conform in our Life for the future to the precepts of the Gospel. Our Faith muft be like that of the multitude at the preaching of the Apostles, of whom it is faid, that believing they turned unto the Lord; not like that of Simon Magus, who although he believed concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jefus Christ, yet was affured by Peter that he had neither part nor lot in the Spirit, because his heart was not right in the fight of God.* The best means of knowing whether we have that faith which the Gospel requires is to examine into the nature and principles of our actions; as a tree is known by its fruit, fo is the heart of a man by the good and evil conduct of his life. This is a teft plain and eafy to be understood, unless we wilfully deceive ourselves. In recommending good works as the teft of Faith, let it not be understood that we are to ground our confidence on their * Acts, ch. viii. ver. 21. excellence excellence or perfection. When we have done the best we can, and may not be conscious of any enormous guilt, yet such is the imperfection of human nature, we cannot thereby be juftified. A fense of our own unworthinefs is nevertheless compatible with our confidence in God's mercy through Jefus Chrift; he expects not perfection in us but fincerity in our pursuit after righteousness, and thus much may every man know of his own heart. Equally distant from the fatal extremes of presumption and defpair is the true Christian Faith; far from offering encouragement to obdurate guilt, it on the other hand leaves not the penitent finner under the horrors of reprobation. To fuch therefore as fenfible of their own frailty have recourfe to Almighty God for pardon and forgiveness through Jefus Christ, and will comply with the terms propofed in the Gospel, we preach remiffion of Sins, that being juftified by Faith, they may have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift. SER SERMON X. ST. LUKE, Chapter xviii. Verse 14. I tell you, this Man went down to his house juftified rather than the other. HUMILITY, which confists in a mo- ture ture that Man has nothing of his own wherein he may boaft, as if he deserved it; whofoever therefore diftinguished by any circumstance of fuperiority above his Brethren, overlooks the Giver of all Good things, and is forgetful of his own unworthiness, dishonours God by ingratitude towards his Benefactor, and by pride towards his Fellow Creatures. Unreasonable however, and unbecoming as fuch a conduct is, the least experience or observation may convince us, how apt we are to take glory to ourselves, when it is due only to God. it It is done on almoft every occafion of competition be the object contended for what may. It is not only the conqueft or the Rule of Nations, but the slightest distinction of pre-eminence, in talents, dress, or equipage, which are seen to make men unmindful of what they are, and (as it were) to justify them in their own conceit, for all the preference they arrogate in fociety. But, O vain Man, what haft thou, that thou didst not receive? |