the way, turn afide out of the path, caufe the holy One of Ifrael to ceafe from before us, I. xxx. 10. 11. There is much noife at this day about faithful preaching; and I do not doubt unfaithful preachers are wanting; but I greatly doubt if Chrift's thoughts and mens thoughts will agree about what it is. Concerning this I would afk you,

Quest. 1. Whether that preaching which croifes the heart-corruptions of the hearers, even the best of them, or that which is fuited and most agreeable to the hu mours of the hearers, and tickles them moft, is the most faithful preaching? See Gal. i. 10. Do I now perfuade men, or God? or do I feek to please men? for if I yet pleafed men, I fhould not be the fervant of Chrift, Where I fhall only obferve, that Paul makes no difference of men, profeffors or others.

Queft. 2. Whether can a foul ignorant of Chrift and its own natural state, a profane man and a formal bypocrite, fit fofteft under that preaching, whofe main fcope is to level at people's particular cafe, on which the balance will turn at the great day, or that which lies further off from the vitals of practical godliness, and rubs on none fo little as the hearers? 2 Tim, ii. 15.

Quest. 3. Whether the great ftrefs of faithful preaching lies in infifting chiefly on fuch fins of the time as may be reformed, and yet we go to hell at the hinder end, or on thofe things that have been, are, and will be the bloody fins of all times, which if they could be got reformed, Chrift would get heart-friends, and we hould certainly fee his face for ever in heaven?amsh

Queft. ult. Whether is it the most faithful preaching? that fills the hearers with convictions of guilt, felfloathing and deep humiliation before the Lord, bri that which fends them away commending the preacher, and puffed up with felf-conceit ? If faithful preaching were weighed in the balance of the fanctuary, the hearts of most hearers would fay, that they have more of it than they can bear. I do profefs I have had less difficulty to preach things relating to the public, when

I knew those were hearing me whofe hearts would have been galled with it, than amongst you, where there appears more zeal for thefe things than for, true holinefs of heart and life, left my deceitful heart should be led afide to preach to please men. And not without grief of heart have I often feen the fnare, when, upon my beginning to fpeak of fuch things, an unufual attention and livelinefs has fuddenly run through among us, which has prefently died out with that particular, and become as flat and dead as before at the moft weighty points of practical godlinefs. But I muft discharge my confcience according to my' fmall measure, both as to the cafe of the public and private, whatever ufe men make of it,

The

(3.) As to execution on fouls, if not on lufts. Chrift's fword is two-edged, and with one of the two it will wound, Pfal. xlv. 5. If it mifs a man's lufts, it will not mifs his foul, Hof. vi. 5. If it open not the blind eye, it will put it out: if it foften not the hard heart, it will make it harder, If. vi. 10. gofpel never left a nation, parish, or perfon as it found them, but either better or worse. If I had not come, fays Chrift, and spoken to them, they had not had fin; but now they have no cloke for their fin, John xv. 22. The minifters of the gofpel, in its moft unsuccessful times, drive not an empty chariot; Chrift is in it, and his arrows are flying about him either to kill or maké alive.

(4.) Laftly, As to the aggravation of mens condemnation, Matth. xi. 22. 24. The more light of the gofpel is defpifed on earth, the more violent is the flame in hell. Where the ladder to heaven is fet up and not used, there will be a more deep finking into the pit. There is no fin like the defpiling of the remedy of fin. Refufed grace will burn like coals of juniper, Heb. x. 29.

Secondly, I come to fhew in what refpects the gofpel may be received in vain. A thing is received in vain when it falls fhort of its native effects and ends, as

phyfic does when it purgeth not, Gal. iv. 11. Now, in the general the gofpel is received in vain,

1. When it profits not men to falvation, which is the great end of the contrivance of the gospel, Phil. ii. 16. When men die eternally with the meat of their fouls in their mouths, and ftarve while the manna rains about their tent-doors; while the foul remains and dies in the prison, though Chrift comes and proclaims liberty to it. Thus it is often received

in vain, Luke xiv.

2. When the fruits of it are not brought forth in people's lives, Matth. iii. 8. When the gospel has its native effect on men, it changes their hearts and lives. It is the rain of heaven that will have meet fruits following it, if it be not received in vain. The fruits of the gospel are two, faith and holiness.

(1.) Faith, Rom. x. 17. Faith cometh by hearing. The gofpel is that which holds forth the mean of the foul's reunion with God by faith in Chrift, the only way to bring finners back to God again. Now, when this is not effected, the gospel is received in vain. Hence the prophct complains, If. liii. 1. Who bath believed our report?

(2.) Holinefs, Tit. ii. 11. When this feed of the word is fown in the heart, it will fanctify it, John xv. 3. Eph. v. 26. It is that word by which the elect are created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, having a converting and fanctifying power when impregnated by the Spirit. Now, according as thefe things fail, the gofpel is received in vain. More particularly, the gofpel is received in vain,

1. When the doctrine of it is corrupted, Gal, iv. 11. as in vain does that ftomach receive meat, that corrupts it instead of digefting it. And thus is the gofpel entertained in the land at this day, while error and delufions abound, and the confeffion of faith, that excellent ftandard of pure doctrine, is attacked and vilified on every hand; and more particularly en the doctrine of grace is corrupted, againft

which almost all fects do bend their force, and in oppofition to which they do ufually meet. Two things here deserve tears of blood.

(1.) Much legal preaching, where duty is indeed preffed and fin reproved, but the evangelic nature of duties is little cleared up, and men are driven into themselves to fpin their own ruin out of their own bowels, and Chrift and his grace are not preached, because not understood. And, which is most lamentable, there is little fenfe among profeffors to difcern this legal ftrain that reigns in the fermons of many, but

bona vox et bona verba.

(2.) Much legal practice among profeffors. Their duties, like Bagons, are fet in the room of Chrift. There is little experience of turning out of ourselves, but a conftant turning in to ourselves for what we do. And no fmall weight is laid on duties, nay upon a very opinion in the matter of God's favour. The reafon is, they have never had the work of humiliation deep enough on their spirits.

2. When the fimplicity of gofpel-worfhip is forfaken, and it is adulterated with mens inventions, Matth. xv. 2. 2 Cor. xi. 3, And even thus the idolatry of the mafs, and the fuperftitious fervice of the church of England, have dared to fet up their face, with the countenance of not a few, in a land of light. England once had the fimplicity of gofpel-worship eftablished among them. Had it not been fo far received in vain, they had not fit down again on their old dregs; and had our rulers had a due regard to the fimplicity of the gofpel, they had not in their union with them confented to their fixing themfelves on thefe dregs, of theirs, contrary to moral duty forbidding to confent to fin, and to the fuperadded obligation of the covenant. And it may be, were the temptation laid to our doors, it would appear that we have received the gospel in vain too. For when once people decline from God's inftitutions, and obtrude their fancies for Bible duties, it is hard to fay VOL. III. T t

how far they may go. But beware of this. Let us be fpiritual in our walk with God; it is the beft prefervative that I know againft it.

3. When they are afhamed to appear for it, and have not a brow to keep and hold faft what the Lord has given. In vain is it received that people have no confidence to hold faft when they have it, Rev. iii. 11. How many are afhamed of gofpel truths and ways! they will be gibed out of them. We muft contend for the faith; and this is a day wherein the Lord seems to be calling this church to contend for thofe privileges which he has given her, and none have power to take from her, particularly that of appointing fafts and thanksgivings; though we fhould manage our contendings in fuch a way as becomes the matters of the God of order. Prayers, tears, and the word of their teflimony, are the most proper arms of the church.

4. When the gofpel cannot look grofs immoralities out of countenance among people. Surely in vain is it there received where the devil reigns at eafe notwithstanding, Luke xix. 8. 9. Truly much in vain is the gofpel received among us this way. Ah! Sirs, it is not fo when profane fwearing is fo frequent, fabbath-breaking, contempt of gofpel ordinances, uncleannefs, every one devouring another, lying, cheating, abound, and common honefty is rare to be found?c. Truly it is a fign, that there is little power with minifters preaching, and little room it gets in people's hearts.

5. When it leaves profeffors upon their dregs of formality, as well as the profane in their profanity. It is but cold entertainment the gofpel gets whens it gets room once or twice a-day in people's houfes, but has no access to their hearts, to raise up there the power of godlinefs; truly it will neyer fet them the length of heaven, 2 Tim. iii. 5. Ah for the deep lethargy that this generation is fallen into! conversion work is much at a ftand, foul-exercife is grown a ftranger to the most part, there is no growth but in naughtiness and felf-conceit./

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