ning, our proceeding, our finishing as we ought, all are owing to that Grace and Spirit of God in our Souls. This, with regard to its Powers and Operations there, anfwers to that enlivening and invigorating Principle, that animates our Bodies. From whence it is easy to difcern the Neceffity of this Grace, and that the largeft Meafures of the Thing, in either of the Two Senfes foregoing, cannot fuffice for our Salvation, but muft wait for this Third, to complete and crown them with Succefs.

By thus explaining, how the Grace of God may be understood, it is eafily difcerned, how that Grace is received in vain, according to all these Acceptations

of it.

Rom. ii. 4.

1. Take it for Favour and Kindness in general: And thus it is received in vain, when we do not entertain our Blessings with Thankfulness, nor use them with Prudence, nor improve them to those Purposes, they were intended to serve. For the Goodness of God, in every fort and inftance, leadeth to Repentance. In the Nature of the Thing, and the Design of the Giver, it is a powerful Motive to Amendment of Life. This, being the only Method we are capable of expreffing our Gratitude by, if not produced, the Purpose of the Gift is defeated. And That is understood to be in vain, which difappoints our reasonable Expectations, and does not compass the End, it was done for.

2. Take this Grace then for the Gospel of Chrift, and thus it is received in vain, when the Perfons, to whom it is preached, do not live according to it. This indeed is that Grace of God that bringeth Salvation: But how? It follows there, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world, &c. It is the only Difpenfation, whereby we can be faved. But neither can we be faved

Tit. ii. 11,
12, &c.

by It, without coming within the Conditions and Qualifications, on which its glorious Promises are fufpended. To those Hypocritical Profeffors, who are Chriftians in Word and in Name, but not in Deed and in

2 Tim. ii. 19. Rom. i. 18. Lake xi. to 47, 48.

Truth; who profane Christ's Name, and prostitute his Word, by not departing from iniquity; It reveals the wrath of God from Heaven: And declares the more Stripes due to that wicked Servant, who knew his Mafter's will, and did it not, for that very reason, because he knew it. And, if any thing may be truly faid to have been received in vain; fure that must needs be so, for which the Condition of the Receiver is not only never the better, but a great deal worse, than if he had not received it at all.

3. Once more. We receive the Grace of God, in the Laft importance of the Word, in vain; When we do not attend to, and comply with, the Suggestions and good Motions, which, I have observed before, the Spirit of God works in our Minds. For, if we would think and speak rationally concerning this matter, God must be conceived to deal with us on these occafions, in a manner agreeable to those Faculties he hath given us. Now the whole of our Duty confifts in a right knowledge first, and then in the Choice, of Good, and refusal of Evil. Consequently, the affistances of Grace are neceffary, both for the informing our Judgment, and for inclining our Will. With

regard to the Former, God is faid to teach us, to open our Eyes, to enlighten our Understandings, to fill and enrich us with Knowledge, and the like. With regard to the Latter, he is faid to renew in us a right Spirit, to incline our Hearts, to order our Steps, to turn away our Eyes from Vanity, to lead us into the way of Righteousness, to make us go in the paths of bis Commandments; and to do many

Ezek. xi. 19.
xviii. 31.
Philip. ii. 12, 13.

other things of like Importance. But all these seem to be done, by suggesting such Ideas, as give us new light; and by propounding fuch Arguments, as perfuade our better Choice, provided we attend to them, and will be determined; nay even in disposing but not compelling us to attend to, and be determined by, their true Weight and Force. We are fure, 'tis done in fuch a way, as requires our own concurrence, to render it effectual. Hence God is faid to make men a new heart, and they are commanded to make it themselves: He is faid to work in us to will and do of his good pleasure; and that very working of His is used as an Inducement, for Us to work out our own Salvation. When we thus do our part, the End is answered. For St. Paul gives this as a Proof, that the Grace of God was not bestowed upon him in vain, that he laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles. And confequently, as oft as God affords us Spiritual Succours, and we neglect to improve them; when his Spirit leads, but we refuse to follow; then is it, that we do, in this fignification also, receive the Grace of God in vain.

I Cor. xv. 10.

We fee by this time the plain meaning of the Exhortation, and are thereby capable of judging when we comply with it. The Reason brought to perfuade fuch compliance comes next to be confidered. For be

faith, I have heard thee in a time accepted,

Ver. 2.

and in the day of Salvation have I fuccoured thee; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of Salvation.

The Words in Ifaiah, from whom they are cited, are spoken to Christ, in the Person of God the Father; and accommodated here to his Members of the Church in Corinth. In which there is no manner of violence, because the whole stress of the Application lies in those two Words, the time accepted, and the day of Salvation. And the Argument drawn from hence is, that when the Grace of God is offered, we must be very diligent to lay hold on, and improve it. And, because God hath certain Seafons and Periods, which we cannot promife our Selves the return of at Pleasure: therefore it concerns us to make the best of the present Opportunity, which we may know to be fuch a Seafon; but cannot know whether it will be the last, that God ever intends to afford us.

This Argument implies Two Things. The Danger of flipping the present Opportunities of Grace and Salvation; and the Certainty of Succeeding, if we lay hold on them.

1. The Former of these is what we could not but be sensible of; did we but reflect at all, That this Life is the utmoft Period of the Day of Grace; That the continuance of this Life is the most uncertain thing in the World; And that we cannot be fure, God will extend to us the Opportunities of Grace, so long as Life does continue.

1. I need not, I hope, enlarge upon the First, that this Life is the utmost Period of the Day of Grace; after St. Paul hath fo exprefly faid, that the matter, we are to be judged upon at the last Day, are the things done in our Bodies. And fo our own Reason will tell us too. For look about through the whole Scheme of the Christian Religion, and you shall find no one Virtue or Vice, commanded or forbidden there, the Exercise whereof is not Suited to the prefent State. For notwithstanding the Perfection of Some Virtues be referved for a future and better Life; yet the Beginnings even of These are enjoined us here; and do suppose a Soul united to a Body, in the first Practice and Progress of them. Faith, and Hope, and Truft in God, are recommended by an adherence to Objects unseen, and fuch as the Body keeps us at a distance from. Love of God, Contempt of the World, Heavenly-Mindedness, Subduing our Appetites and

and Passions, suppose us present with the Creatures and the Paffions we get above, which we can be in this Life only. Infidelity and Debauchery, Injuring our Neighbour, Difhonouring our Selves by beastly Lufts, giving Scandal to others by a wicked Life, and the like, are things confined to our present State. No State is capable of them, where the Soul lives and acts separately. And, fince after its Separation by Death, we are not to expect any return to the Body, till the laft Trump shall raise that to Judgment; it follows, that this will be a Day not of Action but of Recompence; that the Recompence will proceed upon what was done, before these two parted; and confequently, our Condition, we must enter then upon for all Eternity, will depend upon, and be agreeable to, the Condition they left each other in, at their parting. They, who die in the favour of God, shall receive their Bodies again, to enter upon Bliss and Glory: They who died out of it, have the Sentence of Mifery already begun to be executed upon them, and can have no fresh Tryal, no future Opportunity, of bettering their Condition, either in, or after, the Grave.

2. And is it not manifeft, that we can none of us know, how foon this may be our own Condition? Do we not fee careless Sinners daily fnatched away in the Vigor of their Age, not live out half their Days, which by the Course of Nature they promised themselves; and do not the number of fuch far exceed the Instances of Grey Hairs, and those Funerals, which come by gentle and leifurely decays? Why should we then fool our Selves, by fond and groundless Expectations of a Life, which the very next Moment may take from us? Why prefume upon a quiet and firm poffeffion of that, which we have no manner of Security for; of that which is often cut off without any warning; that hangs by a Thread so slender, so easily snapped in two, that no Accident how flight foever, has not fuffi