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Mat. 12.

bad meddling with Thiftles and Thorns, they being 1718. generally very unprofitable to Mankind, and hurt the good Seed, wherever they grow among it. Well, where must we go for the Grapes, and the Figs? To be fare we must go to the Vine, and the Fig-Tree: Chrift is the Body of this Vine, and his People are the Branches, who bring forth fuch Fruit (according to the Divine Life and Sap which they receive) as he taught, and teaches, to his Followers. So that if Mens Words be like the Words of Angels, if they have never fo great Parts and Endowments; yet if their Fruit be evil, if they live in Sin, and do Iniquity, and bring forth the Fruits of Malice and Rage, or devouring Perfecution, they then are none of Christ's Sheep, though they may have their Clothing: For every good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit; and a corrupt Tree bringeth forth evil Fruit. So if the Fruit be evil, the Tree is certainly corrupt. Our Lord elfewhere faith, Make the Tree good, and the Fruit will be good alfo and to be made truly good (fince we are 33all corrupt by Nature, and in the Fall) we must be cut off from that. Nature and grafted into Christ, who faid, I am the Vine, and ye are the Branches: And then our Lives and Fruits will be changed. And then, 5. A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit, nor can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit: And every Tree that bringeth forth not good Fruit, is hewn down, and caft into the Fire. It would be very unnatural, and a meer Prodigy, for one Tree to hew down another, and caft it into the Fire, as they are natural Trees: But that Mar. 3, Ax (which John fpeaks of) will be laid to the Roots 10 of the corrupt Trees, and will hew them down, and they will be caft into the Fire, as Chrift fpeaks. This is not a destroying the Bodies of Men that Chrift fpeaks of, but an inward Work in the Soul, fhewing the powerful Nature of the Difpenfation of the Gofpel of Chrift, which is not material Cutting, or Burning with material Fire, or Sword: But Chrift's Word is a Fire

John 15

1 John 2.

1718. and Sword to cut down and burn up the evil Nature in Man. The Apoftle confirms this Doctrine of his Mafter thus, He that doth Righteoufness is righteous but be that finneth is of the Devil. The Apostle is plain and full, as is Chrift, who repeats his Doctrine over again, with, Wherefore by their Fruits ye shall

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know them.

Verse 21. Not every one that faith unto me Lord! Lord! fball enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but be that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven.

It is not our Profeffion that will give us Admittance into Heaven, nor a Name of Religion, nor religi ous Performances, if we love Sin and Unrighteousness, nor our praying, preaching, hearing, reading, or dif courfing of, or arguing for Chrift, if we do the Works of Satan; for there are many who may yet go farther than this, and yet not have Admittance into the Kingdom of God and our bleffed Lord Jefus, as is plainly manifeft in the next Verse.

Verse 22. Many will fay unto me in that Day, Lord, Lord, bave we not prophefied in thy Name, and in thy Name bave caft out Devils, and in thy Name, have done many wonderful Works?

Verfe 23. And then I will profefs to them I know y not depart from me, ye that work Iniquity.

So that profeffing Chrift's own Name, and prophefying therein, without working the Works of God, will not do. Nay, though they may caft out Devils, which indeed is a great Work, and here is not only one Devil in the Singular Number, but Devils in the Plural. They fay they have caft out Devils, and truly there are many Devils in poor Mortals fometimes, as was faid by them to Chrift; Our Name is Legion, for we are many. There are the Devils of Pride, Covetoufnels, Drunkenness, Whoredom, Theft, Envy, Murder, Lying, Swearing, Hypocrify, Cheating, Backbiting, &c. and abundance more, which cannot eafily be named; and though it may be faid, and

that

that truly, that all these proceed from the Devil, who 1718. is an evil Spirit; yet it may alfo be faid, that there are many evil Spirits; and if all thefe evil Spirits are caft out of Man, and others of an evil Nature enter him again, his laft State is worse than his Beginning, as Chrift fpeaks about the ftrong Man armed, who kept the Houfe till a ftronger than he came, who, Mat. 12. when he came, fpoiled his Goods, and difpoffeffed him; 45 but coming again found the House (or Heart) fwept and garnished, fwept from many Immoralities, and garnished with Self-righteoufnefs and carnal Security and the Man off his Watch, and not at home with Chrift, who is stronger than Satan, he then re-enters, and seven worse Spirits with him. So that we had need to be on our Watch, and keep near to Chrift, left after all our Experience, and wondrous Works, our laft State be worfe than our Beginning, and we fhut out of the Kingdom in the End. For thefe fay, that they had done many wonderful Works in Christ's Name: So that we may work miraculous Things, and be fenfible of wonderful Power and Strength from Chrift; and yet without perfevering in the Way of Holiness and Self-denial, may fall fhort of Heaven. Wherefore it is bad, and of dangerous Confequence to live in Sin and Iniquity; or to lean towards it, so as to plead for it, or believe we cannot live without it while in this World. For if we live and die in it, we may juftly (according to the above Doctrine of Chrift) expect that he will fay unto us in the great Day; Depart from me, ye that work Iniquity.

Verse 24: Therefore whofoever heareth thefe Sayings of mine, and doth them, I will liken him to a wife Man, which built bis Houfe upon a Rock.

Verse 25. And the Rain defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that House, and it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock.

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Oh!

1718. Oh! what abundance of excellent Sayings, and Doctrine, what holy Precepts has Chrift here recommended to the Profeffors of his Name, and to them which believe in him, and the Almighty Father and Maker of Heaven and Earth. Surely we are greatly beholden to our Lord Jefus Chrift for thofe plain Divine Sayings. But to commend them only is but little, or to read them, or hear them: The keeping and the doing of them is the main Thing; the Thing that is needful; and to prefs the Practice of them, Jesus has made this apt Comparison.

ift, He that bears them, and doth them, I will liken bim to a wife Man: And indeed it is great Wisdom to keep them (that is, to practice them) and as great Folly to live contrary to them, and plead against them, 2dly, Who built his Houfe upon a Rock. This Rock is Chrift, the Rock of Ages, and his Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghoft, as Chrift faid to Peter, when Chrift was revealed to him: Flesh and Blood has not revealMat. 16. ed this unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven:

17. 18.

"Thou art Feter" (or a Stone or Rock) thou art a Man, though thy Name fignifies a Rock; and as thy Name fignifies a Rock, fo "on this Rock will I build my Church" (that is on the Spirit of the heavenly Father, which revealed Chrift to Peter) and the Church of Chrift fo built, the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it." And Peter was one who heard these Sayings, and did them, when he had received the Holy Ghoft or Spirit; for which every true Believer ought to pray continually, until he receive it; through the Help of which he may, without Doubt, keep those holy Sayings. For of ourfelves without it, we cannot do any real Good, either in Speaking, Thinking or Acting.

3dly, And the Rains defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that Hufe, and it fell not; because it was founded on a Rock. If Rain from above be poured out in Wrath on Man, for Sin

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and Iniquity, and Floods of Perfecution, or the Windy 1718. Words of Men come upon this Houfe, it will ftand: If Sickness and Death itfelf, and many other Storms, that we may meet with here, in this low World, should beat against our Building, we being built upon the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fhall furely ftand them all out, and live through all, if we obferve to hear or read Chrift's Sayings, and to practice the fame ; then are we on the Rock, and fhall not fall for that Reason.

Verse 26. And every one that beareth thefe Sayings of mine, and doth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish Man, which built his Houfe upon the Sand.

Verse 27. And the Rains defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that House, and it fell; and great was the Fall of it.

If we read or hear thefe Sayings, or Doctrine of Christ, and do not dwell in the Life of it, nor practice the fame, it were better we knew it not. For as our Saviour faith, He that knoweth his Mafter's Will, and doth it not, fhall be beaten with many Stripes. And doubtlefs it is great Folly to be fenfible of Chrift's holy Will, and Doctrine, and not to do it: If we profess Christianity, and to build our Profeffion on Chrift, and yet not observe to keep his Sayings, the Foundation of our Building will be but very loofe and fandy; and when thofe Rains, and Floods, and Winds, which Chrift fpeaks of, fhall defcend and come, and beat against this Building, it must needs fall, and the higher his Building is, the greater will be the Fall of it.

Thus ended the beft Sermon that ever was preached by Man; in which is fet forth the great Truths of God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift, with Bleffings and Rewards to the Righteous, and holy Believers in him, who put in practice his Precepts; and Reproof to the Difobedient, and Unfaithful; with Promises of the Kingdom of Heaven to the former, and to the latter a being fhut out of it. And when he had ended

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