These reasons have induced me to make choice of the paffage now read as the subject of dif courfe at this time. It contains the rule to which our Saviour appeals in his controverfy with the Pharifees, and by which he, once and again, defires that their pretenfions may be judged. I apprehend from the context, that it is equally applicable to their characters and their principles, their integrity before God in their offices of teachers of others, and the foundness of their doctrine as to its effects upon those who should receive it. These two things are, indeed, in a great meafure connected together, or rather they are mutually involved in one another, though it is poffible, and, in fome few cafes, profitable, to make a diftinction between them.

What is further propofed, through the affiftance of divine grace, in the profecution of this fubject, is,

I. To fhow, that the rule here given by our Saviour is the beft that could have been given, and that it is fufficient to diftinguish truth from

error.

II. That this is in fact the rule by which all good men, and, indeed, mankind in general, fo' far as they are fincere, do judge, of religious principles and pretenfions.

III. To

III. To conclude with fome reflections on the fubject for the benefit both of minifters and people.

In the first place then it is propofed to fhow, That the rule here given by our Saviour is the beft that could have been given, and that it is fufficient to diftinguish truth from error. Τα lay a foundation for this, it will be necessary to begin by fettling, in as precife a manner as poffible, the meaning of the rule, and to what cafes it can be justly applied. "Ye fhall know them by "their fruits,” saith our Saviour.-That is to say, when any perfon affumes the character of a divine teacher, and propofes any thing to your belief, as from God, fee whether its fruits be really fuitable to its pretenfions: particularly, you are to lay down this as a principle, that, as he is holy in his nature, every thing that proceeds from him must be holy in its tendency, and produce holiness as its fruit. In proportion as you fee this effect in him who teaches it, and those who embrace it, so receive it as true, or reject it as falfe.

By laying down the rule in these terms I do not mean to deny, that, when a revelation is firft propofed as from God, or when the credit of fuch revelation in general is examined, miracles are a distinct and conclufive proof of a divine commiffion. I am perfuaded that nothing is more, vague and indeterminate, and at the fame time,

a more

a more manifest inverting the natural order of things, than to say with fome, We must judge of the truth of a miracle by the nature of the doctrine in fupport of which it is wrought; and, if this laft is worthy of God, we may then admit the honorary teftimony of the mighty work in its behalf. They do not attend to the great ignorance of man in all spiritual and divine things without revelation, and to the boldness of human pride, who speak in this manner. I would rather include this as one of the proper fruits of a divine commiffion to teach any new doctrine, that figns be given of a superior power accompanying the prophet. Thus we see the Jews made this demand of our Saviour, "What fign

fheweft thou then, that we may fee and be"lieve thee? What doft thou work?" It is true, in some inftances, when, after many miracles, they perfifted in asking new figns of their own devifing, he condemns their obstinacy and refuses to gratify it. Notwithstanding this, we find him often appealing to his works as an attestation of the truth of his miffion: thus he says, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the "Father in me, or elfe believe.me for the very "works fake +." And elsewhere, "If I had not "done among them the works that none other "man did, they had not had fin: but now

• John vi. 30.

† John xiv. 11.

" they

"they have both feen, and hated both me and "my Father *." Agreeably to this, we find Nicodemus drawing the conclufion, "Rabbi, we "know thou art a teacher come from God, for

no man can do the miracles that thou doft, 66 except God be with him †.”

There is no doubt, however, that this must be infeparably joined with a purity of character, and fanctity of purpofe. When these are wanting, it gives the jufteft ground of fufpicion, leads to the ftricteft examination of miraculous pretenfions, and will certainly end in the difcovery of fuch as are falfe. For this is the very ex cellence of the rule laid down by our Saviour, that, though reafon may be very unfit to pafs an inde-pendent judgment upon. truth and error, confcience may, with little danger of mistake, reject what is evil, and yield its approbation to what is good.

But what I have chiefly in view is, that fup pofing the truth of the gofpel in general, par ticular opinions and practices must be tried in this manner. As the gofpel is allowed on all hands to be a do&rine according to godlinefs, when differences arife, and each oppofite fide pretends to have the letter of the law in its favour, the great rule of decifion is, which doth moft immediately and moft certainly, promote † John iii. 2.

* John xv, 24.

piéty and holiness in all manner of conversation. In this way every doctrinal opinion, every form of government, and every rite and practice in worship, may be brought to the test and tried by its fruits.

As opinions, fo characters, must be tried in the fame manner. The truth is this, tho' deferving particular.mention, is included in, or is but a part and branch of the other. To pafs a judgment on particular characters is of very small moment, or rather, a peremptory decifion of this kind is both unneceffary and improper, unlefs when it is of weight in a caufe. It is only prophets and teachers that fall to be fingly, or perfonally tried, because they are fuppofed to exhibit, in their own practice, an example of the force and influence of their principles. If on them they have no effect that is good, there is not the least pretence for infifting that others fhould embrace. them.

Nothing farther feems neceffary by way of explication of this rule, fave to obferve from the context, that fair and plaufible pretences, either of opinions or characters, muft be examined with particular care, as being most ready to deceive; and the trial must be more by facts than by reafoning, as is implied in the very language used in the text, "By their fruits ye fhall know

"them."

The