mony; but is both fupported and illustrated by a multitude of clear and exprefs declarations of Scripture.

We are commanded, not only to depart " from evil," but " to do good;" not only "to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of "the flesh and fpirit," but alfo "to perfect "holinefs in the fear of God." Chrift is propofed to us as our example; and what was his character ? "He went about doing "good, and perfifted, till he had finished "the work which was given him to do." Nay, he faith himself (John ix. 4.), “ I must "work the works of him that fent me.' And if he, who voluntarily came under the law, was bound to this active and extenfive service, fhall we, who are its neceffary fubjects, plead an exemption from it? Paul, in his epistle to Titus (chap. iii. 11.), informs us, that "the grace of God, which hath "appeared to all men, bringing falvation, "teacheth us not only to deny ungodliness " and worldly lufts, but to live soberly, and " righteously, and godly in the world;" and that Chrift gave himself for us, for this end, "that he might redeem us from all ini"quity 2

H 4

.

quity, and purify to himself a peculiar "people, zealous of good works."

These passages of Scripture need no commentary, all of them point out the neceffity of a pofitive and an active obedience.

But this is not all. Our bleffed Lord, who well knew what was in man, feems to have directly calculated fome of his discourses, to prevent the poffibility of a mistake on this fubject. The parables of the rich man and Lazarus, of the talents, and of the barren fig-tree, plainly appear to have been delivered with this view.

We are not told that the rich man was in any respect injurious or oppreffive to Lazarus: his guilt lay in his not extending his kindness to fupply his wants. The unprofitable fervant was caft into outer darkness, not for lofing or fquandering away his talent, but for hiding it in a napkin, and neglecting to improve it. And the fig-tree was cut down, and caft into the fire, not for producing bad fruit, but because it produced no fruit at all. But left the allegorical drefs of thefe inftructions fhould leave men at too great liberty to explain away the force'

of

of them, this wife and provident Teacher, in a ferious and awful difcourfe on the procefs of the last judgement, refumes the fame argument, (Matth. xxv. 31.). There he tells us exprefsly, that men fhall not only be punished for doing evil, but also for neglecting to perform active fervice; and in particular, for neglecting to perform the offices of humanity to their brethren. For the charge runs in these words: " I

66

was an hungered, and ye gave me no 66 meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no "drink; I was a ftranger, and ye took "me not in; naked, and ye clothed me

not; fick, and in prison, and ye vifited

me not."-" For in as much as ye did it "not to the least of these my brethren, ye "did it not to me. And then follows the doom to be pronounced on those against whom this charge is brought: "Thefe "fhall go away into everlasting punish

From these paffages of Scripture, we learn with affurance, that unless life is filled up with good works, death, which introduceth us to judgement, must approach to us with a

dark

dark and gloomy afpect. When confcience, awakened with the dawning of an everlasting day, fhall prompt us to inquire, What we have done? How we have improved our time, our talents, and the means of grace with which we have been favoured? If in this review of ourselves, we fhall be able to discover nothing but the traces of vanity and impertinence, how must we fhrink back, and tremble to venture on the awful ftate before us? If God will judge every man according to his works, alas! what must become of the unhappy fluggard, who hath no works to fhow; who hath flept, and trifled, and fquandered away all his time? "O that men were wife, that they un"derstood this, that they would confider "their latter end!"" How long, O ye. "fimple ones, will ye love fimplicity?" How long, O finner, fhall that precious time on which eternity depends, be wasted in the pursuit of lying vanities? O think, how fwiftly it paffeth away, and how paffionately thou wilt one day with to recal it. Who can affure thee that the decree is not already gone forth against thee," Cut him off, why "cumbereth

"cumbereth he the ground."-" Thou fool, "this night thy foul fhall be required of "thee."

Pardon me, then, if I fpeak to you as fhort lived, or as dying creatures; some of whom I may never fee again, till we meet before the judgement-feat of God. Under this impreffion, let me deal freely with you, and call on you to review your past conduct, as if the Lord himself were demanding an account of it.

Say, then, hath it been fuitable to the rank hold in life? Hath it even been

you

rational? fuch as became thofe high intellectual powers by which you are raised above the beafts that perifh? Would you confent to have it published before this congregation? Or rather, are there not fome parts of it which you would wish to hide from your most intimate friends; lest, partial as they are to you, the knowledge of them fhould quench their affection, and render you contemptible in their eyes? Are you then ready to appear in judgement, and to have all your thoughts, and words,

and