SERM. Deeds; which he introduces with this CauX. tion: Be not deceived; God is not mocked:

For whatsoever a Man foweth, that shall be alfo reap. For he that foweth to his Flesh, fhall of the Flesh reap Corruption: But be that foweth to the Spirit, fhall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting (f). The last End to which all Things in this World tend, is fomething carnal; but the Principle and the Tendency of the next are wholly spiritual.--He, that foweth to the Flefb,---he, who confults only his prefent Interest upon Earth, his Crop fhall be anfwerable to his Seed,--he may reap temporal Advantages proportionable to his Pains and Industry, yet the utmoft Produce of all his Labour can be but of a short-lived Duration, all earthly Things being of a tranfient and corruptible Nature: For he that foweth to the Flesh, fhall of the Flesh reap Corruption.

But be that foweth to the Spirit,---he, who has his Mind fettled on the Rewards of another State, and conducts himself so far by Faith and not by Sight, that he can cheerfully forego an immediate Enjoyment, and bury it, as it were under-ground, cafting it in like Seed into the Earth, in Hopes

(f) Gal. vi. 7, 8;

of

of a future plentiful Harveft, how much fo- SERM. ever he may be cenfured for his Improvi- X. dence and Credulity by the fhort-fighted Men of this World, ftill fhall receive an abundant Increafe of, and meet with a glorious Recompenfe for, all his patient Continuance in well-doing, in the Bleffings of the World to come. For he, that foweth to the Spirit, fhall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting.---Thefe Things being fo, Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due Seafon we fhall reap, if we faint not.

HERE is the encouraging Doctrine, which St. Paul would deduce from the Whole: And, it seems to be doing an Injury to his Argument to limit it, as fome have done, to a fingle though principal Member, when he plainly applies it to the compleat Body of Chriftian Duties. They, who interpret Well-doing to fignify Charity alone, apparently look upon this as a detached Sentence, unconnected with the rest of the Epiftle; whereas from the curfory View, I have given of it, it evidently stands as an Inference from the Premifes, and contains an Exhortation to an unbounded Perfeverance in all good Works.

IN

SERM.

X.

In this general Senfe I fhall here underftand it, and confider as well what our Apoftle infinuates, together with the bad Confequences thereof, as what he perfuades to, and the most prevailing Motives he urges to enforce it.

WHAT is infinuated or fuppofed, is, that Men are apt to grow weary in well-doing; a Charge too juftly grounded to be denied. So great is the Frailty of human Nature in its fad State of univerfal Degeneracy, and fo utterly averse from conforming itself to the Good-will and Pleafure of Almighty God,. that without the Divine Affiftance enabling us to keep a fteady Eye on fuch Encouragements as God has promised to our Constancy, we shall be frequently inclined to faint in our Courfe, and grow tired of our Work Every Temptaion will foil us, will retard our Progrefs, and flacken our Induftry, or turn us out of the right Way, and betray us to the grand Enemy of our Sal

vation.

THAT fuch must be our Condition in a State of Nature may certainly be concluded, fince even under Grace, when Men are en

titled to God's mighty Aid, they too often SERM. neglect to make the expected Improvements X. of it, and having begun in the Spirit, aim at nothing fo earnestly as to be perfected in the Flesh. They fleep when they should watch,----yield where they fhould refift,---and loiter away idly thofe Hours, which are appointed for Labour. Either they have not a firm Confidence in God, and are afraid of not receiving at last the promised Fruits of a perfevering Diligence, or else they despise them, and have no Relifh for any befides worldly and fenfual Pleasures, tho' the one discovers a moft vitiated Taste, as the other a most impious Distrust.

MUCH Reafon then had St. Paul to found his Exhortation to a Continuance in well-dodoing, on the Suppofal of Mens Proneness to discontinue it. For which he had not only the Experience of his own Times, but the History of the former, and might fairly conclude as to the future, that ordinary Chriftians would be in danger of feeling the like. Weariness and Faintnefs, fince the most eminent and holy of God's Servants, whofe Faith, and Patience, and Piety are recorded for an Example to all Pofterity, have in their Defects of this Kind prov'd themselves

to

SERM. to be Perfons fubject to the fame InfirmiX. ties as others.

THUS, the Man after God's own Heart, when he faw the Profperity of the Wicked, that they were not in Trouble like other Men, nor plagued like other Men,---that they carried on their Defigns fmoothly, and were not brought into any immediate Danger by the Crimes they had committed,that they had an uninterrupted and continued Courfe of temporal Succefs, and were not called to a speedy Account for their Blafphemies, and their daring Provocations against God,---he, obferving thefe Events, and finding Things to be far otherwise with him, that he was plagued all the Day long, and chaftened every Morning, burfts out into this hafty and defponding Exclamation, Verily I have cleanfed my Heart in vain, and washed my Hands in Innocency (g).

SUCH is the Weakness of human Refolution, that if they do not presently find the Encouragement in doing their Duty which they promise themselves, if all things fucceed not according to their fanguine Expectations, they are ready many Times to cry out in

(g) Pf. Ixxiii.

the