in holiness and comfort unto God's heavenly kingdom. It is a dangerous mistake, which too many seem to fall into, that we are to depend upon Christ alone for justifying righteousness, but trust to our own active endeavours for inherent righteousness, for a victory over our corruptions, and for a conformity of heart and life unto the Divine nature and will. Thence it is, that although they carry on a dreadful struggle with their corruptions, yet these, notwithstanding all their purposes, promises, vows, watchings, fastings, and other mechanical endeavours, will still prevail, and often throw them into great perplexity and confusion. They are sensible, that God demands their hearts, and that it is impossible their external reformations should be acceptable, while their hearts are far from him, and led away with divers lusts. With what agony and toil do they therefore contend with their carnal and sensual affections, their impetuous appetites and passions; using various methods of mortification and discipline, to correct the disorders of their nature; and are but still rolling a stone up the hill, which, as soon as they let go, it runs to the bottom again! They are sensible that God requires sincerity in the inward man, in all the duties of religious worship. They therefore groan under the burden of their religious defects, their deadness, formality, and wandering thoughts in their approaches to God; they condemn every duty they perform, and resolve upon more watchfulness and care for the future: but, alas! the difficulty remains; and they are ready to sink under discouraging apprehensions of their hypocrisy. When at any time they gain a little ground, their hopes are revived and their endeavours animated; but when deadness and corruption prevail, their distress and fear return and prevail with them, their spirits sink, and they are ready to be quite discouraged. How many poor souls are thus labouring in the very fire, making a toilsome and melancholy drudgery of religion, by their legal attempts and their spirit of bondage! How far these characters are applicable to yourself, sir, you can best tell. But this I know by experience, that so far as this legal disposition prevails in us, it will not only darken our way, but check our progress in grace and holiness. If you would make any proficiency in your spiritual course, you ought to remember that the divine life must be carried on in your soul in the same manner, and by the same means, that it was begun there. We are not only justified by faith, but we must be sanctified by faith too; and of Christ's fulness we must receive, even grace for grace. A cheerful dependence upon Christ for all supplies of grace and strength is the way to obtain his quickening, comforting, and strengthening influences; to have our hearts enlarged in the service of God, and to run in the way of his commandments with delight. We must be dead to the law (to all dependence upon it and hope from it) if we would live unto God, Gal. ii. 19. Though we must discharge the duties of the law, and live in conformity to it; yet these must be done with a gospel spirit, from gospel principles and motives. "What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." Would you then maintain a truly spiritual life," the life which you live in the flesh must be by the faith of the Son of God,” Gal. ii. 20. Would you maintain a conversation worthy of your holy profession, your good conversation must be in Christ, 1 Pet. iii. 16. Would you live in the love of God and your neighbour, it is faith which works by love, Gal. v. 6. Would you get a victory over the world, and all its allurements, "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith," 1 John v. 4. Would you be able to withstand temptations, it is "the shield of faith, by which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked," Eph. vi. 16. Would you walk honestly as in the day, you must put on the Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. xiii. 13, 14. Would you be strengthened in the service of God against all opposition, you must "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might," Eph. vi. 10. Would you have your heart purified from sinful lusts, appetites, and passions, you must get "your heart purified by faith," Acts xv. 9. Would you go on your way rejoicing, "you must rejoice in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh," Phil. iii. 3. Would you persevere in the fear and service of God, you must be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, 1 Pet. i. 5. It is not your business to run without legs, or fly without wings, but to go in the strength of the Lord." Despair of all sufficiency of your own, to mortify your corruptions, and quicken your soul in the ways of God and godliness. Humbly repair to the Lord Jesus Christ, and cheerfully trust in him for grace and strength, to make a successful progress in your spiritual course. Let not your imperfections or corruptions discourage you; nor let your good purposes or performances be the ground of your hopes; but, in a diligent use of gospel means, "commit your way to the Lord, trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass." I think you cannot so far misunderstand me, as to suppose I am exhorting you to depend on Christ for holiness in the careless neglect of good works. This would be presumption, "forth and not faith. No! I am exhorting you to a realizing impression, that your works will not sanctify your heart, your affections, or conversation; that when you have done all you can, you must rely wholly upon the Lord Jesus Christ; and that you may rely confidently upon him, to fulfil the good pleasure of his goodness in your soul; and carry you on from grace to grace, and from strength to strength, till you come to the measure of the stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus. Thus I have shown you negatively, in some instances, to what purposes our good works are not necessary, and in what respects they may not be depended upon. I proceed, in the next place, to show you affirmatively, in what respects they are of necessity; and to what purposes they must be done, by all those who would approve themselves christians indeed. 1. Good works are necessary, as being one end of our election, redemption, and effectual vocation. God hath chosen us in Christ, "before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love," Eph. i. 4. And it is by a life of good works, and a progress in holiness, that we are to make it evident to ourselves, that we were "chosen unto salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." And accordingly we are exhorted, in this way, to "give diligence to make our calling and election sure," 2 Pet. i. 10. Good works are likewise one end and design of our redemption in Christ. He " gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works," Tit. ii. 14. And they who are indeed interested in this redemption, who indeed have believed in God our Saviour, who sincerely trust in Christ for needed supplies, will feel the power of his grace quickening their souls, and exciting in them a zealous carefulness to maintain good works and therefore such have no grounds to conclude upon their interest in Christ, who live careless, sensual lives, in the neglect of duty to God, of righteousness or charity to men, or in a willing indulgence of any way of sinning. Good works are also the end of our vocation. "God hath called us unto holiness," 1 Thess. iv. 7. We are accordingly instructed, that as he which hath called us is holy, so we should be holy in all manner of conversation, 1 Pet. i. 15. None, therefore, have any grounds to flatter themselves with the dream of a regenerate state, while they indulge themselves in any sinful way, or live in the neglect of good works, whatever experiences they may pretend to, or whatever joys and comforts they may entertain. This we are to affirm constantly, that they which believe in God, must be and will be careful to maintain good works, Tit. iii. 8. Though good works are not the fountain and foundation of a renewed nature, they are always the streams that flow from that fountain, and the superstructure upon that foundation. Though they do not sanctify us, they are the natural and necessary actings and operations of a sanctified heart. An unholy life gives the lie to our profession of a holy state, and confers on us the just denomination of liars, 1 John ii. 4. It defeats all pretensions to effectual calling; it contradicts the very end of conversion, and is contrary to the unalterable tendency of the new nature. Grace is given for exercise, and is a vital, operative principle. We shall therefore receive the grace of God in vain, if the principle be not exerted in agreeable practice. 2. Good works are necessary, as they belong to the |