1.

SERM. mote the practice of fubftantial virtue; and least of all, is that edifying which leads to faith in men, or an implicit fubmiffion to their authority in matters of religion, instead of faith in Jefus Christ, and an inviolable adherence to him as the only Lord of conscience; to confirm the prejudices of men against the plain and fimple doctrines of the gospel, to inflame their paffions and encrease their uncharitableness.

Secondly, It is not every compliance with men and pleasing them, ev'n in things for the fubftance lawful, which the christian law requires or allows; but only that which is for good to edification. Some please others from low and selfish motives, from an affectation of popularity, to gain applause, or it may be, to ferve their worldly intereft, which instead of edifying their neighbours fo complied with, and doing them good in a religious fenfe, tends to confirm them in their mistakes, and to gratify their unreasonable humours, their pride and their paffions; and instead of promoting peace on a juft foundation, tends to ftrengthen an impofing fpirit, the certain caufe of divifions. It is noble and generous to bear the infirmities of the weak, but it is mean and unbecoming a fervant of Chrift, by

a tame fubmiffion to imperious demands and SERM. arbitrary encroachments, to betray the liberty I. wherewith he has made us free, and to fuffer ourfelves to be entangled in a yoke of bondage.

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SERM.

II.

Mat. vii. 21, 22, 23.

Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, Shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but be that doth the will of my Father which is in keaven. Many will fay unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy name and in thy name have caft out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you; depart from me ye that work iniquity

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O queftion can be of greater importance to men than this, upon what foundation they may hope for the favour of God; and what is to be done on their part that they may be intitled to it? And none more important to chriftians, than what are the terms of falvation fix'd in the gofpel; fince our Lord Jefus Chrift came

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II.

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into the world on purpose to reveal the Fa- SERM. ther to men, and the way to eternal life that is, to give them juft fentiments concerning God, and the homage he requires; and to declare by an exprefs law, what are the difpofitions of mind, and the courfe of action which will be acceptable to him; we, who have embraced christianity are not left to be directed by the dictates of men in this great inquiry, nor merely to our own reason, and what the light of nature will fuggeft: (though that is ftill fo far a rule, that we cannot receive any pretended revelation which contradicts it, and hereby the Gospel is recommended to our acceptance, that its terms are perfectly agreeable to it :) but we must have our recourse to our Saviour's exprefs declaration. The rule of life which he has prefcribed, will be the rule of judgment; and we cannot reasonably have any hope of happiness in the other world, but upon our conforming in this world to the precepts he has given us. The verses I have read, being near the conclufion of his excellent fermon upon the mount, which contains the fum of his doctrine, decide the grand queftion already mentioned with the greatest clearness. It is the point which of all others he takes care to declare the moft plainly, as indeed

SERM. indeed it may reafonably be expected he II. fhould, fince confequences of the great

eft moment to men whom he came to fave, depend upon it. And indeed his words" are fo very plain, that one would think it hardly poffible for any of his followers to miftake his meaning. On the one hand, he shews the infufficiency of fome pretences, fuch as a great outward profeffion of refpect to him, calling him, Lord, Lord, and the gift of prophecy of cafting out devils, and working miracles. Thofe pretences he exprefsly fays, he will reject, and if the perfons, who claim or expect acceptance by them, are workers of iniquity, his fentence against them will be, depart from me, I know you not. On the other hand, he establishes obedience, as the only folid ground of hope towards God, and declares that they, and they only, who do the will of his heavenly Father; that is, fincerely keep his commandments, fhall be acquitted in the day of Judgment, and enter into the kingdom of heaven. These, therefore, are the heads of difcourfe I fhall infift upon from the text. First, I will endeavour to explain the falfe pretences to the favour of God, and the kingdom of heaven, mentioned by our Saviour, with others parallel to

them;

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