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Judgment to come; are very expreffively SER M.. termed, the Fruits of the Spirit; the natural Produce of a Mind rightly instructed in the Doctrines of Truth, and directed and influenced in all its Actings, by a juft Sense of what is Right in itself and Acceptable to God. Gal. v, 22. The. Fruit of the Spirit, is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meeknefs, Temperance. And They who by a virtuous courfe of Life in their whole converfation, and in every part of their Behaviour in the World, show that their Religion is not an empty Notion, or external Form of Godliness, a mere Denomination of a Sect or Party; but a real Principle and Ground of Action, a real Rule and Guide of life and manners ; are by the Apostle defcribed under This character, that they bring forth Fruit unto God; having their Fruit unto Holiness, and the End everlasting Life, Rom. vi. 22. vii. 4. The Figure, is the very fame with That made ufe of in the Text: Every Tree is known by his own Fruit; for of Thorns men do not gather Figs, nor of a Bramble-bush gather they Grapes. And the literal fenfe of it is explained by our Saviour

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SER M. Saviour himself in the very next words VI. following, ver. 45. A good man, out of the good Treasure of his Heart, bringeth. forth that which is good; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his Heart, bringeth forth that which is evil: For of the abundance of the Heart, his Mouth Speaketh. Now according to This explication, 'tis evident that, whether by this figurative phrafe, every Tree, we understand the Perfon bimfelf who acts, or the Principles from which his Actions flow; the Senfe is, either way, one and the fame. By the Actions of a man's Life, by the whole Course and Tenour of his Behaviour in the World, and by no other diftinction whatsoever, can be ascertained the True Character of any Perfon, and the Real Goodness or Badness of his Principles. External Names and Denominations, either of Things or Perfons, are all deceitful. Pretences to Opinions and Do

rines, may be all fallacious. Forms and Obfervances of all kinds may be hypocritical. Any thing may be called by Any Name, and Any thing may appear under. Any Shape. But never can it happen in Any cafe, that of Thorns men should ga

ther

ther Figs, or that of a Bramble-bush they SER M. fhould gather Grapes. Never can it hap- VI. pen in Any cafe, that men of corrupt Principles and vitious Lives, can really. have any True Religion; or that Any. True Religion, any Doctrine that is from. God, fhould be the Parent of any Vice. or of any Folly, of any Abfurdity, of any Cruelty, of any Pride, Tyranny, or Contentiousness, or of any thing mischievous. among men. The Acknowledgment and the rational Worship of God who ruleth over All; The Univerfal Love and Goodwill of All men towards All, in which our Lord declares all the Law and the Prophets, and all the Gospel too, to be fummarily contained; The Sobriety, Holiness, and Virtuous Living, which the Religion of Chrift requires in Thofe, who expect a Judgment to come, and who (according to his Promife) look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteoufness: These things can no more poffibly be the real productive Caufe of any thing hurtful to Mankind, than a Vine can bring forth any other Fruit than Grapes, or a Fig-tree than Figs; or than Sheep (according to another of our Lord's VOL. III.

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SER M. fimilitudes) can juftly be charged with the Rapine committed by Wolves in Sheeps-clothing. There is no Principle in Nature of more certain and necessary Truths, of more evident Clearness, of more univerfal Extent and Ufefulness than This. And for This reafon our Saviour, upon fo many occafions, and in numerous Places of the Gospel, repeats this Maxim, and makes perpetual Allufions to it. Thus Matt. vii. 15. Beware of falle Prophets, which come to you in Sheeps-clothing, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves : Ye Jhall know them by their Fruits: Do men gather Grapes of Thorns, or Figs of Thiftles? A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit, neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit: Every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewn down and caft into the Fire: Or, as he elsewhere expreffes himself concerning the hypocritical Pharifees; Matt. xv. 13. Every Plant, which my heavenly Father had not planted, fhall be rooted up. Again, Matt. xii. 33, 34. Concerning the fame hypocrites, when, under a pretenfe of Zeal for Religion, they blafphemed both the Doctrine and the Works of the Holy Ghost; O Generation

ration of Vipers, fays he, how can ye, be-SER M. ing Evil, fpeak Good things? Either make VI. the Tree good, and his Fruit good; or elfe make the Tree corrupt, and his Fruit corrupt; For the Tree is known by his Fruit: That is; Either forbear thefe wicked and unrighteous Practices, or pretend not to make Profeffion of Religion at all. To mention but One place more: Joh. xv. 1. I am the true Vine, faith our Lord, and my Father is the Husbandman. Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit, he

taketh away; and every Branch that beareth Fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more Fruit. The Meaning is: The Belief of the Doctrine of Chrift, and of a Judgment to come, is the Foundation, the Root or Principle of all Chriftian Virtues: Every man therefore who calls himself a Chriftian, and yet lives not in the Practice of Chriftian Virtue; is rejected of God, as a Dead Branch; as having no participation in That Vital Principle which alone unites him to Christ here, and entitles him to a Share in his Kingdom hereafter.