purchased by his sacrifice and merits, for the foundation of their hopes, on which they resolve to trust their souls for pardon and peace with God, and endless happiness. "Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." "This is the record, that God has given us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son, hath not life."

When our happiness was in Adam's hands, he lost it it is now put into safer hands, and Jesus Christ, the second Adam, is become our treasury. He is the head of the body, from whom each member hath quickening influence. The life of saints is in him, as the life of the tree is in the root, unseen. Holiness is a living unto God in Christ; though we are dead with Christ, to the law, and to the world, and to the flesh, we are alive to God. So Paul describeth our case in his own, "I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." "Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." "Christ is the vine, and we are the branches; without him we can do nothing. If you abide not in him, and his words in you, you are cast forth as a branch, and withered, which men gather and cast into the fire, and they are burned." In baptism you are married unto

Christ, as to the external solemnization; and in spiritual regeneration, your hearts do inwardly close with him, entertain him, and resign themselves unto him by faith and love; and by a resolved covenant become his own.

5. That person is certainly unregenerate, that never was convinced of a necessity of sanctification, or never perceived an excellency and amiableness in holiness of heart and life, and loved it in others, and desired it himself; and never gave up himself to the Holy Ghost, to be further sauctified in the use of his appointed means; desiring to be perfect, and willing to press forward towards the mark, and to abound in grace. Much less is that person renewed by the Holy Ghost, that hateth holiness, and had rather be without it, and would not walk in the fear and obedience of the Lord.

The spirit of holiness is that life by which Christ quickeneth all that are his members. He is no member of Christ that is without it." According to his mercy, he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

6. That person is unregenerate, that is under the dominion of his fleshly desires, "and mindeth the things of the flesh above the things of the Spirit," and hath not mortified it so far, as not to live according to it. A carnal mind, and a carnal life, are opposite to holiness, as sickness is to health, and darkness to light. "There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.-For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the

Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. -For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if by the Spirit ye mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the

Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts."

7. Lastly, That person is certainly unregenerate, that so far valueth and loveth the world, or any of the carnal accommodations therein, as practically to prefer them before the love of God, and the hopes of everlasting glory: seeking it first with highest estimation, and holding it fastest; so as that he will rather venture his soul upon the threatened wrath of God, than his body upon the wrath of man; and will be religious, no further than may consist with his prosperity or safety in the world, and hath something that he cannot part with for Christ and heaven, because it is dearer to him than they. Let this man go ever so far in religion, as long as he goeth further for the world, and setteth it nearest to

his heart, and will do most for it, and, consequently, loveth it better than Christ, he is no true Christian, nor in a state of grace.

The Scriptures put this also out of doubt, as you may see, Matt. x. 37, 38. Luke xiv. 25, 27, 33. "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me, &c. Whosoever doth not bear

his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."-"Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God." of God." No wonder, then, if the world must be renounced in our baptism. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

You see, by this time, what it is to be regenerate, and to be a Christian indeed, by what is contained even in our baptism: and, consequently, how you may know yourselves, whether you are sanctified, and the heirs of heaven, or not.

Again, therefore, I summon you to appear before your consciences. And if indeed these evidences of regeneration are not in you, stop not the sentence, but confess your sinful, miserable state, and condemn yourselves; and say no longer, I hope yet that my present condition may serve the turn, and that God will forgive me, though I should die without any further change. Those hopes, that you may be saved without regeneration, or that you are regenerate when you are not, are the pillars of Satan's fortress in your hearts, and keep you from the saving hopes of the regenerate, that will never make you ashamed.

Uphold not that which Christ is engaged against : down it must, either by grace or judgment: and, therefore, abuse not your souls, by under-propping such an ill-grounded, false, deceitful hope. You have now time to take it down so orderly and safely, as that it fall not on your heads, and overwhelm you not for ever. But if you stay till death shall undermine it, the fall will be great, and your ruin irreparable. If you are wise, therefore, know yourselves

in time.

CHAPTER VII.

Exhortations to the Godly, to know their sins and

wants.

II. I HAVE done with that part of my special exhortation which concerned the unregenerate: I am next to speak to those of you, that by grace are brought into a better state; and to tell you, that it very much concerneth you also, even the best of you, to labour to be well acquainted with yourselves and that, both in respect of, I. Your sins and wants; and, II. Your graces and your duties.

:

I. Be acquainted with the root and remnant of your sins with your particular inclinations and corrupt affections; their quality, their degree, and strength with the weaknesses of every grace; with your disability to duty; and with the omissions or sinful practices of your lives. Search diligently and deeply; frequently and accurately peruse your hearts and ways, till you certainly and thoroughly know yourselves.