SERMON XXIII.

MAT. VII. 26.

And every one that heareth thefe Sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish Man, which built his House upon the Sand. V. 27. And the Rain defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that Houfe: and it fell, and great was the Fall of it.

A

The Fourth Sermon on this Text.

FTER the Defcription of a good and wife Chriftian, with the good Succefs of his Labours, which we had in the two preceding Verfes: Here follows now the contrary Defcription of a bad Chriftian, together with his Imprudence, and the Unfuccefsfulness of his Labour. These are the three Points I shall speak to from the Words; namely,

1. The Description of the bad Christian; he is one who hears our Saviour's Doctrine, but obeys it not; that is, he contents himself to be a profeffed Scholar of Chrift, without fincerely endeavouring to live up to the Chriftian Doctrine and Precepts.

2. His Imprudence; he is like a foolish Man, which built his Houfe upon the Sand.

3. His Unfuccefsfulness; the Rain defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon his House; and it fell, and great was the Fall of it.

I. We are to confider the Defcription given here of a bad Chriftian; he is one that heareth our Saviour's Doctrine, but doth not reduce it into Practice. In which Defcription, there are two Things to be confidered. 1. Something this bad Christian does, both to fatisfy himself and others that he is a Chriftian; and this is defcribed here by his hearing of Chrift's Sayings. 2. Something in which he is deficient, and that is, he is but a bare Hearer, and not a Doer of Chrift's Precepts.

1. The Title or Character of an Hearer of Chrift's Sayings, fignifies in general, a Disciple of Chrift's, and comprehends all that belongs to the receiving Knowledge and Inftruction in the Chriftian Doctrine. So that fuch Perfons may have all the following good Qualities. (1.) They may have entred themfelves Chrift's Difciples, and have given up their Names to him, and be called Christians. (2.) They may have been baptized in his Name. (3.) They may be eminent Profeffors, and very zealous in owning the Christian Cause. (4.) They may be great Proficients in the Knowledge of the Doctrine of Christianity. (5.) They may be eminent Teachers, Defenders, and Afferters of this Doctrine to others. (6.) They may carefully obferve all the external Rites and Ceremonies, and Sacraments

[SERM. of the Chriftian Church. (7.) They may yield too a partial Obedience in many Things, especially fuch as are not inconfiftent with their Lufts and carnal Interefts. So far a mere Profeffion of Christianity will carry them. But now,

2. Let us confider wherein this bad Chriftian is deficient; namely, in his Obedience to our Saviour's Precepts: He heareth thefe Sayings of Chrift, and doeth them not. But now, because it is certain the bare Profeffor of Chriftianity yields fome fort of Obedience to our Saviour's Precepts, here lies the Difficulty, to open up this Mark of Obedience fo clearly, that we may know how far it is a certain Mark of a good Christian, and how far the Neglect of it is the Character of a bad one; for as the Knowledge of this is neceffary to the understanding of the Text, it will be likewife of excellent Ufe in a Chriftian Life, to guard us against all thofe other false Marks, from which we believe ourselves good Chriftians, when we are not; or bad Chriftians, when we are good.

There are three Marks of Obedience, by which we may know that it is of the right Stamp; namely, when it is fincere, univerfal, and conftant. All which want fome Explication to fet them in a true Light.

(1.) I call that Obedience fincere, which is performed with a pure Eye to God, and which proceeds from a firm Belief of his Promises and Threatnings; for though, I doubt not, it is very lawful to take in the Confideration of other Motives to Obedience, fuch as are all the evil Confequences of Sin in this World, and all the good Confequences of Virtue; yet the main Wheel in

all

all this Affair fhould be, the inward Love and Fear of God, and all the reft are to be admitted but as inferior Confiderations; and whenever they fail, we are to proceed in our Obedience notwithstanding.

(2.) I call that Obedience univerfal, which doth not pick and choose to obey this, and to disobey that Commandment, but diligently labours to comply with every Duty; not but that the most fincere Chriftian is guilty of the Tranfgreffion of fome Commandments more than others, and has much more ftruggling with his own evil Nature and vicious Habits, to live up to the Obedience of fome Duties, more than others; but ftill the good Chriftian excepts no Duty out of his Care, indulges himself in novice, fo as to reft quietly in the Practice of it, but takes true Pains to overcome every Corruption, and to learn the Exercise and Habit of every Christian Virtue.

(3.) I call that Obedience conftant, which is not taken up by Fits and Starts, but is an uniform Tenour of Life; not that all good Men are at all Times equally in the like good Temper, or that they never faulter in their Obedience, and are never overcome with Temptations; but that they do not fall away into a Course of Difobedience, but aim at and endeavour a steddy, and uniform, regular Course of Duty; and upon every Trip or Tranfgreffion, make hafte to recover themselves by Repentance, and Amendment of Life.

From what has been faid of the true Characters of Obedience, we may eafily gather, what is to be meant by fuch as profefs Chriftianity,

but add not Obedience to their Profeffion. But that ye may know them the better, I fhall briefly distinguish them into several Sorts or Claffes.

(1.) There are fome, who, though they profefs Chriftianity, are meer Scandals to their Profeffion, and make no Confcience of living according to it. Whether they go upon a stupid Inconfideration, as if Profeffion alone, without good Life, could answer the Obligations of their Religion; or whether they have wrong Notions of Faith, feparating it from good Works; or whether they depend upon a future Repentance and Amendment of Life, it is certain, that at prefent, they give up themselves to the Service of their Lufts, and make no Conscience, and are at no Pains, to live holy and good Lives; whatever it is these Men build their Hopes of Salvation upon, it is certain, it is a Bottom and Foundation which will utterly fail, and all their Hopes will certainly perish.

(2.) But paffing by this profane and openly wicked Sort of Chriftians, there are others, who make a much better Appearance, and abstain from all grofs Vice, and comply, at least outwardly, with all Duty; but all this they do, not out of the Love and Fear of God, or any Regard to a future State, but purely from low carnal Ends, and the better to carry on their worldly Interefts. But thefe People generally live in fecret Wickedness, as having no Fear of God to restrain them, where their worldly Intereft does not oblige them to Duty. These are fecret Hypocrites, and if they rife up to any Hopes of Happiness in a future State, it is an eafy Thing to fee how thefe their Hopes are built upon a Wrong