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ceffary confequence, we are quite unable, without Divine affiftftance, to perform a good action. We must therefore look up to God for the promised aids of his grace, that, through Christ strengthening us, we may be able to do all things.

4. It must be univerfal: "Ye are my friends," fays our Lord, "if ye do whatfoever I command you." There are fome who appear very zealous in obferving those precepts that more immediately refpect God; but, if we examine their conduct in thofe which concern their neighbour, we will find them very defective. I need not here spend time in proving what is fo evident from daily experience. For, what evil fpeaking, what reproaching of our neighbour's character, and what unjust dealing between man and man, are not every day forced upon our obfervation; and yet, who make greater pretenfions to religion than fome who are guilty of those faults? Would you then diftinguith yourselves from fuch, and warrantably expect the Divine approbation, you must endeavour to keep a confcience void of of fence towards God and towards men, carefully obferving the precepts both of the firft and fecond table of the law. I do not fay, indeed, that our obedience will be perfect; for, alas! perfection is not the property of any thing in this ftate and world: " If we fay we have no fin," faid the apostle John, we "deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." But yet, a Chriftian will not, deliberately, and with the confent of his mind, allow of any defect in his obedience, nor of the leaft tranfgreffion of any command of Chrift. Nay, it will be his fincere defire to guard against every fin without exception, and to give an unreferved obedience to the law of God, as far as it is known to him; and whenever he fails and comes fhort of his duty, he will be heartily forry, and endeavour, in a humble dependence on divine grace, to be more circumfpect and watchful for the future. Hence are thofe pious breathings of David's foul: "O that my ways were directed to keep thy ftatutes,

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"then shall I not be afhamed when I have refpect to "all thy commandments. Incline my heart to thy "teftimonies. I have fworn, and will perform it, "that I will keep thy righteous judgments."

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5. It must be conftant and perfevering: "I have "inclined my heart," says the Pfalmift, "to perform "thy ftatutes alway, even unto the end." No man can be faid to keep God's commandments, who only seems to attend to his duty at certain times and feafons, and at other times negles it. Some, for inftance, put on the appearance or fhow of being religious about the time of a facrament, on the Sabbath day, and on other public and folemn occafions; but, at other times, they throw off the mask, and indulge themselves in forbidden liberties. In a word, there are many profeffing Chriftians, who ferve God at intervals only. Terrified, perhaps, by fome alarming Providence, or roufed by an awakening fermon, they fet about reading and praying, and other duties which they had formerly neglected: but, in a little time, their devotion cools again; their goodness becomes like the morning cloud, and like the early dew, which foon pafs away. Nay, too often they return with the dog to his vomit, and with the fow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. But, be not deceived; this is not to keep the comandments of God; nor are thofe the marks of his children. Evangelical obedience is a much more fettled and, conftant thing. It may poffibly admit of fome breaks and interruptions; but it is what the Chriftian habitually aims at, and what will never be quite laid afide. For, as the Spirit of God informs us," the "righteous fhall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands fhall be flronger and stronger (a)." And this brings me to obferve,

Lastly, That it must be ftill growing and increasing. "The path of the juft" fays Solomon, " is as the "fhining light, that fhineth more and more unto the perfect day." It is very true, indeed, that ̧

(a) Job xvii. 9.

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our obedience, while we are in this world, never can be perfect for the beft of faints, while here, know but in part, and are but fanctified in part. Their obedience, however, is progreffive, and ftill advancing nearer and nearer to perfection. Hence we find the obedience of the Chriftian compared in fcrip ture to the growth of a human body, which, you know, advances from infancy to childhood, from childhood to youth, and from youth to complete maturity. And, in the fame manner, the apoftle fays, we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift. And fuch we find was the fame apoftle's obedience; which he describes with great ftrength and beauty in allufion to the Olympic games: "Forgetting," fays he, "thofe things that are behind, and reaching forward

to those things that are before, I prefs towards the "mark, for the prize of the high calling that is "with God in Chrift Jefus (a)." In a word, the regular course of a Chriftian's obedience produces that effect on the people of God which the Pfalmift particularly mentions: "They go on from ftrength to "ftrength, until at laft they appear before the Lord ❝ in Zion (b).”

Thus I have endeavoured to fhow you what that obedience is, or that keeping of the commandments of God which the gospel requires, and which, as many of you as were yesterday worthy communicants, have, in humble dependence on the righteousness and grace of our Redeemer, fincerely refolved to perform. I now proceed,.

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II. To fhow you how neceffary it is, that you avoid the fociety of the wicked, and have no fellowfhip with evil-doers, if you would keep the commandments of God.

And, that you may know who thofe evil-doers are, whofe company you are to avoid, you may confider two paflages

(a) Phil. iii. 13, 14:

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(6) Pf. iv. 7.

paffages of fcripture, where their characters are di ftinctly defcribed by the Spirit of God, whofe judgment is according to truth. The firft paffage to which I refer, you will find in Cor. vi. 9, 10. "Be

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not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor "adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of them"felves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, 66 nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, fhall "inherit the kingdom of God." And the other in 1 Tim. i. 9, 10. "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and difobedient, for the ungodly and for finners, for "unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, "and murderers of mothers, for manflayers, for "whoremongers, for them that defile themselves "with mankind, for men-ftealers, for liars, for per"jured perfons, and if there be any other thing that "is contrary to found doctrine." But, befides thefe open and notorious finners, whofe lives are a scandal to human nature, I must tell you, that, by the wicked and evil-doers, we are likewife to underftand, even fuch who, though in their outward behaviour they may be fober and apparently harmless, yet have no concern about religion and the fear of God, who never attend public worship, nor give any evidence of their belief in a Deity, or in the truth of our most holy religion: For, whatever figure and appearance perfons of this description may make in the world, yet they, as well as the openly abandoned, are dangerous enemies to the fouls of men. Thefe, then, are the wicked and evil-doers, whofe company you must avoid, if you would keep the commandments of God.

I acknowledge, indeed, it is impoffible for the best Chriftian, wholly to avoid the company and converfation of the wicked. He may, as the apoftle tells us, as well abandon fociety, and go out of the world. Nor must we neglect the duties of civility, and good manners, even to the worst of men; for this would reflect dishonour upon our religion, and be incon

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fiftent with the conduct of its bleffed Author, in whofe lips was the law of kindness in every fituation. Nay, when we have reason to think we may be useful to the ungodly and profane, by our inftruction and example, we ought not to deny them our company or converfation; though here, indeed, great caution must be ufed, left, while we intend their fpiritual good, we hurt ourfelves by any finful compliance. Our great Lord and Mafter, we find, sometimes converfed with publicans and finners, though he himself was holy, harmlefs, and undefiled; and this apostle tells us, that, in things indifferent, he became all things to all men, that he might by all means fave fome.

But you must take care not to make the impious and wicked your intimate companions, nor fpend too much of your leifure hours in their company, whatever entertainment or worldly advantage you may expect to find from it. If you would be faithful to God, and maintain upon your minds a ferious fense of religion, you must avoid, as much as poffible, all familiar converfation with them, and fay with the Pfalmift in the text, "" Depart from me, ye evil-doers; " for I will keep the commandments of my God." For, confider, that frequenting the company of the wicked and profane, will have a fatal tendency to indifpofe you for your duty, and even to efface any good impreffion that may have been made upon your minds. We live in a land bleffed with the privileges of the gofpel, where we enjoy the means of grace in purity and abundance. And by thefe, fome fenfe. of religion is commonly wrought on the minds of men, especially in their younger years. When these good impreffions are duly cultivated, they grow, under the influence of grace, more lively and vigorous, until, at length, the Chriftian is made perfect in holinefs; but if they are refifted, and the Spirit of God provoked to withdraw, men turn obftinate in fin, and perfift in it without remorfe. Now, what can have a more direct tendency to refift, and,

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