CCVI.

IOUR'S caution, Matth. vii. 15, 16. "Be- SER M. of false prophets, which come to you in clothing, but inwardly they are ravening es." And that we may know how to avoid ur SAVIOUR bids us to obferve their lives, all know them by their fruits.' He does

us examine their opinions, and try their es to inspiration; that is a thing many times the capacity of the ordinary fort of men; but aves and actions are open to every man's view; ough it is poffible men may counterfeit even s, yet they feldom do it fo exactly, as not to themselves fome time or other: however this other is the easiest and furest rule; "by their uits ye fhall know them."

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herefore if any man pretend to any new difcoes in religion, beyond what is plainly revealed in pture, though he appear in never fo fanctimonious arb, be not moved with this: for "the power of religion" does not confift in any thing now to discovered; but in those things which are clearly ontained in the word of God, in the precepts and irections, and in the motives and arguments to a good life; and whoever lives according to these, is n the best way to heaven that any man can put himself into; and he need not trouble himself about those new lights and opinions, which in every age appear like comets, and glare a-while, and draw people to gaze upon them, and then vanish. And none are so much to be fufpected of " a form of religion" as those who make frequent changes in it, and wander from one party and opinion to another. An outward form and shape is easily changed; it is that which a man shifts and puts off at pleasure.

CCVI.

SERM. mentioned. How many are there, who talk as if "the power of godliness" confifted in nothing else but a daily task of devotion, in frequent hearing of fermons, and a strict observation of the LORD'Sday. These are very good things; but they are but "a form of godliness," and may be, and often are without the power of it; they are but the means and inftruments of religion, but not the great end and defign of it; that confifts in the renewing of our natures, and the reformation of our lives; "in righteousness and true holiness, in mortifying "the flesh with the affections and lufts of it," fuch às are "adultery, fornication, hatred, variance, "wrath, fedition, envying, murder, drunkenness : "for they which do fuch things, cannot inherit the "kingdom of GOD;" and in "the fruits of the "SPIRIT," fuch as are "love, joy, peace, long

fuffering, gentlenefs, goodness, fidelity, meekness, "temperance," as the apoftle reckons them up, Gal. v. 22. Thefe are real and fenfible effects of religion; and the means of religion, if they be fincerely used, do all tend to the begetting and increafing of these in us: fo that it is a grofs mistake to talk of the power of religion" without these. Whoever is deftitute of these, whatever attainments in religion he may pretend to, is got no farther than "a form of godliness," he is not yet under the power of it. This is the firft.

"a form

Secondly, let us be cautioned against being captivated and feduced by thofe, who have only "of godliness." This is the apoftle's exhortation here in the text, "from fuch turn away: for of this "fort are they which creep into houses, and lead "captive filly women.' "To the fame purpose is

Our

Our SAVIOUR'S caution, Matth. vii. 15, 16. « Be- SER M. "ware of falfe prophets, which come to you in CCVI.

fheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening "wolves." And that we may know how to avoid them, our SAVIOUR bids us to obferve their lives, "ye shall know them by their fruits." He does not bid us examine their opinions, and try their pretences to inspiration; that is a thing many times. above the capacity of the ordinary fort of men; but their lives and actions are open to every man's view; and though it is poffible men may counterfeit even in this, yet they feldom do it fo exactly, as not to betray themselves fome time or other: however this of all other is the eafieft and fureft rule; "by their "fruits ye fhall know them."

Therefore if any man pretend to any new difcoveries in religion, beyond what is plainly revealed in fcripture, though he appear in never fo fanctimonious a garb, be not moved with this: for "the power "of religion" does not confift in any thing now to be discovered; but in thofe things which are clearly contained in the word of God, in the precepts and directions, and in the motives and arguments to a good life; and whoever lives according to thefe, is in the best way to heaven that any man can pur himself into; and he need not trouble himself about those new lights and opinions, which in every age appear like comets, and glare a-while, and draw people to gaze upon them, and then vanish. And none are so much to be suspected of " a form of religion" as those who make frequent changes in it, and wander from one party and opinion to another. outward form and fhape is easily changed; it is that which a man fhifts and puts off at pleasure.

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An

Thirdly,

SERM. Thirdly, to perfuade men to mind the power, and CCVI. life, and fubftance of religion. It was the commen

dation of Socrates, the best of philofophers, that he did philofophiam de cælo deducere," bring down philofophy from heaven to earth," that is, from contemplation to practice, and from being an art of talking and difputing to be an art of living. This I defire may be the aim of all my difcourfes, to inftruct men in religion in order to the practice of it, to teach men to know GOD, in St. John's fenfe, 1 John ii. 3." Hereby we know that we know him, "if we keep his commandments." This is the great end and scope, to which all difcourfes of religion ought to be levelled. It was a good faying of Pacuvius, ego odi homines ignavá operâ, & philofophos fententia," I hate men that are unactive in their "lives, and philofophers in their opinions," Chriftianity is the best philofophy, and the most perfect inftitution of life that ever the world was acquainted withal; and therefore it is much more odious to fee men chriftians in their profeffion, and faulty and vicious in their lives; because the very design of the christian religion, is to give men a perfect and plain law and rule of life, and to enforce this law by the moft powerful and prevailing arguments. So that as Tully fays concerning the philofopher who lived but a bad life, that he was utterly inexcufable, quod in eo cujus magifter effe vult labitur, artem vitæ profeffus, delinquit in vitâ; "because he failed in that wherein

he pretended to be a mafter, and while he profeffed to have an art of living better than other "men, he offended and mifcarried in his life:" all defects in the practice, and in the virtues of a good life, may with much more reafon and justice be upbraided

CCVI.

upbraided to chriftians, to thofe "who have learned SER M. "CHRIST, who have heard him, and been taught "by him, as the truth is in JESUS;" to those who are bleffed with the clearest and most perfect revelation which ever GOD made to the world, the holiest and most reasonable religion, which furnisheth us with the best counfels and directions, the most prevalent motives and arguments, and the greatest helps and advan tages to a good life; a religion plain and simple, that hath lefs of outward form and pomp, and more of fubftance and reality, than any religion that ever was known in the world.

What a fad thing is it, that a religion fo wholly fitted and calculated to the defign and purpose of a good life, armed with fuch powerful confiderations to engage men thereto, fhould yet have fo little force and power upon the lives of men, as we fee it generally to have! as if "the grace of GoD had never "appeared to men, to teach them to deny ungodli"ness and worldly lufts, and to live foberly, and " righteously, and godly in this present world."

There was hardly ever any age, wherein the form of religion did more abound, and there were greater variety in them; and it is to be feared that there was never lefs of the power and efficacy of it.

I will inftance in two great defects in the lives and practice of christians, which are visible to every one, but are fad indications how little the power of religion prevails among men; I mean the want of common honesty and integrity among men, and the want of peace and love; the firft of which is, the great virtue of civil converfation, and the other the great bond both of civil and ecclefiaftical focieties. These are two great duties of religion frequently mentioned, and

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ftrictly