FREE GRACE THE TEACHER OF GOOD WORKS.

TITUS 2:11-12.

TOBIAS CRISP, D. D.

"For the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world."

"BELOVED, I am jealous over you with a holy jealousy," 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3. lest after the sweet invitations and wooings of you in Christ's name, that you might be espoused unto him: lest, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, namely, bewitching her to a presumptuous licentious adventuring on God's gentleness, whilst she tasted of the forbidden fruit: so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, by presuming too much upon him, and adventuring to continue in sin, in hope that grace may abound. For the prevention of which dangerous miscarriage, which hath been the unhappy lot of many thousands, I thought good to step m with this text, which I am persuaded will prove a seasonable warning to some at least. It is a reason, or argument, whereby the apostle Paul enforceth and strengtheneth what he had formerly delivered, having given proper rules unto several distinct offices and ranks of persons, as ministers, chap. i. aged men, chap. ii. 2. aged women, ver 3. young women, ver. 4, 5. young men, ver. 6. to Titus himself, ver. 7, 8. and to servants, ver. 9, 10. in all which he suits his doctrine to their several conditions. Now that these several precepts might receive entertainment, he tells them, that God therefore manifested his grace that brings salvation.

In the words themselves there are two general things observable. (1.) The free bountiful love of God unto man, ver. 11. (2.) The end of this love, ver. 12. in the former observe, first, the fruits of his love, or the thing wherein he manifests it, salvation: secondly, the cause of it, the grace of God bringeth it: thirdly, the means of participating thereof, appearance: fourthly, the persons to whom it is manifested, to all men.

The end of this love of God, here expressed in general, is our sanctification, consisting of two branches, mortification and renovation. Mortification is here specified under two heads, answering the two tables of the law; the first is an abnegation of ungodliness, which comprehends the branches of the first table; the second is a denial of worldly lusts, which comprehends the branches of the second table. The second branch of the end of the grace of God, is renovation, specified under three heads; the first respects a man's self, he must live soberly; the second respects our neighbours, righteously or justly; the third respects God, godly. This end is amplified two ways; 1. From the means of attaining it, the teaching that the grace of God brings with it. 2. The time it teacheth, and we must put this end to practice, "in this present world." From the former part of the text, observe, that it is the grace of God appearing, which bringeth salvation to all men.

This doctrine being the corner-stone of the whole gospel, and the rock whereon the anchor of faith must fasten, to preserve soul and body from shipwreck, had need be handled warily and soundly; for an error in the foundation is of far greater consequence than in the superstructure, wherein I shall endeavour to be as cautious as may be; and, because it is the well-spring of comfort, and the grand charter that comprehends all our prerogatives, which have their dependence hereon, I will labour to make it as plain and manifest as may be; to this purpose some particulars are to be discussed for the unveiling of their obscurity: 1. What is meant by the grace of God. 2. What the appearing of it is. 8. What it is for this grace appearing to bring salvation. 4. Unto whom it brings salvation.

1. Grace, in the scripture, is diversely taken; sometimes it signifies comeliness, or that which makes a thing illustrious; so Solomon useth the word, "My son, hear the instructions of thy father, for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head," Prov. i. 8, 9. chap. iii. 22. chap. iv. 9. but so it is not here: sometimes divine qualities in a believer; so the apostle takes it when he saith, "You abound in every thing, in faith, utterance, knowledge, diligence, and love; so abound in this grace also," 2 Cor. viii. 1–4, 5, 6, 7. speaking of liberality. And thus grace and works are all one, and therefore this cannot be the grace here mentioned, by which we are to be saved; for the apostle opposeth these two, "By grace ye are saved, not of works," Eph. ii. 9. Sometimes, again, grace signifies free unmerited favour, which hath no other impulsive or moving cause, but the good pleasure of God's will, Eph. i. 5, 6. and so it is taken as oft as grace and works are opposed; 'thus the apostle expounds the meaning of grace, "Being justified freely by his grace," Rom. iii. 24. and thus we are to understand it in the text; sometimes (for a punctual illustration of it) grace signifies that good pleasure of God's will which is revealed in the gospel; as it is recorded of Paul and Barnabas, Acts xiv. 3. when they preached the gospel at Iconium; "The Lord gave testimony to the word of his grace;" so Paul commends the elders "to the word of his grace," chap., xx. 32. "which is able to build them up, and to give them an inheritance;" and so it is opposed to the rigour and severity of the law, which stands on these terms, "Do this and live;" which yet is the good pleasure of his will. Finally, the grace of God is taken most strictly for the free favour of God revealed in the gospel, appointing Christ his Son to compass our justification, sanctification, and redemption: for this cause it is that the grace of God is so oft called the "Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ," I Peter i. 10, 11–13. because through him, "we have access to the grace wherein we stand," and this comes to us by him, according to that of John, (John i. 14, 15–17.)" Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." The sum of all is, that it is the mere free motion of God's own will and pleasure, to shew undeserved favour; for, by Christ, this is the grace of God here mentioned; this is the sole fountain from whence, as all other our comforts; so this, in special of salvation flows. Whatever is annexed thereto, as an adjuvant cause, is so far from helping, as it makes void the efficacy of this, whereof I shall speak more fully hereafter.

2. This appearance of grace, or free kindness, and love of God our Saviour, for our reconciliation and salvation, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us," Titus iii. 4, 5. is nothing but the bringing of the same to light, or a making of it manifest; which that you may the more fully understand, note, that the appearance or manifestation of God's grace, and free favour, is to be considered two ways, 1. When it is made visible and discernible. 2. When it is actually seen and discerned. In the first consideration it appears in the gospel published, wherein all may find this favour; and thus it is apparent even to such as shut their eyes and turn from it; and of this manifestation Christ speaks, saying, "Light is come into the world, and men love darkness more than light," John iii. 19. even as a king's mind and pleasure is apparent, when it is extant in his statutes, proclamations and charters, though some men will not regard it. But this is not all the appearance of the grace of God that brings salvation, although without this it could never have been found; it must not only he visible, but also actually discerned.

Now the grace of God in Christ is actually discerned two ways, 1. By a mere intellectual perception or vision. 2. By a cordial apprehension thereof. It appears by an intellectual perception, when men understand the free offers of God's grace or bounty aright; what it is which is only an appearance to the knowledge, which, by the common principles of natural reason, is attainable where the gospel is published; for when any rational man hears plain sense, he may easily understand it, and perceive the meaning of it: in this sense the grace of God appears unto all attentive persons that have the use of reason; thus it appeared to the pharisees, for had they not understood what Christ meant, when he taught this free grace of God, they would never have raged so against him; for distaste always presupposeth some fore-knowledge: had he spoke altogether beyond their understanding, they could not have conceived any cause of indignation; this appearing of grace here this, therefore, is not the appearing of grace here intended; for, instead of bringing salvation, it became an occasion of their farther condemnation. It is the cordial manifestation and apprehension of the free grace of God, understood aright, that was manifested in the gospel, that brings salvation; and then the grace of God appears, when God opens the heart, and sets up the lustre of it there, with such a clear brightness, that it apprehends it as it is.

Now this differs as much, if not more, from a mere intellectual apprehension, as a blind man's knowledge of the sun, and a good sighted man seeing of it with his eyes: a blind man may know, by discourse, what kind of a thing the sun is, but he cannot be certain whether there is such a thing or no; but he that hath a cordial apprehension of free grace, is as sure there is such a thing as he that sees the sun, I mean out of the case of desertion. But, more particularly, the appearing of free grace to the heart, is such a manifestation thereof, as leaves its own savour there, and so enamours it with the excellency and usefulness thereof, to supply its own over-grown defects, that it pants after a propriety therein as the dearest thing in the world; it sees so much in this grace, as that it concludes it to be the one thing necessary, and is willing to embrace it upon any terms; such a winning appearance, which enters into the soul that brings salvation: for then the soul makes after it, and is not at rest till it closes with it: for this is the end God aims at, in proclaiming and delineating his free grace to the view of the world, to draw men to a love and desire of it; and therefore, to who whosoever he intends to communicate it, he persuades the heart so effectually, that it cannot choose but be ravished with the glorious and comfortable appearance of it. So that salvation then comes to a man's heart, when the free love of God in Christ appears so lovely and useful, as that all things seem but as dross and dung in comparison of it; therefore nothing is desired and prized like unto it; for then, and only then, it appears in its own lively colours; when thus much is not seen in it, the mum of it is yet hid, and appears not. There are many in the world who understand the meaning of the doctrine of free grace, yet see but the shell of it, no beauty nor savouriness in it, and therefore in heart say of it, as the strangers to the church concerning Christ, the subject of free grace, "What is thy beloved more than another beloved?" So they say of free grace, What is in this doctrine more than in ordinary matters of discourse? But the church sees more in him, and in it, and says," My beloved is the chiefest among ten thousand." Thus free grace appeared unto Paul, "But what things were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ; yea, (saith he) doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and count them but dung that I may win him," Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9. "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of Christ." The same apostle tells us, "That in the ages to come," to such as by grace should be saved, "God would shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ."

3. What is this salvation which the grace of God appearing brings? To understand it aright, note, that this word is diversely taken in scripture, sometimes it signifies, deliverance out of temporal dangers and afflictions, so Psalm. lxxiv. 12. "God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth." Sometimes Christ himself, as Luke i. 69. Zachary sings thus, "God hath raised an horn of salvation in the city of David." So sings old Simeon, chap. ii. 30. "Mine eyes have seen thy salvation;" having taken Christ up in his arms. Sometimes the whole state of grace, or conversion; so Christ says, speaking of Zaccheus, chap. xix. 9. "This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham." So Paul, Rom. xi. 11. "Salvation is come unto the gentiles," speaking of the rejection of the jews, and calling of the gentiles. And 2 Cor. vi. 2. "Now is the day of salvation." Sometimes the "blessed estate of the saints in heaven;" Heb. i. 1.14. "The angels are ministering spirits to such as shall be heirs of salvation;" and chap. v. 9. when Christ is called, "The Author of eternal salvation." So that salvation is temporal spiritual and eternal; all which may be very well understood by it here ascribed to the grace of God appearing; for it is the efficient cause of all; no supply Of temporal good comes either by chance, or man's wisdom, industry, or power, but only from God's free grace and bounty. Psalm. lxxv. 6, 7. "Promotion cometh neither from the east, west, nor south; but God putteth down one, and setteth up another. I will not trust in my bow: it is not my sword that shall save me, but it is thou, (saith David.) Vain is the help of man; a horse is but a vain thing; riches profit not." Psalm iv. 6. "Many say, who will shew us any good? but, Lord, lift up thou the light of thy countenance upon us." And again, "Our help standeth in the name of the Lord,, which hath made heaven and earth." In a word, that all comes by grace, appears in the caution Moses gives Israel in the wilderness; "Speak not in thine heart after the Lord hath cast them out (the Canaanites) saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in, but for the word which the Lord sware unto the fathers," Deut. ix. 4, ,5. So likewise the work of conversion, in respect both of justification and sanctification, which are the salvation of God, are of mere grace. The apostle tells us, Rom. iii. 24. "We are justified freely by his grace," not of ourselves, it is the free gift of God; "The free, gift is of many offences unto justification, chap. v. 16. Therefore pardon of sins is called forgiveness, which is the free acquitting of a debt, without any payment; and as justification, so sanctification is of grace, or free bounty; so saith Paul of himself, I Cor. xv. 10. "By the grace of God I am that I am, and this grace was not bestowed in vain. I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God that was in me." Run through the several branches of sanctification, and you find that every particular is begun, continued, and perfected, through the favour and bounty of God in Christ: "My heart and my strength failed me, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever," saith David. "To them that have no might he increaseth strength," saith Isaiah. "We are not sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, all our sufficiency is of God, "saith Paul, 2 Cor. iii. ,5. So, likewise Christ our salvation is brought unto us of mere free grace; "To us a child is born, to us a Son is given, saith Isaiah, chap. ix. 6. So speaking of that Son, he saith, chap xlii. 6. "I will give thee for a covenant." So the apostle tells us, Eph. v. 2. that" Christ hath given himself for us," and what is more free than a gift? John vi. 51. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. The bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Finally, eternal salvation is of grace and free bounty, according to that of John," I give unto them eternal life." Rev. ii. 10. "I will give thee a crown of life." 2. Tim. iv. 7, 8. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of life." (What, of deserts? no.) "But which Christ, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing." Thus you see what the salvation is that grace appearing brings, and that it is all of grace.

4. The last thing considerable in this point is, to whom the grace of God appearing brings salvation, "all men." Now that you may understand what is meant by all men, note, that the apostle here means not (by all) every particular man in the world, (for it is manifest, that all shall not be saved) but some of all sorts of men, as the coherence plainly shews: for ibis text is produced as an argument, to enforce, or encourage those several ranks and degrees of persons, to wit, ministers, old, young, servants, to have a care to do the several duties pressed on them; the strength of which argument lies in this, that grace brings salvation to the obedient in every rank and degree; even servants and young folk have their share in this grace, as well as ministers and old people. This (all) in scripture is many times interpreted by some (Rev. v. 9. ch. vii. 9.) of all nations, tongues, people, and languages, jews, gentiles, bond, free, barbarian, Scythian, and the like. By one Spirit we are all baptized, I Cor. xii. 13. "Into one body, whether jew or gentile, bond or free," Gal. iii. 28. "There is neither jew, nor greek, bond, nor free, male, nor female; but we are all one in Christ," Col. iii. 11. It were endless, to multiply places to this purpose: in a word, therefore, this general phrase of all men, must be understood as that passage of Peter, when he saw that Cornelius, a gentile, with his house, received the faith; "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him," Acts x. 34, 35. The sum therefore, is briefly this, the free bounty of God, truly apprehended as it is, brings all good, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, to men of all degrees, ranks, and qualities, that so apprehend it.

From hence you may learn whereunto to trust, and whither to go for all manner of salvation, even this fountain of God's free grace and bounty; all other refuges are but broken cisterns, that cannot hold this water of life. Now, because this is the tree of life, and well-spring of salvation, of which whosoever receiveth is nourished to eternal life; therefore hath satan ever stirred all his wit and strength to divert the sons of men from it: some by terror, persuading them they have no part nor portion in this matter, and so drives them away, at least as far as he can possibly, till the Lord himself break in upon him, defeats him, and so draws them in, and by a holy winning violence fastens this his grace upon them: others he deludes with fantastical dreams, that they are already filled with grace, when they have never yet tasted of it, and persuades them no more to look after it: others again, he deals cunningly withal, (such especially in whom he sees and finds an eager pursuit of salvation, not to be withstood) and persuades them, that this is too easy a way to be safe, for that salvation is of more worth than to be had for nothing; and therefore puts them upon an establishing of their own righteousness, and a purchasing of this salvation, by the works of the law,–and by these means gulls many thousand souls; in the mean time, having misused and misled them, he makes himself merry, and laughs at them in his sleeve; for he knows well, so long as be can mislead men out of this path, his prey is sure enough.

But, beloved, be not ye children in understanding, seeing the Holy Ghost here teacheth you better; let him not make such fools of you, but put down the bucket of faith, and draw up salvation out of this well. This grace is the fountain of living waters; do not trouble yourselves about broken cisterns that will hold no water; suck not at dry breasts, that can give no milk, but at this full breast of consolation. You will say, this spring indeed is comfortable to those, to whom it is set open, but to me it is a fountain sealed. This is a common objection of many poor souls in desertion, which wonderfully afflicts and torments them; but let me reason with such a while. No man ought to lay an accusation against another, but what he can sufficiently prove, much less against himself; and it is lamentable to see what power satan hath got over faithful persons, to make them such zealous accusers, and false witnesses, to the overthrowing of themselves, when nature itself, without grace, is so tender of a man's own welfare: but, beloved, you that are so eager in your accusations, and so peremptory, muster up your proofs, and see how you can make this accusation good; you mast know, that all proof which is not fetched from the scripture is false, and where can you find one proof there, that this fountain is sealed up unto you?

I am sure you do not find your names recorded in God's black book, as I may so call it, of his rejection. But you will say, I find by general descriptions of such to whom God will shew no favour, that these reflect on my condition, and so grace and favour belong not to me, and consequently there is no salvation for me; for I am worse than you think I am, and no unclean thing can enter into the heavenly Jerusalem. I answer, if sin can exclude persons from salvation, then who can be saved? "For where is he that liveth and sinneth not?" You will say, I have not only sin in me, but it reigns in me. I answer, it may be in this thou art a false witness against thyself, for many accuse themselves in this particular, who cannot prove it; nay, if they would judge deliberately, upon due search they must confess the contrary. You will say it reigns, for I cannot keep it down, but it breaks out in spite of me, do what I can, though I pray against it, and resist it. Will you call this the reigning of sin? Then it reigned in the apostle Paul, when the "good he would do, he could not, and the evil he would not do, that he did," Rom, vii. Yet he quits himself thus, "It is not I, but sin that dwells in me," and he gives thanks to God for it. Then also sin reigns where the spirit lusteth against the flesh, as well as the flesh against the spirit; then it also reigns in all believers who in many things sin all. For doubtless they strive against it, and sometimes are foiled; but you must know, that an invading enemy never reigns till the field be quit; nor then neither, so long as new forces are raised, and make a fresh onset. It is not every fall that loseth the victory, much less the fall of some few soldiers, whilst the commander stands his ground; it may be thy mind is taken, and hood-winked, and some members are led captive to evil; but the commanding will with fightings and denials holds out, and will not yield: here indeed is a loss to be repaired, but not of the battle, so long as the heart remains carefully stedfast and upright; besides, if the heart with some violent overchargings should be taken, yet it gives the slip, and musters up all its strength again, and falls afresh to combating, the reign of sin is yet prevented.

Know, in a word, that as long as souls fight Christ's battles, though they get many a knock, yet they are his warriors, and not under sin's regiment. You will say, but I cannot fight against sin. But, what means then this lowing of the soul, this inward fretting and chafing of spirit, these groans and sighs? Do you call these consent to sin? When Moses came down from the mount, Joshua tells him, that he hears the noise of war in the camp; but Moses answers him, it is not the noise of them that cry for being overcome, but the voice of them that sing, do I hear. So, I say, frettings and out-cries of heart are the noise of war, but singings and mirth the noise of consent to sin; as the people, when they crowned Solomon king, made great shouts of joy.

Moreover, though it be most true, that salvation belongs not to such as give themselves full scope to continue in sin to the end, yet it may belong to one, who at the present is under the full power of sin, otherwise could no man be saved; for when they are called, God finds them polluted in their blood, and wallowing in their mire; he enters then into covenant with them, and spreads his skirt over them, and they become his, Ezek. vi. So that man's filthiness is no hindrance of God's gracious call; he justifies the ungodly, or none; for he can find no other on earth.

In the text you find, that salvation is brought to all sorts of men; Luke xv. do but consider the parable of the prodigal, the most lively picture of a convert; his father sees him first, nay, the consideration of a father, who hath enough, when he is ready to starve, is the first moving cause of his returning, though he had run riot, and therefore might .justly expect nothing but severity. "The Lord will wait that he may be gracious unto thee," Isaiah xxx. 18. he spies him afar off, he stands ready to welcome a sinner, so soon as his heart looks but towards him: he that will draw nigh to them that are afar off, will certainly draw nigh to them that draw near to him, Jer. xxxi. 18. Nay, the father had compassion on him, his bowels yearn towards him, whilst he is afar off; nay, he runs to meet him, he prevents a sinner with speed; mercy comes not on a foot-pace, but runs; it comes upon wings, as David speaks, "He rides on the cherubs, he did fly; yea, he did fly on the wings of the wind," Psal. xviii. 9. 10. as Gabriel was caused to fly swiftly to bring answer to Daniel's prayer, Dan. ix. The son's pace is slow, he arose and came; the father's is swift, he ran; the son had most need to run; bowels moving with mercy, out-pace bowels pinched with want. God makes more haste to shew mercy, than we to receive; whilst misery walks, mercy flies; nay, he falls on his son's neck, hugging and embracing him. Oh! the depth of grace! wire would not have loathed such a person to touch or come near him, whilst he smells of the swine he kept? Could a man come near him without stopping his nose? Would it not make a man almost rid his stomach, to smell his nastiness; yet, behold, the Father of sinners falls upon the neck of such filthy wretches; mercy and grace is not squeamish; the prodigal comes like a rogue, yet the father clips him like a bride; he falls a kissing of him, even those lips that bad lately been lapping in the hog trough, and bad kissed baggage harlots. A man would have thought he should rather have kicked him than kissed him; yet this token of reconciliation and grace he gives him, with this seal he confirms his compassion; nay, he calls for the best robe, and kills the fitted calf for him. The son's ambition was to be but as a hired servant, and lo, he is feasted in the best robes. God will do far better for a sinner than lie can imagine himself, "above all he is able either to ask or think." How then do poverty, nakedness, emptiness, pinch thee, because of thy riot? Canst thou. see enough in thy father's house, and therefore begin to pant in heart after him? wouldest thou thin have admittance? The Father of mercy is ready to deal thus with thee, therefore object not unworthiness; for who more unworthy than such a son?

And so we come to the second branch of the text, to the end of that free love of God, in giving salvation, or the inseparable fruit, which follows this grace; it teacheth to deny ungodliness. And, before I fall upon the .particular fruits here mentioned, it will not be stress to observe something in general from the connection of God's free grace, and the fruit that follows. Let us therefore take this general point into our consideration, that wheresoever the grace of God brings salvation, it is not bestowed in vain; but inclines the heart to new obedience, and makes him fruitful in his life, in all well pleasingness.

By the particulars mentioned in the text, you plainly see how natural this general doctrine ariseth from it; which I have rather pitched upon, that I might prevent that licentious soul-destroying misconceit, which even in the apostle's time, men were apt to infer from the free grace of God bringing salvation; which he observing, strikes at it with a holy vehemency and indignation: their inference was this; "If we be saved by grace, then we may continue in sin, that grace may abound," Rom. vi. 1, 2, 3. which conclusion carnal reason is very apt to raise from the premises; but the apostle answers it first with an absit, "God forbid;" and then with strong arguments, "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" and so goes on.

The truth is, the doctrine of free grace, by the devilish cunning of that old serpent, who knows his own bane and ruin is contained in this sovereign antidote, hath been marvelously abused divers ways, in all ages; some, as before mentioned, overthrowing it with licentious inferences; against which presumption, as the apostle in many other passages, so in the text especially, opposeth himself: others abuse it, by establishing a righteousness of their own in the room of it; against which he contends vehemently, especially in the whole epistle to the Galatians.

It will not be amiss, therefore, before we make good the point in hand, to evacuate these abuses, by vindicating and setting the doctrine of free grace at liberty: to this end you must understand in what sense good works, or inherent righteousness, are necessary attendants on free grace; necessary indeed they are, not causally, but consequently; not to be substituted in the room of free grace for attaining salvation, as if that was a licentious doctrine, not to be allowed; as disagreeing with the mind of the Holy Ghost, and therefore should rely only on them. For if God be extreme to mark what is done amiss, who can stand, "seeing no man liveth and sinneth not?" nay, "seeing all our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth, and when we have done all, we are unprofitable servants;" and therefore cannot claim salvation as a debt due for them: neither are our works of righteousness necessary attendants on grace as co-assistants, as if they concurred with free grace to produce salvation; and that salvation is not attainable by the favour of God alone, but by works of our's, to make up what is wanting in that to effect it: against both these conceits of the necessity of our righteousness, the apostle bends all his strength, Eph. ii. 8. "By grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Rom. xi. 5. "If of works, then grace is no more grace. Christ is become of none effect unto you." Gal. v. 4. "Whosoever of you are justified "by the law, you are fallen from grace." The whole fourth chapter to the Romans, is nothing but a clearing of this, as all the epistle to the Galatians; so that it is manifest, that our righteness or obedience, hath not the least stroke in justification, or salvation, efficiently. You will say, that salvation is promised unto good works. I answer, that even from the promises of salvation it is manifest that obedience has no causing stroke, for then it were due to it of debt, not of promise, or grace; the promise of it is a sufficient argument that it proceeds from bounty, otherwise we need not expect it by promise, but claim it as due. You will say, to what purpose serves our inherent righteousness then? Doth grace make works void? Some indeed, as I said before, err on this hand, as others do on the other; hut know, that we, with the apostle, (do not by grace make void obedience, but establish it rather; for the grace that brings salvation teacheth obedience also; only we endeavour to abolish that sinister dangerous end, which some proponad to themselves in obeying; whereby both Christ is robbed of the glory of his all-sufficient merits, either wholly or in part, by annexing our obedience thereto, as not sufficient without it: as also our obedience becomes vain, and of none effect at all; for, in justification, works serve for no use, nay, they damnify, being brought in for that purpose, as they evacuate that grace, which only can serve it. You will say then, wherein consists the necessity of obedience? I answer, works are necessary.

1. EX parte Del. They necessarily follow the free grace of Christ, in that God in Christ hath engaged himself to establish and set up obedience in the heart and life of such on whom he entails salvation by grace, as appears in Isaiah xxxv. xl. xli. and Jeremiah xxxi. Ezekiel xx. Now where God himself hath inseparably joined salvation, and a holy life, and hath promised the one as well as the other, they must of necessity go together; for what God hath joined together, who can separate? No man can disjoin what he hath united.

2. Obedience is necessarily annexed to free grace, ex parte rei; that is, there is a proportion and con-naturalness between free grace and holiness, that they mutually clip each other, as the psalmist speaks; "Mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other;" that is, God's mercy and truth in our inward parts: his peace with us, and our righteousness towards him, agree in one: it is a sure rule, that simile gandet simili. God's love to his selected ones hath an assimilating virtue to win love to him again, as the heat of one coal kindles another: the loadstones do not more naturally draw iron after them, than the divine loadstone of God's tree love draws our love; "We love him, because he first loved us," saith John: kindness begets kindness.

3. Finally, obedience is necessary, ex parte nostri, in regard of ourselves. (1.) In respect of employment, our condition being a state of subjection to the will of God, therefore we obey him, because then we are warrantably employed, as a servant follows his master's business, because he is a servant; we must be in action, and obedience is the proper action that best suits our condition; therefore we must needs obey: if we were our own, and not under authority, we might choose our own business; but being under command, we must do the will of him that is over us. (2.) In respect of thankfulness for what we have already received; so far our obedience is necessary; God hath set us free, given us his Son, made us heirs, settled heaven on us, made both our present and future happiness, having undertaken to furnish us with all things useful; so that our improvement thereof in holiness, is not our business for the furthering any good to ourselves, God having reserved the whole provision of grace to his own care; therefore all we can do, must serve to express our thankfulness unto him, who hath so loved: this St. Paul intimates, saying, "Ye are not your own, you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies and spirits; also I Cor. x. 31. "Whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God." The end of obedience must be the setting forth of his praise, or the magnifying of him, shewing forth the glory of his grace, which is the end why God redeemed us. "All the promises are yea, and amen, to the glory of God by us," 2 Cor. i. 20. But most excellent to the purpose is that of the apostle, 2 Cor. iv. 14. "He which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also by Jesus. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God; for which cause we faint not." What higher or better end can a man aim at, seeing his own turn is already served by Christ? therefore all our obedience ought ultimately to level at the exalting of God, who hath exalted us. This increase he expects of the talents he commits to us; so that our care must not be so much what becomes of ourselves, but that God be honoured; yea, though it occasion tribulation, yet therein rejoice, for that he will care well enough for us. (3.) In respect of our own present comfort; we rejoice in the way of obedience. Doth Paul rejoice when the church doth well, and stand fast? Much more then may they themselves rejoice; "I will rejoice (saith David) to run the way of God's commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart:" for as nothing cuts the heart more than a benumbed straitness and dulness, and uncouthness in duty; so nothing cheers the hearts of God's children more, than a free readiness of spirit to do the will of God; because their delight is in the law of the Lord; it is sweeter than the honey-comb; it is meat and drink to them that do his will; so that meat cannot glad the hungry more, than enlargement in obedience glads the panting soul.

Again, in obedience, God speaks comfortably, lie speaks peace, and commends with a" well done, good and faithful servant;" so he commended Abraham, Moses, David, and others: now God's good word and countenance bring much more joy with it, than the best commendation a prince can give his subject. Moreover it is a comfortable evidence that we are in Christ; for our fruit will shew upon what root we grow; the Spirit then bears loud witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, if the .fruit be right; now, l need not tell you, what joy there is in such sweet testimonies, which silence all heart-cutting fears. Observe that admirable passage of Isaiah, who having published the promised help of God to cure lameness, dumbness, and faintness in God's service, concludes thus, "The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Sion with everlasting joy on their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away," chap. xxxv. 10. And chap. xli. 10. saith he, "Fear not, be not dismayed, I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, I will uphold thee with the right-hand of my righteousness." I might add, that holiness must necessarily attend grace in respect of others: "Our light must so shine, that they must see our good works, and glorify our Father;" that we may be examples to win them, or convince them of their evil, by our holy conversation; that the weak may not only not be offended, but also built up, of which the apostle Paul is very cautelous; and that the enemy ,nay not blaspheme, and be encouraged, or hardened in an evil way. Thus you see what ends obedience serves for, nod what not; and how the doctrine of free grace and obedience must go hand-in-hand together, and kiss each other.

The use of this general doctrine, we shall have fitter occasion to apply in handling the particulars; first, let us observe this position of the apostle; The grace of God teacheth, such as are saved by it, to deny ungodliness. For the better apprehending whereof let us take into consideration, 1. What ungodliness is. 2. What it is to deny it. 3. What the grace of God, teaching this, is. 4. Why this must be denied. 5. Why the grace of God must teach a denial of it.

1. This vice of ungodliness is well ranked in the first place by the apostle, being the capital ringleading mother-vice, that begets and brings forth all other; let God for dependence on his will be once cast off, and it is the opening of the sluices for all manner of evil to overflow; as you see it notably verified in the jews in Jeremiah's time, who shews what an inundation overflows from the leaving of God; but thou saidst, "There is no hope," there is the casting of God off; then follows, "No, but 1 have loved strangers, and after them will I go." He harps on the same strings in chap. xv. and they said, "There is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices." But that you may the better perceive what this ungodliness is, note, that it consists of two branches; 1. Privative. 2. Positive. The privative ungodliness in the apostle's phrase, is a" living as without God in the world," and this is twofold also, 1. In judgment. 2. la practice. 1. A privative ungodliness in judgment, is plain and proper atheism; of which kind the psalmist speaks, "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God: they are corrupt, they have done abominable works," Psalm, xiv. 1. Such are the grossest sort of ungodly, who have put out the common light of nature; "Ye worship ye know not what," John iv. 22. Acts xviii. 23. 2. The privative ungodliness in practice, is such a life as hath no regard unto God, either to fetch any thing from him, or to return any thing to him; when men live solely upon, and unto, the creatures, as if there were no God, being put quite out of the thoughts of men; of which the psalmist speaks also, "The wicked will not seek after God," Psalm x. 4, 5,–7, 8, 9, 10, 11. "God is not in all his thoughts; thy judgments are far above out of his sight." There you may see the fearful knit of it also; of this sort it is that the apostle means in the passage above-mentioned, "Being without God in the world." Eph. ii. 12. These two branches made up a privative ungodliness completely; the one hath always the other attending it, but not soe comerso; many will not deny a God, but yet will live as without God. In this latter branch is included all omission of worship, reverence, fear, and confidence, and love of him, whether for matter, manner, or other requisite circumstances: all such omission in privative ungodliness, which is not confined unto his person, but extends also unto his divine will; in brief, this privative ungodliness is, carentia rectitudinis debita inesse; as it hath respect unto God himself. 2. Positive ungodliness is more than a bare being without God, or want of that original rectitude required; there is aliquid positiwum in it, and it is a contrariety, whether in judgment or practice, unto God, and his will revealed. I will touch the nature of this kind of ungodliness, with its difference from the former. And first in the judgment; it is one thing not to know or understand that there is a God, and who he is; another thing positively to determine judgment that there is no God, or that he is not the true God, who is revealed; this latter is positive ungodliness in the highest degree, wherein there is an intellectual act of contradiction; so likewise for the judgment to affirm, that any thing else is God save the Lord; for a positive ungodliness may be either negative or affirmative: in a word, all reasonings and disputes, which either resolve the mind, or raise doubts in it against the nature, persons, attributes, or will of God, are ungodliness in judgment; positive practical ungodliness is, when in our wills and lives we do not only not embrace him, nor follow his revealed will, but actually reject him, and his will, and embrace something else in his room, and walk contrarily to him; namely, if we set up another God instead of him, admiring it more than him, ascribing more to it than him, esteeming it above him, being over-ruled by it rather than him, standing in more awe of it than him. So likewise when he commands worship and reverence, we refuse to give it him, or such as he requires, behaving ourselves saucily, or unmannerly towards him; when he bids us hearken, or obey, we stop or deafen our ears against him, and pull in the shoulder; are stiff-necked with iron sinews, and walk contrary unto him, profaning and polluting his worship, name, and sabbaths, finding our own pleasures, and doing our own works on his holy day and instead of offering pure sacrifices, we offer the sacrifices of fools, even halting, blind, proud, and menstruous services. Thus you see a summary of the ungodliness that must be denied, as it hath reference to the first table, for hereunto I conceive it is limited by the apostle in this text; for that the breaches of the second table are contained in the other branch of worldly lusts; although I deny not but that ungodliness hath a longer extent in many other places of scripture. But I come to shew,

2. What it is to deny this ungodliness. Here by the way, the apostle saith not, that the grace of God, for the present, utterly abolishes and destroys all ungodliness, but teacheth us to deny it; intimating, that ungodliness may consist with the grace of God, in respect of its being, so it do not reign but be denied; a comfortable note to such as are exercised with buffetings of temptation, whereby they may find matter of greatest comfort, in which usually they feel most anxiety; because of buffetings, commonly troubles of soul arise, like beating waves, whereas the opposition is the work of the grace of God in them; for denial, (which the grace of God teacheth) in general, is not only a not consenting, or agreeing to ungodly motions, but also a bending of all a man's force and might against such resurrections; of these two things doth a divine denial of ungodliness consist.

(1) There is not a yielding or consenting to the motion; that is, although the beloved of the Lord with Paul, are violently carried captive sometimes into some ungodliness; yet all the rhetoric or threats of the devil, or the world,, shall not overcome them, so far as to like and take pleasure in ungodliness; well may they hold them a while by force under ungodliness, but to affect it, embrace it of choice to prefer it before godliness; they can no sooner be won to this, than a bird pent up in a cage can be won to affect the cage more than the open air, or a fish to affect dry land rather than the water, which yet by force they may be held unto: Paul was never brought so far as to say, "The evil I would do, that do I," but hold here, even in that captivity of his, "The evil I would not do, that do I." It is true, there is something of the will in every act of ungodliness; namely, a not sufficient willing of that act, which is a defect in the will, for that it should imperiously over-rule all sinful motions, and have them under command: there are also sometimes some broken velleities in the will of God's beloved ones to some ungodly motions; but then the judgment is mistaken, and so the affections are misplaced for a time; but these are distempered fits, or disturbed motions out of their place. In a word, if the will at any time incline to ungodly motions, there is a more predominant act of it to the contrary side; for although there be some remainder of a corrupt will, yet is it in a great measure captivated to the power of the renewed will; whilst that is mutinous, this sways the sceptre, and suppresseth the mutinies; some renitencies in the corrupt will against the renewed, do not infer an agreement unto ungodly motions, with consent and choice. And this is the first branch of denying ungodliness.

(2.) In denying ungodliness, there is more than a bare refusal; there is also a repulse given to some ungodly motions upon the soul; which assault is the enforcement of some ungodliness, either by bewitching baits, or alluring inticements, or terrifying threats, apt to awe the soul, that it dare not say nay. When the soul is thus hard prest, a repulse given hereto is properly a denial; fair promises made to the embracing of ungodliness, cannot equipoise those made to godliness, which are true and certain; therefore iii a godly denial, the believer takes notice, that ungodliness offers too little to win him; therefore he bids it avaunt, and sends it packing: on the other side, in a holy denial of ungodliness, the believer sees, that whatever ungodliness threatens, if it be not admitted, though it could execute so much fury as it pretends; yet being weighed in the balance with the fruit of departing from godliness, its threathenings are found but flea-bites, in comparison of the weight of wrath ready to fall on such as depart from the living God. Suppose the denial of ungodliness cause the destruction of the body, which is the most and worst it can do; what is that to the casting of soul and body into hell-fire for ever? If a man must suffer, what side soever he takes, it is no more than even natural instinct will teach him to choose, &. malis minimum. These and such like considerations in denial of ungodliness, cause a repulse with distaste and offence. Many wicked men depart from ungodliness sometimes, but it is like the parting with intimate friends, with yearning of heart after it, sore against their minds, it is a great trouble and grief to them; but the godly man's heart leaps within for so good a riddance of so troublesome a guest, like the plucking of a thorn out of a man's foot, or the voiding a stone out of the bladder, which caused pain and anguish; for the troublesome assaults, and restless solicitations of ungodliness, are as pricks in his sides, and thorns in his eyes.

(3.) Besides this distaste in denial, there is perpetual struggling, and heaving, with all a man's might, to get rid of ungodliness, There are strong cries, and many times tears of moan and anger against it, joined with inward wrestlings for mastery, and fightings within, as the apostle Paul speaks of himself; owe while by prayer, imploring aid from heaven against ungodly motions, that they may not prevail; another while laying at them by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, alter Christ's example, Matt. iv. another while cutting off all provision to weaken or starve them, that their strength may abate and decay; yea, if need be, there is, in this denial, fasting and beating down a man's own body, when treacherously it begins to take part with ungodliness. In a word, every stone is turned, every ordinance is tried, every opportunity is laid hold on for advantage m denying ungodliness, to discomfit and give it the overthrow; so you see what the denying of ungodliness is. But these are harsh reruns, you say: you told us before of salvation by free grace, and now it seems there must be old tugging and fighting for it. All this hinders not, but that salvation is of free grace. This is first made sure by grace, and this denial of ungodliness follows, as the matter of our employment in this life, Some will say, if salvation be made sure first, then this toil and labour may be spared. But let such know, that he who settles salvation upon men, also teaches them this lesson of denying ungodliness. Seeing therefore, God will not have this labour spared, it must not be spared. But, it may be said, I cannot, for my heart, deny ungodliness; it is so bewitching, I cannot say nay. Indeed, this denial of ungodliness is an impossible thing to man; strength of nature cannot reach it; flesh and blood neither reveals it, nor works it; nay, the law of works though it reveal this denial, yet works it not: it is attainable only by that grace of God which bringeth salvation. So much is intimated by that expression, "It teacheth."

3. Now what this teaching is we will briefly open. For the clearing whereof, consider, that two things are required to teaching 1. A. diffusion of sufficient light from the teacher to enlighten the ignorant. 2. Such a manner of revealing it as suits with the capacity of him that is instructed; both which imply, 1. A sufficient ability in the teacher to teach. 2. A dexterity, or faculty to wind himself and his notions into the apprehension of him that is taught; so as that he communicates his own skill unto the other: improperly a man may be said to teach, when he explains and opens hidden notions, though hearers learn not: but teaching being a relative term, a man cannot properly be said to teach, except some be taught.

To come to our purpose, the free grace of God in Christ, that is, Christ through God's free grace teacheth, when having sufficient light in himself to know how to dissipate ungodly motions, and withal a notable dexterity, or faculty, to know how to reveal this his skill to men: that although they are dull of capacity, yet he can so make them understand, as to participate in the selfsame skill, in kind, though not in perfection: simply to have the theory of the same skill to deny ungodliness, is not to be properly, or fully taught of Christ: for it is with divine teaching as it is with human, the teaching is diverse as the matter taught: in human teaching the teacher instructs either in scientific or mechanical arts, either such as concern the theory or the practice.

Now in teaching the liberal sciences, as logic, &c. it requires no more but instilling the same notions he hath, into the understanding of him that learns, who is then taught when he truly, understands these sciences: but it is otherwise in teaching mechanical arts, to wit, handy crafts; for the teacher in imparting his skill, must bring the learner to be able to do as himself can, else he hath not taught' him: thus is it with divine teaching; Christ hath his doctrinal truths which properly concern the understanding: as that there is a God, who he is, and what the mystery of the Trinity is, and what the incarnation of Christ, with the like; so far as the knowledge of these is required, Christ's teaching is no more but a distilling of a clear and right apprehension of them; but then there are some practical truths of his, wherein to be skilful requires his teaching also; about these Christ not only reads his lectures of them, but infuseth a sagacity to act, or his skill to work: as the scribe doth not only open the mysteries of orthography, but guides the scholar's hand also in writing, till he can guide it well himself; so Christ teacheth practical divine arts; he leaves not his scholars till they can do themselves (though not of themselves) as he instructs and teacheth them.

For the farther clearing of this note, that this teaching is instrumental or original; the former kind of teaching is imperfect, the latter compleat and effectual: the instrumental is by outward means: the original and effectual teaching, which proceeds from God's favour in Christ, .is the immediate act of God's Spirit; many attain the former who come short of the latter: the external teaching is either by the word itself, or by the ministers of it. The teaching of the word itself is by its own arguments, or by the ministers, by explanation of the word, and the arguments thereof; which, by a common light, may teach unto conviction to rational regarders; but, of themselves, they cannot effectually infuse the christian skill of denying ungodliness; for as neither Paul's planting, nor Apollos's watering, give increase; so neither can the letter of the word, without the Spirit, which is the animating or quickening soul of the word. It is the internal teaching of the Spirit, which alone gives efficacy to the denial of ungodliness; neither word nor minister avail any thing, but this Spirit. If you ask how this is wrought by the Spirit of Christ? answer, that Christ, baying merited salvation and sanctification for the elect, lakes order, and provides such a guide, as is every way compleat for the perfecting the saints, that is, his Spirit; and because they are rational creatures he is to deal withal, he deals with them, not by a compulsive violence to forsake ungodliness, but suasorily to win them; God shall persuade Japhet, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; so that the work of the Spirit must be teaching, not forcing, as irrational creatures are forced and necessitated. Now, because there is such a stubborn refractoriness in the hearts of all men naturally, to be ruled and persuaded, and such natural crossness: all the difficulty lies in winning men to be willing, or to be persuaded, which no created power can reach unto: the main teaching therefore of the Spirit, is to instil so much into a vessel of mercy, as shall win him to a willingness to deny ungodliness; so as not to be able to say nay, through the resolute bent of the will thereto.

Now, how the Spirit doth this, we will consider a little; the Spirit makes manifest to the soul, partly by restoring sight, partly with the clearness of light, what horrid loathsomeness there is in ungodliness; and that not with some obscure glimmerings, but with a loll delineation and anatomizing of its hidden ugliness; not with an itching, rhetorical strain to captivate the fancy, as man's wisdom sometimes may do, which the apostle calls enticing words, but with such an evidence as is attended with demonstration and power: so that though he leave the heart without an absolute necessary compulsion (for so a man cannot deny ungodliness) yet he so convinceth, as that all whatsoever pleads for ungodliness is silenced, and the pleadings of the Spirit against ungodliness, with the decipherings of it, are so prevalent, and carry such a weight along with them, that the soul thus taught by the Spirit, cannot choose but be overruled freely to agree with it; which is such a drawing of the Spirit, as sets the soul a running upon ungodliness with a holy violence. Such a-necessary, yet voluntary tractibleness, by the prevalency of the Spirit, was fore-prophecied and promised by Christ; "I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes; they shall be all taught of God." This latter passage, our Saviour established by. his own mouth. In brief, the Spirit of Christ, hath such a prevailing power on such as it teacheth, with the clear light and conviction it brings to the heart, as that it stirs up such a necessary, yet voluntary antipathy and indignation against ungodliness, as there is in men naturally against poison, or desperate mischief; who are not by any compulsion forced to shun them, and yet of necessity they cannot choose, but shun and fly from them; and yet it is as voluntary and free an eschewing thereof, as any free choice a man can make.

4. There must of necessity be such a denial of ungodliness in all that shall be saved by grace, because, (I.)The Lord hath coupled them together; so that for the same reason that we expect salvation freely from him, we must conclude, that this denial of ungodliness must be practiced; for the ground of both is one, even the same good pleasure of God's will. If any conclude a certainty of salvation, because God hath revealed his good -will therein (which is the only ground of expelling the same) whereupon a believer may safely build; this will of his being a firm rock that cannot fail, he must, by the same reason, conclude an equal certainty and necessity, that ungodliness must also be denied, there being the .same will of God revealed concerning it. If his revealed will be of force to conclude one thing, it is of like force to conclude another, that is equally founded on it. If a man imagine that God may, and will dispense will, denying ungodliness, after he hath declared his mind, that ungodliness must be denied; he hath no ground to think but he also may, and will, dispense with his own promise, of saving by grace, though he hath peremptorily declared himself herein; and so he must become changeable, and so there can be no footing to depend on the dispensing with his word; for he that will be false in one thing, may be so in another, and what trust can there be reposed in such an one? But God is far from such changeableness; his revealed will hath an universal stability, and cannot totter. To whom the promise of salvation is made, it is impossible but it shall be performed, and they shall be saved, because he hath said it; and so who are thus saved, it is impossible but they must deny ungodliness, because he hath said that also.

(2.) Ungodliness must be denied, because it is a manifest fighting against God, which procures not only his displeasure, but also incenseth him as an enemy. A consent unto, and practice of, ungodliness, is more than a breaking of his bonds in sunder, and casting off his cords from us; it is a kind of lifting up the heel against him, and of persecuting him, as Christ proclaimed from heaven to Paul, when he practised that ungodliness, enraging against the truth. Now Gamaliel, Paul's master though he was of the wicked council of' the ungodly persecutors, yet this inconveniency he saw, in opposing the godliness of the disciples, they would be found to fight against God; and therefore very pithily persuades them to desist from this course, and to take heed to themselves in this matter, Acts v. 34, 39. Now, what the issue of this lifting up the heel against God will prove, hear the Lord himself speaking by the psalmist: "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord .shall have them in derision: he shall speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure." Our Saviour tells us, that such enemies as shake off his yoke, and will not have him reign over them, must "be brought and slain before him;" so that they do but "kick against the pricks;" and therefore, in this regard, there is abundance of reason to deny ungodliness: and if this were not the bitter fruit of the enmity of ungodliness, yet it is but reasonable to deny it, for its enmity against God, seeing all his kindness, especially this of saving by grace, deserves better than such an unkind requiting of such evil for his good with an ingenuous spirit. This is a most piercing argument to deny ungodliness, "1 beseech you, by the mercy of God; and, seeing we have such promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves." Who spits not at the villainy of Judas in betraying so good a master? and who abhors not the conspiracy of such a subject, whose life his prince hath spared of mere grace? If Ezra's argument be of such force to restrain ungodliness, namely, "Seeing then our God hath punished us less than our iniquities deserve, should we again break thy commandments?" How much more should this argument work, seeing thou, our God, hast crowned us with glory and dignity, and hast done marvelous things for us, should we practice ungodliness against thee, and not deny the same?

(3.) The denying of ungodliness is necessary, because not denying it brings many a woe, and breeds much trouble in this life. as may be seen in David's case, who caused the enemy to blaspheme; you know that it is ungodliness that separates God and man, and causeth God to hide his face. Observe the truth hereof in other examples, as the church in the Canticles, chap. v. and Manasses, and Hezekiah, and old Eli, yea, all the whole nation of the jews, from their infancy to their expiration. It is the practice, and not denying of godliness, that ushers in the messengers of wrath, and puts dismal denunciations into their mouths, as you may see in Moses, Nathan, and all the prophets. Now, if it were certain there were no miscarriage in the world to come for ungodliness; yet the dear rate to be paid, even in this life, for it hath argument enough to a judgment, not wholly blinded, to convince of the necessity of denying ungodliness: who would buy David's sin at his rate, or Spira's denying of Christ, when he verily thought there could not be worse torments in hell than what he felt in this life, which soon scorched up his flesh, and consumed his vitals?

Finally, this denial of ungodliness must be taught by divine grace, because it is impossible for flesh and blood to attain the skill and dexterity of this mystery; "The carnal mind is not subject to this law of God; nor discerneth (nor pryeth) into the things of God; neither indeed can be, (,saith the apostle,) because they are spiritually discerned." It is a military discipline, neither naturally in-fused, neither learned of the principles of reason: the doctrine of this mystery, and the sagacity to learn it, are of God alone; and it is so hidden a thing, that the world derides it as vanity and folly, yea, amongst such as go for wise men in the world. So our Saviour affirms in his prayer to his Father; "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." This being so, how is it possible to attain to denial of ungodliness, but from a teaching that is divine? especially considering,, that besides the imparting notions of the mysteries of this art, there is also required an over-ruling power to draw us to the things revealed, which are so harsh and contrary to our inclinations, which are so corrupt, and that not by compulsion, as I said, but suasorily; for when the heart is known, it makes so much against the natural humour of a man, that he rather distastes the practice of this mystery of denying ungodliness, than affects it. It is so against the hair, that the trade will seem an Egyptian bondage: let men but observe their own humours, and this will be too manifest: for example, consider when you are in necessity, what dependence is there upon the creature, and what diffidence in the creator! What fear is there of men, and what presumption upon God! What fondness of the world, and contempt of God, and his ordinances! What irreverence, wearisomeness and dislike of God's worship! which are all ungodly, things. Who is able to deny and put off these things from himself? Nay, who naturally can find in his heart to disclaim and renounce them, and make it his daily trade to pluck down ungodliness? Alas! they are strong holds which the heart of man builds and fortifies, out of his natural enmity against God; it must, therefore, be God alone who is mighty, who must pull down and demolish these strong holds. Will, skill, and power, must come from him, or it will never be done.

Use 1. Doth divine grace teach all, to deny ungodliness, that shall be saved? then must I read the fearful doom of all who bare not learned this lesson, and are not yet taught it of God; even that harsh censure Peter passed on Simon Magus, "They are yet in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, and have not their part in this matter." I say, as yet, this is their fearful condition; and if they continue thus untaught this lesson, there can be no salvation by grace for them. " Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven:" when to such as the Lord opens not to, he will say, "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I know you not." Men commonly dream of a strange kind of gospel, that never came into God's mind; that seeing Christ hath died, they may live as they list, fighting against God and godliness, letting themselves loose to all impiety, and yet go to heaven. Certainly, bad God opened such a gap to let in such an inundation of impiety, he could never have justly complained of the deluge of it, that overflows the world; far be it from the holy God, whose purity abhors it, to allow such licentiousness to men; no, no, God's aim was at the damning up the fountain of sin; Jesus Christ "redeemed us to be a peculiar people to himself, zealous of good works;" not because we are holy, but that we might be holy.

Some licentious ungodly wretches, I know, reply, though to their own ruin, (for to such the gospel proves a stone of offence) that Christ justifies the ungodly, and we are saved by faith without works; but, alas! they observe not how cunningly the devil equivocates to lull them asleep in their ungodly practices. It is true, indeed, that Christ justifies the ungodly, that is, he finds them ungodly when he imputes his righteousness unto them; but be doth not leave them ungodly, "but teacheth them to deny ungodliness:" he affords no cloak to persistence or perseverance in ungodliness, but will "come in flaming tire, with his mighty angels, to render vengeance unto such." He that denies not ungodliness, him will Christ deny before his Father which is in heaven. Why then wilt thou be deluded with such gross sophistry, in so clear a sun-shine of the gospel? Is not the light so bright that thine own heart checks thee? "And if thine heart condemn thee, God is greater, and searcheth all things." It is true also, we are saved by faith without works, but here also satan equivocates as grossly as in the other case; for although faith only saves without works efficiently, yet not consequently, as I said before; that is, though faith only saves, yet that faith must not be alone that saves, but must be attended with its fruits, to wit, denying ungodliness; else it is so far from saving, that it is but a dead faith, and he is but a vain man that hath no better, as St. James well affirms: the person believing must deny ungodliness, though this denial works not his salvation; as the apple makes not the apple-tree, but the apple-tree brings forth the apple, and not the apple the tree, yet the apple-tree must bear apples, or else it is no true apple-tree. Our Saviour speaks to the same purpose, "A good tree bringeth forth good fruit;" he doth not say, the fruit makes it a good tree, yet the good fruit is inseparable. I speak not of quantities, or degrees, as neither doth our Saviour, but of the truth, to wit, a real and sincere denial of ungodliness. It is very certain, as thorns and thistles bear no grapes, or figs, so neither do true vines, or fig-trees, bear haws or thistles. Some accident, either inward distemper, or outward temptation, may indeed putrify, or wither their fruit. Stone again, sufficiently convinced of this truth, are apt to think there is time enough yet to deny ungodliness: one of the enough there is indeed, time little enough. It may be thou art dropping into the grave with age, and thy sun is setting, and all thy time past thou hast walked in ungodliness; God hath not been in all thy thoughts; insomuch that thou art even tanned with ungodliness now, and accustomed to do evil, it is become a second nature to thee; and is it time enough yet to deny ungodliness? Is not the mastery of it exceeding difficult? Is is not deeply rooted? And canst thou cast it out at pleasure? Can such an old familiar, with which thou hast had so long acquaintance, and taken so sweet content, be so easily shaken off? Though delays of this nature are to all men dangerous, yet to none so dangerous as to those who, being old in age, are old in ungodliness too; they are apt to think themselves too wise to be caught, and count it a shame to turn over a new leaf; which will proclaim all their former wisdom to be but folly; but whilst they think themselves so wise, I am sure they be-come fools, in thinking there will be time enough yet to cast off the viper of ungodliness, which may destroy them, God knows how soon: but, unto all procrastinators of ungodliness, let them know, they are warned in time, God yet knocks and calls; how soon he may withdraw himself, who knows? Remember what he said to Ephraim, "He is joined to idols, let him alone;" and what he saith to the same people of the jews, by the prophet Isaiah, "Why should you be smitten any more, you will revolt more and more." Again, "Make the hearts of this people fat, and their ears dull, that hearing they may hear, and not understand, &c. least they should be converted, and I should heal them." It grieves me to read so sad a lecture, but the security of many constrains me, lest they should perish in their ungodliness.

Use 2. Hence gather also, that if any man would deny ungodliness, he must go to the school of grace to learn it, whereby he may discern one notable and comfortable difference between legal and evangelical righteousness: in matter they agree; for as the law, so the gospel, expects a denial of ungodliness; but the law leaves a man to shift as well as he can for himself; as for help, besides his own wit and strength, he must look for none; the law exhibits none; the tale of bricks must be delivered in, or they must bow down their backs to the smiter; as for straw, and other accommodations, they must seek it where they may, none shall be given; and therefore well may the rigour thereof be accounted a burthen, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear; from which insupportable burthen, our dear Lord and Saviour hath purchased our glorious liberty at no mean price; even this liberty, that by grace we shall be taught and enabled to the denial of ungodliness, under the gospel: God is not so hard a master as to expect a crop where he sows not, nor increase where he doth not give a stock of talents to trade; nor sends us on a warfare at our own provision; but first he steels us against the adversary with skill, courage, and fortitude. St. Augustin had sufficient ground to pray as he did, Domine, da guod jubes, et jube quod vis; which yet is no new gospel, but as ancient as a visible church, typified in God's fore-furnishing Noah with an ark, that he might be saved when the world of the godly perished, and left him not to his own wit to shift for himself; so also requiring a sacrifice of Abraham, he provides him a burnt-offering; in his sending his people Israel on that tedious journey from Egypt to Canaan, he divides the sea, and Jordan, for them to make them a way; and to supply them, he sends manna from heaven, and water out of the rock; and when Joshua is to enter upon the conquest of that land, he appears in a vision to him, and bids him not fear nor be discouraged: "For, (saith he) I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Whenever he requires any thing of such as are in covenant with him in Christ, he will take order there shall be no lack of any thing that may accommodate them to the performance of it; "It is God that strengtheneth me, (saith David;) My heart and my strength faileth, but God is the strength of my heart." Christ tells Peter, "That satan hath desired to winnow him as wheat, but I prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. I have laboured more abundantly than they all, (saith the apostle Paul;) yet not I, but the grace of God. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me." It is observable, that whereas, according to the nature of covenants, each party covenanting mutually bind themselves by the covenant of their several parts; but, in the new covenant of the gospel, betwixt God, and those that are justified by grace, it is otherwise; God indeed binds himself "to blot out their transgressions, and to remember their sins no more;" but whereas we. should bind ourselves to remove away our stony hearts, and to walk with soft hearts before him, to get his law into us, "and never to depart from him," which is our part of the covenant, it being our duty to God; yet, he undertakes by promise to furnish us out of his store with all this, "I will take your stony heart out of your flesh–I will write my law in your inward parts, that you shall never depart from me." Which answers this clause in the text, "The grace of God shall teach us" to deny that ungodliness which he expects to be denied; and therefore unto this grace must we fly for sufficiency to denial, if ever we attain it; the power is not in our own hands, nor the skill; ungodliness is a devil which will not be cast out, but by seeking aid from above, from whence comes every good, and every perfect gift, even from the Father of lights. "Be strong, therefore, in the Lord, and in the power of his might, seeing in denial of ungodliness you wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness," Eph. vi. You shall faint if you draw not aqua vilae from this well-spring of life; but this shall renew your strength, as is typified in Samson, fighting against the Philistines, who after he had with his jaw-bone slain a thousand of them, he fainted, until God opened, or clave, a hollow place in Lehi; which I take to be a place so called, though our translation reads it, the ,jaw. Let me therefore urge you, as once Jacob did his sons, when the famine was in Canaan, and no food to be found at home, "Why do you look one on another, (saith he,) I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; go down and buy, that we may live, and not die." Or, as the furnished lepers, that went to the camp of the Syrians–In like manner, I say, why stand you still, looking either carelessly or ruefully on yourselves, or on one another, when all strength in the world fails to vanquish ungodliness, which devours worse than a famine: you bare heard, as well as I, that there is spiritual food for strength in the gospel; go to it then, and fetch from thence, that you may live and not perish; this bread though in the Father's house sends the enfeebled, half-starved prodigal thither, seeing he could subsist no longer of himself You may say, how shall I partake of this skill and help of God to deny ungodliness? I answer, 1. Be in God's way, and come to his school, (as I said) where he teacheth to deny ungodliness. They that never go to his school, or put themselves under a master that cannot teach, shall never know letters, or be skilful in any art, but will ever be to seek; and it is not every one, but he only that is skilled that way, that can teach the ignorant; they that know not letters themselves, and are not skilful in a mystery, can never teach others: therefore it is but vain to seek to such: the spirit of God alone hath this skill, to teach the denial of ungodliness; all the world besides is to seek in it: the popish masters, like vaunting mountebanks, have set up a school of their own, and devised new rules out of the forge of their own brains, to compass this; to wit, single life, whippings, monastical solitariness, hideous apparitions, and the terror of purgatory-flames, with crossings, and holy water, and a world of trash; by all which they rack and cruciate poor souls, and leave them desperate; for all this will never do it, because God is not with it; these being lessons that he never gave, neither did they ever come into his mind. Indeed their school is erected, and rules devised, not so much to teach, as to make a gain of their proselytes. Go therefore to Christ's school, where are ordinances instituted by himself, for the purpose to teach; but go not to human inventions, though ever so specious, or probable. The blind men, you know, recovered their sight, and had their blindness cured, when they lay by the way-side where Christ came; at other times, when they were out of Christ's way, some flashing they might have, but no cure; so the lame man, lying at the gate of the temple, gets his limbs, and is made to leap. This makes the church in Cant. i. 7, 8. (being yet impotent) to move this seasonable query to Christ, "Tell me, 0 thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon; for why should I be as one that turneth aside?" Whereunto Christ makes answer; "If thou know not, go thy way forth by the foot-steps of the flock, and feed thy kids by the shepherd's tents." They that shun the means, and come not to God's ordinances, must needs remain ungodly persons, and be mere strangers to the denial of ungodliness; though I do not say, that the mere coming to them, and living under them, is sufficient to be taught this.

2. There must be an intentive attendance on these ordinances, which is a serious and earnest bending of the mind, with all a man's right, to the lectures of the Spirit: to make one a scholar, is requisite, not only going to school, but also minding his book, and his master's instructions: he that gives not his mind to it, shall never attain it; much more is this giving of our minds to the teaching of the Spirit requisite, that we may be taught by him, all the lessons being supernatural, and above the reach of common reason; they are all paradoxes to nature; they are mysteries of so high a strain, that will put even teachers of Israel to a stand; the very disciples of Christ, as well as Nicodemus, were at a loss; when Christ reads his lectures, they are very riddles: now you know that the more mystical and intricate any science is, the more wary and heedful must the mind be that will learn it; hence it is that the Lord so often inculcates an attending, "least we let any thing slip." You find likewise, that such as have been taught by the Spirit, have been still attentive; as the jews in Nehemiah's time, when the book of the law was distinctly read, and the sense given, so that the people "were caused to understand," Neh. viii. 3,–8, 9. the text saith, "That the ears of all the people were attentive, and they wept." So when God opened the heart of Lydia, the text saith, "She attended 'to the things spoken by Paul," Acts vi. 14. So Christ's hearers were very attentive to hear him, or did hang upon him, as the margent reads it. This attentiveness is sometimes called, an inclining of the ear, sometimes a regarding and marking, sometimes a comparing of things together, or pondering, or weighing of them, which was the attention of those of Berea, who made a "scrutiny or search," Acts xvii. 11, Certainly this careless heedlessness, and not minding either the outward or inward lectures of the Spirit, but (according to the proverb) having a wool-gathering mind, is one great cause of so much non-proficiency in the school of Christ, and of such idiotism in the mystery of denying ungodliness, and in all other divine mysteries; so that of many we may say, as Paul of some of the Hebrews, "Whereas, for the time, they might even be teachers, they have yet need that we teach again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and have still need of milk, and not strong meat:" even as careless boys hardly get beyond their letters in the time they might have been able to read well, had they but minded their books. Would you then be taught this lesson to deny ungodliness? Regard and mark well, with a busy mind, what the Spirit saith to the churches: for that is properly to have an ear to hear; ponder, therefore, and lay up his saying in your hearts; thus was the Virgin Mary taught. The letting of the thoughts be scattered, and forage in every bye corner; gazings on every object that is presented, leave but a sottish carcase in the place, as far to seek as at the first: thus attention is necessary to teachableness, but it is not sufficient; for many attend, but receive not instruction.

3. Therefore, to be taught this lesson to deny ungodliness by the Spirit of God, requires submission, not to contradict his principles, or rules, but subscribe to them, and take them for granted. He that will be still cavilling with his master, saying, this is not a true rule, and that will not hold current:, he shall never be taught by him till he will yield. There are too many of this burnout, they will deny principles, either contradicting them, or they will not receive them, except they be proved; now it is impossible that such an one should be taught; fin', in all sciences there are some principles that can have no other demonstration than a native light, or good authority, by which matters depending in that science must be confirmed and proved; therefore, it is a rule in all arts, contra principia negantcm non est disputandum; there is no dealing with a man that denies principles; yet in human science the firmest are but natural principles, which in respect of nature's obscurity and mutability, may possibly be subject to error; nevertheless they must be received, because they are instructible, or else there is no learning such a science: much more necessary, therefore, is it; that the learners of divine mysteries (and this of denying ungodliness among the rest) that they contradict not, nor reject divine principles, nor yet expect any rational demonstration of them; for no science builds on faith as divinity doth; partly because the authority on which they depend, to wit, the Lord's appointment, is infallible, and cannot deceive, so that for this cause they are more free from exception, and more firm, than what bath ever so manifest demonstration in itself: for example, the shield of' faith quencheth the fiery darts of ungodliness, and purifieth the heart from it. Godly sorrow works up a zeal against it, and stirs up indignation and vehement desire to be rid of it: the word of God is "quick and powerful, sharper than a two edged sword," to pare it from the soul, and to rip up the odious poison of it, being applied by faith against it; these, with there, are infallible principles, taught by the Spirit of God; and he that will learn this lesson, must not dispute the certain efficacy of them, much less contradict or reject them as vain and frivolous; if learners will take upon them to control, or teach their teacher, the Spirit of God, they may be ever learning, but shall never come to the knowledge of the truth, or be skilful in divine practice: the loose despising atheist shall remain an atheist still; and the proud deviser of new, though more rigid, courses, leaving the principles of the Spirit, may rack his brain, and macerate his body, but ungodliness shall dwell with him still. The humble learners of the Spirit of God are the greatest proficients; "The meek are they he will teach his way," Psalm xxv. 9. "He resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble." Doubtless our Saviour, when he tells us, "That except we become as little children, we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven," principally means an uncontradicting teachableness; with whom all go for unquestionable maxims taught; they never dispute whether they be right or no. I say not this, as if every word ministers speak must go for an oracle, but what the Spirit of God speaks out of tile word of God.

4. Be not discouraged at the harshness and uncouthness of the lessons the Spirit sets you at first; in all sciences, the first lessons are hardest, they seem to be an indissoluble knot; the way is more tedious, because the path is yet rough, and not trodden, after a little use, it will be a great deal more easy: even as greek seems a harsh language, almost impossible to be learned at first, yet in a little time it comes on smoothly. In like manner, the instructions of the Spirit, to deny ungodliness, seem very crabbed at first; flesh and blood cannot brook them: they are rough in the handling like new tools, till a little use hath made them plain and smooth; the rules of denying ungodliness were thus uncouth to all, even the best proficients, at first; none ever learned the art, that break not through the first and sharpest brunt with difficulty; it was a galling yoke at first, but in time Christ made it easy to them, and so he will to thee: if mere use can make harshest lessons easy, heavy burdens, not only tolerable, but lightsome also, and often treading, makes the roughest ways smooth: as long imprisonment will take away much of the bitterness of it, and the like; much more will the divine supernatural help of grace, make the harsh lecture of denying ungodliness easy, nay, a recreation: fresh soldiers at first take arms with heavy hearts, but after a little experience, the sound of drums and trumpets calling to battle, is music in their ears; especially when the general makes them see the certain advantages, then they set light by the brunt, or a few knocks.

The next point that the text affordeth to us is this, 'That the grace of God teacheth such as are saved by it to deny worldly lusts.' We shall be the more brief in opening this point, because many branches hereof were fully opened in the last; here we shall have no more to do but to consider, what are worldly lusts, which are to be denied. In the clearing whereof St. John will give us light, who reduceth them to three heads; to wit, "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life; they are not of the Father, but of the world;" so then, to know what worldly lusts are, we must search a little into these three particulars.

1. What is meant by the lusts of the flesh. The flesh, when lust is ascribed to it, is taken three ways; sometimes mystically for the whole corrupted part of man, or so much as lies under the law and power of sin, and is opposed to the regenerate part of man, which is renewed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost; so the apostle understands it in that passage, "The flesh lusteth against the spirit." The lusts of the flesh, thus understood, are all inordinate and irregular inclinations and motions whatsoever, springing from the fountain, man's depraved and polluted nature, and are opposed to injections from without, whether of satan, or any external objects; for some sinful motions have their original immediately from a man's self, without derivation or dependence from, or upon, any other cause; and in some respect, or in regard of some inordinate inclination, man is a cistern that receives polluted waters from other heads; as when satan tempts, or outward baits entice; but most sinful inclination have their seeds within a man's self and many weeds grow up from the nature of the soil, without any solving: an exact distinguishing of these internal natural lusts of the flesh, from satan and the world's injections, hath not yet been reached by any that I can find, because satan doth so mix his injections with our natural inclinations. But St. James is very clear in the thing, that the flesh hath proper lusts of its own; "Every man is tempted, (saith he) when he is drawn aside of his own lasts." Now these kind of' lusts, as well as others, may be well called worldly, partly, as they are worldly men with whom they reign; partly also, as they have their being in this world only: the denial or resistance of these, tile grace of God teacheth to such as shall be saved.

Sometimes again, flesh is taken synecdochically, to wit, a part for the whole. And so the flesh imports that branch of corrupt nature, from whence spring, in particular, inordinate, unclean motions, or lascivious inclinations to adultery, fornication, and such like; so St. Jude takes it, speaking of some that "gave themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh; these filthy dreamers defile the flesh," Jude 7, 8. that is, defile themselves with uncleanness. More plainly St. Peter, speaking of men that walk after, the lusts of uncleanness, "They allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness." Flesh thus considered as the fountain of uncleanness, the lusts of it are unclean inclinations, desires, delights, and pleasing contemplations therein; thus must our Saviour's speech be understood, "He that looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery:" only note, that an inclination to propagation is not simply sinful; for God himself makes marriage, simply considered in itself honourable, and therefore reputes not all such desires absolutely sinful, but the inordinate desires, or lasts after the flesh, doth the grace of God teach to deny.

Flesh sometimes is taken naturally for the body of a man, and then the lusts of it are all inordinate desires, after such things as please the body, as meat, drink, raiment, means of health, and welfare of it in any kind; this inordinate desire is not of the Father, but of the world; this lust of the flesh our Saviour labours to suppress; "I say unto you, take no thought what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body what you shall put on," Matt. viii. 35, 36. "And take no thought for to-morrow." That is, be not either over soilicitous with distraction, to the cruciating or disquieting yourselves hereby; or be not excessively greedy of these things, or for any thing more than is needful. So that this kind of lust consists of two branches: 1. When our desires and cares are so extreme and turbulent about these things as make us neglect, forget, or slight better things. 2. When they become a burthen and torture to us. 3. When they keep not within any fit limits or bounds. As for example; this is the lust of the flesh, that is, of the world, when our heart is so taken up with the desire of food, raiment, health, that we disturb ourselves about them, and mind nothing so much, or so eagerly, as making provision for them; neglecting or undervaluing the food, raiment, and health of our souls: so likewise when our desires are not content with food and raiment that is convenient, but are aspiring to superfluity, even to more, for quantity and variety, than will serve the turn; or, to what is better, finer, and more delicate, than what is needful; so a gluttonous, drunken, gorgeous desire, comes under this kind of the lusts of the flesh; as also impatience in sickness, both in respect of the continuance of it, or the lack of such remedies, or means, which we conceive may recover us.

2. Another sort of worldly lusts to be denied are, as St. John speaks, "The lusts of the eye;" and they are conversant about the things which by the eve the heart is over affected with; and they are things that are our neighbour's, and not our own; or things that are our own. These, as they are coversant shunt our neighbour, are any thing that is his. Perhaps thine eye beholds the beauty and conveniency of thy neighbour's house; the goodly, useful, rich furniture; the rarity, pleasantness, fruitfulness, good situation, and abundance of his lands; the plenty and variety of his fare; the strength, good qualities, and serviceableness of his attendants; the amiableness, good disposition, meekness, helpfulness of his wife. Now there may be a twofold lust of the eye. I. Enviousness of heart at him, because of these good firings which thine eye beholds. The apostle tells us of the spirit of a man, that lusts to envy;" this envious lust of the eye must be denied, and grace alone will teach the denial. Or, 2. The eye lusts after these when the sight of them stirs up a wishing them to be his own; so Ahab lusted for Naboth's vineyard, and Absolom for his father's kingdom.

3. Another sort of worldly lusts, he calls "pride of life;" now this is thinking of ourselves above what is meet, for any thing in the world, spiritual or natural gifts; as knowledge, utterance, skill, feature, proportion, strength, or the like; or riches, friends, parentage, place, titles, office; when any bear themselves loftily, scornfully, with overtopping conceits, slighting others; this is a kind of ambitious lust, seeking its own exaltation above measure.

Now grace will teach, though not utterly to vanquish, yet to deny these; it will teach as a monitor, or a remembrancer, when they begin to stir; and be as a secret voice, giving warning of an insurrection in the soul, that it may prepare for an encounter at the beginning of the mutiny, before it hath got a head. Again grace teacheth to deny these, by infusing divine skill to get the best vantages of them. There is no worldly lust, but hath a fair pretext to cover its vileness; as covetousness is called good husbandry, drunkenness good fellowship, pride is handsomeness, oppression is seeking a man's own, uncleanness is called love, and the like; whereby the soul is got asleep, as Dalilah did Samson, till it is betrayed into the hands of satan; but, through grace, the Spirit of God discovers this mask or vizor of lust, and leaves it open in his own ugliness. They that are taught of God cannot be cozened with all the cunning insinuations and fair glosses lust covers itself with; they appear through the thickest mists, what they truly are: the lambskin shall not be able to hide the wolfishness in lust. The Spirit gives them such a quick piercing eye, as to see through all the colourable pretences, which insight all the world is not able to procure, but only the Spirit of God, through grace; even as none but the Lord discovered the wife of Jeroboam to Ahijah the prophet, when she came to him in a disguise, 1 Kings xiv..5, 6. We descry and discover in our ministry the secret treachery, and hidden poison of lust; but not one of a hundred takes notice thereof, or will believe our report, but only such, as (besides that) hear, and are inwardly convinced by the secret illumination of the Spirit; which is as great an advantage as the Israelites had of the Syrians, when the prophet still revealed the consultations their king held in his bed-chamber.

Again, the Spirit, by grace, gives this advantage by teaching where the strength of lust lies; what provision pampers and fattens it; how every lust hath its proper fuel or pasture, to keep it in growth; and that the deceitful heart and treacherous porters the senses, are secretly in league with lust, to steal out at every opportunity, to forage for its provision, and to bring it in. As for instance, the Spirit discovers, that unclean lusts have strength from excess of meat or drink, too much familiarity with loose persons, filthy discourse, wanton dalliance, obscene books; this will make a spark grow to a flame, and a hunger-starved lust grow fat and mighty; and that the filthy heart by musing, the lustful eye by prying, the wanton ear by listening, bring in this fuel. I say, the Spirit of grace makes a full discovery, that by these means Dust comes to be so strong, and in so full plight; some glimmering fancies men may have hereof, without the effectual work of the Spirit, but a convincing and affecting discovery is only by that. But he stays not in discovering where the strength lies, but teaches how to weaken it; namely, by cutting off this provision, and shortening lust of his allowance, and keeping a strict guard and watch over these treacherous favourers of it; as the grooms taking away a horse's provender, soon makes him lean and abate his courage The Spirit puts the soul on this practical part of policy, as a general not only tells his soldiers, they must intercept the provision that may feed the besieged city, and fall on the convoys; but he marches out before them, and puts them on the project, and breaks the way for them; and as Dalilah taught the Philistines how to weaken Samson, herself breaking t-he ice for them, cutting off his locks. Ail the rudiments in the world, are not sufficient instructions to bereave lust of this strength, but the Spirit. Some austere spirits have dealt very rigidly with themselves to weaken this strength of lust; witness St. Jerome, who relates his case himself, speaking of fasting, and other harsh means, for weakening lust, the says, by his own bitter experience, that of themselves they have no efficacy,*

* Quoties ego ipse in eremo constitutus, &c. Libidinum incendia bullicbant. Hieron. ad Eustoch. de custodia virginitatis. Fol. 47. A. B. Tom. 1.

but rose and increased the more. Nothing, therefore, no not the use of God's own means, can avail to the weakening of lust, except the effectual operation of the Spirit strike the stroke; and from this must the effectual discovery and abatement of the strength of whatsoever lust be fetched.

We have done with the two great hydra's, ungodliness, and worldly lusts, whose heads grace takes off for such as are saved by it; which having thus cleared the coast, and made the passage free from devourers, the same grace leads them to God's green pastures, that therein they may be fat and well-liking; where it takes care of three things, that they may be complete. 1. In respect of themselves, that they may lie down quietly without disturbance. 2. In respect of others, that they may not be offensive, but useful to them. 3. In respect of God, that they may be fit for their master's use, and delightful in his eye.

The first care of the grace of God, which concerns believers, is to teach and win them to sobriety, whereby they may undisturbedly enjoy themselves with comfort. The doctrine is, that the grace of God teacheth such, as shall be saved, to live soberly; wherein let us consider, 1. What sobriety is. 2. What it is to live soberly. 3. How grace leaches it.

1. Sobriety sometimes is taken strictly for a temperate and moderate use of meat and drink, without excess, and is opposed to gluttony and drunkenness; but, most frequently in scripture, it is of a fir larger extent, and is understood of a general moderation in all things we have to do with; thus St. Paul understands temperance, which is all one with sobriety; "Every man that striveth, (saith he) is temperate (or sober) in all things," I Cor. ix. 2,5. In this general sense it is to be understood in this place; for the apostle you see coucheth all which concerns a man's self in an orderly conversation, under this one virtue, sobriety. In general, it is an universal moderating a man's self, or keeping himself in due limits, in all things whatsoever he hath to do with; and it answers that rule of the apostle, "Let your moderation be known to all men," which he expounds in the next verse, "Be careful for nothing;" that is, be so indifferent in the use of all the things of this world, that nothing may distract you. This sobriety, or temperate moderation, is twofold; 1. Internal. 2. External. The former is a sobriety of the mind; the latter of the conversation. Give me leave to clear these, that the latitude may appear; and first for the sobriety of the mind. Note, for the foundation of what I have to say, that the apostle is very clear, that there is a sobriety in the mind, and that he intends such in the text. For in ver. 7. he requires sobermindedness, and the text is an encouragement to it, from the efficacy of grace to compass it. Writing to the Romans ho speaks to the same purpose, "I say, through the grace of God given to me, to every man that is among you, to think soberly, as God hath dealt to every man," Rom. xii..3. Now thinking, (you know) is an act of the mind; consider we, therefore, what the sobriety of mind is.

(1.) It consists in the moderation of inquisition; that is, the mind in its search or enquiry into things keeps itself within due limits, and wades not deeper than its reach. As the eye is not satisfied with seeing, so (many times) the mind is not contented or satisfied with prying into hidden or concealed secrets; but it is a good rule, Noli altum sapere. Tile Holy Ghost gives a good reason of it, "Secret things belong to God, but revealed things to us." A man may be too saucy, and go beyond sobriety, in attempting to uncover either the things of God, which he hath locked up in the hidden closet of his own breast; or the things of men, which are fit to be reserved to themselves. For example; the unity of the divine nature, and trinity of persons; the eternal generation of the Son, and procession of the Holy Ghost; the conception of Christ by the Holy Ghost; the election and reprobation of particular persons, clasped and sealed up in the reserved books of life and death; these, and many the like, are secrets, wherein the sobriety of the mind, as an awful bridle, should hold in the career of man's inquisitiveness, and bound his itching humour which would be prying: the setting bounds to the mount where God descended and the charge to the people not to dare to make an approach, was a type of this sobermindedness. Howbeit many will not be satisfied, but are so given to enquiry, that faith must be jostled out by sense and reason; nothing is true with them but what by rational search they can find out to be so; but one of the ancients suits such unsoberminded men well, Scrutator majestatis opprimetur a gloria: a man may look so boldly on the sun as he may not only dazzle but blind his eyes, or unawares fall into a ditch; let this then be the first branch of sobriety of mind, to be moderate in our enquiries, and be content to search only into thing's allowed to be known, being what is revealed.

(2.) Sobriety of mind consists in the moderation of our judgment; this stands, (1.) In the deliberateness of it. Deliberate judgment is opposed to a rash or over-hasty one; when a man will conclude things before he hath well weighed the premises, or circumstances, inferring such a conclusion. It is a kind of drunkenness of men to make a judgment hand over head, or blind-fold; but sober minds judge deliberately; they will see good cause for what they determine; they will do a thing so, as that they may not be forced to undo it again for lack of consideration. (2.) A sober judgment is according to knowledge; when a man judgeth no farther of any thing than he can understand it. As it is the property of drunkards to do they know not what, so is it of a drunken mind void of sobriety. What St. Jude saith of speaking, is as true of judging evil; he tells us of stone, whom he ranks with brute beasts, that speak, (yea) and judge evil of things they know not. (3.)A man hath a sober judgment when he is not too peremptory and stiff in his opinion, but submits to better judgments. 4. Sobriety of judgment stands in thinking of a man's self, and others, according as God hath dealt to every man; in this St. Paul declares the soberness of his mind or judgment; "We dare not compare ourselves with some that commend themselves," &c. 2 Cor. x. 12. "We will not boast of things beyond our measure." All high thoughts and over-weaning of a man's own parts, or gifts, above what is meet, together with nil undervaluing of others, are void of sobriety; but a true sobriety is apt to think better of another than himself, because he sees more .defects of his own, than he doth of another; but I make it not a rule; for a man may know something of himself, and others, that may, with sobriety, admit of thinking better of himself.

3. A sober mind consists in the moderation or good temper of the heart; now the heart is thus sober when it keeps itself in a mediocrity, and breaks not out into excess; as a man is said in the vulgar sense to be sober, when he drinks not excessively, but only as much as will suffice. This sobriety of heart stands in the moderation of his will and affection; there is a kind of drunkenness in the heart of man, when it is insatiable; and that, (1.) In the imperiousness of it, that it must not be crossed in any thing,, but will swallow all that is pleasing to his appetite, though it be never so unreasonable and prejudical: a sober will confines itself to things lawful, honest and expedient, and bridles in itself' to what agrees not therewith. (2.) The heart is drunk and unsatiable, when the desires thereof are excessive. Namely, 1. When they are turbulent, disquieting and distracting the heart; as a man is drunk when he drinks so much as distempers the body. It was a drunkenness in Rachel's heart, that she was so turbulently desirous of children, that she cries out, "Give me children, or else I die;" so of Ahab's, that was so desirous of Naboth's vineyard, that he is sick for it. Sober desires are such as leave the heart in a quiet temper. 2. Drunken desires of the heart are, when they are never satisfied, nor know when they have enough; but the more they have, the more they crave; which is a right property of vulgar drunkenness. Sober desires (1 mean of earthly things,) sail so low, and aim at so few and short marks, and that with such indifferency, as that a very little satisfies and gives contentment: a sober heart is far from enlarging her desires, as. hell, the grave, or a barren womb, which ever cry, give, give. 3. The desires of the heart are drunken when they are impatient and outrageous, if crossed; as none more mad than drunkards, if they cannot have presently what drink they call for: when men fret, and chafe, hang the lip, are sullen, and malecontent, if their desires be frustrate, such are drunken desires, that heart is not sober. I might as easily shew you a like drunkenness in all the affections and passions; but it shall suffice at present to consider, that affections so far swerve from sobriety, as they are transported beyond their bounds, in any excess whatsoever.

2. There is an external sobriety, and that is of the conversation, which consists in a moderate, temperate use of all things: for clearing whereof, note, this sobriety is not so much a mere abstinence from excess, as a refrenation or restraint of a man's self from all manner of excess; which implies some appetite or inclination to break out beyond bounds, and a curbing a man's self by a kind of compulsive restraint, which is self-denial. There is a great difference between abstinence, and forbearance of a thing, which a man hath no humour or power unto; and sobriety, as it is a virtue which presupposeth a vice, inticing the contrary way. For example, suppose wine be loathsome to a man, his abstinence is not sobriety properly; but being inclined thereto, and strongly inticed, he puts a knife to his throat, and compels himself to forbear, in spite of all provocations; this is a virtuous sobriety; this certainly is that which the grace of God teacheth; for teaching implies a man is yet to seek, and hath not attained the thing to be taught; whereas there is no need of teaching that which a man cannot naturally choose but follow. This sobriety consists of many branches, as, the bridling and moderating a man's appetite, having provocations of excessive eating and drinking, which our Saviour calls "a taking heed, lest our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness." Of this Solomon speaks, "If thou art set at a great man's table, and be a man given to appetite, set a knife to thy throat;" and, "Be not among winebibbers, neither tarry .long. at the wine." This sobriety of the appetite is a moderate use of the creature; that is, such an use as serves for health, and the better disposing and enabling a man to all good and lawful offices towards God and men; and it stands in the midst of two extremes, defect and excess. The defect is the pinching a man's self, not allowing himself what is needful. Such, though they think themselves the soberest men, being remotest from excess, yet they err too much on the other hand to be sober men; it is a certain rule, In medio consistit virtus. The other extreme is excess, much more in use than the former, and that in quality or quantity; excess in quantity is eating or drinking more than is meet; in quality, when men content not themselves with that which is good and wholesome nourishment, befitting their several ranks and places, and are grown over-dainty, and despise that which is not rare: sobriety in this kind hath no certain stint, but extends or dilates, according to the diversity of men's tempers and ranks; one man of a weak brain and sickly stomach, may exceed the bounds of sobriety in use of the same quantity of meat or drink, which another of a stronger temper may use with sobriety; that which will but quench the thirst of one man, may make another man's head light: that meat which will but satisfy one man's nature, and harden it for labour, may overcharge and dull another; that variety and daintiness which doth but beseem a man's table of ability and good rank, is profuse lavishness and wasteful expence to a meaner person. In sum then, a man exceeds briety, either when he useth the creatures beyond that conveniency his temper requires, or the means God hath given him.

Besides this vulgar sobriety, there is a sobriety also of speech, whereof St. Paul speaks in his defence before Festus, Acts xxvi. 25. "I speak tile words of truth and soberness." Which sobriety consists, (l.) In soft words. (2.) In few words. (3.) In seasonable words. Add hereto a sobriety in behaviour, which is a mild and grave carriage, without either loftiness, or vain levity: finally, there is also a sobriety in a man's dealing, in. buying and selling; in buying, when a man keeps within his compass, and wades not beyond his depth, either of skill or ability; and in selling, when a man is moderate in his gains, and works not on the necessity of persons: but these heads shall suffice, that we may keep some moderation in handling of this point.

The next thing is, what it is to live soberly. 1, This phrase intimates an activity of sobriety; living here is put for exercise; it is not enough to have power to be sober, though that be necessary, but this power must be reduced into act, as occasion serves; for it is a good rule, Frustra fit potentia, quae non reducitur in actum. 2. It intimates a continuation in sobriety: this, and the whole life must go hand-in-hand together, or a man must be sober all his life; one act doth not make up a living soberly, as one swallow doth not make a summer; and it should be as precious to a man as his life: it' any solicit him to intemperance, he should say, bereave me of sobriety, bereave me of my life too; what will it avail me to live and not live soberly?

The last thing to be considered is, how grace preacheth to live soberly. To clear this, note, grace teacheth, 1. By instruction, giving rules for the thing, clearly making us to understand and know, that sobriety is a duly enjoined, and must be observed. Philosophers, it is true, from the glimmerings of natural light, gives rules to teach this, us well as other moral virtues: but they fail in the ground work or foundation of their, rules, making right reason the foundation, and deriving the power of sobriety from the heroical resoluteness of man's spirit; whereas the will of God is the ground-work, and the power to be sober is from his might. They fail in the end of sobriety, making that the ultimate, which is but the subordinate, wholly neglecting the chief end, being ignorant thereof. Their chief end is, by moderation, to enjoy themselves, and the praise of men, whereas it should be the glory of God. In these two things the teaching of sobriety, by grace, differs front tile natural teaching of it; for grace makes God's will the ground-work of it, and his power, in mans weakness, the efficient cause of it, and the glorifying God the final inducing cause of sobriety. 2. Grace not only teaches it, by giving good rules, but also by such a winning rhetorical illustration of the excellency of sobriety, as to catch her learners with an enamoured love thereto; in teaching, it makes her learners, though enemies at first to such doctrine, say, (as once the catch poles that were sent to trap Christ) "Never man spake as he speaks." The lips of grace, through a secret divine eloquence, drop honey. 3. Not only by enamouring, but by drawing also. The teaching of grace hath the virtue of a loadstone, that draws adjacent metal to fasten to itself; it is like the power reported to be in the Syrens songs, which will make a man leave all to dance after their notes. In this, especially, it goes infinitely beyond the most acute teaching in the world besides; for her learners cannot, for their hearts, say nay.

Use 1. Seeing grace hath appeared, or is come into our quarters, teaching to live soberly, let us shew our breeding by our proficiency under so excellent a tutor: the excellency of skill and parts in a tutor adds much to the shame of a dunce, or non-proficient, that hath been trained up under such an one; for that it is expected they should excel answerably according to the extraordinary helps they have had. Shall philosophers, and moral heathens, that have had their breeding, but in the twilight of nature, be more exact scholars in sobriety, than christians, that have lain at the right fountain, and been bred in the academy of grace? Shall persons living in darkness, without any light of the gospel shining unto them, live more soberly than they to whom the light of the gospel shines most gloriously? What a shame is this! If a clown, or ignoramus, should pose an university man in the arts he hath been long bred up in, would it not make him blush? Much more may they blush who have been long tutored by grace, to see untutored poor souls, that never scarce heard that ever there were any such thing as grace, yet to excel them in sobriety. Christ's verdict is, "That this is condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness more than light." St. Paul tells us, "That they who are drunk, are drunk in the night:" and adds, "Ye are not of the night, but the day."

Use 2. Doth grace teach to live soberly? Then are they graceless wretches, or come short of the grace of God, that do not live soberly; nor can they rightly claim a part or portion m the great privilege of salvation which grace teacheth. It is a fearful sentence, and dismal door, I confess, though too true; and too few, whom it most concerns, lay it to heart; if they would, it might be a happy bridle to restrain all immoderate excess. Oh! that such, who give themselves to excess, would but turn their eyes unto, and seriously ponder, in their hearts, the many fearful words pronounced against them by that word which shall judge them at the last day! As that of Solomon, Prov. xxiii. 29, 30. "Who hath woe, who hath sorrow, who hath contention, who hath wounds? They that tarry long at the wine; they that seek new wine." He doth not say, they that are stark drunk, as men now count drunkenness, but they that tarry, long at it, though they have strong pates to carry it away; at least he saith, "It bites like a serpent." The prophet Isaiah seconds him, and takes off a foolish excess of men, that think themselves out of Solomon's gun-shot, because they drink not wine; "Woe, (saith he) unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink: that continue until wine inflame them. And woe to them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink," Isaiah v. 11, 12–22. He scatters his woes among all sorts, whether wine-bibbers, or strong drinkbibbers. The prophet Habbakkuk makes up the peal, and meets with another sort of excess; "Woe to him, (saith he) that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunk, that thou mayest look on his nakedness," Hab. ii. 1,5. What canst thou now say for thyself, O poor wretch! that leavest not only christianity, but also manhood in thy cups, and transformest thyself into a beast, nay, worse? Wilt thou say, Christ is thy Saviour? Alas! this text takes thee quite off from this hold; for that grace of his, that brings salvation, teacheth to live soberly, and this thou leanest not; therefore canst thou not lay claim to the other. O! be wise betimes, and consider the desperateness of thy condition, as God himself judgeth of it, and be not deluded with the daubings of such as count thee a good fellow.

Use 3. It is then a most fearful presumption for any person, in confidence of his own strength, to adventure himself into the mouth of danger, where he may be induced, or tempted, to exceed the bounds of sobriety; for if sobriety be of grace, then is it not of man's own strength. There are too many so conceited of their own abilities, as that they fear no colours; they will warrant you they do well enough, and can keep themselves within compass, and therefore dare put themselves into any hazard. Some think themselves so wise, as they fear not to wade into God's secrets too deep; they can stint their reasonings and thoughts at pleasure. Some dare loosen the reins, and let them run career, fondly dreaming they can curb them at will, phaeton like; they can dote on the world, and cannot enthral them; they can let their rage loose like a fierce mastiff and chain it up again at a beck. Others are so confident of their power to contain, that though they let their eyes loose to look on a maid, their tongues loose to obscene filthy ribaldry, their ears to lascivious discourse and solicitations, to bewitching dalliances, and their thoughts to contemplative uncleanness; yet they have such a strength of continency, that no such pitch can defile them; they are not so weak or so silly as to be trapped in the snare; and. therefore, they will not abridge themselves of such liberty. In a word. others are confident of the strength of their brain, that none can fox them; but let such consider, that to live soberly is not in man's power, but only of grace; and, therefore, it is .just with God to give up such to be overtaken for neglecting his aid. as be served Noah, David, and others. Hence the apostle Paul adviseth to "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his (not our) might:" and when he speaks of his ability in moderation, namely, that he is "able to do all things," he concludes that it is not by his own strength, but Christ's that strengthened him. Blessed is the man "that feareth always," that is, himself; suspecting his own shallowness and weakness, considering the bewitching insinuations that are in temptations of this nature. Know, therefore, that whoever is endued with a sober mind and behaviour, it comes with all other good gifts from above, and he is kept herein by the power of God, and the sufficiency of his grace, without which he is as impotent as the weakest; therefore in this, and in all other matters, let every man commit himself to the custody of God, and the power of his grace, and not lean to his own strength. Though Paul was a man full of the Spirit, and had attained a great measure of moderation, yet dares not rely thereon, but entrusts God and his grace to keep him; "Not I, (saith he) but the grace of God which is in me." How frequently doth he close up his epistles, after all his endeavours, with this epilogue, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen. Grace, mercy, and peace, be with you from God our Father, and from our Lord ,Jesus." Ply grace, therefore, in this behalf, which shall be sufficient; "for its strength shall be perfect in your weakness."

The next point is, that grace teacheth to live righteously. This is of a large extent, comprehending the whole duty of man to man, and in substance is the same with that of our Saviour, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" which love he calls "fulfilling of the law." There are two main branches of it, justice and mercy; justice is a rendering to every one his due, or an upright inoffensive walking towards every one, without partiality or fraud. Give me leave to anatomize this branch of righteousness, that you may the better see the lineaments thereof; for as he cannot be a good physician, or chirurgeon, fit to apply apt remedies to distempered parts, or set bones, that is not well insighted in anatomy; so neither can a man aptly apply cures to distempers of injustice, that is not somewhat insighted into the parts of justice; he must know the proper joints of justice, that in case of dislocation, he may reduce them-to their proper place again: know, therefore, that righteousness, so far as it brancheth itself into justice, diverse, according to the diversity of men's relations of superiority, or inferiority, magistrates and subjects, ministers and people, parents and children. The righteousness of a magistrate stands in an impartial and equal rendering rewards, or punishments; all unevenness, either too much rigour, or too much lenity, is injustice. Subjects are to yield obedience, both internal and external, to their lawful commands, and quiet, suffering their penalties, if for conscience sake you cannot obey their commands; "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, and openeth not the mouth," So for ministers, their righteousness is in withholding none of the counsel of God, being instant in season and out of season; giving every one his portion, with soundness of doctrine, cheerfulness of spirit, humbleness of mind; patient waiting, if God will at any time bring men to repentance; and not for filthy lucre. The people's justice is to seek advice and help of the minister, to unbind their consciences when sin hath chained them up, in attending upon all the ordinances of God; giving them due respect, praying for them, that they may do their work powerfully and fruitfully.

The husband's justice is, 1. "To love his wife, as Christ loved the church." 2. To govern wisely as a head, not imperiously, much less tyrannically. 3. To provide for her. 4. As a covering to shelter her. The wife's justice stands, 1. In love also. 2. In subjection to all lawful and expedient things he requires. 3. In helpfulness in all things she can reach unto. 4. In covering infirmities. 5. In reverencing him as the head.

The master's justice is, 1. In imposing no more labour on his servant, than his strength can bear. 2. To inflict no more punishment than his offence deserves. 3. To detain no maintenance requisite; as food, rest, refreshment, and wages. 4. To encourage them in well doing. 5. To instruct them in the knowledge of God, and endeavouring to bring them to his ordinances. The justice of servants is, 1. In doing their utmost, without laziness, in their allotted business. 2. Not wasting or purloining. 3. Obeying all lawful commands. 4. Being faithful in what is committed to their trust. 5. Patiently bearing punishment, though wrongfully inflicted; not so much as answering again. 6. Contentment with their wages. 7. Not stealing away their master's time for their own occasions without license.

The justice of parents, 1. To provide for their children, both soul and body, in a moderate way. 2. Not to provoke them to bitterness. 3. To correct them in measure, and in due time. The justice of children is, 1. To honour their parents. 2. To become subject to them, as Christ did. 3. To be obedient and dutiful.

Finally, there is an occasional justice, and that is an upright behaviour toward all men, with whom we have to do, as in buying or selling, lending or borrowing. Now all this is privative or positive; in innocency, in offensiveness, peaceableness; so in doing right, and giving to every one their own. 1. Innocency stands in a harmless conversation, or, in the apostle's phrase, "A walking without offence;" which consists in offering no violence, in purpose or act, either to a man's person, goods, name, or whatever is his, though a man hath power, opportunity, or provocation thereunto; nay, though some occasion may be given, according to our Saviour's rule," Render to no man evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but rather bless them that curse." 2 This innocent justice consists in not defrauding or over-reaching, but in fair, honest, and true dealing, without undermining, or smothering evil under fair pretences. 3. In laying aside all malice, envy, and hatred, false surmises, hard conceits, backbitings, and all evil-speaking. In a word, it consists in doing no manner of harm, but a blameless walking, such as was commended in Zachary and Elizabeth.

Peaceableness, which is another branch of justice, consists in making peace, and endeavoring to reconcile differences, not blowing coals that are kindled, which is the property of a make-bait: to this our Saviour pronounceth blessedness, Matt. v. It lies in entertaining with readiness terms of peace, though with some disadvantage; being apt to reconciliation without turbulency, contention, needless suits, or inveterate implacableness: this our Saviour commends to his disciples, "My peace I leave with you;" of this kind of justice is putting up of injuries, and loving enemies: justice it is, for it is a debt in the apostle's judgment, as well as our Saviour's; "Owe nothing to any man, but to love one another." And it lies in living peaceably, without either giving or taking occasions of quarrel, as much as in a man lies, as the apostle says, "As much as in you lies, labour to have peace with all men." Finally, this justice lies in doing right to all men, giving to every one his due, "Tribute to whom tribute is due; love to whom love is due; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." You see of how large an extent the first branch of righteousness is, to wit, justice.

The second branch is mercifulness to men; and this is internal or external. Internal consists in compassion, or pity, which is opposed to hardheartedness; this is a kind of fellow-feeling, or a being affected with another's distress; "For we are all members of one body:" therefore, as members naturally sympathize one with another, so should we; which mercy, the apostle much urgeth, and oar Saviour presseth in the parable of the good Samaritan, that had compassion on the wounded man; this tender-heartedness is a commendable virtue, and such as hi, man society can scarce be served without; and lies in devising liberal things, which the prophet Isaiah mentions, "The liberal man deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things he shall stand."

Two things are worth our observation in this internal merciful righteousness. It consists of a free and larg