the love of God. This is to transfer Judaifm, SERM. not the true religion taught by the Prophets to VI. the Ifraelites, but the perverfe notions and fpirit, which prevail'd among them in their worst and most degenerate times, into christianity; fo much the more inexcufable, as the difpenfation we are under, does in comparison with the former, bear the character of spirit and truth. Who can think that baptism, the Lord's fupper, prayer, not to speak of usages meerly of human invention, will be any more available, without the new creature and faith working by love, than circumcifion, facrifices, and the dif tinction of meats and days?

It is altogether as unreasonable to expect acceptance by faith without works, which is really dead. The law of faith indeed excludes boasting; but not diligence in good works. Let us therefore give all diligence to make our calling and election fure, 2 Pet. i, 10. and the way is mark'd out, ver. 5, 6, of the fame chapter; and let us remember the doctrine of the apostle John, 1 epift. iii. Little children let no man deceive you,

7,

7.

be that doth righteousness is righteous, even as be is righteous.

SERM.
VII.

Acts xxiv. 16.

And herein do I exercife myself to have al ways a confcience void of offence towards God and towards men.

T

HESE words are a part of St. Paul's apology for himself before Felix the Roman governor. He was vehemently accused by the Jews as an heretick, a mover of fedition, and guilty of profaning the temple of Jerufalem. But, the particular crime objected to him, and which principally ftir'd up their rage, was his being a ring-leader of the fect of the Nazarenes; fo they called the chriftians. In his defence he expreffly denies the facts charg'd upon him; fuch as his having mov'd fedition in Jerufalem, and profan'd the temple: But, for what they called herefy, he frankly acknowledged it, at the fame time infifting, that it was innocent both with respect to religion

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ligion and civil fociety. For as to religion, SER M. he agreed with the Jews in worshipping the VII. God of his and their fathers, and receiving" without exception what they alfo profefs'd to be the rule of their faith, namely, all that is written in the law of Mofes and the prophets Particularly he hoped in God, which the Pharifees themselves, his fierce accufers, alfo allowed, for a future refurrection of the dead, as that which fhall complete the felicity of good men. What harm could poffibly accrue to the interest and profeffion of true religion, where such principles were uniformly maintained? Efpecially if we add, what the apoftle afferts to have been the genuine effect of them upon his mind, and his converfation; and herein do I exercife myself to have always a confcience void of offence towards God and towards men. This is the true teft, by which our pretended zeal for religion, and belief of its doctrines, are to be tried and determined. Without it zeal is but a human, indeed a corrupt paffion: And faith, or profeffion, be it ever fo found, no better than infidelity. But, he that fincerely exercifes himfelf herein, to have always a confcience void of offence, in effect the fame, that feareth

God

SERM. God and worketh righteousness, will be acVII. cepted with God as his approved fervant; and fulfils all the purposes of religion: At the fame time he ought to be acknowledged a good member of fociety, and is not justly obnoxious to civil government. The cafe being fo, it is of great importance to underftand, and still of greater importance to imitate the example of the apoftle. In order to which I will endeavour in the following difcourfe, ift, To fhow what it is to have a confcience void of offence towards God and towards men; 2dly, I will confider this as the proper fubject of our conftant attention and exercise; 3dly, The neceffity and reafon ableness of it.

First, I am to fhew what it is to have a confcience void of offence towards God and

towards men. I fuppofe every one of us to know what confcience is, fo far as is neceffary to the present purpose. We all know that our minds, confcious of their own fentiments, affections, difpofitions and voluntary actions, have a power of reflecting on themselves, and what paffes in them; nay, by a multitude of occafions are unavoidably led to it. And nothing upon a review oc

curs of greater moment, and yet more ob- SER M. vioufly, than our own moral characters, our VII. tempers, our works; which are accompa nied with the highest pleasure in our approbation, or the most painful felf-reproach. It is true the principle of felf-love deeply rooted in our nature, makes us always fenfible to our own interefts; fo that a confcioufnefs of having wifely promoted it, gives pleasure. As, on the other hand, it is galling to confider, that we have been wanting to ourselves, and imprudently taken the measures which tend to obftruct our own happiness. But, moral confcience is of a peculiar kind; and, abstracting from the natural good and evil, or pleasure and pain to ourselves, which must follow, the first and fimpleft reflection on our having done right or wrong, immediately gives joy or remorse. Perhaps there is not a rational being, to whom fome characters and works do not appear at first fight to have an infeparable turpitude; and a consciousness of them is horridly offenfive As the oppofite difpofitions and works are neceffarily judged amiable.

The painful fenfe of evil done is accompanied with fear, because of apprehended ill deferving, which the mind is imme

diately