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perhaps, you did not think it was pride; yet it is fo: for though you be vile in your own eyes; yet, the thing you would be at, in this matter, is, you would be pure in your own eyes; and then you think you would be pure in his eyes too. Come to Chrift, though you have nothing of your own to bring with you to him; for, you muft come to him empty, and ftript of all your own proper good; that you may get all in him, and from

him.

Again, There is a pride of understanding and opinion, that takes place in hardened finners, who will not come to Chrift. They trust their own judgment in their own cafe: they are both judge and party; and their judgment is not according to truth; for they judge themfelves not to be fo bad as they are. Yea, they are pure in their own eyes; and therefore they will not come to Christ, to be purified, juftified, or fanctified; and fo, no wonder that they are not wafhed from their filthinefs.

Therefore, I fay, do not truft your own judgment, in your own cafe. Let the word of God judge you: and judge yourselves, not by your own understanding, but by that word of God that will judge you at the last day. Examine yourselves by the word; felf-examina tion would bring down your felf-conceit. And pray that God would fearch and try you, faying, with the pfalmift, Pfalm cxxxix. 23, 24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my reins and fee if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

VOL. I.

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SERMON

SERMON XVII.

NON-CONFORMITY to the World injoined; or, the Evil and Danger of SYMBOLIZING with the Wicked,

opened.*

IT

ROM. xii. 2.

Be not conformed to this world.

But it is the

men of the

is the character of the children of God, that they have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, 1 Cor. ii. 12. They are not of the world, even as Chrift is not of the world. character of the wicked, that they are the world, who have their portion in this life, Pfal. xvii. 14. Cónformity to Chrift is the great mark and character of faints; "Whom he did foreknow, them he did predef tinate to be conformed to the image of his Son," Rom. viii. 20. But conformity to the world is the great characteristic of Atheifts and wicked perfons: and therefore the apostle here diffuades all the children of God from fuch conformity; "Be not conformed to this world."

The apoftle having at large treated the fundamental doctrines of Chriftianity, in the preceding chapters, he comes now in this to prefs home, upon the confcience, the principal duties thereof. True religion is not only defigned to inform the judgment; but also to transform

*This Sermon was preached by our Author, in his own church at Dunfermline, in the year 1723. And from the beginning of the Sermon itfelf. as wellas from the place it has in the note-book, we learn, that it was delivered immediately after these on Prov. xxx. 12. p. 325.

But the foun

transform the heart, and reform the life. dation of Chriftian practice must be laid in Christian knowledge: and hence the apoftle, having difcourfed, at large, of juftification by faith, thro' the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift, and of the riches of free grace, carnal wifdom might be apt to infer, Therefore we may live as we lift, and walk in the way of our own heart: No, that doth not follow; the faith that juftifies is a faith that worketh by love; having understanding how to receive Chrift Jefus the Lord, we come to understand how to walk in him. Hence this chapter is joined to the foregoing difcourfe by the word therefore; "I befeech you, THEREFORE, brethren:" intimating, that the practical application of doctrinal truths is the life of preaching.

The first verse of the chapter is a general direction ; and that urged with the strongest motives and arguments and in the most affectionate and pathetic manner: "I befeech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you prefent your bodies a living facrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable fervice." It might be ufeful to offer fome explication hereof; but it is not what I propofe at the time; and therefore I go forward.

The apostle proceeds to give more particular directions and that which the text bears is fet down both ne gatively and pofitively. The pofitive direction is last fet down, tho' firft in the order of nature and operation, before the former; "Be'ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove [or understand] what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Concerning this renovation of mind, I propose not at prefent to treat; especially as it is much the fame, in other words, with that holiness and purity, or being washed from our filthinefs, which I infifted fo much upon from the laft text of fcripture we profecuted in your hearing*. Now the negative direction is, " Be not conformed to this world." By World here, we are to understand the men of the world, the wicked of the world, the lufts of the world, the way and course of the world, &c. And by not CONFORMING thereto, we are to understand, our

Hh2

Allading to the preceding Sermons, from Prov. xxx. 12.

not

not fashioning ourselves according to the world. All the difciples and followers of Chrili muft be Non-conformists to this world, or unlike the wicked therein. And for the further expli ation of this text, I fhall profecute this doctrinal propofition.

OBSERV. That the people of God muft not be like the world, or the wicked therein: They muft not be conformed to the wicked world.

The method we propofe to obferve, for illuftrating this obfervation, through fupernatural aid, fhall be the following,

I. Prove and clear the truth of the doctrine.

II. Enquire what it is in the world we are not to be conformed to.

III. Point out what this difconformity to the world imports.

IV. Give the reafons why we are not to be conform ed to the world.

V. Make application of the whole fubject.

Now, as I fuppofe, this fubject is not unfeafonable; fo, I think, it is not unfuitable to the laft we infifted upon from Prov. xxx. 12.

Having of late, 1. Spoken of the FATHER's exhibiti on of Chrift, faying, "I will give thee for a covenant of the people." 2. Of the SPIRIT's operation, in order to his being known; "He fhall teftify of me." 3. Of the Son's declaration of his own excellency, faying, “I and my Father are one." 4. Of the WORLD'S difapprobation of this glorious person, and the harsh treatment he got among them; "Behold, I and the children which the Lord has given me, are for figns and wonders in If rael." 5. Of the REASON why fo many, even in Ifrael, pour contempt thus upon Chrift and his followers; why,

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthinefs." Here is the fett of the world. We now come, 6. To enquire what is our DUTY in a fuitableness to this, even not to be conformed to this world.

I. The first thing propofed, on the general method,
was, To prove and clear the truth of the doctrine, viz.
That the people of God muft not be like the wicked
world, or conformed thereto. We thall prove this both
by fcripture precepts and precedents.

Ift, There are fcripture precepts, both in the Old and
New Teftament, to evince the truth hereof; and I
would have you to confult them carefully in your Bible,
and there fee what is the mind of God to you in this

matter.

1. There are Old-Teftament precepts that injoin this
duty; fuch as these, and the like: "Thou fhalt not fol-
low a multitude to do evil," Exod. xxiii. 2. "Enter
not into the path of the wicked; and go not in the way
of evil men; avoid them, pafs not by them, turn from
them, and pafs away," Prov. iv. 14, 15. See also,
Lev. xviii. 24. 27. Deut. xii. 30, 31, 32. Pfal. i. I.

Prov. i. 10, 11. 14, 15, 16.

2. There are likewife New-Teftament precepts inforc
ing the duty, fuch as thefe following; "And with many
other words did he teftify and exhort, faying, Save your-
felves from this untoward generation, Acts ii. 40. This
I fay therefore, and teftify in the Lord, that ye hence-
forth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of
their mind;-Be not partakers with them, Eph. iv. 17.
v. 7. Keep yourfelves unfpotted from the world,"
James i. 27. See alfo, Mat. v. 46. vi. 31, 32. Luke

xii. 29, 39.

2 Pet. iii. 17.

2 Cor. vi. 15, 16. I Theff. v. 5,-3.

zdly, There are fcripture precedents to influence us
not to be conformed to the wicked world. I fhall in-
ftance in the following perfons. (1.) In Noah; Gen.
vii. 1. "And the Lord faid unto Noah, Come thou and
all thy houfe into the ark; for thee have I feen righte-
ous before me in this generation." (2.) In Lot; 2 Pet.
ii. 7, 8. “And delivered righteous Lot, vexed with the
filthy conversation of the wicked; for that righteous man
dwelling among them, in feeing and hearing, vexed his
righteous foul, from day to day, with their finful deeds."
(3.) In Jofhua; chap. xxiv. 14. "And if it feem evil
unto you to ferve the Lord, choose you this day whom

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