out holiness no man shall fee the Lord. But then it is not for the merit of our repentance and righteousness, that thefe bleffings are conferred upon us; but for the meritorious obedience and fufferings of our bleffed Saviour: That most acceptable facrifice of himself, which he offered to God in our ftead, and, in our behalf, hath purchased and procured thefe benefits for us; and we are accepted in his beloved Son, and juftified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift; and therefore, not for any works of righteoufnefs which we have done, but of his mercy he faves us. And here we are to fix our hopes of juftification and falvation, viz, upon that perfect propitiation and fatisfaction which Chrift, by the facrifice of himself once offered, hath made for the fins of the whole world. For the alone merit of this facrifice, God is graciously pleafed to forgive us all our fins, upon our true repentance, and to reward our fincere, though very imperfect obedience, with eternal life. So that through faith in the blood of Chrift, not by confidence in ourselves and our own righteoufnefs, we obtain remiffion of fins and eternal life. And it is not only in itfelf great arrogance, but great ingratitude, to our bleffed Redeemer, who gave himfelf for us, to afcribe that to the merit of our own ighteoufnefs, or the merits of the faints, which nothing in heaven or earth, but the precious blood of Chrift, who was a Lamb without fpot or blemish, could have purchafed for us. And it is argument and encouragement enough to holiness and obedience of life, that without, it we cannot fee God; and by it we are qualified for that happinefs which Chrift hath purchased for us, and, as the Apoftle expreffeth it, are made meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light.

6. And lastly, to awaken and maintain this vigilancy and care, we fhould often reprefent to d our minds the judgment of the great day, which will certainly come, though we know not the time of it. And if any confideration in the world will make men watchful and diligent, certainly this will, that the judgment of God continually hangs over them, and may feize upon them at any time; nay, for ought we know, the judgment of God may now be flanding at the door, and be ready to

rush

rufh in upon us, whilft we are fo negligent and fecure. For this day, whenever it fhall be, will come fuddenly, and furprize the careless world, when they leaft think of it, and look for it. So our Lord himself hath foretold, that as a fare it shall come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth: that is, the greatest part of mankind fhall be taken unprepared, when they are unprovided for it; nay, when they are generally lulled asleep in a stupid fecurity and infidelity; when the world is grown atheistical, and do hardly believe any fuch thing as a future judgment. So our Saviour feems to intimate, Luke xviii. 8. When the Son of man cometh, fhall he find faith upon earth? And if this be a mark and token of the general judgment, we have too much caufe to apprehend, that it is drawing on apáce: for never was there any age fince the general flood, that we know of, when iniquity did fo abound, and the infidelity of mankind was fo full, fo great, and fo general; when profanenefs and atheism, the open contempt of God and religion, was fo-raging and violent; and when, as our Lord fays, there was fo little faith to be found on the earth; whether by faith we understand the belief of the principles of religion, or the fi delity of men one towards another. For was there ever any age, wherein falfe accufation, perjury and fubornation were more rife and impudent; wherein the reverence of an oath was so loft, and the facred obligation of it in fo little regard among men? So that if the great Judge of the world fhould delay his coming, human fociety feems ready to disband and diffolve of itself, for want of mutual truft and confidence among men to hold it together.

And this want of faith, in both fenfes, we owe in a great measure to Popery, which by its artificial ways of falfhood and perjury (which, when they have to deal with hereticks, they have, upon folemn occafions, declared lawful) hath not only weakened, but even destroyed the cre dit of mankind with one another, as we find of late by fad experience. And as for infidelity in religion, they have not only given great occafion to it, by the monftrous abfurdities they have brought into religion; and by overftraining the faith of men in fome parts of it, have

I

N 2

brought

brought them to a disbelief of the whole; as is at this day too vifible in many of the most knowing perfons of their communion, both in France and Italy: but befides this, they have, in their writings, to gain men to a dependence upon, and fubmiffion to the infallibility of their church, undermined the foundation of religion, and induftriously endeavoured to bring men to fcepticism and infidelity; hoping, that when they have made men of no religion, they will be fit for theirs, which, in too many refpects, is next to none; and in fome worse.

But whether the judgment of the great day be near at hand, or farther off, God alone knows; this is certain, that God hath, in great mercy, delayed it for a long time, because he is not willing that any should perish, but that all fhould come to repentance. And it is no lefs certain, that it may come at any time, and will come when men leaft expect it; when the world is in great fecurity, and very little apprehensive of the nearness and danger of it; which is reafon and argument enough to continual care and vigilancy for it may come the next hour, the next moment, for any thing we know to the contrary: and whenever it comes, if we be not prepared, it will be too late to begin that work; if our lamps he gone out, and we want oil, we cannot provide ourselves in fuch a hurry; we fhall be full of fear and amazement, but we shall find no place for repentance, and a deliberate preparation for our great trial. As the great Judge of the world then: finds us, fo will he deal with us; fuch as our state and condition then is, fuch will be our fentence and doom to all eternity. And is not this argument enough to us to: be always upon our guard, always watchful and always ready? because the Son of Man may come at an hour when we think not; and if we be not then prepared, it will be too late to fet about it; the opportunity of doing it, and we ourselves, are loft for ever.

This is the first direction our Saviour gives us, continual vigilancy and watchfulness over ourselves in general.

The II. direction is more particular, and that is pray er; Take ye heed, watch and pray. And the practice of this duty of prayer will be a great advantage to us upon these two accounts,

- 1. As it tends to awaken and excite our care and diligence in the bufinefs of religion.

2. As it is, if fincerely performed, effectual to engage the divine bleffing and affiftance to fecond our care and endeavours, and to fecure them from mifcarriage.

1. It is very apt to awaken and excite our care and diligence in the bufinefs of religion. For whenever we heartily beg of God to affift us by his grace, to any thing that is good, we mind ourselves of our own duty: And both reafon and fcripture will tell us, that we pray to God in vain for his help, if we will do nothing ourselves; that it is grofs hypocrify, and an impudent mocking of God, to implore his grace and affiftance, if we be not refolved to put forth our own endeavours. Prayer indeed fuppofeth that we stand in need of the divine help; but it implies likewife a refolution on our part, to do what we can ourfelves; otherwise we ask in vain, and have no reafon to hope that God will hear our prayers, and grant our requefts though never fo earneftly and importunately put up to him.

2. If we use our fincere endeavours for the effecting of what we pray for, prayer is the most effectual means to engage the divine bleffing and affiftance to fecond our endeavours, and to fecure them from miscarriage. And without the aid of God's grace, and his bleffing upon our endeavours, they will all be ineffectual, and fignify nothing; we fhall not be able fo much as to watch one hour. If God be not with us, the watchman waketh but in vain :" for the way of a man is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his fteps. It is neceffary therefore, that we continually implore the divine grace, and that we do not rely upon our own ftrength, and the ficklencfs and uncertainty of our own refolutions, according to the wife advice of Solomon, Prov. iii. 5, 6. Truft in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own underStanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he hall direct thy paths. Therefore, as ever we hope to perfevere and continue in a good courfe, and to order our lives fo, as to be in preparation for judgment, let us every day, by continual and fervent prayer, apply ourfelves to the fountain of grace and mercy, for his aid and

N 3.

help,

help, to make us vigilant over ourselves, and all the actions of our lives; to enable us to a patient continuance in well-doing, to keep us from every evil work, and to preferve us to his heavenly kingdom.

And to this purpofe we have all the encouragement, which the affurance of the divine goodness, and the fecurity of his never-failing promife can give us. It is but afking and receiving. So St James tells us, fpeaking of this heavenly wisdom to direct us. in our Chriftian course, fo as we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Jam, i. 5. If any one of you lack wisdom, let him afk of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it fhall be given him. I proceed to the

Third and laft part of the text, which is the reason which our Saviour, here adds to enforce our care and diligence in a matter of fo great concernment, viz. the un-certainty, as to us, of the particular time when this day of judgment will be: ye know not when the time is. Therefore we should always be in expectation of it, always in a readiness and preparation for it. The certainty of the thing, and that God hath appointed, and determined a time in which he will judge the world in righte oufnefs, though we were fure this day were far off, ought, in all reafon, to make us very watchful over ourselves, and very careful of all our actions, very ftrict and confcientious in the discharge and performance of every part of our duty. If there were no more but this, that we muft. one day be called to a ftrict account for all the actions of our lives, and receive the juft recompence of them, and, according to the nature and quality of them, be fentenced to eternal happinefs, or everlafting mifery; this alone were a mighty argument. So St Peter reafons, 2 Pet.. iii. 10, 11, 12. But the day of the Lord will come, ins the which the heavens fhall pass away with a great, noife, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth. alfo, and the works that are therein, fhall be burnt up, Seeing then all these things shall be diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godliness; looking for and bafting unto the coming. of the day of God?. that is, making speedy preparation for it. The very expectation of this terrible day of the Lord,

15