and virtues of Christianity, and the courfe and tenor of a holy life; when out of a good converfation men do fhew forth their works; and by the outward actions of their lives do give real teftimony of their piety, juftice, fobriety, humility, meeknefs, and charity, and all other Chriftian graces and virtues, as occafion is miniftred for the practice and exercise of them.

By a virtual obedience, I mean a fincere belief of the gofpel, of the holiness and equity of its precepts, of the truth of its promifes, and the terror of its threatenings, and a true repentance for all our fins. This is obedience in the root and principle; for he who fincerely believes the gofpel, and does truly repent of the errors and mifcarriages of his life, is firmly refolved to obey the commandments of God, and to walk before him in holiness and righteousness all the days of his life; fo that there is nothing that prevents or hinders this man's actual obedience to the laws of God, in the course of a holy and good life, but only the want of time and opportunity for it. And this was the cafe of thofe, who, upon the hear ing of the gospel when it was first preached to them, did heartily embrace it, and turn from their fins, and the worship of idols, to the true and living God, but perhaps were cut off foon after; (as there were many who being but newly gained to Christianity, were prefently put to death, and fuffered martyrdom for that profeffion) there is no doubt to be made, but that in this cafe, virtual obedience was in fuch perfons a fufficient qualification for eternal life.

But where there is time and opportunity for the exercise of our obedience, and the practice of the virtues of a holy life, there actual obedience to the laws and precepts of the gofpel is neceffary, to qua lify us for eternal happinefs; fo that though a man do fincerely believe the gofpel, and truly repent of his fins, and refolve upon a better life; yet if he do not afterwards, in the courfe of his life, put this refolution in practice, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and amendment of life, and perfevere in a holy course, his first refolution of obedience, though it were fincere, will not avail him to falvation. Nay, if he

K 2

fhould

fhould continue for fome time in the refolution and practice of a holy and virtuous life, and afterwards fall off from it, and turn from the holy commandment delivered unto him, his latter end would be worse than his beginning; all his righteousness that he hath done would not be remembered; he fhall dy in his iniquity. For without holiness no man shall fee the Lord. If any man draw back, God's foul will have no pleasure in him. This is fo very clear and plain from fcripture, that no man can entertain a contrary perfuafion, without contradicting the whole tenor of the Bible.

The fum of what I have faid is this, that a virtual obedience and fincere faith and repentance are fufficient, where there is no time and opportunity for actual obedience, and the practice of a good life: but where there is opportunity for actual obedience, and the continued practice of a good life, and perfe verance therein; they are indifpenfably neceffary in order to our eternal falvation, and a well grounded hope and affurance of it.

zdly, There is a perfect' and there is a fincere o bedience. Perfect obedience confifts in the exact conformity of our hearts and lives to the law of God, without the leaft imperfection, and without failing in any point or degree of our duty. And this obedience, as it is not confiftent with the frailty and infirmity of corrupt nature, and the imperfection of our prefent ftate, fo neither doth God require it of us as a neceffary condition of eternal life. We are indeed commanded to be perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect: but we are not to understand this ftrictly and rigorously; for that is not only impoffible to men in this prefent state of imperfection, but abfo. lutely impoffible to human nature, for men to be perfect as God is perfect: but the plain meaning of this precept is, that we fhould imitate thofe divine perfections of goodness, and mercy, and patience, and purity, and endeavour to be as like God in all these as we can, and be still afpiring after a nearer refemblance of him, as may be evident to any one who confiders the connexion and occafion of these words.

By

By a fincere obedience, I mean fuch a conformity of our lives and actions to the law of God, as to the general courfe and tenor of them, that we do not live in the habitual practice of any known fin, or in the customary neglect of any material or confiderable part of our known duty; and that we be not wilfully and deliberately guilty of the fingle act of heinous and notorious fins, as I have formerly explained this matter more at large in another difcourfe. And this obedience, even in the best of men, is mixt with great frailty and imperfection; but yet because it is the utmost that we can do in this ftate of infirmity and imperfection, the terms of the gospel are fo merciful and gracious, as that God is pleafed for the fake of the meritorious obedience and fufferings of our bleffed Saviour, to accept this fincere, though imperfect obedience, and to reward it with eternal life. And this, I doubt not, after all the intricate difputes, and infinite controverfies about this business, is the true and clear ftate of the matter.

And this fincere obedience which the gospel requires of us, as a condition of our happiness, tho' it be fometimes called by Divines, evangelical perfection; yet it is but very improperly fo called; for nothing is properly perfect, to which any thing is wanting; and great defects and imperfections must needs be acknowledged in the obedience of the best and holieft men upon earth; and they who pretend to perfections in this life, do neither understand the law of God,. nor themfelves, but, (as St. John fays of fuch perfons) they deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them ;; and befides other imperfections, thefe two are evident in them, ignorance and pride.

And thus much may fuffice to have spoken to this fecond particular, namely, what obedience the gofpel: requires as a condition, and is pleased to accept as a qualification for eternal life.

114

SERM ON CXXIII.

The poffibility and neceffity of gofpelobedience, and its confiftence with free grace.

Н Б В. У. 9.

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal faluation unto all them that obey him.

F

The fecond fermon on this text.

OR the explication of thefe words, I propofed to confider these five things:

ift, How and by what means Chrift is the author of our falvation.

2dly, What obedience the gospel requires as a condition, and is pleafed to accept as a qualification, in thofe who hope for eternal falvation.

3dly, The poffibility of our performing this condition, by that grace and affiftance which is offered, and ready to be afforded to us by the gospel:

4thly, The neceffity of this obedience, in order to. eternal life and happiness..

5thly, The confiftency of this method and means of our falvation with the law of faith, and the free grace and mercy of God declared in the gospel.

I have handled the two firft of these, and now. proceed to the

Third thing I propofed to confider, viz. The poffibility of our performing this condition, by that grace and affiftance which is offered and ready to be afforded to us by the gofpel. For if Christ be the author of eternal falvation only to those who obey him; then, thofe who live in difobedience to the gospel, are in a state of damnation. But there cannot be the guilt

of

of disobedience, where obedience is impoffible; no man being guilty, or juftly liable to punishment, for the not doing of that, which it was no ways poffible for him to do. Therefore the covenant of the gofpel, into which God is entered with mankind, doth neceffarily fuppofe the poffibility of performing the condition of it; otherwife it leaves them in as bad a condition as they were in before, because it only offers new bleffings and benefits to us, but fets us never the nearer the obtaining of them, if fo be the condition upon which they are granted be altogether impoffible to us; nay, it renders our ftate many degrees worfe, if our not performing the condition of fuch gracious offers brings us under new and greater. guilt.

If it be faid, that fome few perfons have great benefit by it, because they by an efpecial and effectual grace fhall be enabled to perform the conditions of this covenant; is not this a mighty ftraitening to the grace and mercy of the gofpel, to confine it within fo narrow a compafs, as ftill to leave the greateft part of mankind in a worfe condition, than if falvation had never been offered to them; as it certainly does, if (as this doctrine does neceffarily fuppofe) the guilt and punishment of men fhall be greatly increafed and heightened by their contempt of, and difobedience to the gofpel; when at the fame time it is acknowledged, that it was not poffible for those men to obey it, for want of that special and effectual grace, which is neceffary to enable them thereto? I do not love to handle thefe points contentiously, but this in my apprehension does as much derogate from the amplitude and riches of God's grace in the gospel, ass any thing that can eafily be faid.

And therefore, for the right ftating and clearing of this matter, I fhall endeavour to make out thefe three things ::

1. That we are not fufficient of ourselves, and by any power in us, to perform the condition of the gofpel.

2. That the grace of God is ready to enable and