first, that the true and folid proof of the fanctification of the heart, is Janctity of life. Next, when I talk of victory, I fuppofe man engaged, I fuppofe him encoun tered by temptations and enemies; and then I affirm, that the faith, which is not ftrong enough to conquer, is not ftrong enough to justify. If any man demand, may not that faith, which is foiled to day, conquer to morrow? Ianfwer, I muft leave this to God: I can pronounce nothing of the fincerity of the heart, but by the outward deportment and fuccefs. And if this be the proper way of judging of a man's fincerity, I am fure I may with much more confidence affirm, that nothing less than victory can be a clear argument of Perfetion. My bufinefs therefore fhall ever be to be Holy, and then I am fure I shall be juftified. If I be Holy, God, who cannot err, will certainly account me fo; and if I ceafe to be fo, God muft ceafe to account me so. And this is all which I defign by this lang paragraph that is, to render Men more careful and diligent in making their calling and election fure, and to prevent prefumption and groundless confidence. And that nothing that I have here faid may be perverted to a contrary purpofe; that no man, from fome paffionate refolutions or fudden changes of his own mind, may be tempted to conclude too haftily of his being justified,

juftified, as if the change wrought in him were equal to that commonly effected in the first converts of Chriftianity; I think it not amifs to put fuch a one in mind, that even thefe were not juftified, unless they did profefs Chrift with the mouth, as well as believe in him with the heart; and that this publick profeffion of Christianity in thofe days was equivalent to many good works in thefe.

2dly, He, that feels in himself little or no fervency of fpirit, little or no hunger and thirst after righteoufnels, has reafon to fufpect, that his regularity is dittle more than common decency and civility, and to doubt, left his religion be nothing else but cuftam.or.common prudence. I fee not how fo much indifference and fluggishness can confift with a firm belief and expectation of a crown, with a fincere love of God and righteoufness. But if we may fuppofe fuch a one reftrained from evil, and preferved in the way of duty, after a fort, by the fear of God, and a defire of heaven; yet certainly this can be,but the infancy of the new creature at moft and the beft advice, that can be given such a one, is furely that of St. Peter, that by adding one degree of virtue to another, he would use all diligence to make his calling and election fure, 2 Pet. i. 10.

3dly, If a man's religion produce very few good works, or fuch only as put

him

to little travel or expence, we may conclude that this man is not perfect; his charity is too weak, too narrow to be that of an exalted Chriftian: the best that we can think of fuch a one is, that he is yet taken up in the difcipline of mortification, that he is contending with his lufts and paffions, which are not yet fo far reduced, fo far fubdued and brought under, as to leave him in a state of liberty and peace, and in a capacity of extending and enlarging his charity. This remark, that the inconfiderableness of our good works is reafon enough to queftion, not only one's PerfeEtion but fincerity, holds good in fuch cases only, where neither opportunity nor capacity of higher and nobler performances is wanting. I dare not pronounce, that no man can be a Chriftian, unless he be fit to be a martyr: 'tis true, the lowest degree of fincerity muft imply a purpose and refolution of univerfal obedience, in defiance of all temptations; but yet that grace, for ought I can prove to the contrary, may be fufficient to fave a man, that is fufficient to mafter the difficulties he is to encounter with, altho' he should not be able to grapple with the diftempers and tryals to which the body and the ftate of another man may be fubject. Surely the wifdom and the faithfulness of God can be no further concerned, than to qualify any one for the dif

charge

charge of those duties which he thinks fit to call him to: and if the discharge of fuch duties be not a fufficient proof of our fincerity, we can never have any, but must be always held in fufpence and torture about our future ftate. I fee no reafon to question, but that the difciples of our Lord were in a state of grace before the refurrection, and the following Pentecoft and yet I think I have plain reafon to believe, that they were not fit to be martyrs and confeffors till then; the grace they had before might, I doubt it not, have enabled them to live virtuously amidst common and ordinary temptations: but it was neceffary that they fhould be endowed with power from on high, before they could be fit to encounter those fiery trials, to which the preaching of the gospel was to expofe them. To this furely our Mafter refers, when he tells the Pharifees, That the children of the bridechamber were not to faft while the bridegroom was with them: when he tells his disciples, I have many things to fay, but you cannot bear them yet: when he asked the fons of Zebedee, are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptifm that I am baptized with? Matth. xx. 21. If this be true divinity, as I am (I had almoft faid) confident it is; then I am confident, that which requires very unaccountable tefts of a man's fincerity, is very extravagant.

travagant. For example, when men talk at this rate, that a fincere Christian should have fuch an abhorrence for fin, as to fear guilt more than its punishment; fuch a love of God, as rather than offend him, to be content to precipitate and plunge himself into the jaws, not of death, like the martyrs, but of bell it felf.

4thly, If the duties of religion be very troublesome and uneasy to a man, we may from hence conclude, that he is not perfect": for tho' the beginning of wisdom and virtue be generally harsh and fervere to the fool and finner, yet to him that has conquered, the yoke of Chrift is easy, and his burthen light; to him that is filled with the love of God, his commandments are not grievous; hence is that obfervation of the fon of Sirach, Ecclusiv. 47, 18. For at the first he will walk with bim by croaked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her difcipline, until he may truft his foul, and try him by her laws; then will be return the ftraight way unto him, and comfort him, and fhew him her fecrets. The reason of this affertion is palpable; it is the nature of an babit to render difficult things eafy, barfb things pleafant, to fix a floating and uncertain humour, to nurfe and ripen a weak and tender difpofition into nature. And 'tis as reasonable to expect thefe effects in religious, as in any other forts of habits.

Laftly,