upon what has been said, is very obvious, and that is all I fhall farther infift upon at this time, namely, libertinism in practise, or licenciousness of life, is fo far from being included in, that it is directly contrary to chriftian liberty. For the apostle, when he is moft strictly preffing the obfervance of all God's commandments, and enforcing it by the most powerful of all confiderations, the future judgment, he gives the gofpel the cha

racter

racter of the law of liberty; which ifSERM. it were to be understood in this fenfe, that II. it gives a licence to fin, would be perfectly inconfiftent. Nay, in the words immediately following the text, and thro' the whole remaining part of the chapter, he defignedly and largely proves, that we cannot be justified before God, otherwife than by works of righteousness, or an universal and persevering obedience. There were fome then, as there have been at other times, who profeffing the gospel, expected to be justified by the faith of it without works, and tho' they indulg'd themselves in wicked courfes, which was turning the grace of God into a criminal liberty, and into lafcivioufness, as the Apostle Jude speaks, and making Chrift the minifter of fin but, St. James fhews the vanity of fuch a pretence, and confirms his doctrine of Juftification, or final abfolution in the day of judgment, by works; he confirms it, Ifay, by examples from the Old Teftament, fuch as Rabab, and the patriarch Abraham, which might be very convincing to the Jews who had gone into this pernicious Error.

Let us then, take care to understand our liberty aright, and that we do not abuse it to purposes inconfiftent with its true nature and

defign,

SERM. defign; which we may be fure is always II. done, when men take any encouragement

from it to fin; to allow themselves in any works contrary to righteousness, to the fear of God, to purity and charity. This is a point in which the apostles have taken great care to inftruct chriftians. St. Paul, indeed, in his epistle to the Galatians, fhews a very warm zeal for liberty; he could not bear that any encroachment should be made upon it; for, when falfe brethren were brought in privily, to fpie out the liberty of chriftrians in order to enfnare, and bring them into bondage, he would not give place by fubjection fo much as for an hour*. Nay, when the apostle Peter thro' fear of the Jews, had gone into a feparation upon the fcore of the ceremonies, requiring the obfervance of them as a condition of religious communion, and fo compelling the Gentiles to conform to the customs of the Jews; Paul withstood him to the face, and he recommended it to christians, Chap. v. 1. Toftand faft in the liberty wherewith Chrift bath made us free; but in the 13th Verfe, he gives this neceffary caution, ye have been called into liberty, only ufe not liberty for an occafion to the flesh: do

*Gal, ii. 5.

not.

vicious SER M.

not take a licence to yourselves in any practices, nor indulge corrupt affections; and let there be no animofities, no ftrife, nor envying among you, which will indeed fhew you to be carnal and walk as men ; but by love ferue one another. To the fame purpose he warns the Corinthians that they should not in the use of their liberty offend against charity, ift epiftle viii. 9. But take beed leaft by any means this liberty of yours become a ftumbling block to them that are weak. St. Peter, alfo, earneftly exhorts the converted Jews, not to imitate the reft of their country men who committed great disorders under the pretence of freedom, ift epistle ii. 16, as free and not using your liberty for a cloak of malicioufnefs, by an obstinate refiftance and contempt of lawful human authority, but as the fervants of God.

Thus let us always value our liberty as a high priviledge; maintain, but not abuse it; and live in expectation of the future judgment; being holy in all manner of conversation *. Expecting the refurrection of the dead, both of the juft and unjust, let us, after the example of the holy apoftle, herein exercife ourselves to have always confciences void of offence towards God and towards men. VOL. I.

E

* Acts xxiv, 15, 16.

SER

II.

(50)

SERMON III.

Of REPENTANCE.

SERM.

III.

Matth. iv. 17.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at

T

band:

HE kingdom of Heaven, or the kingdom of God, does ufually in the New-Teftament, and particularly in the difcourfes of our Saviour himfelf, fignify the gofpel ftate, that glorious model formed in the divine counfels for recovering finful men to their duty, and reftoring them to the favour of God. The Deity has a upreme unalienable right to our obedience, which neceffarily refults from our relation to him as the workmanship of his hands, endued with those powers which render us capable of knowing and doing his will, continually depending on him, and receiving favours from him. But when mankind had corrupted their ways, and fallen fhort of the glory of God, it pleased

him