of Converfation, 1 Pet. i. 15. None therefore have any Grounds to flatter themselves with the Dream of a regenerate State, while they indulge themselves in any finful Way, or live in the Neglect of good works, whatever Experiences they may pretend to, or whatever Joys and Comforts they may entertain. This we are to affirm conftantly, that they which believe in God, muft be. and will be, careful to maintain good Works, Tit. iii. 8. Though good Works are not the Fountain and Foundation of a renewed Nature, they are always the Streams that flow from that Fountain, and the Superftructure upon that Foundation. Tho' they do not fanctify us, they are the natural and neceffary Actings and Operations of a fanctified Heart. An unholy Life gives the Lie to our Profeffion of an holy State; and infers on us the juft Denomination of Liars, 1 John, ii 4. It defeats all Pretenfions to effectual Calling; it contradicts the very End of Conversion; and is contrary to the unalterable Tendency of the new Nature. Grace is given for Exercise; and is a vital, operative Principle. We fhall therefore receive the Grace of God in vain, if the Principle be not exerted in agreeable Practice.

2. Good Works are neceffary, as they belong to the Way leading to Heaven, and are preparative for the Poffeflion of it. They are so necessary in this Respect, that it is certain, that no Man who has the Opportunity after his Converfion for a Life of good Works, will ever get to Heaven in any other Way. Without Holiness no Man fhall fee the Lord, Heb. xii. 14.-We must not only enter in at the ftrait Gate, but walk in the narrow Way which leadeth unto Life. Chrift is the fupreme and comprehensive Way; but Holiness is a fubordinate and fubfervient Way. Neither do any walk in

Christ unless they walk before him in true Holiness. -They who would hope for Heaven hereafter, must have it begun in their Souls here. Their Hearts must be in fome Measure conformed to the divine Nature and Will, that they may be attempered and qualified for the Enjoyments and Employments of the Heavenly World. How could fuch Men find Comfort and Pleasure in the eternal Service of God, to whom his Service here is ungrateful and burdenfome? None therefore are in the Way to Heaven, but they who by a Life of Holinefs are preparing and labouring after a Meetness to be Partakers of an Inheritance among the Saints in Light. There is nothing more certain, than that a Life of Sin and Impiety, Sloth and Irreligi on, leads down to the Chambers of Death: And it is therefore equally certain, that Chrift Jefus leads none to Heaven in that Road. It is true indeed, that we may be in the Way to Heaven, while compaffed with many Infirmities, while groaning under much Deadnefs aud Formality in Duty, while liable to many involuntary Surprizes into Sin, while greatly defective in our religious Attainments, and in our Conduct, both towards God and Man. But they have not this Hope, who live in the wilful Neglect of known Duty, who deliberately indulge themselves in known Ways of finning against God, who roll any Iniquity as a fweet Morfel under their Tongue; or live in an allowed Violation of the Laws of Righteousness, Charity, and Peace towards Men. If any Man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his. And if any Man have the Spirit of Chrift, the Fruit of the Spirit in him will be Love, Joy, Peace, Longfuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance; and they who live in the Spirit will also walk in the

Spirit. We muft, by a patient Continuance in well doing, feek for Glory, Honour, and Immortality, if we would inherit eternal Life.

The

3. Good Works are neceffary as Acts of Obedience to God's Commands, and a juft Acknowledgement of his Dominion over us.-By Right of Creation the blefled God has an unalienable Claim to Homage and Honour from us. By the immutable Laws of our very being and Nature, as his Creatures and Dependants, we are under Bonds of Subjection and Obedience to him. The Grace of the Gofpel does not cancel thofe natural Obli gations, or leffen the Force of them. Chrift came not to destroy the Law; nor do we make void the Law through Faith, but rather establish it. great God has not laid down his Right of Sovereignty and Dominion over us, by affording us a Medium of Reconciliation to himself, and a Title to eternal Happiness; but rather has that Way laid us under further and ftronger Obligations to Obedience. Our Freedom from the Curfes and fevere Demands of the moral Law, as a Covenant of Life, is fo far from freeing us of our Duty towards it as a Rule of Practice, or excufing us from a careful Obfervance of its Precepts, that the glorious Liberty we are made Partakers of, is given us for this very End, that we may ferve God without Fear, in Holiness and Righteoufnefs before him, all the Days of our Lives. Though the moral Law be prefented to us now under fome different Refpects and Confiderations, from what it was originally, yet the fame Law remains the Rule of Obedience, confirmed and enforced (as such)by the Gospel itfelf. Whence it follows, that to live a carelefs, finful, fenfual, worldly Life, in the Neglect of our Duty towards God and our Neighbour and ourselves, is

more

more aggravated Rebellion against God, than the fame Life of Impiety would have been under the Covenant of Works. For now a Life of Impiety is not only a Violation of the Precepts of the Law, but of the Gospel too. And the greater Discoveries God has been pleafed to make of his glorious Perfections; the greater Manifestations he has made of his Goodness and Mercy, the greater are our Obligations to Obedience, and confequently the greater will be our Rebellion, as well as Ingratitude, if we continue difobedient. We are therefore to confider, that instead of God's fufpending his Right of Dominion, or abating our Obligations to Obedience, under the present Dispensation of Gospel light and Love, he requires and expects of us greater Watchfulness and Care to please and honour him, greater Purity and Holiness, than under the more legal and imperfect Dispensation of Mofes. It is undoubtedly true, thut thofe Sins and Imperfections, which were consistent with a State of Grace, under the Mofaic Difpenfation, are not so now under the Chriftian Difpenfation; wherein not only we have more Light and Knowledge, but Chriftians indeed do obtain more purifying and quickening Influences of the Spirit, than they then ordinarily did.There is therefore no Room to extenuate our Falls into Sin, by the Examp es of the Jewish Saints. For though that Ministration was glorious, yet the Miniftration of the Spirit is more glorious, has a Glory that vaftly excelleth. (2 Cor. iii. 8, 9, 10.) By the Beholding of which Glory of the Lord we are changed into the fame Image, from Glory to Glory. (Ver. 18.) Our enjoying the Promifes of the Gofpel lays us under the ftrongeft and most indifpenfible Obligations, to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the left and Spirit, and to perfect Holiness in the Fear of God. Cor. vii. 1. Ee3 --God

God forbid, that any of us fhould continue in Sin, that Grace may abound; or turn the Grace of God into Lafcivioufnefs. This would determine us to be ungodly Men who deny the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift. (Jude 4.) Thence it is, that the Difobedience of Gofpel-finners will bring upon them the greatest and most dreadful See Heb. x. 29.

Damnation.

4. Good Works are neceffary, as Expreffions of our Gratitude to God for all his Goodness to us, more especially, for Gofpel-Grace and most especi ally for the gracious Influences of his blessed Spi rit.--Impoffible it is for us to have any due Con ception, how great our Debt of Gratitude is to our infinite Benefactor. He has made us, and not we ourselves, his Hands have framed and fashioned as round about. He has preferved us through innumerable Difficulties and Dangers; and all our Lives continually followed us with Loving-kindness and tender Mercies. He has made this mighty Globe for our Ufe, with all its amazing Variety of Furniture, fitted to fupply us with whatever is neceffary, convenient, comfortable or delightful. He has distinguished us from very much the greatest Part of our fellow Creatures, by the Abundance of our Enjoyments, and the Greatnefs of our Privileges.

And if all these, and the innumerable other Inftances of the inexpreffible Kindness and Goodnefs of God to us, be not fufficient to excite our Gratitude, and to attract our Affections to such an infinite Fountain of Benevolence, yet certainly our Redemption by Jesus Christ, our Enjoyment of Gofpel-Ordinances, our Advantages to live to God in this World, and to be eternally happy in the Enjoyment of him in the future State of everlasting Light and Love, are enough to carry our Minds beyond Admiration, and even to overwhelm them