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things as are righteous; to love all their brethren of mankind, but especially the brethren, the true difciples of a crucified Redeemer, with whom they are enabled to enjoy fweet communion, while at

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or commit fin." Nothing, as I conceive, is further from the Apostle's defign, than to affert, that a true believer, or child of God, will never fin again. He is preferved from fin, only while the divine incorruptible "feed re"maineth in him," and he "keepeth himself." Then and then only, that "wicked one," Satan, "toucheth "him not." While this is the cafe, though Satan may be permitted to tempt, affail, and even afflict him, yet he "toucheth him not," fo as to occafion any injury to his foul. Neither are we to conceive the Apostle's meaning to be, that there is no finfulness in the believer or child of God, when weighed in the exact balance of the fanc tuary; when beheld by the eyes of him, who "fearch"eth the heart, "and" accufeth his angels of folly." This would be to make St. John contradict himself, where he fays, "If we fay that we have no fin, we de"ceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." i. 8. "The very best action of the highest Believer has in it fuch a degree of impurity and imperfection, as abfolutely to require the atoning blood of Chrift. But, the ftate reprefented by the Apoftle appears to be fimply this: when the child of God purfues fuch a loving and obedient courfe of life, through faith in Chrift, that God, for his dear fon's fake, in whom he is adopted, regards the general principle of his actions, overlooks his various imperfections, and imputes not to him fin; thus acting as an indulgent Father, toward a dutiful, but frail and feeble child. This feems to me exactly, to accord with the ftate fpoken of by David and St. Paul. "Bleffed is he "whole tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe fin is covered. "Bleffed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not "iniquity, and in whole spirit is no guile." Pf. xxxii. 1. & 2. See Rom. iv. 6. & 7.

the fame time the "men of the world hear them "not ;" enter not into their views. It may be added, that it caufes them to love God, and Chrift, and to fhew their love in keeping all their commandments, which they no longer find to be "grievous *." Their faith enables them to overcome the world; and gives rife to a lively hope of being with Chrift, through which they are enabled, by divine grace, to purify their hearts. from their original corruptions. This is, in fact, that very "death unto fin, and new birth unto "righteoufgefs," which our Church juftly reprefents as the inward fpiritual gracet" in baptifm.

Now, my dear friends, afk yourselves whether any fuch change of nature, of principles, and conduct, have taken place in you. If you think it have, let me afk you, at what period? I am not requiring you to know the hour, the day, the week, or month; but do you know the year, or portion of your life, when it commenced? You know nothing of this. You do not remember the time when you were effentially different from what you are at prefent. Why, then, you have the greatest reafon to dread, that this change has never taken place at all, and that you have never yet truly "believed "to the faving of your foul;" that you are not yet juftified, pardoned, and accepted by God, which can only be through fuch a faith as has been defcribed; that you have not yet peace with him, but are fill his enemy, under the influence of a "carnal mind, which is enmity against him." Oh!

I John v. 1 to 4. †Catechism. Rom. v. 1. viii.

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Oh! my dear brethren, if you live and die with God your enemy, who then can be your friend? Think, how dreadful it must be to hear thofe awful founds, and to hear them pronounced by the once loving Jefus, "Bring thofe mine "enemies, and flay them before my face;" to be "delivered over by him to the tormentors, amidst "weeping and gnafhing of teeth!" God forbid that this fhould be your wretched ftate! And yet, it furely will be, if you have not that faith, the principle of a new and divine birth, which you have heard reprefented. Let us proceed, however, to the confideration of the remaining marks of a true faving faith; which have indeed been neceffarily in part touched on, in defcribing the new and fpiritual birth.

3. Does your faith produce good works? Does it fhew itself in a holy obedience to the laws and will of God? Does it caufe you to be more amiable, diligent, and ufeful, in all the various fituations and duties of human life? Hear the Apoftle James I will fhew thee my faith by my works. "Faith, if it have not works, is dead, being alone, "As the body without the fpirit* is dead, so faith "without works is dead alfot" Remember the works, the great, the glorious, and frequently moft painful and laborious works, performed by the believers of old. Who can read the 1th chapter of the Epiftle to the Hebrews without fceing thefe? Remember the works performed by

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James ii. 18, 17 & 26.

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the Apotles of our Lord and the other primitive Chriftians. Read the account of these in the book of Acts. Nay! read the fermon of our Lord on the mount; the 13th chapter of St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians; the Epiftles of St. James, and St. John; and then imagine if you are able, that there can be any true faving faith, without the performance of every good work, every duty of domeftic, focial, and civil life. In fact, they who have imagined to themfelves an Antinomian faving faith, a faith not neceffarily productive of good works,have been ready to wifh thefe and other, fimilar paffages expunged from the facred volume. But I hope "ye have not "fo learned Chrift." I am fure that you have not, "if fo be, ye have been taught by him, as the truth "is in Jefus." Your minifters have, I trust, obeyed the injunction of the Apostle: "This is a faithful faying, and thefe things I will that thou af"firm conftantly, that they, which have believed "in God, might be careful to maintain good works. "These things are good and profitable unto "men*." Did not our dear Lord come to " pu"rify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of "good works +?" Are not believers "created in "Chrift Jefus to good works?" quired that we be "adorned with good works : fhew ourselves a pattern of good works; be "thoroughly furnifhed to all good works; that "we provoke each other to love and to good "works;

Is it not re

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"works;' that we be well reported of for good "works; that we let our light fo fhine before men, that they may fee our good works, and glo"rify our Father which is in heaven*?" Indeed, my brethren, believers are not without law, but under the law to Chrift ;" and, though they entirely difclaim all individual merit from their works, and all dependence on them, in the view of their acceptance with God, yet are they careful to adorn the doctrine of Chrift their Saviour in "all things +," well knowing that good works “are "pleafing and acceptable to God in Chrift;" fuch as he will graciously reward for his fake;" and "do fpring out neceffarily of a true and lively "faith; infomuch, that by them a lively faith may "be as evidently known, as a tree difcerned by "its fruit."

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Carefully examine yourselves, then, my friends. Do you" put on, as the elect of God, holy and "beloved, bowels of mercies, kindnefs, humble"nefs of mind, meeknefs, long-fuffering; forbear66 ing one another, and forgiving one another, if any

*See Eph. ii. 10. X. 24. 1 Tim. v. 10. †. Tit. ii. 10.

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Article 12. Compare this carefully with Article 11th and 13th, and let it be with prayer to God; when the doctrine of our Church, refpecting faith and works, can scarcely fail to be understood. This I recommend to all perfons, whether members of the Church of England, or not, being more and more fully convinced that our pious reformers have herein clearly and faithfully represented the doctrine of the ícriptures.

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