and virtues of Christianity, and the course and tenor of a holy life; when out of a good conversation men do shew forth their works; and by the outward actions of their lives do give real testimony of their piety, justice, fobriety, humility, meekness, and charity, and all other Christian graces and virtues, as occasion is ministred for the practice and exercise of them.

By a virtual obedience, I mean a fincere belief of the gofpel, of the holiness and equity of its precepts, of the truth of its promises, and the terror of its threatenings, and a true repentance for all our fins. This is obedience in the root and principle; for he who fincerely believes the gospel, and does truly repent of the errors and miscarriages of his life, is firmly resolved to obey the commandments of God, and to walk before him in holiness and righteousness all the days of his life; so that there is nothing that prevents or hinders this man's actual obedience to the laws of God, in the course of a holy and good life, but only the want of time and opportunity for it. And this was the case of those, who, upon the hearing of the gospel when it was first preached to them, did heartily embrace it, and turn from their sins, and the worship of idols, to the true and living God, but perhaps were cut off foon after; (as there were many who being but newly gained to Christianity, were presently put to death, and suffered martyrdom for that profession) there is no doubt to be made, but that in this cafe, a virtual obedience was in such persons a sufficient qualification for eternal life.

But where there is time and opportunity for the exercise of our obedience, and the practice of the virtues of a holy life, there actual obedience to the laws and precepts of the gospel is necessary, to qualify us for eternal happiness; so that though a man do sincerely believe the gospel, and truly repent of his fins, and refolve upon a better life; yet if he do not afterwards, in the course of his life, put this resolution in practice, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and amendment of life, and persevere in a holy course, his first resolution of obedience, though it were fincere, will not avail him to salvation. Nay, if he should

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should continue for some time in the resolution and practice of a holy and virtuous life, and afterwards fall off from it, and turn from the holy commandment delivered unto him, his latter end would be worse than his beginning; all his righteousness that he hath done would not be remembered; he shall dy in his iniquity. For without holiness no man shall fee the Lord. If any man draw back, God's soul will have no pleasure in him. This is so very clear and plain from fcripture, that no man can entertain a contrary perfuafion, without contradicting the whole tenor of the Bible.

The sum of what I have said is this, that a virtual obedience and fincere faith and repentance are sufficient, where there is no time and opportunity for actual obedience, and the practice of a good life: but where there is opportunity for actual obedience, and the continued practice of a good life, and perse. verance therein; they are indispensably necessary in order to our eternal falvation, and a well grounded hope and affurance of it.

2dly, There is a perfect and there is a fincere o bedience. Perfect obedience consists in the exact conformity of our hearts and lives to the law of God, without the least imperfection, and without failing in any point or degree of our duty. And this obedience, as it is not consistent with the frailty and infirmity of corrupt nature, and the imperfection of our present state, so neither doth God require it of us as a necessary condition of eternal life. We are indeed commanded to be perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect: but we are not to understand this strictly and rigorously; for that is not only impossible to men in this present state of imperfection, but abfolutely impossible to human nature, for men to be perfect as God is perfect: but the plain meaning of this precept is, that we should imitate those divine perfections of goodness, and mercy, and patience, and purity, and endeavour to be as like God in all these as we can, and be still aspiring after a nearer refemblance of him, as may be evident to any one who

confiders the connexion and occasion of these words.

By

By a fincere obedience, I mean such a conformity of our lives and actions to the law of God, as to the general course and tenor of them, that we do not live in the habitual practice of any known fin, or in the customary neglect of any material or confiderable part of our known duty; and that we be not wilfully and deliberately guilty of the single act of heinous and notorious sins, as I have formerly explained this matter more at large in another discourse. And this obedience, even in the best of men, is mixt with great frailty and imperfection; but yet because it is the utmost that we can do in this state of infirmity and imperfection, the terms of the gospel are fo merciful and gracious, as that God is pleased for the fake of the meritorious obedience and sufferings of our blessed Saviour, to accept this fincere, though imperfect obedience, and to reward it with eternal life.And this, I doubt not, after all the intricate difputes, and infinite controverfies about this business, is the true and clear state of the matter.

And this fincere obedience which the gospel requires of us, as a condition of our happiness, tho' it be fometimes called by Divines, evangelical perfection; yet it is but very improperly so called; for nothing is properly perfect, to which any thing is wanting; and great defects and imperfections must needs be acknowledged in the obedience of the best and holiest men upon earth; and they who pretend to perfection in this life, do neither understand the law of God,. nor themselves, but, (as St. John says of fuch perfons) they deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them; and besides other imperfections, these two are evi-dent in them, ignorance and pride.

And thus much may fuffice to have spoken to this second particular, namely, what obedience the gospel requires as a condition, and is pleased to accept asa qualification for eternal life..

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SERMON CXXIII.

The possibility and necessity of gospel obedience, and its consistence with free grace.

HEB. V. 9.

And being made perfect, he became the author of br ternal Salvation unto all them that obey him.

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The second sermon on this text.

OR the explication of these words, I proposed to consider these five things :

1st, How and by what means Christ is the author of our salvation.

2diy, What obedience the gospel requires as a condition, and is pleased to accept as a qualification, in those who hope for eternal salvation.

3dly, The poffibility of our performing this condition, by that grace and assistance which is offered, and ready to be afforded to us by the gospel.

4thly, The neceffity of this obedience, in order to eternal life and happiness.

5thly, The consistency of this method and means of our falvation with the law of faith, and the free grace and mercy of God declared in the gospel.

I have handled the two first of these, and now proceed to the

Third thing I proposed to confider, viz. The poffibility of our performing this condition, by that grace and affistance which is offered and ready to be afforded to us by the gospek. For if Christ be the author of eternal salvation only to those who obey him; then those who live in disobedience to the gospel, are in a state of damnation. But there cannot be the guilt

of

Ser. 123. The possibility of gospel-obedience, &c.115 of disobedience, where obedience is impossible; no man being guilty, or justly liable to punishment, for the not doing of that, which it was no ways possible for him to do. Therefore the covenant of the gospel, into which God is entered with mankind, doth neceffarily suppose the possibility of performing the condition of it; otherwise it leaves them in as bad a condition as they were in before, because it only offers new blessings and benefits to us, but fets us never the nearer the obtaining of them, if so be the condition upon which they are granted be altogether impossible to us; nay, it renders our state many degrees worse, if our not performing the condition of fuch gracious offers brings us under new and greater guilt.

If it be faid, that some few persons have great benefit by it, because they by an especial and effectual grace shall be enabled to perform the conditions of this covenant; is not this a mighty straitening to the grace and mercy of the gospel, to confine it within so narrow a compass, as still to leave the greatest part of mankind in a worse condition, than if salvation had never been offered to them; as it certainly does, if (as this doctrine does necessarily suppose) the guilt and punishment of men shall be greatly increased and heightened by their contempt of, and disobedience to the gospel; when at the fame time it is acknowled-ged, that it was not poffible for those men to obey it, for want of that special and effectual grace, which is necessary to enable them thereto? I do not love to handle these points contentiously, but this in my apprehenfion does as much derogate from the amplitude and riches of God's grace in the gospel, ass any thing that can easily be faid.

And therefore, for the right stating and clearing of this matter, I shall endeavour to make out these three things:

1. That we are not fufficient of ourselves, and by any power in us, to perform the condition of the gospel.

2. That the grace of God is ready to enable and