V. Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man's duty to endeavour to repent of his particular fins particularly k. VI. As every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof /; upon which, and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy : So he that scandalizeth his brother, or the church of Christ, ought to be willing, by a private or public confession and forrow for his fin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended n; who are there v. 18. Come now and let us reason together, faith the Lord; though your fins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. V. Pfal. xix. 13. Keep back thy fervant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great tranfgression. Luke xix. 8. And Zaccheus stood and faid unro the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accufation, I restore him four fold, 1 Tim. i. 13. Who was before a blasphemer, and a perfecutor, and injurious. But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief. v. 15. This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to fave sinners; of whom I am chief. VI. /Pfal. li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest, v. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity: and in fin did my mother conceive me. v. 7. Purge me with hysiop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than the snow. v. 9. Hide thy face from my fins; and blot out unto m Prov. xxviii. 13. He that covereth his fins, shall not profper: but whoso confeffeth and forfaketh them. shall have mercy. 1 John i. 9. If we confefs our fins; he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteoufness. n James v. 16. Confefs your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Luke xvii, 3. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. v. 4. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, faying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. Josh. vii. 19. And Joshua faid unto Achap, thereupon to be reconciled to him, and in love to receive him .. CHAP. XVI. Of Good Works. : OOD works are only such as God hath commanded in Ghis holy word a, and not fuch as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention b. II. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith 6: and by them believers manifest their thankfulnefs, Achan, My fon, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Ifrael, and make confession unto him: and tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me. (Pfal. li, through out.) 02 Cor. ii. 8. Wherefore I beseech you, that you would confirm your love towards him. I. a Micah vi. 8. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Rom, xii. 2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God. Heb. xiii. 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his fight, through Jesus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Ainen. b Mat. xv. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Ifa. xxix, 13. Wherefore the Lord faid, Forafmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have remor ed their heart far from me, and their 11. c James ii. 18. Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have Foworks, 1 The Confeffion of Faith. Chap. XVI. neis d, strengthen their afsurance e, edify their brethren f, - adorn the profession of the gospel g, stop the mouths of the adversaries b, and glorify God i, whose workmanship they are, works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. v. 22. Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made per fect? d Pfal. cxvi. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefirs towards me? v. 13. I will take the cup of falvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. 1 Pet. ii. 9. But ye are a chofen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. e t John ii. 3. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. v. 5. But whofo keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 2 l'et. i. 5. And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue: and to virtue, knowledge; v. 6. And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; v. 7. And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. v. 8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren, nor unfruittul in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. v. 9. But he that lacketh these things, is blind, and cannot fee afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old fins. V. 10. Wherefore the rather, breth created f 2 Cor. ix. 2. For I know the forwardness of your inind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zcal hath provoked very many. Mat. v. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify you Father who is in heaven. g Tit. ii. 5. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to. their own husbands, that the word of God be not blafphemed. v. 9. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; v. 10. Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, v. II. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men; v. 12. Teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we thould live soberly, righteoußy, and godly in this present world. 1 Tim. vi. 1. Let as many fervants as are under the yeke, count their own masters worthy of all honour; that the name of God and his doctrine be not blafphemed.. b1 Pet. ii. 15. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to filence the ignorance of foolish men. 1 Pet. ii. 12. Having your coaversation honest among the Gentiles; that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may, by your good works which they shall behold, gloPhil. i. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are yen, give diligence to make your calify God in the day of visitation, Jing and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall, by created in Chrift Jesus thereunto k, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end eternal life /. III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ m. And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the fame holy Spirit, to work in them to will and to do of his good pleafure n, yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a fpecial motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in tirring up the grace of God that is in them o. IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is poffible in this life, are so far from being able to fupererogate and to do more than God requires, as that they fall : by Jefus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. John xv. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my difciples. k Eph. ii. to. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. / Rom. vi. 22. But now being made free from fin, and become fervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. III. m john xv. 4. abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me * v. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. v. 6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and caft them into the fire, and they are burned. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will Thort 1 I put within you, and I will take a- "Phil. ii. 13. For it is God, who worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. Phil. iv. 13. I can do all things thro Chrift who strengtheneth me. 2 Cor. iii. 2 5. Not that we are fufficient of ourselves; but our fufficiency is of Ged. 0 Phil, ii, 12. Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my prefence only, but now much more in my abfence: work out your own falvation with fear and trembling. Heb. vith and we defire that every one of you do shew the fame diligence, to the full afsurance of hope unto the end 12. That ye be not flothful, but followers of them, who thro' faith and patience inherit the promifes. 2 Pet. i. 3. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath Z i short of much which in duty they are bound to do p. V. We cannot, by our best works merit pardon of fin or e ternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great difproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite diftance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit, nor fatisfy for the debt of our former fins q; but, hath called us to glory and virtue. v. J. And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge. v. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: V. ΙΙ. For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Ifa. Ixiv. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast confumed us, because of our iniquities. 2 Tim. i. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands. Acts xxvi. 6. And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers : v. 7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes inItantly serving God day and night, hope to come : For which hope's fake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Jude 20. But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your moft holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. v. 2 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. IV. p Luke xvii. 10. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, fay, We are unprofitable servants : we have done that which was our duty to do. Neh. xiii. 22. and I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. Job ix. 2. I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? v. 3. If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. Gal. v. 17. For the fiesh lust eth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. V. q Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be juftified in his fight: for by the law is the knowlege of fin. Rom. iv. 2. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. v. 4. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt. v. 6. Even as David also defcribeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye faved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. v. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boaft. Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteousness, |