to go on with patience through all difficulties, because, in so doing, they work to that end for which they were made; they live to God, and bring forth fruit unto him, who hath, in much patience, spared,-and in infinite love, called them to himself? How should we praise God that hath given us any strength in any way to do him service;-that is pleased to account himself honoured, when he is obeyed by us; who spoil all the works we do, with our own corruptions! And how should we husband all the precious moments of our life to the advantage of our master, whose very acceptation of such unworthy services should alone be both encouragement and reward enough unto us! The more profitably any man lives, the more comfortably he shall die.

Now to consider more particularly this disability which comes along with sin, we may note, that it is either 'total,' when a man is all flesh, as by nature we are; or, at best, 'partial,' in proportion to the vigour of concupiscence, and life of sin in the best of us. To touch a little upon both of these.

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First, in a wicked man, who is totally in the state of sin, there is a total and absolute impossibility and impotency to do any thing that is good. Every figment and motion of the heart of man is only and continually evil." But though his heart be evil, may not his actions or his words be good? No; for that is the fountain, whence they all issue; and impossible it is, that sweet water should proceed from a bitter and corrupted fountain ". Look on the best actions of wicked men if they pray to God, "their prayer is an abomination." If they sacrifice, "God will not accept nor smell," nor regard any of their offerings; he will esteem them all "abominable and unclean, as a dog's head, or swine's blood." Seem things never so specious in the sight of men that do them, yet, in his sight, they may be unclean. If they turn, and enquire, and seek early after God, all this is not fidelity, but only flatteryf; like the spicing and embalming of a carcase, which can never put so much beauty or value into it, as to make it a welcome present unto a prince.

But what then? Can a wicked man do nothing but sin?

a Gen. vi. 5.

Isa. lxvi. 3.

b Matth. xii. 34. Jam. iii. 11. c Prov. xxviii 9. d Am. v. 21. e Hag. ii. 13, 14. f Psal. Ixxviii. 34, 37.

When he gives alms, builds churches, reads the Scripture, hears the Word, worships God; are these all sins? If so, then he ought to forbear them and leave them utterly undone. Here are two points in this case; First, to consider, How all the works of natural men may be esteemed sinful ;— and Secondly, this being granted that they are sinful,— How they ought to carry themselves in regard of doing or omitting of them.

For the former of these, we are first to premise these notes: First, A work done may be 'sub duplici genere boni,' it may be measured by two sorts of goodness: first, there is goodness ethical or moral, in relation unto manners, and in order unto men; and secondly, there is goodness theological or divine, in relation to religion, and in order unto God. A thing is morally good, when it is good in the sight of men, good unto human purposes, good by way of example, or way of edification to others, who judge as they see. But a thing is then done divinely, when it is done with the spirit of holiness and of truth, (for the Father seeketh such to worship him); when it is done in obedience to the Word; for we are to note that a thing may be done by a man rationally, out of the sway and rule of right reason, and a certain generousness and ingenuity of spirit, which loves not to condemn itself in the thing which it allows, and to walk cross to the evidence of its own rules; and yet that thing is all this while done but unto himself, and his own reason is set up as an idol in God's place, to which all the actions of his life do homage: Or a thing may be done obediently, with an eye unto God's will that requires it, not only in a common conviction, but in a filial and submissive affection, as unto him; "when you fasted and mourned, saith the Lord, did you at all fast unto me, even to me? If you will return, O Israel,

8 ódnyŶ λóyw kal μúly Xpúμevoi, &c. Greg. Naz. de philos. orat. 1. 3.-Quamvis videntur animus corpori et ratio vitiis laudabiliter imperare, si tamen Deo animus et ratio illa non servit, nullo modo corpori vitiisque re imperat. Proinde virtutes, quas sibi habere videtur, nisi ad Deum retulerit, etiam ipsæ vitia sunt potius quam virtutes. Aug. de civ. Dei, lib. 19. cap. xxv.-Non statim qui jejunat, aut extendens pauperi manum, Deo fœnerat; vicina sunt vitia virtutibus. Difficile est Deo tantum judice esse contentum. Hier. contra Luciferanos.-Quic quid homo veluti recte fecerit, nisi ad pietatem, quæ in Deum est, referatur, rectum dici non oportet. Aug, de fide et operib. tom. 4. cap. vii.

return unto me," saith the Lord". A notorious sinner walks contrary to the principles of his own reason and nature, contrary to the prosperity and security of his present life, and contrary to the law and will of God. Now when man breaks off a sinful course, with aim only at his own reason or prosperity, though this be to return, yet it is to turn to ourselves, and not unto God. "They assemble themselves for corn and wine," saith the prophet, and so seem to return, but though they return, it is not to the Most High:" but like a deceitful bow, though it seem to direct the arrow to the mark, yet indeed it sends it out another way'; and in this regard, though the substance of a work seem very specious unto men, who judge according to the sight of their eyes, and measure the aim and intention by the work which they see, not the work by the intention which they cannot see; yet to God, that seeth not as man seeth, it may be an abomination".

Secondly, We are to note, that, amongst Christians, divine works may be done morally, and merely xar' aiva, according to the course of the places and times, which a man lives in. Such were Saint Paul's services before his conversion, which therefore he esteemed but dung, and suffered the loss of them for a man may do good things, and yet when he hath done, lose them all ". Nay, they may be done profanely, as Balaam's blessing of Israel, and the false brethren's preaching out of envy and ill-will. And moral things may be done spiritually and divinely such were the alms of the churches of Macedonia to the saints; that which they did, they did as unto God, which made them ready to consecrate not only their substance, but themselves to the service of the saints. Such was the contribution of the Philippians towards the necessities of St. Paul: it was done with an eye to God; in which respect the apostle calls it "a sacrifice of a sweet savour, well pleasing unto God." The good was intended unto Paul; but the service was directed unto God.

Thirdly, We are to note, that some things are so essentially good in themselves, as that they cannot be done, but they must be well and spiritually done. Such are those things,

which take in God into their very performance, and do, intrinsecally and in the substance of the work, respect him. Such are to love, fear, believe, trust, depend upon God; which things, though, in regard of the imperfect manner of doing them, they may have sin mingled with them, because not done with all that strength as the law requires,—can yet never be totally sinful, and so, unacceptable unto God. Other things may be good materially, and in common acception, because they are the things, which God commands to be done but yet, because the doing of them doth not, necessarily and intrinsecally, take in an aim and respect to God, but is only reducible unto him, and that so as that the same thing may be done with other respects;-therefore the goodness is not in the things themselves barely considered, but in the right manner of performing them. Such were, Jehu's zeal; the Pharisees' praying; the hypocrites' fasting; and the like. In one word, some things are so inherently good, that though they may be done imperfectly, yet they cannot be done profanely: others so good with relation to God, that because they may be done without that relation and such other conformities as are required in them,-therefore they may cease at all to be good; as to preach out of envy, to pray out of hypocrisy, to fast out of opinion of merit, &c.

Now as indifferent things may be made good by circumstances, as to eat, or not to eat is indifferent; yet not to eat for fear of scandal, is charity; and not to eat for fear of superstition, is Christian liberty. To observe things indifferent as indifferent, without any conscience of the thing itself, only in due submission to the commands of just authority, is obedience: to observe the same things without such authority, and that upon superstitious reasons, directed to bind the conscience, and leading to the thing as such a thing, is, in regard of others, great scandal,—and, in regard of a man's self, bondage and idolatry: Thus I say, as indifferent things may be made good or bad by circumstances; so other things, the matter of which is commanded, may yet be made, in the doing of them, evil, when that due re

r

r Eadem opera hominum, sicut causas habuerint bonas vel malas, nunc sunt bona, nunc mala, quæ non sunt per se ipsa peccata, &c. Aug. contra mendacium ad Consen. 1. 2. c. 7.

spect and conformity, which the law, wherein it is commanded, requireth, is not observed. If a man build a wall, with pretence to keep out the sea or an enemy, and yet leave a wide gap and entrance open to admit them,-though he who sees nothing but firm wall, may admire the work, yet he who views the whole, will but deride it: so, though a man do very much, though he proceed so far as to offer up the children of his body, and bestow mountains of cattle upon God and his service; yet omitting righteousness, and justice, and humiliation before God,-though to men it may seem very specious, yet unto God it is both abominable and ridiculous. As a piece of silver or gold may be shaped into a vessel of dishonour, which shall be destined unto sordid and unclean uses; so may a work be compounded of choice ingredients, the materials of it may be the thing which God himself requires, and yet serving to base purposes, and directed to our own ends, it may stink in the nostrils of God, and be by him rejected as a vessel in which there is no pleasure. A cup of cold water to a prophet, as a prophet, shall be rewarded," when a magnificent alms with a Pharisee's trumpet shall be rejected. As a small thing which the righteous hath, so a small thing which the righteous giveth, is better than great riches of the ungodly.

t

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Fourthly, We are to note what things are requisite unto the doing of a thing, so as that it may be an act of obedience, and thereupon acceptable unto God.

First then, it must have a new principle ", the Spirit of Christ, and the law of the spirit of life, and faith purifying the conscience from dead works.

Secondly, In regard of the manner, it must be done with the affection of a child not out of bondage, but in love; in voluntary service and resignation of all the members unto righteousness; in universal respect to all the commandments; in obedience to God the lawgiver; for a man never

* Οὐ διὰ φόβον, οὐ δι ̓ ἐπαζγελίαν, Δι' αὐτὸ τὸ καλὸν, οὐ τὰς ἀποVid. Aug. de natura et grat.

Mic. vi. 6, 7, 8. t See D. Usher's Answer, c. xi. p. 466-472. Mr. Bolton's Directions, pag. 149-154. Downh. Warf. par. 2. 1. i. c. 7. η πίστις δικαιο#gayías deμérios, Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 5. ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἀγαθόν. Clem. Αlex. Strom. 1. 4. Keiμévas évteûlev Tipás. Greg. Naz. Orat. iii. cap. lvii. et lxix. De Gratia Christ. cont. Pelag. et Cœlest. 1. 1. c. xiii. et xxvi. cont. 2. Epist. Pelag. lib. 3. cap. v.-Aug. de morib. Manich. lib. 2. cap. xiii. ep. cxx.

y 2 Tim. i. 7.

z Rom. vi. 19.

a Psal. cix. 128.