verfions of the age by their presence and approbation, but are generally moft bitter in their invectives against religious focieties. The former, though directly contrary to our baptismal vow, are deemed innocent, if not useful, by them: the latter, they are continually crying down (efpecially if any life or divine power be amongst them) as schifmatical, feditious, and tending to destroy the prefent established constitution.

For thefe, and many fuch like reafons, I, as prefent with you in fpirit, though abfent in body, thought it my duty to put you in mind, zealously to perfift in your obedience to the forementioned injunction once delivered to the faints; and fo much the more, as in all probability the day of persecution nearer and nearer approaches.

GOD has given an harvest, and there has been a gathering in a winnowing time will come. His fan is already in his hand. Yet a little while, and (if the work lately begun be carried on) I am perfuaded he will throughly purge his flour. The shepherds must first be fmitten; and next, endeavours will be used to scatter the fheep. The religious focieties Satan has undoubtedly defired to have, that he may fift them as wheat. My brethren, watch and pray one for another, that you may be enabled to stand in such an hour of temptation, and having done all, to ftand.

Be not ashamed of that wherein you ought to glory. Religious fociety is of divine extraction. As God made man, fo GOD faid, "It is not good that man fhould be alone: I will make a help meet for him." Meet, as I take it, not merely for his body (man had few corporal wants in paradife) but chiefly and primarily for his better part the foul, that he might have one to converfe with of his own fpecies, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.

. It is true, man is now a fallen, but yet he is a focial creature and as the end of his coming into this world was to prepare for a better; fo without doubt the chief end of society in general, and of religious fociety in particular, is, that we may be helps meet for each other in the great work of our falvation.

Upon this account it was, that the first chriftians fo frequently affembled themselves together, when obliged to shut the doors for fear of the Jews; and their continuing in fel

lowship

lowship with each other, was one main reason why they continued ftedfaft in the apoftles doctrine.

Take then, my brethren, the primitive christians for your examples: their practices are recorded for our learning. No power on earth can lawfully forbid or hinder your imitating them. In all fuch cases we must obey God rather than man; otherwife, we so far deny our holy profeffion, and are enemies to the cross of CHRIST: and though, because you have got a little out of the formal way, fome blind zealots may brand you as schifmatical; yet if you fear Gop, and truly honour the King, and are of the number of those who are quiet in the land, there is no reason can be urged against your societies, which will not equally hold good against all assembling together for religious purposes.

In this respect, a private prelate has no more authority than a private prefbyter. If it be lawful for more than five to meet in a private veftry, it is equally lawful for more than five to meet in a private house; as is the practice of fome of the focieties who are under the government of those called the Twelve Stewards. If it be enquired of you, by what authority you use sometimes to pray without a premeditated form of words; you may enquire," By what authority any one reads the church forms, who is not commiffioned fo to do, and that in any place but in the church," where only they are appointed to be read, and only by one so commiffioned? If they reply, "We have Doctor Woodward's form;" you may answer them with this question, "What difference is there, in respect to others, between a person's reading a form, which few that hear it know beforehand, and a perfon's praying extempore, as the Holy Spirit gives him utterance?" If they laugh at the mention of "praying by the Spirit," brethren, I hope you know better. Stand faft therefore in the liberty wherewith CHRIST has made you free; and be not afraid, by fuch a practice, to make innovations in the church, which does not confine its members to forms, but within the church walls, nor even there altogether. In private affemblies, fuch as yours, all are left to their liberty; and therefore, as many as would hinder you in this, at once difcover their pitiable ignorance of that conftitution they pretend to promote,

and

and an unhappy estrangement from the fpirit and privileges of the gospel.

How to improve your meetings, fo as beft to promote GOD's glory, and the good of your own fouls, ought to be your constant and chief concern: for as christians in general, fo members of religious focieties in particular, are as cities built upon a hill; and therefore it more highly concerns them to let their light so shine before men, that they feeing their good works, may glorify our Father who is in heaven.

Not that a communion of perfect faints is to be expected here on earth: or that you ought to be immediately offended, if fome of your brethren fhould be overtaken with a fault. In this world, tares will be always fpringing up amongst the wheat. Many that are firft, will be laft, and the laft firft. Nay, it is well if fome, like Judas, do not at length lay afide their profeffion, and openly betray our Master.

To prevent this, you ought to be very cautious, my brethren, whom you admit into fellowship with you. Examine them again and again, not barely whether they receive the facrament, and go to church; but whether they be in the faith. Set them upon proving their own selves; and by no means receive them into your brotherhood, unless they can produce fufficient evidences of their having tafted the good word of life, and felt the powers of the world to come. This, fome may object, is not a very good way to increase and multiply you as to number; but it is the beft, the only way, to establish and increase a communion of true faints. And fuch a fociety, confifting of a few folid chriftians, is far preferable to one that is filled with a multitude of fuch as do not bring forth fruit unto holiness, but have only the fig-leaves of an outward profeffion. Formal hypocrites will do any society more harm than good and however they may endure for a while, and receive the word with joy; yet, having no root in themselves, in time of temptation they will fhamefully fall

away.

Next to your care about admitting others, I think it highly concerns you, whenever you affemble, to remember the end of meeting, yourselves; and then (to use the words of the wife fon of Sirach on another occafion) "you will never do amifs." Now, the end of your meeting, brethren, is not that ou may think yourselves more holy than your neighbours,

much

much lefs to form a fect or party, or promote a schism or set dition in the church or ftate. No: fuch thoughts, I trust, are far from you: for they are earthly, fenfual, devilish. And, if ever fuch defigns fhould be fet on foot, I earnestly pray GOD the abettors of them may be detected, and all their schemes, though never fo plaufibly concerted, fall to the ground, The only end which, I hope, you all propose by your affembling yourselves together, is the same for which you were redeemed, "The renewing of your depraved natures, and promoting the hidden life of JESUS CHRIST in your fouls." These terms, however foolishness to others, I truft, my brethren, are not fo to you. I take it for granted, you are not only defirous of, but already in fome measure bleffed with, a faving experimental knowledge of JESUS CHRIST in your hearts for unless a man be born again from above, and made a partaker of the divine nature by the indwelling of GOD's Holy Spirit, he can in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoever denies this to be true in the most literal, real, and abfolute fenfe of the words, knows nothing yet as he ought to know: for it is grounded on a felf-evident truth, that we are fallen from GOD in Adam, and must be renewed in the spirit of our minds, ere we can be restored to that blissful communion with him, which is the free gift of GOD and eternal life.

The only way to this, is faith in JESUS CHRIST; faith in contradiftinction to, though neceffarily productive of, good works. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: whofoever believeth on me, though he were dead, yet fhall he live," fays CHRIST himfelf. And I think it my 'bounden duty, to exhort you at . this time, to contend earnestly for the doctrine of Juftification by faith only, because so many blind guides are lately gone out into the world. My brethren, it is much to be feared that many of our present preachers are no better than doctrinal papifts. And however this, to those who having eyes fee not, may be judged an uncharitable cenfure; yet surely they cannot justly blame me for want of candour, who confider, that one of the most reputed orthodox prelates in the kingdom, in a late paftoral letter advifes his clergy, "So to explain the doctrine of juftification in the fight of GOD by faith only, as to make good works a neceffary condition." Such advice

from a Roman cardinal would be no more than we might expect; but, coming from a bishop of the Church of England, is furprising, and much to be lamented.

GOD forbid, my brethren, that you should fo learn CHRIST! If the scriptures are true, fuch a doctrine is abfolutely false. The lively oracles no where declare good works to be a neces fary condition of our juftification in the fight of God; on the contrary, they every where affirm, that "Salvation is the free gift of GOD, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD: that we are faved by grace through faith; and that it is not of works, left any man fhould boast." No, my brethren, in the great mystery of man's redemption by JESUS CHRIST, boasting is entirely excluded.

We must not expect to be faved, or any way recommend Lourselves to GOD, by any or all the works of righteousness which we have done, or fhall, or can do. The LORD CHRIST is our righteousness,our whole righteoufnefs: imputed to us, instead of our own. "We are compleat in him,” fays the fcripture. "We are accounted righteous before GOD, only for the merits of our LORD JESUS CHRIST," by -faith," faith the eleventh article of our church. And if so, how are good works, my brethren, a neceffary condition of our juftification in the fight of GOD? The law indeed fays, "Do this, and live:" but the gospel brings us the glad tidings, that "CHRIST is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." CHRIST, by his facrifice, and perfect obedience, has every way fulfilled the law for us; and GOD will not require to be paid twice. CHRIST bought our juftification with a great price, even with his own blood. It comes to us freely, without any regard to works past, present, or to come. This is the conftant language of CHRIST and his apoftles; and therefore, to ufe the words of the forementioned article, "That we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort." Observe, my brethren, juftified by or through faith, and not for faith; for faith is only a means or inftrument whereby the whole righteousness of JESUS CHRIST is applied to the finner's foul and whofoever does thus believe in his heart, fetting to his feal that God is true, may be affured that his pardon is fealed in heaven; notwithstanding he has lived in an

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