II.

VOL. GOD before. his eyes. It fpeaks that language, carries that fignification with it in the mind and judgement of any common obferving fpectator. What fentiment then muft it beget in the mind of God, who fees immediately, and without the intervention of any argument, beholding things just as they lie in themselves! But befides this double argument, from the lefs to the greater, there are several other confiderations, that will evince the fame thing. As,

1. It is the declared rule of God's righteous judgement, to deal with men finally according to their works, and not merely according to their profeffion; according to what they do, and not to what they pretend. It is the constant tenor of Scripture, (of which you cannot be ignorant who are wont to read your bibles) that God will in the last day, render to every man according to his works, as it is in fundry places. And in the epiftles to the Afian churches, our Saviour putting on the perfon of a judge, thus addreffes himself to the one and the other of them; I KNOW THY WORKS. Immediate cognizance is taken of them, even of those which are most latent; much more of those which are apparent and manifeft, as the works we have spoken of, are. Upon this account he makes himself known to them by the description of one who trieth the beart, and fearches the reins, that he may render to every one according to their works.

And he is

fur

Rev. 11. 2, 9, 13, 19.

further reprefented as one who has eyes as a flame SERM. of fire, fearching into the very things wherein it III. takes place. And we are told that in that very day, it is not the saying unto him, Lord! Lord! that fhall intitle any one to the kingdom of beaven but the doing of the will of God the Father who is in heaven. Where our Saviour alfo further affures us, that those who fhall make this profeffion, without a fuitable life and converfation, will be rejected in this awful manner, Depart from me! I know you not ". But under what notion, or for what reafon, are they thus to be abandoned? as workers of iniquity. Thus we see their evil works will caft the balance against all their pretences to that which is good.

2. We are further to confider, that it is an unreasonable thing to imagine, that God will give men a title, without giving them a capacity for enjoying the rewards of the blessed state. Certain it is, that mere profeffion qualifies no one for this happiness; therefore it is not reasonable, that it should intitle any one to it. A man is never a whit the more capable by his profeffion of dwelling with GOD, in another world; of ima mediately beholding with fatisfaction his bleffed, glorious face. To what purpofe is a title, where there is no capacity? It would not confift with the wisdom of GOD, to divide these things, which muft neceffarily concur to one end, namely, to his own glory, and the perfon's fitness for the enjoyment of Him. Men are wont to be wifer, A title with them fails, when a capacity does. VOL. II. Rev. 11, 18.

C

Matth. VII. 21.

They

Ver. 23.

II.

VOL. They ceafe to be intitled to an estate, who by a natural incapacity cannot enjoy it, as for inftance, fools and lunatics. Again,

3. THEIR profeffion is fo far from intitling them to the rewards of another world, which belong to those who are fincerely of the true re-. ligion; that, being joined with a wicked life and evil practices, it provokes God fo much the more highly against them, ingages the divine wrath and vindictive juftice, fo much the more directly to their ruin. And this on feveral accounts. As,

(1.) BECAUSE fuch a profeffion demonstrates, that these persons fin against fo much the more light; otherwife what makes them profefs at all? They who profefs religion, as a great part of the world do not,, certainly must be supposed to know more. We do not call them profeffors of the Christian religion, who were born, among Pagans, and always have lived as such among them. They who profefs Christianity, are fupposed to live (and do fo for the most part) in the inlightened region; in that part of the world. through which the gospel-light hath diffused itfelf. This is therefore a moft horrid thing, for the works of darkness, and of the night, to be transacted, where the Gospel has made it broad day. And if they, who have opportunity to know more than others, are after all vicious and immoral, doth not this highly increase their wickednefs? Will not this inflame the wrath of GOD much more against them? And if, in fact, they do know more, is not the provocation the

I

greater?

greater?

Men certainly know fomething of SER M. what they profefs, more or lefs. For as there is III. not in the natural world, fo neither is there in the moral, any fuch thing as pure and abfolute darknefs. And when light fhines round a man, it makes him the more deeply guilty, that he can find nothing else to do but to commit wickedness. Light got within! What an aggravation is that of a man's iniquities, or the works of darkness? Light fhines in his judgement and confcience! Divine and merciful light projects its beams from above into his very foul, where it is held in unrighteousness! This is that which wrath flames. againft, even the wrath of GOD; which is revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and iniquity of men, who hold the truth of GOD in unrighteoufnefs. This is moft highly provoking, that where divine truth might expect to find a throne, there it should find only a prifon. And therefore, what can enfue upon this, but tribulation and anguifh, inftead of a reward? It is to him who knows his mafter's will and does it not, that many ftripes do belong. In like manner, we find the Apostle James speaking, To bim that knoweth to do good, and does it not, to bim it is fin. And our Saviour faith thus to the Pharifees, If ye were blind ye fhould have no fin : but now ye fay you fee, therefore your fin remain eth. What are we blind also, say the rulers? They took it for a great reproach not to be

h Rom. 11. 7, 8.

C 2

i Luk. x11.47. 1 John 1x. 40, 41.

thought Jam. JV. 17,

VOL. thought very difcerning. But, fays our Lord, II. it had been well for you if you had been blind; for fince you are fo knowing, your fin remains, and you are abfolutely inexcufable.

(2.) Ir follows of confequence, that they fin with malice who can allow themselves to join wickedness with their profeffion; and outface, as it were, the light of that truth, which directly teaches them otherwife. For, in the cafe now supposed, the interest of CHRIST and his religion has already, as it were, fought its way through all the outworks; and there is now no further oppofition but the fortrefs of the heart, the feat of love or hatred, of kind propensity and inclination to GoD and CHRIST, or of enmity and malice to them. The bufinefs now lies wholly at the door of the will. By how much the more of the will, by fo much the more of enmity and malice there is in finning. By how much the more of light, so much the more of will; and the more profeffion there is, fo much the more of light. In this feries do these things lie. If we fin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there is no more facrifice for fin". If you fin against this facrifice, you are not to expect another. Your peace therefore is to be made this way, or not at all. And when a man's knowledge, as well as his profeffion, is against him; and his oppofition to GoD and the defign of Christianity is refolved into nothing, but mere will, there is not the leaft pretence, or the fhadow of a reafon left to juftify his conduct. All

Heb. x. 26.