SERM.
XV. these,

Now this proceeds from fuch Caufes as

1. BECAUSE they err in fome fundamental Article of Religion: For God doth expect that we should pay him the Homage of our Understandings, as well as of our Wills; and, fince he has been pleased to reveal to us the wonderful Mysteries of our Faith, it is our indifpenfable Duty to yield our Affent to them. As for those Nations who dwell in the remoteft Parts of the Earth, who fit in Darkness and do not enjoy the glorious Light of the Gofpel, there is no Queftion but large Allowances will be made to them, because their Ignorance is invincible, and God may extend his Mercy to them by Means unknown to us: But that Ignorance which proceeds either from our Sloth and Lazinefs, because we do not employ thofe Faculties God has given us, to inform ourselves of the Truth, or which is the Effect of fome vile Luft, will be held without Excufe.

ANOTHER Caufe of Mifcarriage is,

2. WHEN Men place the Whole of Religion in fome one Part of it. Thus, fome Men think to be faved, only because they are Members of the true Church, and affent to all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith; but to believe only is no more than

what

19.

what the Devils do, for they believe and SERM.
tremble. Others there are who are very XV.
punctual in the Obfervance of the Externals
of Religion, and with the Pharifees of old James ii.
pay the fmaller Dues of Mint, and Anife,
and Cummin, and hope hereby to compound
for the weightier Matters of Justice and
Mercy. Many there are who place the
Whole of Religion in moral Honesty, and
think they are safe enough, provided they
are just and honeft in their Dealings, and
do unto others as they would be done unto,
and defraud no Man; though, at the fame
Time, they are flack and careless both in
their private and public Devotions, and
hereby defraud God of his Worship.
There are others who go farther than all
this; they feem not only to be just and
honest, but also pious and devout Perfons;
they in Part reform their Lives and Con-
verfations, and do many Things as they
ought, but then they harbour fome darling
Luft, and with Herod will keep their Hero-
dias. Many there are who hate Prophanenefs
and Debauchery, yet give themselves up to
Covetoufnefs, Pride, Malice, or Envy:
Others are Men of excellent Tempers, but
then they are inclined to Excefs and Riot;
fome there are who fear an Oath, but then
they are guilty of Back-biting and Railing
A a 4

at

SERM. at their Neighbour: Others will not proXV. phane the Sabbath, but then they will over

23.

reach and deceive. Now he, that would enter into Heaven, must strive not only against the groffer Acts of Sin, but against every corrupt Appetite and Inclination; he must not allow himself in the Commiffion of the least Sin, or in the Omiffion of the Rom. vi. leaft Duty; for the Wages of every Sin is Death. Nay, he must be sure to take more particular Care to repent of those Sins which he is apt to extenuate, and to call by mollifying Names, and to efteem only as pardonable Offences and human Infirmities: For these are generally our darling Lufts, and most dangerous Enemies, whereas the least Sin, approved of, will deprive us of the Favour of God and eternal Happiness. Hell was not only made for the Debauched and Atheistical, the Murderer and Adulterer and the more notorious Offenders; but for the fly Hypocrite and formal Profeffor, the Slothful and Negligent, and every one, who barely omits the Performance of his Duty, will fuffer Condemnation.

3. MANY there are who perish and finally miscarry, because they do not perfevere in an holy Courfe of Life. Their Goodness is like the Morning Dew which

foon

Mark iv.

foon vanisheth away, or the ftony Ground SERM.
which received the Word with Gladness; but XV.
when Perfecution arifeth, or they are
fhocked with any violent Temptation, 5, 16, 17.
they fall from their first Love, and return
to their former Sins and wicked Courfes
again. Now the Promife of Salvation is
made only to those who perfevere to the
End; to those who are faithful unto Death, Rev.ii. 10.
God will give a Crown of Life.

V. I COME now, in the last Place, to
make fome Inferences from what has been
faid; and,

1. FROM hence we must infer, that we cannot be abfolutely fure of our Salvation, whilst we continue in this World.

WE live here in a State of Warfare, and we wrestle not only against Flesh and Blood, Ephef. vi. but against Principalities and Powers, 12, 13. against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World, against fpiritual Wickedness in high Places; and therefore we have Need to take to ourselves the whole Armour of God, and to use our utmost Endeavours, that, having done all, we may be enabled to ftand. For as the wicked Man may turn away from his Wickedness that he hath committed, and Ezek. do that which is lawful and right, and hereby fave his Soul alive; fo a righteous Man may turn away from his Righteousness,

and

xviii. 26,

27.

SERM. and commit Iniquity, and die in his Sin, XV. and finally mifcarry. And therefore,

2. WE ought always to endeavour to grow in Grace, to be better and better, and to perfect Holiness in the Fear of God: Confidering that, if we do not proceed on in the Way of Righteousness, we go backward, and grow worfe and worfe; there is no ftanding ftill in our heavenly Course; and he, who thinks himself good enough, will foon decline and grow stark naught.

3. FROM hence we may infer how good and gracious God has been to us, in that he has put it into every one's Power to be eternally happy; and that we cannot be eternally miferable, but by our own Fault. There is this Day Life and Death fet before us, and it is left to our own Liberty which we will chufe; and, if we will perverfly chufe the Ways of Mifery and Deftruction before thofe of Life and Happiness, we have Nothing to blame but our own ftupendious Folly. Our good God has made Ufe of all Means proper to work upon reasonable Beings, and is continually exhorting, befeeching, intreating us by his Word and by his Minifters, to forfake our Sins, and to turn unto him; and in a moft affectionate Manner is pleading with us, as once he did with the People of Ifrael and Judah,