Your outward profession of Religion will procure you no better portion than your cutward morality. The form of godliness, without the power, can never save your souls. The eternal portion of hypocrites, is at least equally dreadful with that of unbelievers.* The very name of hypocrite is odious, even among men; how much more so to a God of infinite truth, requiring truth in our inward parts, and who can be worshipped only in spirit, and in truth! You have "drawn near to God with your "mouths, and honoured him with your lips; "but your hearts have been far from him. " This is the very Scripture representation of formalism, and hypocrisy. Do not your own hearts condemn you"? If so, remember, "God is greater than your hearts, and know"eth all things; " And your very prayers, like those of all the wicked, (and all such who pretend to pray must be hypocrites, “are an "abomination unto the Lord."It Oh! flee then from the wrath to come, from the "consuming fire" of God's displeasure. "Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to 66 you. • Mat. xxiv. 51. ‡ Pfalm li. 6. John iv. 23, 24. 1 Math. + Prov. xv. 8. xv. 8. 11 John iii. 20. —ix. 26. — xvi. 5. —xxi. 97. See Luke xvi. 15. you." You may ftill have accefs, through Chrift No man It is his "Chrift, by his Spirit. unto the Father *. is the way, the truth, and the life. "cometh unto the Father, but by him." gofpel, received into your heart, powerfully impreffed there by his Holy Spirit, which muft" turn 66 you from darknefs unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God t. Flee then from Satan. Guard against his devices. ciled to God. "Cease to do evil: learn to do "well." And, from firft to laft, look to Chrift Jefus, for light, for grace, for ftrength. "Be "ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his “might. Put on the whole armour of God, that 0% you may be able to ftand againft the wiles of the "devil I. Aud, may Almighty God pardon and accept you, comfort, ftrengthen, and support you, preferve you faithful unto death, and "finally give you a crown of everlating life," for the fake of his dear Son Jesus Christ, our Lord! Amen! + Ebp. ii. 18. Ats xxvi 18. Ehp. vi 10, 1 PRAYER PRAYER BEFORE OR AFTER THE SERMON, The Fourth Collect in the Advent. The Lord's Prayer, &c. 66 O Lord, raife up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might fuccour us; that, whereas, through our fins and wickedneis, we are fore let and hindered, in running the race that is fet before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may fpeedily help and deliver us. Deliver us" efpecially, O Lord God," from the wicked one," and his numerous and destructive temptations and devices, that he finally get not an advantage of us to the eternal ruin of our fouls! This we humbly entreat, through the fatisfaction of thy Son, Jelus Christ our Lord! SERMON II. ON 2 COR. ii. 11. Left Satan fhould get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices Ν IN my former difcourfe on this text, I endeavoured to establish the doctrine of two fpiritual agents univerfally influencing the children of men, the evil fpirit. and the Holy Spirit of God. This I attempted to fhew to be equally the doctrine of our Church, as of the facred fcriptures. After which I proceeded to point out briefly the nature of Satan's devices to enilave and ruin mankind. 66 This I did, by confidering his temptations brought forward too fuccefsfully again!t our firft parents, and afterwards urged in vain against the incarnate God. And, I concluded, by confidering, in a general view, how infinitely varied thefe temptations may be, and how artfully Satan foo frequently deludes mankind, under the appearance of what is good and amiable; ftill keeping them from a true knowledge of God and of themfeives, of their danger and their remedy; " what they are, and what they muft be," and how they must be fo. I might have enlarged greatly on this part of my fubject. But time mall neceffarily fail, and indeed, who is fufficient to fhew the vaft variety of ways in which the "God of this world "blinds the eyes of them that believe not, left "the glorious gofpel of Chrift, who is the "image of God, fhould fhine unto them?" Who can point out the numerous devices, by means of which they are prevented " turning from darkness "unto light, and from the power of Satan unto "God?" Devices fo adinirably fuited to their difpofitions, their tempers, their rank, their fituation, their connexions, their particular mo le or habits of life. Still lefs can any one point out the various refined forms of gollinefs," without the power by which mankind are deluded; the zeal for names and ceremonies, and all the outward circumftantials of religion: the defire of profelyting others: the many contests for opinions and doctrines; and even for thofe which are according to the real power of godliC nefs. nefs. Yes, my friends, it is to be feared, that far too many will zealously contend for the doctrines of grace, while themfelves have never truly felt its influence; that of conviction of fin, while their own hearts continue unconvinced; of juftification by faith, while themselves remain unpardoned in unbelief; of our being born again of God's bleffed Spirit, converted, renewed, created a new in Chrift Jefus, while themfelves continue unregenerate, unconverted, unrenewed, without any vital union with Chrift, by the participation of the powerful influences of the Holy Ghoft. 66 All carnal profeffors (obferves a late moft pious author *) all foolifh virgins,' by converfing "with true Chriftians, hearing gofpel-fermons, "and reading evangelical books, attain to the "historical and doctrinal knowledge of Jefus "Christ. Their understandings are informed; "but, alas! their hearts are unchanged. Acquaint"ed with the letter, they continue ignorant of the "Spirit. Boafting perhaps of the greatnefs of "Chrift's falvation, they remain altogether un"faved: and full of talk of what he hath done for "them, they know nothing of Christ in them, "the hope of glory." God grant, my brethren, that none of you may remain in this most dangerous ftate; of which, as in the prefence of God, I now warn you, well knowing that, with the difcourses which you hear, and the other means of inftruction Fletcher's fecond letter on the spiritual manifestation of the Son of God. See his letters, edit. 2. page 270. |