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fent affliction, or defpond at the profpect of approaching danger. Nay, though deprived of every earthly comfort, and involved in the deepeft diftrefs, ftill you may encourage yourfelves in the Lord, and rejoice in him, as the God of your falvation: For the Lord God is a fun and fhield; the Lord will give grace and glory; and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Amen.

SER

SERMON XIV.

ON CHRISTIAN OBEDIENCE, AND THE
INFLUENCE OF BAD EXAMPLE.

PSALM CXIX. 115.

Depart from me, ye evil-doers; for I will keep the com mandments of my God.

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Tis unneceffary to trace the connection between the different parts of this infpired hymn. It feems to be a collection of David's pious and devout ejaculations to God, written down as they occurred, and afterwards digefted into this pfalm. The general scope and defign of it, is to magnify the law of God, and enforce the obfervation of its precepts, as that in which religion chiefly confifts. This the Pfalmift does, from a variety of the most powerful and convincing arguments; fuch as the fupreme excellence and perfection of that divine law, its ufefulnefs to men even in this world, and the inward peace and joy that refults from obedience to it. He infifts particularly on his own experience, of the benefit and advantage of obferving the commandments of God, and the unfpeakable pleasure and fatisfaction he had derived from that obfervance. And hence we find him frequently repeating his refolutions to this effect; an inftance of which you have in the

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words of the text: "Depart from me," fays he, 66 ye evil-doers; for I will keep the commandments " of my God."

In difcourfing on these words, I fhall endeavour, by divine affiftance, Firft, To explain to you that obedience to the law of God, or that keeping of his commandments, which the gofpel requires. Secondly, Shew you how neceffary it is to avoid the company of the wicked, and have no fociety with evil-doers, if you would keep the commandments of God. And, Laftly, Conclude with fome practical application.

I. I am to explain that obedience to the law of God, or that keeping of his commandments which the gofpel requires.

1. It must flow from a heart purified by faith; for, without faith, the apoftle tells us, it is impoffible to please God; and whatfoever, fays he, is not of faith, is fin. Some of the wifer and more enlightened Heathens made confiderable progrefs in the external obfervance of the law which God had written on their hearts; but yet their works, however fplendid in the eyes of men, could not be pleafing and acceptable to God; becaufe, their hearts not being purified, they could never attain to that perfection which the law of God requires. In every part of our duty, God has a special regard to the heart."My "fon," fays he, "give me thine heart ;" and, if the heart be not given him, he pays no regard to your other offerings. We may, indeed, have a fpecious profeffion, and acquire to ourfelves a fair character among men, while we are ftrangers to the true prac tice of devotion. Would you then find acceptance with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift, in your endeavours to keep his commandments, let it be your firft and principal concern to get your hearts fanctified by renewing grace; for this is the one thing needful. "They that are in the flesh," fays the apostle, cannot please God." Unless your obedience flows from love to God, and a delight in his

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law after the inward man, it will be of no account in His fight, who judges of actions by the principles from which they fpring, and demands the willing obedience of the heart; nay, it will be as the facrifice of the wicked, an abomination to the Lord.

2. It must be with impartial regard to his glory, as our ultimate end. "Whether, therefore," fays the apoftle, "ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all

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to the glory of God; for of him, and through "him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory "for ever." How many affume a religious profeffion, with no other view but to be feen of men, that they may procure the efteem of their neighbours, or ferve their own intereft? Nay, fome men afsume the mask of religion, that, under this venerable cover, they may indulge in their fecret vices with the lefs fufpicion. Such, we find, were the Pharifees of old. They loved to pray ftanding in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they might be feen of men when they fafted, they disfigured their faces, that they might appear unto man to faft. And our Saviour adds, " For a pretence they made long prayers, that they might devour widows houfes. But this is infinitely fhort of the obedience which the gofpel requires. It is, only, as the prophet expreffes it, a facrificing to our own net, and burning in"cenfe to our own drag." And when God comes to pass fentence on fuch profeflors of religion, he may fay, "Did ye these things at all unto me?" Were they not rather done to gratify fome particular humour, to gain the approbation of men, or to ferve fome temporal purpofe? and, if fo, you certainly have your reward in the accomplishment of your wishes. From me, as you did them not to me, you can expect no reward. Let us not then have such mean and mercenary ends in view, but have a stedfaft regard to the glory of God, who, as he is the Firft caufe, and infinitely excellent and amiable in himself, is also that Being on whom our happiness muft finally depend. In a word, whatever we do in religion,

religion, we are required to do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing, that of the Lord we shall receive the reward of the inheritance, if we thus ferve the Lord Chrift (a).

3. It must be with humility and felf-denial. We must beware of imagining that there is any intrinfic worth or merit in the best of our fervices to recommend them to God; and, when we have done all, we must humbly acknowledge that we have done nothing but our duty, and are at best but unprofitable fervants. Whatever the pride of man may fuggeft, this is the leffon that Chrift teaches his difciples: "If any

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man," fays he, "will come after me, let him de"ny himfelf." And it is a leffon fo abfolutely ne cellary at our entrance on the Chriftian life, that, without it, all our devotion is but a form of godliness, and, like the boaft of the Pharifee, an abomination to the Lord. Nay, fo far from imagining that we can merit any favour at the hand of God by our best obedience, we must be deeply fenfible of our own nworthiness; that even our pureft fervices are stain ed with much finful imperfection, and all our own righteousness but as filthy rags. The language of a sincere Chriftian, while endeavouring to keep the commandments of God, is, "Enter not into judgment "with thy fervant. If thou, Lord, fhouldst mark "iniquity, who could poffibly ftand?" And from a lively fenfe of this, confcious that we have nothing in ourselves to rely upon, we must have all our truft and dependence upon the abundant merit and powerful interceffion of Christ, by which alone our obedience can be accepted.-Neither muft we think that we can perform this obedience by any power or ftrength of our own. No; it would betray the groffelt ignorance, both of ourselves and of the word of God, to entertain fuch a thought. "Without me," fays our Saviour, "ye can do nothing." And the apoftle tells us, that "we are not fufficient, of ourfelves, to think fo much as a good thought;" and, by a ne

(a) Col. iii. 23, 24.

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