: both the number of duties and the fear of punishment, but afforded only obfcure hopes, either of affiftance or forgivenefs the gospel of Chrift was revealed, in God's due time, to relieve mankind, on moft equitable conditions, from the rigour of the other two; supplying the promise of mercy after failures; taking off the heavy yoke of ritual observances; producing in men the good difpofitions required; and expressly affuring them, that a perfect obedience would not be expected, but a faithful and fincere one be fufficient, in order to obtain eternal happiness. Against fuch therefore, as thus poffefs and exercise the several Chriftian graces, there is no law. For them there is a law to direct and reward them; against them there is none to fentence and punish them. The ftrict demand of the covenant of works is relaxed; the burden of the Mofaic ordinances is removed; and the law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Fefus hath made them free from the law of fin and death*. Still, indeed, they are fubject to the law, which gave them this freedom; they are created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that they should walk in them. But this the apoftle confiders as a privilege, not a fervitude; a privilege, however, neceffary to be used; and therefore he expreffes very diftinctly the nature of it. There is no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Fefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be fpiritually minded is life and peace §. Here then is the plain trial of our condition. If we are deftitute of the fruits of the Spirit, it is bad: if we find them in our hearts and lives, we have proof enough of its being good; and need never difquiet ourselves for want of any other. Being able to tell the very moment when we became pious and virtuous, is not material, provided we are so now: and happiest of all are they, who remember not themselves ever to have been otherwife. A feeling of immediate and fenfible affurances of God's favour, fo impreffed upon us, that we can certainly distinguish it to be of divine original, from the manner in which it affects us, may be often vouchsafed, but is no where in fcripture made neceffary: and all feelings are * Rom. viii, 2. † Eph. ii. 1o, Rom. viii. I. § Ibid. 6. are imaginary and deceitful, unless they be accompanied with that one, which the apostle experienced and mentions: For our rejoicing is this, the teftimony of our confcience, that in fimplicity, and godly fincerity, we have had our converfation in the world. Our Saviour's rule, of knowing every tree by its fruit, is the only sure way to judge of ourselves, as well as others. And though perhaps we may be fometimes at a lofs how to judge; or inclined, and even strongly, to fear the worft; yet, if this arise, not from prefumptuous fins, or habitual negligence, but merely from exceffiye humility or weakness of spirits, a modest diffidence will never hinder our future happiness, nor will a bold pofitiveness ever forward it. Good men may be cast down, and bad men elevated, without any reason. The former may see much in themselves to diflike, and yet God may fee enough of what he approves, to accept them: they may experience but little joy in ferving him, and yet walk more completely worthy of the Lord unto all pleafing, for doing it without the encouragement of a prefent reward. The latter, on the other hand, may build upon groundless fancies of their own, mistaking them for divine communications; may be abfolutely confident, wonderfully transported, yet find themselves at last fatally deceived. It is not therefore by their fears, or their hopes, or their raptures, that men are to judge of their spiritual condition. Hereby, faith St. John, we do know that we know God, if we keep his commandments §. Little children, let no man deceive you: be that doth righteousness, is righteous: he that committeth fin is of the devil ||. But then we shall miferably cheat ourselves, if we take that for righteousness which is not, or one part of it for the whole, If we mistake a conftitutional, or perhaps affected good-nature, fhewn, it may be, to extravagance on fome occafions, and not at all on others, for Chriftian love, which comprehends every act of justice and mercy; if, with ever fo extenfive a benevolence to our fellow-creatures, we fail of governing ourselves by the rules of fobriety, temperance and hastity, or thinking of ourselves with due lowlinefs of mind¶1⁄2 if • 2 Cor. i. 12. + Luke vi. 44. 1 John iii. 7, 8. Col. i. 10. ¶ Phil. ii. 3. if, with the practice of all these duties, we omit the worship of God our Maker, or perform it without inward reverence and affection, or live without an humble sense of our conftant dependence upon him; nay, if we pay him all the honour which unaffifted reafon enjoins, but wilfully reject, or contemptuously flight, the doctrines or precepts of revelation, or any one of them; or if, profeffing to receive and obferve them all, we are not careful to improve ourselves by them into a Chriftian frame of mind, with respect both to this world and the next; or if, laftly, with what diligence foever we may labour in every good work, we are not fenfible that we can neither fucceed without the affiftance of God's Spirit, nor be accepted but for the merits of his Son, we must not imagine, that he who hath prescribed every article of faith and duty, from knowing them all to be neceffary in our cafe, will permit us to difregard fuch of them as we shall please, without pronouncing us unworthy of the falvation which he hath offered, and inflicting on us the punishments which he hath threatened. Let every one therefore think, and think moft seriously, whether he is indeed fuch as God requires, in all these particulars; and study to amend, not to flatter himfelf. It is very true, the fruits of the Spirit, mentioned in the text, feem to be wholly moral virtues, and almost wholly those of mutual kindness and humanity. Nor will any rightness of belief, or fervency of devotion, or ftrictnefs of life avail us, if we want focial goodness and beneficence. But ftill these laft, as the fcripture moft evidently fhews, are not the only fruits of the Spirit; and therefore we must learn to practise other virtues from other texts, as well as the benevolent virtues from this. It is indeed faid, that against the obfervers of thefe there is no law. But then they are fuppofed to act confiftently; to observe every thing elfe at the fame time, that ftands on the fame foundation, elfe they obferve not even thefe from the right principle; nor will they be able to obferve them in a fufficient degree. Every virtue is connected with every other; and all virtue with piety. For without the love of God to excite us, and the fear of God to restrain us, and the word of God to direct us, and the grace of God to strengthen us, we fhall neither behave to our fellow-crea 4 tures, What tures, nor govern ourselves, in a proper manner. therefore be bath joined together, let not us put afunder*: but giving all diligence, add to our faith virtue, or manly boldness in profeffing it; and to virtue, knowledge of whatever may adorn and defend it; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godlinefs, brotherly kindness towards onr fellow-Chriftians; and to brotherly kindness, charity towards all men without exception t. For fo an entrance fhall be administered unto us abundantly into the everlafting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour fefus Chrift: to which may God, for his fake, bring us all. GOOD MEN HAVE THE EVIDENCE IN THEIR OWN BREAST THAT GOD AIDS AND LOVES THEM. ROM. viii. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. WHOEVER believes religion to be true, and thinks with any seriousness concerning it, must needs be earnestly defirous to find out, whether the state of his mind, and the course of his life, be fuch as God expects and will reward, or forbids and will punish. Now this depends on two things; an acquaintance with ourselves, and with the difpofition of our Maker. The Spirit of man, which is in him, knoweth the things of a man*; and may alfo clearly fee, from the creation of the world, the invisible things of the author of it, even his eternal power and godhead; thofe attributes of his nature, by which his proceedings towards his creatures will be directed. But ftill the holy fcripture teaches, that the Spirit of God likewife bears a part, highly neceffary, in the great work of difcovering what title we have to the mercy and favour of heaven. It will therefore be requifite to confider this important fubject, in the manner which St. Paul hath pointed out to us in the text: and, for this end, I shall endeavour to fhew you, I. What is implied in being the children of God. II. How far our own Spirit is capable of bearing witness that we are fuch. 1. Cor. ii. II. + Rom, i. 20. III. What |