very perfection and consummation of sin, 370. 2. Because sin in the actions argues an overflowing and a redundancy of sin in the heart, 370.

2. By its immediate internal workings upon the soul. And here the Spirit may be resisted,

1. In its illumination of the understanding; that is, its infusing a certain light into the mind, in some measure enabling it to discern and judge of the things of God, 371. Now this light is threefold: 1. That universal light, usually termed the light of nature, 372. 2. A notional light of scripture; or a bare knowledge of and assent to scripture truths, 373. 3. A special convincing light, which is an higher degree, yet may be resisted and totally extinguished, 374.

2. In its conviction of the will, 376. Now the convincing works of the Spirit upon the will, in all which it may be opposed, are, 1. A begetting in it some good desires, wishes, and inclinations, 377. 2. An enabling it to perform some imperfect obedience, 378. 3. An enabling it to forsake some sins, 380.

III. In shewing the reasons why upon such resistance the Spirit finally withdraws.

1. The first reason is drawn from God's decree, 382.

2. Because it is most agreeable to the great intent and design of the gospel, 1. In converting and saving the elect, 385. 2. In rendering reprobates inexcusable, 386.

3. Because it highly tends to the vindication of God's honour: 1. As it is a punishment to the sinner, 390. 2. As a vindication of his attributes: 1. Of wisdom, 392. 2. Of mercy, in shewing it is no ways inferior, much less contrary to his holiness, 393. and not repugnant to his justice, 394.

4. Because it naturally raises in the hearts of men an esteem and valuation of the Spirit's workings: 1. An esteem of fear, 396. 2. An esteem of love, 396.

IV. In an application. We are exhorted not to quench the Spirit, but to cherish all his suggestions and instructions, 397. Because our resisting the Spirit will,

1st, Certainly bereave us of his comforts, 398. which are, 1. Giving a man to understand his interest in Christ, and consequently in the love of God, 399. 2. Discovering to him that grace that is within him, 400.

2d, It will bring a man under hardness of heart, and a reprobate sense, by way, 1. Of natural causation, 402. 2. Of a judicial curse from God, 402.

3d, It puts a man in the very next disposition to the great and unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost; the foregoing acts being like so many degrees and steps leading to this dreadful sin, which is only a greater kind of resistance of the Spirit, 402.

SERMON LXII.

MATTHEW V. 20.

For I say unto you, That unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. P. 405.

Our blessed Saviour here shews, first, that eternal salvation cannot be attained by the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees; secondly, that it may be obtained by such a one as does exceed it, 405.

For understanding the words it is explained,

I. That these scribes and pharisees amongst the Jews were such as owned themselves the strictest livers and best teachers in the world, 406.

II. That righteousness here has a twofold acception. 1. Righteousness of doctrine, 406. 2. Righteousness in point of practice, 407.

III. That the kingdom of heaven has three several significations in scripture: 1. It is taken for the Christian economy, opposed to the Jewish and Mosaic, 407. 2. For the kingdom of grace, 408. 3. For the kingdom of glory, 408.

These things premised, the entire sense of the words lies in three propositions.

1. That a righteousness is absolutely necessary to the attainment of salvation, 409.

χχίν

HEADS OF SERMONS IN VOL. VII.

2. That every degree of righteousness is not sufficient to entitle the soul to eternal happiness, 409.

3. That the righteousness that saves must far surpass the greatest righteousness of the most refined hypocrite in the world, 409.

This proposition, virtually containing both the former, is the subject of the discourse, and prosecuted in three things. I. Shewing the defects of the hypocrites, (here expressed by the scribes and pharisees,) 410.

As, 1. That it consisted chiefly in the external actions of duty, 410. 2. That it was but partial and imperfect, not extending itself equally to all God's commands, 412. 3. That it is legal; that is, such a one as expects to win heaven upon the strength of itself, and its own worth, 416.

II. Shewing the perfections and qualities by which the righteousness that saves transcends that of the hypocrites.

Among many, four are insisted upon: 1. That it is entirely the same, whether the eye of man see it or not, 420. 2. That it is an active watching against and opposing every even the least sin, 423. 3. That it is such an one as always aspires and presses forward to still an higher and an higher perfection, 426. 4. The fourth and certainly distinguishing property of it is humility, 428.

III. Shewing the necessity of such a righteousness in order to a man's salvation. Which arises,

1. From the holiness of God, 430.

2. From the work and employment of a glorified person in heaven and no person, whom the grace of God has not thoroughly renewed and sanctified, can be fit for such a task; for it is righteousness alone that must both bring men to heaven, and make heaven itself a place of happiness to those that are brought thither, 432.

SERMON XLVII.

ROMANS Xii. 18.

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

CHRISTIANITY, if we well weigh and consider it, in the several parts and members of it, throughout the whole system, may be justly called the last and the most correct edition of the law of nature; there being nothing excellent amongst the heathens, as deducible from the external light of nature, but is adopted into the body of Christian precepts. Neither is there any precept in Christianity so severe and mortifying, and at the first face and appearance of things grating upon our natural conveniencies, but will be resolved into a natural reason; as advancing and improving nature in the higher degrees and grander concerns of it.

And of so universal a spread is the benign influence of this religion, that there is no capacity of man but it takes care for; not only his religious, but his civil and political. It found the world under government, and has bound those bonds of government faster upon it, by new and superadded obligations. And by the best methods of preservation, it secures both the magistrate's prerogative and the subject's enjoyment, by the happy provisions of peace; the encomiums of which great bless

ing I shall not now pursue, nor forestall here what will more aptly be inserted hereafter.

The text, we see, is a vehement, concerning, passionate exhortation to this blessed duty, and great instrument of society, peace. If it be possible, live peaceably. It is suspended upon the strictest conditions, stretching the compass of its necessity commensurate to the utmost latitude of possibility.

The words are easy, but their matter full; and so require a full and a large, that is, a suitable prosecution; which I shall endeavour to give them in the discussion of these four particulars.

I. The shewing what is implied in the duty here enjoined.

II. What are the measures and proportions by which it is to be determined.

III. What are the means by which it is to be effected.

IV. What the motives by which it may be enforced.

I. And for the first of these, the duty here enjoined is, live peaceably; which expression is ambiguous, and admits of a double signification.

1. It may be taken for the actual enjoyment of peace with all men. In which sense he only lives peaceably, whom no man molests.

2. It may be taken for a peaceable behaviour towards all men. In which sense he lives peaceably, by whom no man is molested.

The first of these senses cannot be here intended by the apostle, and that for these two undeniable

reasons.

(1.) Because so to live peaceably is impossible;