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SER M. again. And if the judgment of GOD fhould overCLXXXIII. take us, before we have renewed our repentance, and reformed our lives, we fhould be found in the number of "the ungodly, who cannot ftand in judg"ment." So that, as it concerns us to make hafte out of an impenitent ftate, fo no lefs to order our converfation afterwards with great vigilancy and care left by relapfing into our former fins, and being surprised in them by the judgment of God, we fall into condemnation.

3. Let us neglect no opportunity of doing good, but always be employing ourfelves, either in acts of religion and piety towards God, or of righteousness and charity towards men, or in fuch acts as are fubordinate to religion; I mean the works of a lawful calling, in which, if we demean ourselves with diligence and good confcience, we may be faid to ferve GOD, and to live in his fear, because we are govern'd by the rules of religion, all the while we are about our worldly bufinefs, and providing for the neceffities of this life in an honeft and induftrious way.

More particularly, we fhould ftrictly charge ourfelves, according to our eftate and opportunities, to be very much in the works of mercy and charity; remembring that our SAVIOUR hath represented this as a fpecial matter of enquiry at the judgment of the great day, how we have acquitted and difcharged ourselves in duties of this kind, and that nothing does more immediately qualify us for the mercy. of God, when we fhall come to ftand before his judgment-feat, than to have fhewn mercy to our brethren: as on the other hand, the fcripture hath terribly threatned, that "he fhall have judgment without GC mercy,

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"mercy, that hath fhewed no mercy." By thefe S ERM. and all other acts of a good life, we fhall be in a conftant readiness and preparation for the coming of our LORD. And, oh, what a happiness and comfort will it be to us, to be found by him thus employed!" Bleffed is that fervant whom his LORD when he cometh fhall find fo doing." I proceed,

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4. We fhould often review our lives, and call ourfelves to a ftrict account of our actions, that " 'judg ing our felves, we may not be judged," and condemn it" by the LORD." This frequent examination of our felves will give us to understand our errors and miscarriages; which, if we seriously confider, muft needs prompt us to repentance, and engage us in purposes and refolutions of amendment. And the practice of this is certainly the best way to keep our accounts clear, and to prevent that horrible confufion which we shall be in, if judgment fhould furprife us unawares, when we have the guilt of great and manifold fins unrepented of, lying upon our confciences, like a heavy weight, ready to fink us into eternal perdition. Befides, that this ftrict and frequent examination of our actions, will be an excellent means to make us more careful for the future to avoid thofe faults and mifcarriages which we have obferved in ourselves before. We fhould be afhamed to fall into thofe errors again, for which we have fo lately and feverely cenfured and condemned ourselves.

5. Another part of our preparation for the coming of our LORD, is, an humble truft and confidence in the virtue of his death and paffion, as the only meritorious caufe of the remiffion of our fins,

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SERM, and the reward of eternal life. Tho' we be regeneCLXXXIII. rated and renewed by the HOLY GHOST, and by

the affiftance of God's grace enabled to perform works of righteoufnefs, and, as is faid of Zachary and Elifabeth," to live in all the commandments "and ordinances of the LORD blameless ;" that is, in the general courfe of our lives, to yield a fincere obedience to the laws of God: yet because "in many things we offend," and our best righteoufness is very imperfect, and falls extremely fhort of that exact and strict duty, which the law of God requires; and if it were perfect, our obedience for the future could make no reparation to the juftice of GOD for past fins and tranfgreffions; therefore we cannot hope for our own righteousness to be justified and accepted with GOD, and upon the merit of it to have our fins pardon'd, much lefs to be rewarded with eternal life. GOD indeed of his infinite mercy is pleased, upon our repentance, to pardon our fins past, and upon our fincere obedience to give us eternal life; and without thefe qualifications we fhall never be made partakers of thefe bleffings; except we repent, our fins fhall not be forgiven us, and "without holinefs no man fhall fee the LORD." But then it is not for the merit of our repentance and righteoufnefs, that thefe bleffings are conferr'd upon us; but for the meritorious obedience and fufferings of our bleffed SAVIOUR: that most acceptable facrifice of himself, which he offer'd to GOD in our ftead, and in our behalf, hath purchajed and procur'd thefe benefits for us, and "we are "accepted in his beloved Sox," and "juftified free

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ly by his grace through the redemption that is in JESUS CHRIST;" and therefore not for

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any works of righteoufnefs which we have done, SERM. "but of his mercy he faves us." And here we are to fix our hopes of juftification and falvation, viz. upon that perfect propitiation and fatisfaction, which CHRIST by the facrifice of himself once offer'd hath made for the fins of the whole world. For the alone merit of this facrifice, GoD is graciously pleafed to forgive us all our fins, upon our true repentance, and to reward our fincere, tho' very imperfect obedience, with eternal life. So that "through "faith in the blood of CHRIST," not by confidence in ourselves and our own righteousness, "we obtain remiffion of fins, and eternal life." And it is not only in itself great arrogance, but great ingratitude to our bleffed redeemer," who gave himself for us," to afcribe that to the merit of our own righteoufnefs, or the merits of the faints, which nothing in heaven or earth, but "the pre"cious blood of CHRIST, who was a lamb with"out spot or blemish," could have purchased for

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And it is argument and encouragement enough to holiness and obedience of life, that without it we cannot fee GOD; and by it we are qualified for that happiness which CHRIST hath purchased for us, and, as the apostle expreffeth it, are made meet" to be "partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light."

6. And lastly, to awaken and maintain this vis gilancy and care, we fhould often represent to our minds the judgment of the great day, which will certainly come, tho' we know not the time of it. And if any confideration in the world will make men watchful and diligent, certainly this will, that the judgment of GoD continually hangs over them, and may feize upon them at any time; nay, for B 3 ought

SERM.ought we know, the judgment of GoD may now CLXXXIII. be " standing at the door," and be ready to rush in upon us, whilft we are so negligent and fecure. For this day, whenever it fhall be, will come fuddenly, and furprise the careless world, when they leaft think of it, and look for it. So our LORD himself hath foretold, that " as a fnare it fhall come 66 upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole

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earth" that is, the greateft part of mankind fhall be taken unprepared, when they are unprovided for it; nay, when they are generally lull'd afleep in a ftupid fecurity and infidelity; when the world is grown atheistical, and do hardly believe any fuch thing as a future judgment. So our SAVIOUR feems to intimate, Luke xviii. 8. "When the SON "of man cometh, fhall he find faith upon earth ?" And if this be a mark and token of the general judgment, we have too much cause to apprehend that it is drawing on apace for never was there any age, fince the general flood, that we know of, when" iniquity did fo abound," and the infidelity of mankind was fo full, fo great, and fo general; when profaneness and atheism, the open contempt of GOD and religion, was fo raging and violent; and when, as our LORD fays, there was fo little

faith to be found on the earth," whether by faith we understand the belief of the principles of religion, or the fidelity of men one towards another. For was there ever any age, wherein falfe accufation, perjury and fubornation were more rife and impudent? wherein the reverence of an oath was fo loft, and the facred obligation of it in fo little regard among men. So that if the great judge of the world fhould delay his coming, humane fociety feems ready

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