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terms are repentance of fin, and faith in the Redeemer. On our compliance with these terms, falvation is fecured to us by promife. While we reject them we are under condemnation. Thus far our duty is plain, and the way of falvation is obvious. It is alfo certain, that there is no hidden purpose, which will fet afide God's express word. He is of one mind; none can turn him. "Secret things belong to God; things which are revealed belong to us, that we may do the words of his law."

Though many from the decree of God argue themselves into licentioufnefs in their moral conduct, yet none of them will allow the fame argument to influence their worldly conduct. No man will throw himself down a precipice, depend ing for fecurity on a decree, which has fixed the bounds of life. No man will fay, that if his term of life be not run out, a fall cannot hurt him. No man, in a dangerous fickness, will neglect the means of his recovery, prefuming, that the decree of God will fave him without means. No man lets feed time pafs unimproved on prefump, tion that the decree of God will bring him a harveft, without feeding or cultivating his ground. Here most men argue rationally, and act prudently. They believe, that there is a regular providence, on which they are dependent for every thing, and that, in order to receive the bleffing of providence, they must occupy the powers, and apply the means, which they poffefs. Here the government of providence is an argument for induftry. Whence is it, that fo many argue differently in matters of religion? The reafon is obvious. The duties of religion are difagreeable to them, and they wish to be excufed from them. The interefts of the world are pleafing to them, and these they purfue

with ardour; and hence the fame doctrine, which is an argument for negligence in the former cafe, is an argument for diligence in this.

III. In much the fame manner fome abuse the doctrine of God's grace in the converfion of finners.

The scripture often tells us, that we are faved by grace that our renovation is a work of Godthat faith is his gift. Hence ferious and humble fouls take encouragement to work out their falvation; for if the grace of God works in them, there is hope, that they may work with fuccess. But the negligent and careless argue differently. They reafon with themselves, as the devil reafoned with our Saviour. They fay, "If converfion be the work of God, then it is not our work, and we need not concern ourselves about it. God needs not our help to accomplish the purpose of his grace. If he is pleafed to effect a faving change in us, we shall be faved; if not, we muft fuffer the confequence, and we cannot prevent it."

Now this fame argument you may just as well ufe in your fecular bufinefs. You at once fee the abfurdity of it in this cafe: it is equally abfurd in the other. It is not pretended, that you can renew your own fouls, and prepare them for heaven, independently of God. But repentance and faith must be your own acts and exercifes. And you are to confider, that God, of his free and fovereign grace, has put into your hands the ineans of faith and repentance, and affords the influence of his good Spirit to accompany them. While, therefore, you are in the ufe of thefe means, you are in the way, in which God ordinarily grants his bleffing. Attend on the means and truft God's grace, as you attend on your fecular business and truft his providence, for fuccefs. "But is it not dishonoring the grace of God to

think, that we muft do any thing for our falvation ?" Let me afk, Is it not difhonouring the providence of God to think, that you muft do any thing for your daily bread? It is not dishonouring God to feek his bleffing in the way, which he has prescribed. If you prefume on his grace in any other way, you do not magnify, but mock ityou do not truft, but tempt the Lord.

IV. The doctrine of the final perseverance of the faints has often been perverted, in the fame manner, as other doctrines of grace.

The gospel teaches us that true believers "are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation."-That "they who are born of God, do not commit fin," or yield themselves to it to obey it, for in the language of fcripture, "He that committeth fin, is a fervant of lin." They who are born of God, " do not thus commit fin; for their feed remaineth in them, and they cannot fin, because they are born of God."

Some will fay, "This certain perfeverance of faints we fully believe, and we truft we have been born of God. Our falvation therefore is fure, for God's promife will never fail. We may live as we lift; we may return to our fins, and be fafe; for they will never separate us from the love of God, which is in Chrift Jesus."

But do you call this perfeverance ?—It is apof tacy; and fuch a kind of apoftacy as too clearly proves, that you never were born of God; for it is the character of him, who is born of God, that he does not commit fin, or become a fervant of fin. What? Becaufe God has promised his grace to preserve true believers unto falvation, will you conclude, that you fhall obtain falvation, even though you pervert this grace to encourage yourfelves in iniquity? Such perverfion of grace is an

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evidence, that you are not true believers. You are never to depend on any paft experiences, as evidential of a new heart, unless thefe experiences are permanent in their operations and effects. The promise of eternal life is made to thofe, who feek it by a patient continuance in well doing. If you refufe to feek it in this manner, you have no title to the promise. "If any man draw back, God has no pleasure in him.

The believer's fecurity is not in a promife, that he shall obtain falvation even though he fhould return to a courfe of fin; for there is no fuch promise but it lies in a promise of all neceffary grace to prevent a total and final relapse. This grace he obtains by waiting on God in his appointed way. This is the language of godly fouls, "Shall we fin, because we are under a promife of grace? God forbid. How fhall we, who are dead to fin, live any longer therein?"

V. When any measures are proposed for the fpread and promotion of the gofpel, they who, from unbelief or avarice, are unfriendly to fuch measures, often fay, "God has promised, that he will give his Son the heathens for his inheritance, and the utmoft parts of the earth for his poffeffion and will he not make good his : promife? What occafion is there for us to be at any expence or trouble in the matter?

"Caft

This is arguing exactly as fatan argued. thyfelf down from the temple, for God has promised, that he will give his angels charge of thee." It is, indeed, plainly foretold, and expressly promifed, that the gospel shall spread and prevail in the world; and we believe the event will be realized. But then it is alfo foretold, how this event will be brought about it fhall be by the zeal and labour of Christians to fend the gospel abroad in the

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world. And whenever we fee Chriftians remark. ably engaged to extend the knowledge and influence of the gofpel, then we may hope the good work is begun. God will bring to pass this work, as he does other great works, for the benefit of mankind, not by an immediate and miraculous power, but by employing, fupporting and fucceeding human labourers, as his fubordinate agents.

The spread of the gofpel after Chrift's refurrection, was agreeable to previous predictions and promises; but it was effected by the labour and preaching of minifters, and by the zeal and liberality of Chriftians to fupport them. And God wrought with his minifters to confirm and fucceed their preaching. The future fpread of the gospel, which is fo often foretold in fcripture, will, like the past, be effected by God's bleffing on human

means.

God has promised, that the gates of hell fhall not prevail against his church. "Why then," fome afk, "need Christians and minifters be fo much concerned about the church? Why so much talk and preaching in favour of the church, and againft infidelity? If the promise can be depended upon, infidels will never fubvert the church."

They never will; because there will always be a competent number of witneffes to oppofe and confront them, and to bear teftimony against them, and in defence of the truth. And, thank God, there is fuch a number in this day. But if the time were ever to come, when there would be none to plead for the truth, but all would filently yield to the influence and comply with the will of its enemies, the church would ceafe of course. We trust that there never will be fuch a time. This may be the cafe in particular places.

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