red man, who is so only with blushing; nor him a pale man, who is so only with passion;-so sincere piety is not in fits, pangs, or sudden flashes; but is sober, regular, uniform, constantly disposing the soul unto every good work.

5. Christian perfection hath for its standard and measure the good and perfect will of God, enquireth what God the Lord will speak; (Psal. lxxxv. 8) teacheth us to deny our own reason, and not to dispute; to deny our own will, and not to rebel against the will of God; to say as Christ to his Father, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt;" or as St. Paul in his conversion, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" f Great reason it is, that the wisest will should order, and that the sovereign will should rule, every other will which is subordinate unto it. And since we know, that God requireth nothing of us but for our own benefit, (for our goodness extendeth not unto him ") we should, even out of self-love, obey his will.

6. Christian perfection proposeth as its ultimate end, to please God, and to bring glory to his name; is not guided by carnal hopes or fears to please men, but chiefly regards God's eye and his approbation. So Abraham walked before God; so David set the Lord always before his face *; so our blessed Saviour did always those things that pleased his Father.' And great reason it is, that the first of beings should be the last of ends; that we should study to please and bring glory to him, who, in so doing, hath promised to assist and reward us; and by not so doing, is provoked both to disappoint and destroy us.

Lastly, Our good works cannot please God, but in and through Jesus Christ. For, 1. His spirit and grace are necessary to enable all our performances. 2. His merits and mercy are necessary to pardon all our failings. Thus far the matter of the prayer, Perfection in every good work, to do God's will.'

We are next to consider the principles of these good works; which are,

1. God's peaceable affection towards us, The God of peace.' Enmity began at us, but reconciliation begins at

God. Our destruction is of ourselves, but from him is our help. (Hos. xiii. 9) He came not only to save, but to seek and to find that which was lost. (Luke xix. 10) When we were sinners, obnoxious to justice; enemies, exposed to wrath; without strength ", unable to decline God's justice, to withstand his power, to prevent or escape his displeasure; for him in this case to send after his creatures, his enemies, that fled from him, that rebelled against him, to beseech them to be reconciled unto God"; to be content to be saved; to accept of pardon and peace, of glory and blessedness ;this is a love which passeth knowledge, which exceedeth the expression or comprehension of men or angels.

And we must apprehend God as a God of peace, before we can be fitted for any good work. It is the nature of man, as the historian tells us, "Odisse quem læseris." We having by sin wronged God, do, after, hate and fly from him, till he proclaim pardon and peace. Peter repented not of his denial, till Christ looked back upon himP: the tears which fell from his eyes, were put into them by the eyes of Christ. While heaven in winter is cold and tempestuous, the earth is barren, till the sun return with warmth and healing: so the soul is fruitless, till the light and favour of God shine forth upon it. "We love him, because he loved us first." (1 John iv. 19) We remember our ways, when he is pacified towards us. (Ezek. xvi. 63) His pardon and goodness is the ground of our fear. "There is forgiveness with thee," saith the Psalmist, "that thou mayest be feared." (Psal. CXXX. 4) They shall fear the Lord and his goodness," (Hos. iii. 5) "Godly men," saith Macarius, "have joy and fear mingled together; the joy which they have in God, makes them fear to offend him; they dare not grieve him that comforts them, nor use his favours to his own dishonour."

The best way, therefore, to abound in good works, to be kept in a uniform and constant love of God's holy ways, is to get our hearts possessed with a sense and assurance of divine love, that God is unto us in Christ a God of peace: for where God speaks peace, he brings healing; (Isa. Ivii. 19)

m Rom. v. 6. viii. 10.

p Luke xxii. 61.

n 2 Cor. v. 20.

⚫ Eph. iii. 9.

The peace of God, wherever it is, will rule,' as the apostle teacheth us. (Col. iii. 15) Assurance of faith is an excellent means to have the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience. (Heb. x. 22)

And here since our God is a God of peace; our Saviour, a Prince of peace'; his gospel, a covenant of peace; his church, a city of peace, compacted within itself, wherein, in the purest age thereof, the members were all of one heart and one soul; since we have but one spirit, one faith, one hope, one baptism, one common salvation ", as St. Jude calls it-how should we all bewail the never-enough-lamented divisions which still continue, and wofully increase in the midst of the most considerable Protestant nation in the Christian world! How should all of us besiege heaven with united prayers, with incessant importunities, for the peace of Jerusalem! How should all, whom the God of peace hath entrusted with the care of his house, looking straight forward, with a single eye, and unbiassed aim, to the glory of God, the interest of religion, and salvation of souls, put forth their utmost and most zealous endeavours to close up these doleful breaches which are amongst us! Rulers, by the prophet, are called healers;' (Isa. iii. 7) and it is recorded for the honour of Jehoash, king of Judah, that he took care for the repairing of the breaches of the house of God.' (2 Kings xii. 5) The church of Christ in heaven shall have no divisions in it; and he hath taught us to pray, that "his will may be done on earth, as it is in heaven." Why should we not, with all seriousness and sincerity, endeavour, as far as possibly may be, to effect that, which we hope for in heaven, which we pray for on earth? We read of wise-hearted men, that they made several curtains with loops and taches, and so coupled them to one another, that they became one tabernacle; (Exod. xxxvi) the Lord thereby teaching us, that it is a work of special wisdom from above, so to procure order and unity in his church, that the interest and beauty thereof may be strengthened and preserved; that it may become beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. For certainly next to truth

q Isai. ix. 6. iv. 32.

Isai. liv. 10.

a Eph. iv. 4, 5.

8 Psalm cxxii. 3. * Jude viii. 3,

t Acts

y Cant. vi. 4.

of doctrine, purity of worship, and holiness of life, there is nothing more necessary for promoting God's honour, and men's salvation, for preventing all atheistical prejudices against religion, and departures to a common adversary, for strengthening the interests of both governors and governed in the church, than the peace and unity thereof is. And so long as Ephraim is against Manasseh, and Manasseh against Ephraim, and both against Judah, we may justly fear that "God's anger is not yet turned away, but that his hand is stretched out still," as the prophet speaks. (Isa. ix. 21) The next principle of perfection, is God's gracious working in us,' fitting, preventing, assisting us, unto the good works here prayed for. This aid of divine grace is necessary, 1. To our habitual aptness. 2. To our actual working. 3. To our progress and perseverance in any good. All our good works are begun, continued, and ended, only by God's grace. Creatures which seek no higher perfections than are to be found within the sphere of their own nature, may, by the guidance and force of nature, attain thereunto : but man, seeking a supernatural happiness, must be thereunto carried by the force of supernatural grace.

I. Then our habitual fitness is only from grace; our sufficiency is of God: (2 Cor. iii. 5) of ourselves we are utterly indisposed unto good. This indisposition St. Austin hath reduced to two heads, ignorantia et difficultas.' Ignorance in the mind; "the natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God." (1 Cor. ii. 14) Difficulty, in the will, for want of love; in the heart, for want of sense and softness; in all the other faculties, for want of strength.

To the removal of these indispositions, grace is necessary: 1. Grace only enlighteneth the eyes by the spirit of wisdom and revelation. (Ephes. i. 17, 18) Christ only giveth us an understanding, that we may know him that he is true. (1 John v. 20) "We have received the spirit which is of God," saith the apostle, "that we might know the things, that are freely given to us of God." (1 Cor. ii. 12)

2. Grace only removeth difficulty,

First, from the will; by a sweet and effectual persuasion, inclining us to love God, by a secret and ineffable operation working in us, "et veras revelationes et bonas voluntates," as St. Austin speaks.

Secondly; Grace only removeth difficulty from the heart, by softening it with such an efficacy, according to the judgement of that excellent Father, "Quæ a nullo duro corde respuitur."-" I will give them," saith the Lord, "a heart of flesh." (Ezek. xxxvi. 26)

Thirdly; Grace only removeth difficulty from all other faculties, enabling them to do all things through the strength of Christ.' (Phil. iv. 13) Not I,' saith the apostle, but the grace of God which was with me.' (1 Cor. xv. 10) Thus grace necessary, "ut innotescat quod latebat, ut suave fiat quod non delectabat; to make that known which was hidden from us, to make that sweet which was irksome to us," as the same Father excellently speaks.

II. Grace is necessary to put this habitual fitness into exercise. It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. (Phil. ii. 13) It is God that works all our works in us and for us. (Isa. xxvi. 12) "Certum est nos facere quum facimus; sed ille facit ut faciamus," as St. Austin speaks: it is true we are the workmen when we do work; but it is he by his grace, who enableth us to work.

III. Grace is necessary to our perseverance in well-doing, as the presence of the sun is necessary to the continuance of light in the house. "He is able to keep us from falling," as St. Jude speaks, verse 24. "Non mihi sufficit," saith St. Jerome, "quòd semel donavit, nisi semper donaverit; peto ut accipiam; et cum accepero, rursus peto:" it is not enough for me that God giveth me grace once, except he give it me always; I beg that I may receive it, and when I have received it, I beg it still.-We must thus, by constancy in faith and prayer, attend upon all the means of grace, because every step of our sufficiency depends upon it.

We now proceed unto the arguments used by the apostle, for enforcing the matter of this prayer, drawn from the mercy of an everlasting covenant;' from the 'blood of Christ,' whereby that mercy was purchased for us; from his ' resurrection,' whereby it hath been ratified and secured unto us; and lastly, from his pastoral office, whereby it is administered and dispensed for the sanctification and salvation of his church.

1. Then our God of peace was pleased to enter into a