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more Zeal to run down all Strictness of Morals, and living up to our Christian Profeffion. Vice never appeared with a bolder Face, as if it would look Virtue out of Countenance. It is high time then for all that would preferve their Innocence, to be upon their Guard against the wicked Maxims, and corrupt Examples of the World; and as the Apostles advised, to fave ourselves from this untoward Generation.

And in order to this, let us, after our Saviour's Example in my Text, take our Characters of Men, not fo much from their high Profeffion, as from the Confequences of their Doctrine, and the Fruits it is apt to produce. Let us learn to value real Holiness and good Life above all other Accomplishments, remembring that as we judge not of Fruit-trees by the Fineness of their Shapes, or the largeness of their Leaves, but by the Plenty and Goodness of the Fruit they yield; fo it is neither a fair Profeffion, nor any, or all other Accomplishments, will recommend us to God's Favour, but only the bringing forth good Fruit in an holy and virtuous Converfation.

There is a terrible End my Text mentions, as the Fate of barren Fruit-trees; Every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit, is bewen down, and caft into the Fire. A moft dreadful Expreffion not only every Tree that bringeth bad Fruit, every one that is exemplary in Wickednefs, but every one that is not fruitful in good Works, that is, in the Actions of Chriftian Virtues, fhall be destroyed in Hell-fire. But on the other hand, give me Leave from another Scripture to tell you, what fhall become of fruitful

Trees,

Trees, thofe fruitful Branches, which believe in Christ, and bring forth Fruit in a good Life. John · xv. I. I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Hufbandman. Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit, he taketh away: and every Branch that beareth Fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more Fruit. The unfruitful Branch is abandoned by God, and not only abandoned, but cut off and destroyed; the other is cultivated with higher Degrees of Grace, till Grace is crowned in Glory.

O bleffed End; for which God of his infinite Mercy prepare us all, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. To him with the Father, &c.

SERMON

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SERMON XIX.

MAT. VII. 21.

Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he that
doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven.
V. 22. Many will fay to me in that Day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophefied in thy Name?
and in thy Name have caft out Devils? and in
thy Name done many wonderful Works?
V. 23. And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from me ye that work
Iniquity.

WE

E are now come to the last Impediment or Obftruction of Obedience to our Saviour's holy Precepts, which he thought neceffary to remove, before he ended this divine Sermon on the Maunt; namely, the trufting to a great Profeffion. This he forefaw many would depend upon, without any vigorous Endeavours to live up to it in their Life and Converfation; and therefore he judged it neceffary to forewarn them, not to truft to fo broken a Reed as this will prove. In fpeaking to the Words, I shall do these three Things.

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1. I will confider the Pretenfions upon which many Men build their Hopes of Salvation, as they are here defcribed; by faying unto Chrift, Lord, Lord; and by pleading the many great Gifts they were poffeffed of; and their laying them out in Chrift's Service.

2. I fhall fhew how far fhort all thefe will come of Acceptance in the great Day of Ac

counts.

3. I fhall confider the great Thing wanting to make our Perfons and Services acceptable, namely, fincere Obedience to the Laws of Chrift. And these three I think will comprehend the whole of the Text.

I. I am to confider the Pretenfions upon which our Saviour forefaw many Men would build their Hopes of Heaven: Which are, 1. A bare Faith in Chrift. 2. An owning of Chrift by Profeffion for their Lord and Mafter. 3. The fancying to themselves that they had a great Intereft in him. 4. The Knowledge, Skill, and Dexterity, they had in teaching his Religion to others. 5. The high Station and Dignity of Teachers wherein they were employed, with the great Gifts beftowed upon them; and their employing these Gifts in Chrift's Service, perhaps with Succefs; These being all Things of great Honour, Truft, and Diftinction, let us confider them a little more particularly; for we are very apt to deceive ourselves, and to build our Hopes upon the fame, or as flender Grounds.

1. One

1. One of the falfe Hopes our Saviour mentions is, a bare Faith in Chrift. This is included in faying to him, Lord, Lord; for this was Faith; the owning Chrift for our Lord. Now that there might be many fuch at that very Time is manifeft; because there were many that believed in him, merely on Account of the carnal Expectations they had from him. For having as yet no right Notions of his Kingdom, there was little more requifite in their Senfe towards becoming his Difciples, than believing from his Miracles that he was the Meffiah; but then being prepoffeffed with carnal Notions of the Meffiah, as if he had been to be a great earthly Conqueror, as to the inward Temper and Difpofition of their Minds, it was full of Covetoufness, Ambition, Luxury, Cruelty, Injustice, and all other Vices, incident to Men fo full of worldly Expectations, as all or most of them were at that Time, when they entred first into Chrift's School. Our Saviour had been all along this divine Sermon, forming their Minds and Manners to a better Frame; and now he tells them plainly, in the Close of his Difcourfe, that without this Change in their Hearts and Lives, he will never own them in the great Day for his genuine Difciples. They may plead as much as they please that they owned him for their Lord, and that they took on with him, and were employed in many great Trufts and Services; but unless they join Holinefs of Life to their Faith in him, he will throw them off in the great Day. By the by, we are to obferve, that this is a new Argument, with which our Saviour enforces all thofe Precepts

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