which by the strength of Christ he was enabled to do.

And this is the true ground of all the perfuafions and exhortations which we meet with in fcripture, to holiness and obedience; which would all be, not only to no purpose, but very unreasonable, if we were wholly destitute of power to do what God commands: But if he be always ready at hand to assist us by a grace fufficient for us, if he co-operate with us in the work of our falvation, then is there abundant ground of encouragement to our endeavours; and if we fall short of eternal falvation, it is wholly our own fault : it is not because God is wanting to us in those aids and assistances of his grace which are neceffary; but because we are wanting to ourselves, in not seeking God's grace more earnestly, or by neglecting to make ufe of it it when it is afforded to us. For it is really all one, both to the encouragement of our endeavours, and to the rendering of our disobedience inexcusable, whether we be able of ourselves to perform the condition of the gospel, or God be ready to assist us by his grace and Holy Spirit to that purpose.

Wherefore as the Apostle exhorts, Heb. xii. 12, 13, 14, 15. Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, left that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord; looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; intimating, that it is want of care and diligence on our part, if the grace of God fail of its end, and be not effectual to all the purposes of faith and repentance and obedience. God does not withhold his grace from us; but men may receive it in vain, if they do not make use of it. And thus I have done with the third thing I proposed to consider from these words. I proceed to the

Fourth, viz. To consider the necessity of this obedience, in order to our obtaining of eternal life and happiness. Christ is the author of eternal falvation to them that obey him; that is, to such, and

only to fuch, as live in obedience to the precepts of VOL. VI. his

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kis holy gospel, to them who frame the general course of their lives according to his laws. Some men seem to be so afraid of the merit of obedience and good works, that they are loth to affert the necessity of them, and do it with so much caution, as if they were not throughly persuaded of it, or did apprehend some dangerous consequences of it: but this fear is perfectJy groundless; as if merit could not be excluded, without casting off our duty, and releasing ourselves from any necessary obligation to be good. For any man furely may eafily difcern a plain difference between a worthiness of defert, and a fitness of receiving a rebel, being penitent and forry for what he hath done; though he cannot deserve a pardon, yet he may thereby be qualified and made meet to receive it; though repentance do not make him worthy, yet it may make him capable of it, which an obstinate rebel, and one that persists in his disloyalty, is not. This is a thing so plain of itself, that it would be waste of time and words to insist longer upon the proof of it.

Now the necessity of obedience, in order to eternal life and happiness, relies upon these three grounds: 1st, Upon the constitution and appointment of God.

adly, The general reason of rewards. 3dly, Upon the particular nature of that reward, which God will confer upon us for our obedience.

1st, The constitution and appointment of God. Ezernal life is the gift of God; and he may do what he will with his own, he may dispense his gifts and favours upon what terms and conditions he pleaseth; and therefore if he hath plainly declared, that to them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for giory, and honour, and immortality, he will give eternal life; that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; but if we have our fruit unto holiness, our end shall be everlasting life, who shall resist his will, or dispute his pleasure? The right and authority of God in this matter is so unquestionable, that it admits of no contest; and the blessings and benefits proposed, are so infinitely great and invaluable, that no condition of obtaining them, which is possible to

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be performed by us, can be thought hard and unequal; so that we ought thankfully to receive so great a favour, let the terms and conditions of it be what they will: and if there were no other reason for the impofing of these conditions upon us, of faith, and repentance, and obedience, but merely the will and pleasure of God, this were enough to filence all objections against it.

But 2dly, The necessity of obedience in order to eternal life, is likewise founded in the reason of rewards in general. For though the measure and degree of our reward, so infinitely beyond the proportion of our best duty and service, as eternal life and happiness is, I say, though the measure and degree of this reward be founded in the immense bounty and goodness of God, yet the reason of reward in general, is necessarily founded in our obedience to God's laws; for according to the true nature and reason of things, nothing but obedience is capable of reward. For though authority may pardon the breach and tranfgression of laws, and remit the punishment due thereto, yet to reward the contempt of laws, and wilful disobedience to them, is directly contrary to the design of government, and does plainly overthrow the very reason and end of all laws, and makes obedience and disobedience to be all one; if so be, they are equally capable of reward: and therefore nothing can be more absurd and senseless, than for any man to hope to be rewarded by God, who does not live in a fincere obedience to his laws. Every man that hath this hope in him, (that is, in Christ Jesus, to be saved by him) purifieth himself, even as he is pure; that is, endeavours to be like him in the purity and obedience of his life: and nothing surely can be more unreasonable than to expect to be rewarded by the great Governor and Judge of the world, if we be disobedient to his laws; for where obedience to law is refused, there all reason and equity of reward ceaseth. No wise Prince can think fit to reward disloyalty and contempt of his laws; because to reward it would

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be to encourage it; much less will God, the great and infinitely wife Governor of the world.

3dly, The neceffity of obedience will yet more evidently appear, if we consider the particular nature of that reward, which God will confer upon us for our obedience. The happiness of heaven, which is the reward promised in the gospel, is described to us by the fight and enjoyment of God. Now to render us capable of this blessed reward, it is neceffary that we be like God; but nothing but obedience and holiness, and being renewed after the image of him who created us in righteousness, can make us like to God. For he that would be like God must be holy, and just, and good, and patient, and merciful, as God is; and this alone can make us capable of the bleffed fight and enjoyment of God; for unless we be like him, we cannot see him as he is, and if we should be admitted into heaven, we could not find any pleasure and happiness in communion with him. Blessed are the pure in heart, (fays our Saviour) for they shall see God. Without holiness (fays the Apostle) no man see shall the Lord. Andindeed, it is in the very nature of the thing impossible, that a wicked man (whilft he remains so) should ever be happy, because there can be no agreeable and delightful society between those that are of a quite contrary temper and difpofition to one another, between him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and a finful and impure creature. For what fellowship (faith the Apostle) can righteousness have with unrighteousness? what communion hath light with darkness, or God with Belial? that is, with the wicked and disobedient. Till we become like to God in the frame and temper of our minds, there can be no happy society between him and us; we could neither delight ourselves in God, nor he take any pleasure in us; for he is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with him. The wicked shall not stand in his fight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity. It cannot be otherwise, but that there must be an eternal jarring and difcord between the righteous and holy God, and wicked and unrighteous men.

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I will behold thy face (fays David) in righteou/ness. There is no looking God in the face upon any other terms. If we have been workers of iniqui ty, God will cast us out of his fight, and in great anger bid us to depart from him; and we also shall defire him to depart from us, being unable to bear the fight of him.

So that there is great reason why holiness and obedience should be made the conditions of eternal life and happiness, since in the very nature of the thing it is so necessary a qualification for the blessed fight and enjoyment of God, who to us is the cause and fountain of happiness. I come in the

Fifth and last place, To shew that this method and means of our falvation is no prejudice to the law of faith, and to the free grace and mercy of God declared in the gospel. The gospel is called the law of faith, and the law of grace, in opposition to the Jewish dispensation, which is called the law, or covenant of works, because it consisteth so much in external rites and observances, which were but types and shadows of good things to come, (as the Apostle calls them in this epistle) and which when they were come, that law did expire of itself, and was out of date, the obligation and observance of it was no longer necessary; but a better covenant, which was established upon better promises, came in the place of it, and men were justified by faith, that is, by fincerely. embracing the Christian religion, and were no longer under an obligation to that external, and fervile, and imperfect dispensation, which consisted in circumcifion, and in almost an endless number of external ceremonies. These are the works of the law so often spoken of by St. Paul, concerning which the Jews had not only an opinion of the necessity of them to a man's justification and falvation, but likewife of the merit of them; in opposition to both which opinions, St. Paul calls the covenant of the gofpel the law of faith, and the law of grace..

But there is no where the least intimation given, either by our Saviour or his Apostles, that obedience to the precepts of the gospel (which are in substance

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