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ousness was made over to him, and so accounted his. This, this is gospel; this is the only way of finding acceptance with GOD: good works have nothing to do with our juftification in his fight. We are justified by faith alone, as faith the article of our church; agreeable to which the apostle Paul fays, " By grace ye are faved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of GOD." Notwithstanding, good works have their proper place: they justify our faith, though not our persons; they follow it, and evidence our juftification in the fight of men. Hence it is that the apoftle James alks, was not Abraham justified by works? (alluding no doubt to the story on which we have been difcoursing) that is, did he not prove he was in a justified state, because his faith was productive of good works? This declarative justification in the fight of men, is what is directly to be understood in the words of the text; "Now know I, says God, that thou fearest me, since thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from me." Not but that God knew it before; but this is spoken in condefcenfion to our weak capacities, and plainly shews, that his offering up his fon was accepted with GOD, as an evidence of the fincerity of his faith, and for this, was left on record to future ages. Hence then you may learn, whether you are blessed with, and are fons and daughters of, faithful Abraham. You say you believe; you talk of free grace and free justification: you do well; the devils also believe and tremble. But has the faith, which you pretend to, influenced your hearts, renewed your fouls, and, like Abrabam's, worked by love? Are your affections, like his, fet on things above? Are you heavenly-minded, and like him, do you confess yourselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth? In short, has your faith enabled you to overcome the world, and strengthened you to give up your Ifaacs, your laughter, your most beloved luits, friends, pleasures, and profits for GOD? If so, take the comfort of it; for justly may you say, "We know ailuredly, that we do fear and love "GOD, or rather are loved of him." But if you are only ta'king believers, have only a faith of the head, and never felt the power of it in your hearts, however you may bolster yourselves up, and say, "We have Abrabam for our father, "OF CHRIST is our Saviour; unless you get a faith of the heart, heart, a faith working by love, you shall never fit with

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Bar I muft draw o one more inference, and with that concludes soide of sidcostee Learn, O faints! from what has been faid, all your worldly comforts; and stand ready prepared to part with every thing, when Gon shall t require it at your hand. Some of you perhaps may may have friends, who are to you as your own fouls; and others may have children, in whofe lives your own in lives are re bound up: dup: all I believe have their Ifaacs, their particular delights of some kind or other. Labour, for CHRIST's fake, labour, ye fons and daughters of Abraham, to refign them daily in affection to God, that, when he shall require you really to facrifice them, you may

patriarch now before us. And as for you that have been in any measure tried like unto him, let his example encourage and comfort you. Remember, Abraham your you father was tried fo before you think, O think of the happiness he now enjoys, and how he is incessantly thanking God for tempting and trying him when here below. Look up often by the eye of faith, and see him fitting with his dearly beloved Ifaac in the world of spirits. Remember, it will be but a little while, and you shall fit with them also, and tell one another what God has done for your fouls. There I hope to fit with you, and hear this story of his offering up his Son from his own mouth, and to praise the Lamb that fitteth upon the throne, for what he hath done for all our fouls, for ever and ever.

As for me and my House, we will ferve the LORDUO

1 Joshua, who having in the

HESE words contain the holy resolution of pious moft moving, affectionate difcourte recounted to the Ifraelites what great things GoD had done for them, in the verse immediately preceding the text, comes to drawqa proper inference, from what he had been delivering; and acquaints them, in the most prefing *terms, that fince Gon had been so exceeding gracious unto them, they could do no less, than out of gratitude for fuch uncommon favours and mercies, dedicate both themselves and families to his fervice. "Now therefore, fear the LORD, and serve him in fincerity and truth, and put away the GODs which your fathers ferved on the other fide of the flood." And by the fame engaging motive does the prophet Samuel afterwards enforce their obedience to the commandments of GOD, I Sam. xii. 24.. "Only fear the LORD, and ferve him in truthy with all your heart; for confider how great things he hath done for you." But then, that they might not excuse themselves (as too many might be apt to do) by his giving them a bad example, or think he was laying heavy burdens upon them, whilst he himself touched them not with one of his fingers, he tells them in the text, that whatever regard they might pay to the doctrine he had been preaching, yet he (as all ministers ought to do) was refolved to live up to and practise it himself: "Chuse you therefore, whom you will ferve, whether the Gods which your fathers served, or the Gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will ferve the LORD."

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A resolution this, worthy of Joshua, and no less becoming, no less necessary for every true son of Joshua, that is intrusted with the care and government of a family in our day: and, if it was ever seasonable for ministers to preach up, or people to put in practice family-religion, it was never more so than in the present age; fince it is greatly to be feared, that out of those many housholds that call themselves christians, there are but few that few that Terve Gop in GOD their respective families es as they

ought.

It is true indeed, vifit our churches, and you may perhaps see something of the form of godliness still subsisting amongst us; but even that is scarcely to be met with in private houses.o. So that were the blessed angels t to come, as in the patriarchal age, and observe our spiritual oeconomy at home, would they not be tempted to fay as Abraham to Abimilech, "Surely, the fear of God is not in this place?" Gen. xx. 11.

How such a general neglect of family religion, first began to overspread the chriftian world, dis difficult to determine. As for the primitive chriftians, I am spofitive, it was not fo with them? No, they had not so learned CHRIST, as falsely to imagine religion was to be confined folely to their affemblies for public worship, but, on the contrary, behaved with fuch piety and exemplary holiness ins their private families, that St. Paul often styles their house a church: Salute such a one, Tay's he, and the church which is in this house." And, I believe, we must for ever despair of feeing da primitive spirit of piety revived in the world, till wenare fo happy as to Tee a revival of primitive family religion; and persons unanimoufly refolving with good old Joshua, in the words of the text, As for me and my house, we will ferve the LORD." From which words, I shall beg leave to infift on these three things.

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I. First, That it is the duty of every governor of a family to take care, that not only he himself, but also that those committed to his charge, "ferve the LORD."

II. Secondly, I shall endeavour to shew after what manner he a governor and his houshold ought to serve the LORD.

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TIP. Thirdly, I shall offer some motives, in order to excite ball governors, with their refpective housholds, to 'ferve The LoRbn the manner that shall be recommended.

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And First, Lam to shew that it is the duty of every goveras nor of a family to take care, that not only he himself, but 29.1 also that those committed to his charge, should serve the

*And this will appear, if we confider that every governot of a family ought to look upon himself as obliged to act in three capacities: as a prophet, to instruct; as a prieff, to pray for and with; as a king, to govern, direct, and provide for theifi. It is true indeed, the latter of these, their Ringly office, they are not fo frequently deficient in, (nay in this they are generally too folicitous;) but as for the two former, their priefly and prophetic office, like Gallid, they care for no fuch things. But however indifferent fome governors may be about it, they may be affured, that God will require à due difcharge of these offices as their hands. For if, as the apofile argues, He that does not provide for his own houfe," in temporal things, "has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel to what greater degree of apoftafy must he have arrived, who takes no thought to provide for the spiritual welfare of his family !

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But farther, persons are generally very liberal of their invectives against the clergy, and think they juftly blame the conduct of that minifter who does not take heed to and watch over the flock, of which the Holy Ghost has made him overfeer: but may not every governor of a family, be in a lower degree liable to the fame cenfure, who takes no thought for those fouls that are committed to his charge? For every houfe is as it were a little parish, every governor (as was before observed) a priest, every family a aflock and if any of them perish through the governor's neglect, their blood will God require at their hands.

Was a minifter to disregard teaching his people publicly, and from house to house, and to excuse himself by saying, that he had enough to do to work out his own falvation with fear and trembling, without concerning himself with that of others; would you not be apt to think fuch a minifter, to

be