fornication, knowing that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God.' Whoremongers and adulterers I will judge; and I will judge them by their desires and wills, for, in my sight, 'he who looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.'

To possess ourselves of our neighbour's property, by theftt by robbery, by fraud, by extortion, or by oppression, is to provoke God, the guardian of justice, who saith 'Let him that stole, steal no more; thou shalt not rob thy neighbour; let no man go beyond, or defraud his brother in any matter; the extortioner shall not inherit the kingdom of God; ye shall not oppress one another; woe to him who buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong, who useth his neighbour's service without wages.'

To give false testimony before the magistrate, or in a court of justice, or either lightly or maliciously to take away the character of our neighbour, is one of the most grievous injuries we can do him, and a deliberate insult upon God, who saith, Thou shalt not raise a false report; put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness; I hate a false witness, that speaketh lies; I myself will be a swift witness against the false swearer; judge not, that ye be not judged; charity thinketh no evil; therefore speak evil of no man; speak not evil one of another; he that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. But there is one lawgiver, who is able to save, and to destroy: Who art thou that judgest another? Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? To his own master he standeth or falleth; yea, he shall be holden up;' for I am able to make him stand in spite of thee, who presumest to place thyself in my tribunal, and sit in judgment on thy fellowservant, perhaps thy fellow-sinner, whose offences are not more provoking than thy own.

In the last place, to covet our neighbour's wife or possessions, or to desire them, without acquiring a just or legal right to them, is as great a sin, as actually to seize them; perhaps in this respect a greater, that the regard we pay to the laws of men, withholds our hand; whereas we shew so

little for those of God, who sees and judges the heart, that there is nothing wanting but opportunity and secrecy, to the full execution of the injurious purpose we are invited to by our dishonest principles and desires. It is no difficult matter to judge in what light he must stand before God, who hath no other sense of duty than what arises from his fear of worldly shame or punishment; while he sets the laws and judgments of God at nought, as if the ruler of the world could neither see nor punish. Hath not God commanded us to be content with such things as we have? To 'take heed and beware of covetousness,' which he calls idolatry? Is he not in a state of war and enmity with God, who is thus prepared for the violation of his neighbour's property; who is restrained by the laws of men, but despises the commandment of God; and whose heart is alienated from the true object of love and worship, to an idol, or false god, of his own erecting?

Now here it is to be observed, that neither branch of intemperance, gluttony or drunkenness, is expressly forbidden in any of these commandments. And why? But because these laws of God are laid on men, that is, rational creatures, and not on brutes; and therefore imply the absence of both those vices in all his subjects. He who enjoined these duties, enjoined also the necessary means. Now a sensual brute, though in the shape of a man, is in no capacity to perform any one of these laws; and therefore, if these two vices had not been sufficiently condemned in other parts of Scripture, yet as here they are, by necessary consequence, prohibited in every single commandment, the sensualist stands condemned, by the tenor of the whole moral law, as an enemy to God. His over-heated blood, and pampered passions, are surely far enough from renouncing the lusts of the flesh, and from a disposition to conform to the will of God.

All the duties we owe ourselves, such as religious knowledge, temperance, sobriety, humility, meekness, contentedness, &c. come under this way of reasoning; and are comprehended in the commandments of God, though those commandments seem to have only God and our neighbour for their objects. Nay, the principles whereon we seek our own improvement and happiness, is the very principle and spring

of all the duties to be performed either to God or man; first, because it is most evident, that the virtues just now mentioned, while they render us good and happy in ourselves, tend directly to make us dutiful to God, and both just and beneficent to mankind; as it is, on the contrary, that he who is not thus principled, is neither in a capacity, nor disposition, to demean himself, as he ought, to God or man: and, secondly, because the motives to the performance of our duty, both to our Maker, and neighbour, work on us chiefly, if not only, through that regard we have for our own happiness, temporal and eternal. What is it prevails on us to do the duties of either table? Is it not because we firmly believe we shall be happy, if we do, and miserable, if we do not, perform those duties? He therefore who sins against God, or his neighbour, sins against himself. He only, who is a good man in himself, is prepared to be a good servant to the former, and a good neighbour or fellow Christian to the latter. Thus, you see, the law of God is perfect, and takes in every branch of our duty to God, ourselves, and our neighbours.

St. Paul tells us, this law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good;' and our Saviour, expressly mentioning these commandments, saith, 'If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.' But, as all men are not tempted to the transgression of the same commandments, and few or none to the transgression of them all; lest any man should think himself excusable in the breach of some, while he keeps the rest, St. James gives him to understand, that 'whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all; for he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill.' He who transgresses any one law of God, tramples on the authority of the Lawgiver; and it is only for want of inclination, not of disrespect for God, if he does not violate all the rest.

But although it is certain, that, in strict justice, all transgressions of God's law render us liable to the punishment, yet we are not to despair on falling into sin, because our covenant of peace with God is a covenant of mercy, as well as works, established between a gracious Maker, who knows the temptations wherewith we are beset; and frail creatures, who cannot always stand upright. If all our

righteousnesses are as filthy rags; if, after we have done all we can, we are unprofitable servants;' and cannot, by our best performances, merit the joys of heaven; neither shall our worst actions sink us into the pit of misery, if we repent and amend. It is not on the footing of our own, but Christ's righteousness, that we are to be saved. He that is without sin, may claim salvation of his own goodness, and bring in God as his debtor; for to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt; but to us who work not, but believe on him that justifieth the ungodly, our faith is counted for righteousness' in the sight of God, who deals with us as children whom his Son hath redeemed from the punishment of sin by his precious blood, not rigorously exacting justice, but graciously extending mercy. There is none who is righteous, none who is good, but God; yet he who is comparatively called the righteous man, falls seven times a day; but he does not, like the reprobate, sin through malicious wickedness, nor fall, but through infirmity; and, when he does fall, he rises again in a sincere repentance, with new resolution. While he endeavours to render his great Master all due allegiance and obedience, and still keeps the field, with all his strength against his enemies, he is, no doubt, the object of mercy, although the discharge of his duty should be attended with much imperfection; although he should be often worsted, yet, as long as he does not submit, he is still on God's side, and under his banner. An unsuccessful battle is not a sufficient cause why so gracious a commander should cast him off for ever. There is great difference between a defeat, if it is not total, and a treacherous revolt, or a base submission.

However, we must not suffer this doctrine, sweet as it is true, to encourage us to carelessness in sin; but must make it our chief motive to repentance. We are not to despise the richness of God's goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering,' as if we knew not that the goodness of God leadeth, or inviteth us to repentance.' We must not after our hardness, and impenitent heart, treasure up unto ourselves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds; to them, who, by patient continu

ance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life; but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doth evil; but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good.' We are still, in the midst of all our soothing hopes of mercy, to remember, that our vows are solemnly pledged to God in baptism for a faith and practice as conformable to the conditions of our covenant, as we can possibly make them. If, through a miserable fondness for our own ways, and a mistaken overstretch of God's supposed compassion, we sin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law, died without mercy; of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?' Although all this shuts not the door against repentance for sins committed after baptism; yet it is sufficient to shew us the necessity of standing fast in that faith we engaged for, and walking in those commandments we promised to keep, by an awful vow, when we entered into covenant with God; for we see, that by a final falling away from this covenant, in either respect, we 'trample on the Son of God;' we profane the holy covenant; we insult the Spirit of God; and consequently replunge ourselves into a state of war and enmity with the Almighty Being, insomuch that we are here called his adversaries,' and threatened as such, with fearful judgments, and fiery indignation.' It had been infinitely better for us to have continued in our natural state, born in sin, and the children of wrath,' on account of Adam's sin and our own, than to have sinned against the light, against a solemn contract, voluntarily entered into with Almighty God, and sealed, on his side, with the blood of his son; and on ours, by an awful 'It had indeed been better for us,' as St. Peter says, 'not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after we

Vow.