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wrong Foundation, and will fail them not only in the great Day of Accounts, before a Judge that is the Searcher of Hearts; but whenever they are to undergo any great Trial in this World, on account of their Religion.

(3.) There is a third Sort, who come much nearer to the Kingdom of Heaven, and yet mifs of it, and they are fuch as believe the Christian Religion, and have a good Opinion of it in all its Parts, and do many Things to comply with the Precepts of it, yet live in the Practice of fome beloved Sins, and voluntarily indulge themfelves in that Practice; without earnest Endeavour, by the Ufe of the Means of Grace, to conquer and overcome them. I confefs if this Remainder of finful Practice were an involuntary Thing; if we were striving against it with our most fincere Endeavour, and for that End trying all the Means of Grace, and were only pulled back with the Violence of our Corruptions, it might be then interpreted in a more charitable Sense; but if it is indulged and acquiefced in, and no Endeavours, at least no vigorous Endeavours, used against it, it is like a neglected Leak, which endangers the finking of the Ship. In this Senfe we are to understand what St. James faith, Chap. ii. 10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one Point, he is guilty of all. This one Point, as appears by the Context, is one of the great Commandments; for it follows immediately; For he that faid, Do not commit Adultery; faid alfo, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no Adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a Tranfgreffor of the Law. By which Doctrine it appears plainly, that the indulging ourselves in

the

[SERM. the Practice of any known Sin, is inconfiftent with a State of fincere Obedience.

So much for the Defcription both of Obedience and Difobedience, from which we may know whether we are good or bad Chriftians. The only Difficulty in Enquiries of this Nature is, when a very strong Corruption meeting with a weak Faith and feeble Repentance, and unconftant Refolutions, there is a long Struggle between the Flesh and the Spirit, and it is uncertain, which of them shall at last prevail; and indeed it is hard to determine this Cafe, as long as the Perfon is thus almost equally influenced by two fuch oppofite Principles. Principles. The only fure and comfortable Way of deciding this Controverfy is, not to halt long between two Opinions, but to make hafte out of this dangerous State, and by frequent and fervent Prayers, and doubling our Diligence in vigorous Endeavours to grow in Grace, and in every good Work, and to gain fuch an entire Victory to the Spirit over the Flesh, as may give us the Comfort that we are the Children of God, as walking not after the Flefh, but after the Spirit.

II. After the Description of the bad Chriftian, which is taken from his evil Practice; we come now to the fecond Thing contained in the Words; namely, his Imprudence, described here by the Similitude of a foolish Builder, He is like a foolish Man, fays my Text, which built his Houfe upon the Sand. For understanding this Part of the Text, it will be neceffary,

1. To discover fomething of the Nature of these fandy Foundations, upon which Men build their Hopes of Heaven.

2. The Folly of trusting to them.

1. As to the fandy Foundations, our Saviour has given us here a general Character of them; namely, that they are all fuch Doctrines, upon which we build up our Hope of Heaven, without being at the Pains to practife Christian Duties. This General will include a great many Particulars under it, which it would not be improper to infift upon, if I had not already mentioned most of them from fome of the foregoing Texts, as when I guarded you against the pernicious Doctrines of falfe Prophets; and when I discovered to you the falfe Hopes of them, who are brought in pleading their Faith and high Profeffion, and their preaching and working Miracles in Chrift's Name, who yet will be dif owned in the great Day of Accounts as Workers of Iniquity. And therefore all I fhall now do, fhall be to caution you in general against this Stratagem of Satan's, which he has very dexterously managed under a great many various Forms and Shapes; which is, to take Men off from that main, most neceffary Part of Religion, Obedience to the Precepts of the Gospel; in which Defign he finds a treacherous Partner in our own Hearts, which are glad to ftrike in with any thing that will excufe us from the Difficulties of Chriftian Obedience to those Precepts of Perfection which our Saviour has given us. O how welcome are all thofe Doctrines which either directly, or in their Confequences, tend to perfuade us, that we may be happy hereafter, without

[SERM. being at the Pains and Trouble of living well here. This has introduced ftrange Opinions and Practices into the Chriftian Church. This has difpofed fome Men to believe, that we fhall be adjudged to eternal Happiness and Misery, rather by fome hidden Decrees of God, than by the Rules of his revealed Will, though most expressly contrary to holy Scripture. This has made the Doctrine of the Antinomian, and Solifidian, and Fiduciary, which places Mens Hopes in believing, without doing and obeying, find Place in the World. This has made Men lay fo great Stress on orthodox Opinions, though their Lives are no better than those of the rankest Hereticks: This has made us take every flight Sorrow for Sin, though never forfaken, for the true Repentance required in the Gofpel; and imperfect Refolutions of Obedience, for Obedience itself. This has made a Death-bed Repentance to be fo much depended on, and the Example of the Thief on the Cross, who, in all Probability, had no Opportunity before, of being acquainted with Chrift, or his Doctrine, fo confidently applied to them, who have all their Life long been acquainted with the Doctrine of the Gospel, and have utterly neglected the Practice of it. This has made fuch a Dependance on the Church, or Society and Party to which we addict ourselves, when we take little or no Care to live up to the Rules eftablished by all Churches. It is fufficient to guard us against these and all fandy Foundations of that Nature, that our Saviour has at once condemned all fuch Doctrines, as build any Hope of Salvation upon any thing less than a confcientious Practice of our Saviour's Doctrine,

2. But having fhewed you the Nature of thefe fandy Foundations, in the next Place we are to enquire into the Folly of trusting to them. Our Saviour, in my Text, compares the Chriftian who hears thefe his Sayings, and doth them not, to a foolish Man, who built his Houfe upon the Sand. The Folly of this Action appears in divers Things, in which the Similitude will likewife very patly answer. 1. Here was an Error in the Foundation, which is more dangerous than an Error in the Superftructure. 2. Here was a fatal Inconfideration, to build an Houfe only for the calm fair. Weather, which happened to be at the Time of laying the Foundation of it, without taking a View of those Storms, aud Tempests, and LandFloods, which afterwards might affault it. 3. In Confequence of this Inconfideration, here was a moft egregious Piece of Folly, in laying out a Man's Money, and Trouble, and Pains, all to no manner of Purpose. Now answerable to these three Branches of Folly in building, the Folly of venturing our Salvation, without vigorous Endeavours after Obedience, may appear in these three Things.

1. The Error of placing our Hopes of Salvation on any Thing without Obedience to the Precepts of Chrift, is a fundamental Error, and is never to be retrieved by any other Arts and Inventions. The World indeed has offered at a great many Inventions to make up this Defect; but nothing could ever do. The Jews and Gentiles both were very profufe in the Coftliness of their Sacrifices, which when feparate from good Life, God by his Prophets often told them how

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