pretenders to the power of godliness, yet are notoriously guilty of this very grievous sin.

10. And lastly, (to pass by the other vices next mentioned by the apostle, as being some way or other reducible to the former,) these formalists are said to be pinovos μädλov în piλóbeu, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; i. e. their hearts are set upon their lusts more than upon God or goodness. This indeed is at the bottom of all their other sins before mentioned. For where the sincere love of God above all things is found, it will exclude all the forementioned sins and vices. But where that love is wanting, qua data porta ruunt, there a wide gate is opened for all those evils to rush and break in upon the soul. And therefore where this love of God is wanting, the power of godliness cannot possibly be.

These are the black characters of the men described by the apostle, and of whom he saith in my text, that they have a form of godliness, whilst they deny the power thereof. From whence you may see, what a legion of devils may lurk under the tended saint, what a troop of the most heinous sins may shelter themselves under a form of godliness.

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And thus I have fully (I hope) confirmed and illustrated the proposition laid down, viz. That a man may have a form or show of godliness, when yet he very far from the power; i. e. the truth and reality of it. Now briefly to apply this whole discourse.

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1. Let us take heed of being deceived by such as having a form of godliness, yet deny the power of it. Let us not be cheated by false appearances. Let us not believe every pretender to godliness, but remember that all is not gold that glitters: that the

greatest wickedness may lurk under the most specious form of godliness. Indeed they that affect to make the greatest show of godliness are most of all to be suspected. For the truly good man is humble, content with the testimony of his own conscience, and the approbation of God; and therefore is not so solicitous to set himself out to others to the best advantage, as the hypocrite is.

This caution is the very use of this doctrine, which the apostle himself directs us to in the words immediately following my text: from such, such formalists, turn away; i. e. shun and avoid them. And from the verses next following, it appears the apostle had a special eye to unlicensed, false, and schismatical teachers, who, by a specious form of godliness, endeavoured to seduce men from their lawful pastors, and to draw them from the communion of the church, into house-meetings and private conventicles. Read the sixth and seventh verses, and you would think the apostle foresaw and described the humour of our age. Of this sort (i. e. of men, who having a form of godliness, deny the power of it) are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women, laden with sin, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1. They creep into houses. They forsake the public communion, and keep private conventicles in houses, whereinto they creep and insinuate themselves by fair and specious pretences.

2. Leading captive silly women. By a form of godliness, and a fair show of more than ordinary holiness, they impose especially upon the female sex, as being the weaker, and generally of lesser judg

ment, reason, and understanding. In this they imitate the old serpent, the Devil, who began his temptation upon the woman first, and then by her seduced the man also.

3. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth: i. e. they continually hang upon the lips of these schismatical teachers, and are continually hearing and repeating their preachments, so that one would think they must needs learn much; but indeed they never arrive to that solid and substantial knowledge in religion, which, by a constant attendance on their lawful pastors, and their ministry, they might have arrived to.

O that the men of our age would attend to these words of the apostle, and be so wise at last as to shun and avoid such seducers !

That is the first inference, and you see it is the very use which the apostle himself makes of the doctrine.

2. Let us take heed we deceive not ourselves by a form of godliness, whilst we deny the

power of it. Let us often and seriously consider, that we have to do with a God, who is the searcher of hearts, and a trier of the reins, who cannot be imposed upon by any cunning hypocritical artifices of men. No mist that our self-love can cast either upon our own or other men's eyes can darken his sight, but he sees through it into the bottom of our hearts, and our most secret inclinations. Though we may deceive others and ourselves too with false appearances of things, yet we can never deceive him. He knows us far better than we do ourselves. And at the great day of trial, he will thoroughly anatomize us, and lay our very inside perfectly open and naked to the

view of the whole world, to the sight of men and angels. And how will the man that hath only a form of godliness, without the power of it, be then ashamed and confounded!

They are great and weighty words, which the divine author of the Epistle to the Hebrews delivers in this case, chap. iv. 12, 13. For the word of God (i. e. the personal Word or Son of God", as appears from the sequel) is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Let us not therefore acquiesce in a bare form of godliness, let us never be at rest till we have attained to the power of it. And to assure ourselves of this, let us carefully shun and avoid the sins and vices noted in the persons described by the apostle, and let us practise the contrary virtues.

Let us not be lovers of ourselves, i. e. self-seekers, without a due regard to the glory of God and good of others; but let us make these our chiefest aim and end; for thereby we shall be the truest lovers of ourselves.

Let us take heed and beware of covetousness. It is the repeated caution of our Saviour. Let us covet earnestly the best things; let us seek first the kingdom of God, &c. Matt. vi. 33.

Let us lay aside all pride and vainglory, and be clothed with humility. 1 Pet. v. 5.

b [See Waterland's Works, vol. III. p. 154.]

Let us avoid all unworthy notions, thoughts, and speeches of the great and glorious God, and speak reverently of those men that represent him.

Let us be obedient to all our superiors, whether natural, civil, or ecclesiastical.

Let us be thankful to God for his mercies, and to all men that are our benefactors.

Let us love all men, but especially let us be tender to our natural relations.

Let us to our power be faithful keepers of all promises we make to our neighbours, especially in matters of right and justice.

Let us take heed of all calumny and slandering of others, and speak evil of no man unnecessarily.

Lastly, and above all things, let us pray most earnestly for the love of God, the prevailing love of God, the love of God above all things. That we may see the perfect vanity of all other things, how short our enjoyment of them will be, how little good there is in them, and how infinitely good and excellent a being God is, and may therefore set our hearts upon him, and choose him for our everlasting portion.

These are the virtues, opposite to those vices, which the apostle notes as repugnant to the power of godliness. In the practice of these, the power of godliness consists, and without them, no form of godliness will avail us at the great day of accounts.

Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honour and glory, adoration and worship, both now and for ever. Amen.