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such as no rules can rectify, no endeavours can reform.

And this one reflection, duly attended to, would satisfy us, that we are not now in our natural state, and as we came forth from the hands of God; but fallen and degenerated from primitive perfection. For can it enter into the heart of man to conceive, that the noblest part of the visible creation should, in its original frame and constitution, be the most imperfect and faulty; that man should have been created by God, with such violent tendencies to evil, and such rooted aversions from goodness, as at present discover themselves in him? Even without the light of revelation, it would, on this very account, be highly reasonable for us to believe (what those, who reasoned best among the heathens, the scholars of Socrates, did believe) that some change must needs have happened in our faculties and natures, since they were first formed; and that our souls are now placed in a state, not of natural dignity and excellence, but of probation and recovery.

3. It will be a third good use of what has been discoursed, if we learn from thence, not to measure doctrines by persons, or persons by doctrines; that is, not to make the one a complete rule and standard, whereby to judge of the goodness or badness of the other. I cannot now duly explain this reflection, and shall therefore employ it only in order to wipe off a reproach that hath been sometimes cast on that excellent church, of which we are members; as if ill livers abounded more than ordinarily in her communion. I trust in God, the aspersion is utterly false and groundless; the mere effect of malice, envy or design. But, were it never so true, yet would not this be a touch-stone to try her doctrines by; since for the same reason that the wickedness of Christians in general is no argument against the truth of Christianity, the wickedness to be found in any particular society of Christians, can be no objection against the doctrines particularly professed in that society. By

Scripture and by reason, religious opinions are to be examined; and not by the lives and practice of those who espoused them.

However, since the world is for the most part composed of such as do not reason rightly, but judge merely by outward appearances; since mankind are generally so made, that the holiest religion in the world must needs suffer in their opinions, on the account of the ill lives of those who profess it; let us therefore make

this

4th and last use of what has been said, to excite ourselves from thence to do what in us lies towards removing this scandal from the Christian faith at large, and from that particular church of Christ to which we belong; both by living ourselves, as becomes our holy religion; and by influencing others, as we have ability and opportunity, to live as we do; that so both we and they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, Tit. ii. 10, may render it lovely and desirable in the eyes of all men, even its fiercest enemies and opposers; having our conversation (as the apostle speaks, 1 Pet. ii. 12.) honest among the Gentiles (and those who. are worse than Gentiles,-Christians in name and profession, but at the bottom hardened and seared unbelievers), that whereas they speak against us as evil-doers, they may by our good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The primitive Christians (as you have heard) appealed freely from their doctrines to their lives, in confirmation of the truth of Christianity: we, on the contrary, are forced to appeal from our lives to our doctrines; and to shelter ourselves under the indisputable goodness of the rule we embrace, whilst we are guilty of very many, and very great deviations from it. Let us be ashamed to make use of this argument any longer, and resolve to render our actions and opinions perfectly consistent, that so our religion may appear to be, not a notional system, but a vital and fruitful principle of holiness; and we

may save not only our own souls, but the souls of many. others also, who shall be won over to the obedience of the faith, by observing our good conversation in Christ Jesus.

To whom, with the Father, and blessed Spirit, be ascribed all majesty, might, and praise, now and for ever. Amen.

A

SERMON

PREACHED AT ST. JAMES'S CHAPEL, MARCH 20, 1718-19.

THE FEAR OF GOD A MOTIVE TO HOLINESS.

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. PHIL. VI. 1.

THE wise and good Author of our nature, foreseeing that, in this degenerate and corrupted state of it, the rules of duty he prescribed, would not, without great difficulty and reluctance, be complied with, hath been graciously pleased to address himself, not to our reason only, but our passions also, and to enforce his commands, by proposing, together with them, such motives and considerations, as (he knew) would have the greatest influence towards determining our choice; towards securing, and enlivening our christian obedience. And the most operative of these motives seems to be that, which applies itself to our fears, and urges upon us the strict practice of virtue, by the threats of divine vengeance, which will certainly attend our disobedience. This consideration the sacred writers frequently inculcate; and particularly St. Paul in the words of the text, wherein he exhorts the Philippians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.

On which words I intend to build this plain, but useful proposition, that a fear of God's wrath and of eternal punishment, is a proper and sufficient motive to lead men to holiness. This seems to be a very evident truth; and yet those, who have to deal with scrupulous consciences, know, that some very pious and well-meaning Christians, do in good earnest doubt of it; and will

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not allow themselves to be in a regenerate estate, or to have a sure title to the divine favour, because their repentance wholly took its rise at the first, and hath since perhaps in some measure received its growth and increase, from that base and slavish principle of fear, to which they imagine, the true sons of adoption, and the elect of God are always strangers.

To remove the scruples, under which such good, but mistaken men labour, shall be the business of my present discourse: wherein I will endeavour,

I. First, by some general reflections, to lessen the ill opinion, which these persons entertain of themselves : and then proceed,

II. Secondly, to prove more directly, that the principle, from which their repentance and obedience hath sprung, is such, as they may securely rely on. And,

I. First, I desire them to consider, that although the Gospel doth (almost in every page of it) represent to us the necessity of repentance in general; yet as to any particular motive, from whence this change of mind and manners must necessarily flow, it is altogether silent. Which seems to intimate this truth, that if a man be but sincerely and thoroughly good, it matters not much out of what principle he first became so else the Scripture, which so often and earnestly presses upon us the one, would have laid some stress on the other also. It is said indeed that we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength; Luke x. 27., that we must walk in his ways, and keep all his commandments; but it is no where determined, from what motive this our love and obedience must originally spring, in order to find acceptance with God. And therefore where no express directions are given, there the divine goodness seems to have indulged a latitude. And why then should we make the way that leads to eternal life narrower, and the gates straiter, than God himself appears to have made it? But,

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