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SERM.

HOWEVER, had they gone into the other IX. Extream, and, as is the fashionable Turn

our Times have taken,

magnified moral

Goodness to the Difparagement of Divine Inftitutions, and fet God's natural Will in Oppofition to his revealed, they would not have much mended the Matter, nor efcaped the juft Cenfure of the Reformer of the World.

THE Point of Doctrine Chrift Jefus had in his Eye, which the faulty. Conduct of the Pharifees gave him Occafion to inculcate on them, and which he has left on Record for the Inftruction of Mankind, is, that nothing less than an unlimited univerfal Obedience will qualify us for Favour, and entitle us, through his Merits, to a gracious Acceptance here, and to eternal Life hereafter: Not, indeed, fuch a compleat Conformity to our Rule, as fhall be void of every Deviation and free from all Imperfection, but fuch as in Cafe of Failure renews itself by a feasonable and hearty Reformation.

To run our Race without a Slip or Stumble, appears to be an Height of Watchfulness, and Vigour

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SERM. Vigour too exalted for the prefent weak IX. Capacity of human Nature: Though to

obey without Limitation,---to conform our Lives and Actions, in the general Courfe and Tenour of them, to the Direction of God's Commandments, fo as not to perfift in the habitual Practice of any known Sin, cr the customary Breach of any plain Duty, as this is not above our Power, at least by the Affiftance of his Grace; fo is it indifpenfably required of us.

GOD expects from all Men, from Chriftians especially, that out of a Conversation they do fhew forth their good Works,---that by their holy Behaviour in all Virtue and Godliness of living, they do demonstrate to the World and to themfelves the inmoft Difpofition of their Minds, and by a Train of uniform confiftent Performances prove their real Sanctification by the Spirit,---that they do not on any Score make the Divine Laws to be at Variance among themfelves,---not oppofe Service to Service, nor pretend to juftify the Tranfgreffion of fome Commands, though it be by a more zealous Attachment to others.

SERM.

THIS is the only Obedience, which either IX. Scripture or Reafon gives us any Warrant to venture our Salvation upon, and an Affair of fo much Importance calls for a moft ferious Inspection.

If we confult the former, but with a flight Attention, we fhall find this Truth confirmed by a Multitude of Paffages therein, That God demands an impartial Compliance with his Will, however notified to us. It is the Language of the Old Testament, Let thine Eye look right on, and let thine Eye-lids look ftreight before thee. Ponder the Path of thy Feet, and let thy Ways be established. Turn not to the Right Hand, nor to the Left (a). For then only shall we not be afbamed of entertaining an undue Reliance on God's Acceptance, when we have Refpect unto all his Commandments (b).

OR if any one fhould conceive, that under the Gofpel, a new Covenant of Grace and Mercy, he is indulged a greater Liberty, than was allowed under the Law, that Difpenfation of Severity and Terrour; before he fuffers fuch a Prejudice to be too firmly rooted

(a) Prov. iv. 25, 26, 27.

(b) Pf. cxix. 6.

SERM. rooted within him, he ought very coolly to IX. examine, in what Strain the Declarations of the New Teftament run. As, Let every one that nameth the Name of Chrift, depart from Iniquity (c).---Abstain from all Appearance, every Kind of Evil (d).---Let us lay afide every Weight (e).---Cleanse yourselves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, perfecting Holinefs in the Fear of the Lord (ƒ).----And Keep yourselves unspotted from the World (g). So that every Weight of Guilt, every Stain of Corruption, every thing that looks like Sin, is to be thrown off, and removed at a Distance from us.

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AND as a defective Obfervance of our Maker's Will, --the doing fome Things he has enjoined, which fhall be reckoned an Equivalent for leaving others undone, or available to Salvation without them, is condemned by unexceptionable Texts of holy Writ, fo is it likewise opposite to the entire Scope and Drift, the End and Purport, of the Gofpel. The Reafon of Christ's appearing in the Flesh was to put away Sin (b), but this Notion establishes it :---He was the Mediator of the New Teftament for the Redemption

(c) 2.Tim. ii 19.
(e) Heb. xii. 1.
fg) St. James i. 27.

(d) 1 Theff. v. 22.

(ƒ) 2 Cor. vii. 1.

(b) Heb. ix. 26.

demption of Tranfgreffions (i), to releafe us SERM. from the Dominion as well as the Punish- IX. ment of them; but the Doctrine of the Sufficiency of a partial infincere Obedience confirms their Tyranny and our Mifery.

Zacharias upon the Forefight of the approaching fpiritual Deliverance by the Meffiah, prophefies (k), in as ftrong Terms, as if it had been actually accomplished, that Ged bath vifited and redeemed his People to perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his boly Covenant,---that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the Hands of our Enemies, might serve him without Fear, in Holiness and Righteouf ness before him, all the Days of our Life. And Chrift, fays one Apoftle, gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works (1), and not privileged to Evil; and for this Purpofe, fays another, the Son of God was manifested to deftroy the Works, all the Works of the Devil, without Exception or Referve (m). It were endless to heap together Teftimonies to to this Effect; and it is needlefs, fince the moft

(i) Heb. ix. 15.
(1) Tit. ii. 14.

(k) St. Luke i. 68, 75. (m) 1 St. John ii. 8.

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