the character of some eminent professors of faith, and ministers in his church. They were men, who wrought miracles before the unbelieving world to glorify his name, and enlarge his kingdom. Yet these splendid gifts, so beneficial to others, do not prevent the loss of their own souls. When they plead in the great day, "have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many mighty works? Then will I declare unto them, saith the Lord, I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity."

How decisive a proof is this scripture, were there no other, that we cherish a fatal presumption, when we plead the everlasting covenant in excuse for unfruitfulness in the service of God! No, if we cannot appeal to him, that we watch and pray, and keep his commandments, our hearts are false. We hear before our trial, what must be our doom. Neither can we believe the words of the Lord, thus plain and peremptory, yet fancy ourselves amongst the elect: for a wicked or an idle servant, is a contradiction to every character given of them by the Holy Ghost.

Whenever, therefore, upon professing to be convinced of the truth of the doctrines of grace, you entertain slight notions of the ab

solute necessity of holiness, begin to neglect secret prayer, or use the means of grace, without prizing them highly; whenever you delight to hear of final perseverance, and finished salvation, but feel secret disgust when urged to "present yourselves a living sacrifice unto God;" be assured you grossly mistake the nature, you pervert the design of the holy covenant. Cry to God, if the thoughts of your heart may be forgiven.

Thus the fatal mistake, too often found amongst religious professors, who receive the scripture doctrine of predestination and election, but disregard personal obedience, stands confuted upon their own principles. Since upon these principles, such a construction of the everlasting covenant, is a flagrant contradiction to the testimony of conscience; to the essential character of a disciple of Christ; to the generation of the faithful in all ages; and must certainly, if persisted in to the last, bring on everlasting destruction, according to our Lord's declarations. These various proofs are not to be resisted, but by that hypocrisy which is capable of abusing, and turning into poison, every scheme of religion which God can propose,

These proofs of the absolute necessity of holiness, in full consistency with the doctrines

of grace, sufficiently secure obedience; because by these proofs, Christ and his apostles, confront and expose hypocrites. They do not ever, as I remember, deny, that the church of Christ is accepted in him, and complete: justified through faith once for all, without the deeds of the law. In this manner, they defended the truth against all charges of licentiousness, which, from the beginning were against it.

And every other scheme for promoting holiness, will do, in the end, much more mischief than service to the cause of holiness. For every other scheme, establishes the old covenant upon the ruins of the new; makes the righteousness of faith give place to the righteousness of the law; deeply shades the glory of the Redeemer's life and death; robs his church of the strongest and purest motives to obedience; and, in the conclusion, as certainly overthrows the gospel as antinomian blasphemy itself. The only difference between the popish doctrine of a second justification by works, and antinomian abuse of the doctrines of grace, the two extremes lies here: The plan of a second final justification by works produces an apostacy from Christ by slow degrees and fair appearances, thus beguiling the simple. Antinomians,

with their heaven-daring falsehoods, too gross for any but abandoned hypocrites to bear, stab the gospel to the heart at once, in the face of the sun.

CHAP. XXV.

ON THE ERROR OF EXALTING MORALITY TO THE DISPARAGEMENT OF FAITH AND HOLINESS.

THE doctrine of this

prophecy proves clearly this fatal mistake. Yet what confident pretensions to merit! What self-satis faction do we see many take in the supposed sufficiency of honesty and benevolence, who, notwithstanding, possess but a very small share of these excellent qualities: insensible, it seems, that moralists (as they affect to call themselves) who serve not the Lord in holiness, are of all men most unjust, are ene, mies to mankind in several capital respects; direct opposers of God; and incapable of admission into heaven, without an entire change of heart.

Profane moralists are the most unjust of men; because the highest degree of injustice is to defraud our greatest benefactor. But our greatest Benefactor, beyond comparison,

is the giver of all we enjoy, and of our every capacity for happiness. Wherefore adoration, esteem, gratitude, humiliation for every of fence committed against him, with supreme love, are the things which are God's....due to him by an indefeasible right, positively requi red from us all. When the Jews of old withheld from him the tithes and offerings which were demanded to support the temple service, where the God of Israel was worshipped, he accused them in these forcible terms: "Will a man rob God? yet this whole nation hath robbed me." But if this was rob. bery of God, what is it to annihilate the first and great commandment, under pretence that cordial regard to the temporal welfare of our fellow-creatures is sufficient? To every per. son who holds this mistake, we may say with the utmost propriety, "Thou that abhorrest injustice, dost thou commit sacrilege? How ridiculous are all thy pretensions to an high regard for moral conduct, when thou thyself livest in the commission of the basest theft any creature can commit, that of robbing God, and teaching others to do the same, yet account themselves good men !"

I prove further, that moralists, by extolling honesty and benevolence, to the disparagement of faith and holiness, are enemies to