but St. John, 1 Ep. ii. 4. exprefly overthrows this dangerous notion, for, he who pretends to know God, and keepeth not his commandment, (faith he,) the truth is not in him. Some, again, would willingly perfuade themfelves, that they love God, though they hate their neighbours, that is envy, abufe, or cruelly neglect them; tut the fame Apoftle fpeaks with equal force and clearness, 1 Ep. iv. 20. If any man fay, I love God, and hateth his brother, that is, his fellow creature, he is a liar; again, ii. 9. He that faith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now, and knoweth not whither be goeth, because that darkness bath blinded his eyes: but he that loveth his brother, that is, doth him all the good he can, both fpiritual and temporal, he dwelleth in light, and there is no occafion of stumbling in him. And he concludeth this never-failing proof of our continuing in the true faith, in thefe words, I Ep. iii. 10. In this the children of God are manifeft, and the children of the devil'; whofo doth not righteousness is not of God, neither be that loveth not his brother.

Deceive not yourselves, therefore, by thinking you have any faving faith in God, while you live in any exprefs contradiction to his laws, while you perfift in any known fin; for whatever may be imagined, or faid, by deluded mortals, fuch conduct will always condemn the falfehood of the most subtle reafoning, however fcripture may be wrefted and tortured to fupport it. A true Christian must obtain this true Chriftian faith, and try himself by his difpofition and behavior, whether it is alive in him. It is not to the world, or its opinions, that we must truft, for the whole world lieth in fin and vanity. It is God alone, who can be our protector against all temptations of wickednefs and fin, error, fuperftition, idolatry, and evil. If all the earth were on our fide, and God against us, what should we profit? Therefore let us place our whole confidence in Him, and neither the world, the devil, nor all the powers

of

of darknefs will be able to hurt us.

Try, and

examine yourselves, then, what is the hope within you. Let us not flatter ourselves, or be led away by the cunning craftiness and' conceits of men, but let us judge by the effects that faith hath on our minds and lives. Chrift, we know, hath pofitively affured us, that the tree is known by the fruit it. yields; let us then fhew ourfelves to be purely Chriftians by the influence of it on our actions. Let us not be fatisfied with an unprofitable, notional virtue, which may be calculated to pacify and deceive, but which will never fave, but let us prove our election to be fafe and certain, by exhibiting, fuch conduct as fterling faith will neceffarily produce. In this we fhall follow the exhortation of St. Peter, in 2 Ep. i. ch. who earnestly advises diligence to increase our Chriftian graces, to add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, &c. fo fhall we convince mankind, that we proceed upon a found foundation; fo fhall we affure our own confcience, and by these means the better establish our brethren. But if these fruits do not appear, we only mock God, and deceive our own fouls. We may boast of the outward title, but we are void of the purifying principle of Chriftianity, for that doth ever demonftrate itself by a holy life. Shew me thy faith by thy works, fays St. James. Our upright deeds are indifpenfably neceffary to confirm it; without this effect, it is no better than the faith of evil spirits, and to those who poffefs no other, it will be to them the cause of greater condemnation, that they knew God with their minds, but in works denied him. In fhort, all who have been baptifed, and inftructed in the knowledge of Chrift's merits, and yet live wilfully carelefs, without exerting themfelves to do well, but fixing their hearts on the enfnaring pleafures of this world, continuing in fin, without re pentance and amendment, difcovering little or no fruit of their holy profeffion, and concluding the

F 4

poffeffion

poffeffion of a naked faith fufficient for them; the juft vengeance of God muft needs overtake fuch prefumptuous and wilful finners, and they will finally experience the deferts of all unholy, wicked lives. Therefore, as you profefs the name of Christ, let no fuch antichriftian notions at any time beguile you, but try the spirit of your faith, by the general tenor of your lives; examine the fruits it yields; weigh the increase of love you feel in your foul towards God, and your neighbour; and fo fhall you continue guarded against all deceptions of erroneous faith. If you happily experience fuch a faith within you, rejoice therein, and be careful to preferve it. Strive to improve it daily by St. Peter's rule, just now delivered to you; fo may ye reft fecure that ye please God, and at length, when his good will fees fit, you fhall be admitted into his glorious kingdom, into the fociety of thofe bleffed fpirits who have paffed their trial faithfully, and enjoy the final reward of this heavenly virtue; that is, in the apoftle's words, receiving the end of your faith, even in the falvation of your fouls. Which may God grant us all; whofe promises to the faithful (to them who obey him) fhall never fail, and to whom be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen,

DISCOURSE VI.

Upon good Works, as the necessary and natural Fruits of pure Chriftian Faith.

JAMES ii. 22.

Seeft thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.

N the laft difcourfe upon the fubject of faith, it was plainly fhewn you what that holy principle was conftituted to effect in a truly Chriftian heart; that it is a positive foe to idlenefs, and naturally productive of good works, as opportunity offers. By God's help, it shall now be further declared to you, what was fecondly noticed concerning it, viz. that, as Chriftians, we can perform no work acceptable to God without it; for, as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, (faith our Savior Chrift, John xv. 4, 5.) except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. Thus muft Chrift be the object of our faith; and he is likewife the cause of grace in us, to render it fruitful. Faith grounded upon this principle, cannot fail of producing fruit; one is the inevitable confequence of the other; and thus we fee it is that St. Paul proves that Enoch

had

had faith, Heb. ii. 5. Because, before his tranflation, he had this teftimony, that he pleased God, making his actions the test of his true belief; for without faith, fays he, it is impoffible to please him. And again, in his Epistle to the Romans, he faith, xiv. 23. Whatfoever is not of faith, is fin: that is, it hath nothing to qualify it; it is like a fhoot of a wild plant, that wants to be grafted on a right ftock, to render the fruit valuable. It is faith, then, that lighteth the foul to difcern the true object for which it fhould labor; and the actions of a Chriftian without it, are as dead to God, (in a ftrict religious fenfe,) as they are to the world, whofe bodies are without a fpirit. In fhort, unless we experience this principle of the Chriftian life within us, none of our works will be accepted, however brilliant and commendable they may appear to men*; for as a picture that is painted or engraved, is but a ftill reprefentation of the thing itself, being void of life, or motion, so are the works of every class of unbelievers before the Lord; they may wear a fair appearance, while in truth they contribute nothing to eternal life. They are as the fhadows or figns of good things, but by no means containing any intrinfic merit, as not being connected with the only purifying motive; whereas true faith giveth life to our works; which, when they flow from fuch a principle, do profit to the faving of the foul, being pleafing in the fight of God. One of the fathers (St. Auguftine) tells us, that outward actions muft

* Any one who has an intimate knowledge of the human art, and the general conduct of mankind, muft plainly perceive this truth; for it cannot be denied, that abundance of apparently amiable, benevolent, and worthy actions, proceed from the deepest rooted principle of felf-love, and other inferior motives flowing from it, as oftentation, increase of power, &c. without any fecret view to the glory of God, or from a fenfe of necessary obedience to his commandments, much lefs from a pure love of CHRIST, and the perfuafive influence of a better principle than human approbation, to produce a truly religious action.

not