1 Tim. iv. 12. and to take heed to himself and his Doctrine, 1 Tim. iv. 16. Here then, if we would know who shall be accounted great in the Chriftian Church, by him who is the trueft Judge of Honour, our Lord himself, in the Great Day of Accounts; it is not the greateft Doctors and deepest Scholars; it is not the Learnedeft Criticks and the Subtileft Difputants; it is not they who have been advanced to the firft Chairs, and the highest Preferments in this World; but in the first Place they who live good Lives themselves, and then they who take a great deal of Pains to make others good too. It is the Doing and Teaching the Commandments which will entitle a Man to this Encomium, with all the other confequent Rewards, of being Called or Adjudged Great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

So much I thought proper to obferve in general from the Words. But now that we may entitle our selves to this high and valuable Dignity, it will be neceffary that we understand inore diftinctly what is meant by Doing and Teaching the Commandments. For neither is it all Sort of Doing that will serve turn; nor is it only those who are called Paftors or Teachers, who are capable of this Dignity of Teaching, but all Men in their feveral Stations may have Access to it, if they industriously employ their Talents for doing good.

To begin then with the Doing the Commandments; there are these two Things I fhall endeavour to account for: 1. To give a Defcription of that holy Practice, which is requifite to qualify us for this high Dignity. 2. To confider why we must begin with holy Practice our felves, in order to the Teaching others their Duty.

I. First

I. First then, It is not all Sort of Doing the Commandments, that deserves that Name, or will entitle us to this high Dignity, of being called Great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For fome afford a bare formal Outfide Obedience; fecretly indulging themselves in lewd and wicked Practices. Some are zealous in fome Duties, that are fuitable to, at least do not much thwart their natural Genius and Temper; but quite negligent as to other Duties, which require any Thing of Mortification or Self-denial. Some are careful at fome particular Solemn Times; the Time of a Sacrament, the Day of Affliction, or the Approach of God's Judgments; but at other Times give themselves a Loose into whatever Sorts of Immorality they are inclined to. Now we cannot imagine that this is the Holy Practice here meant or defcribed. It concerns us then to enquire a little more exactly into the Nature of that Chriftian Obedience, or good Life, to which our Saviour makes this great Promise in my Text. I fhall briefly give you fome of the chief Scripture Marks of it, by observing of which ye will be in no Danger of miftaking in a Matter of fo great Confequence.

(1) First then, It is carefully to be remembred, what Sort of Commandments our Saviour is here fpeaking of, namely, the Precepts of the Moral Law, as I have in fome former Difcourfes fhewed from the Context. This, I fay, is to be carefully Obferved, becaufe as there were in thofe Days a great many who neglecting the Moral and Subftantial, spent all their Zeal in the Ritual Duties of Religion, whom our Saviour, as well as the Prophets, every where reprehends and endeavours to correct; fo there are in our Days a great many Pretenders

Pretenders to Religion, who place their Zeal in any Thing rather than in this, that our Saviour is here driving at, the Study of Chriftian Morals. Some spend their Zeal about Orthodoxy of Opinions, and in diving into the more Abftrufe and Mysterious Parts of the Chriftian Faith; others contend earnestly for the Ceremonials, and Ritual Part of Religion; but let us take Care to referve our greatest Care and Induftry for the Chriftian Morals, remembring that Obedience is better than Sacrifice, 1 Sam. xv. 22. and that in the great Day of Accounts, Holy Lives will be more enquired into, than Orthodox Opinions; and that Judgment, Mercy, and Fidelity, will be preferred to the tithing of Mint, Anife,and Cummin,Matt. xxiii. 23. Our inward Lufts and Corruptions are the chief Enemies we have to ftruggle with; our natural and acquired evil Habits; which we are continually to endeavour, with our utmoft Care and Diligence, to reduce to the exact Rule of God's holy Laws, perfecting Holiness in his Fear.

(2) As we are to direct our Care to the right Object, fo, as to the Manner of it, we must see that it be fuch as will please God, and not fuch as is governed only by By-refpects and worldly Confiderations. If our Obedience is of the right Stamp, we muft fet God before our Eyes, and endeavour to approve ourselves to him from an inward Principle of his Love and Fear, without Regard to the Fashionablenefs or Unfafhionablenefs, of the Profitableness or Unprofitablenefs of the Duties on other worldly Accounts. I fpeak thus, because, of that little Duty which is performed in the World, there is a great deal owing to wrong Principles, fuch as Pride and Vanity, Covetousness

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and Ambition, Fear of Men, Strength of Party, Popular Applaufe, Fashion, Custom, and Emulation, and a thousand other By-refpects, which, though they cannot be always discovered by Men, are well known to Almighty God, and will never be able to impose upon him, who understands all the various Meanders of our Hearts infinitely better than we do ourselves, and will fet no Value on any Duty that doth not proceed from his true Love and Fear.

(3) If our Obedience is of the right Stamp, fuch as may hope for this Approbation of our Saviour in the Great Day of Accounts, it must not be a Partial, but an Univerfal Obedience. That is, we must not pick and choose fuch Duties as are most agreeable to our Humour and Temper and worldly Interefts, with the Neglect of others that require more of Self-denial to comply with them; but we must study to pay an undistinguished Refpect to all God's Laws. Not but that where Nature is most frail, there it is to be feared, after all our Care, we shall be in the greatest Danger of most frequent Lapfes. But we must have a great Care that we indulge not ourselves in a voluntary Neglect of any Part of our Duty, because of it's Difficulty or Inconfiftency with our Inclination to Profit or Pleafure; on the contrary, where the Difficulty is greateft, we ought to meet it with double Diligence, and according to our Saviour's Advice to his Difciples in the like cafe, to watch and pray, that we enter not into Temptation, for that very Reafon, because though the Spirit be willing, the Flesh is weak, Mark xiv. 38.

(4) It is further requifite concerning our Obedience, which our Saviour here requires, in order

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to his Approbation in the great Day, that it be not temporary, by Fits and Starts, or upon fome particular Occafions, but conftant and uniform; as he doth not deferve the Name of a Workman who works one Day and plays three; fo he will by no means deferve the honourable Compellation of a Doer of God's Commandments, who while for Ordinary he is a Worker of Iniquity, makes a few Interruptions on folemn Occafions, and feemingly refolves to be a new Man, but presently returns with the Dog to the Vomit, and with the Sow that was washed, to the wallowing in the Mire again, Prov. xxvi. 11. Tho' it is not to be expected of the very best of our Obedience here upon Earth, but that it will be liable to Errors and Lapfes, and many daily Infirmities, which will require the conftant Use and Exercise of Repentance; yet we must keep our felves to the conftant Practice of Duty, and make Obedience to the Laws of God our Ordinary and continual Employment. This we fhould look upon as our great and main Bufinefs; the one Thing needful; berein with St Paul we fhould exercise our felves to have always Confciences void of Offence, both towards God, and towards Men, Acts xxiv. 16.

(5) I shall add but one Qualification more of our Obedience, to make it of the right Stamp, and that is, that it be hearty, chearful and diligent. This is what the Apoftle calls, running the race that is fet before us, Heb. xii. 1. and the Pfalmift, running the Way of God's Commandments. As running is not a flow, heavy, heartlefs Gate, but it implies the exerting our felves with Diligence and Alacrity; fo the Refpect we ought to have for fuch an excellent Mafter, and VOL. II. F

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