that he has not at heart the honour of God, SERM. and the cause of religion: but only some private XVI. interests of his own, or of some sect and party.

These things we know our Lord often told the Jews plainly : that they did not bear his word, because they were not of God : that they did not believe, because they fought honour one of another, and not that honour, which cometh from God only. And their injurious reflections upon him, and his doctrine, and his works, and his disciples, proceeded from the like bad dispositions, and shewed, that they were destitute of religion, and under the power of vicious habits.

By their words then men may be condemned. For they shew, what men really are.

By their words also men may be justified. Some by their discourses tending to the honour of God, and the good of men: recommending with mildnesse, yet affiduity, as occafions offer, the great principles of religion, and the important branches of true holinesse, vindicating mens characters unjustly traduced, shewing the reasonablenesse of mutual love and forbearance among men of dif

ferent sentiments: embracing all opportuni

SERM. ties for with-drawing men from fin and folXVI. lie, and bringing them to a discreet and ami

Matt. x. 32.

able behaviour: I say, by these and such like good fruits, some shew, that the tree is good. They are good men, and out of the good treasure of the heart they bring forth good things.

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This point also might be farther illustrated by some particular instances in the Gospels. Our Lord says: Whosoever therefore Shall confess me before men, bim will I confess alfo before my Father which is in heaven. And some there were in his time, who made such profeffions of their faith in him, or so pleaded his cause, as to shew by those words their good dispositions: in like manner as the Pharisees, by their false and injurious reflections, shewed the bad dispositions of their minds.

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Matt. xvi. 16.:

When Peter answered, and faid: Thou

art the Christ, the Son of the living God; our Lord declared him blessed. At another time,

when many forsook him,

and walked no

more with him, and he asked the disciples, whether they also would go away, Peter an

John vi.

fwered: Lord, to whom should we go! Thou

bast the words of eternal life. And we know, SERM. and are assured, that thou art the Christ, the XVI. Son of the living God. Peter thereby thewed a good and virtuous disposition of mind. Though he was not perfect, and upon some occafions manifested an undue affection for earthly things; yet he had a superior, and prevailing regard for things divine and heavenly.

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2.

Nicodemus too shewed himself a good man by his words. He was sincere, though defective. He came to Jesus by night, and made an honest profession: Rabbi, we know, John ift that thou art a teacher come from God. For no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Some good while after this, when the Council had fent forth officers to take Jesus, and they returned with a great character of him and his discourses, and the Pharisees were thereupon offended, Nicodemus faid unto them: Doth our law John vil. judge any man, before it hear him, and know 50.51. what he does? He had a fincere respect for the rules of justice and equity, as he plainly manifests by that apologie, spoken at the hazard of his credit among men.

SERM.

The man born blind, whose historie is reXVI. lated in the ninth chapter of St. John's Gofpel, shewed an honest and virtuous mind by his words. His eyes had been opened on a Sabbath day. The Pharisees pretended to take offense at that circumstance, and examined the man about his cure: who gave them a clear and distinct account, how his eyes had been opened. After much discourse they say unto him: We know, that God Spake unto Moses. As for this man, we know not from whence he is. He answered, and faid unto them: Why, berein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is. And yet. be has opened my eyes. Now, we know, that God heareth not finers. But if any man be a worshiper of God, and doth his will, bim be beareth. Since the world began, was it not heard, that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. This resolute defense of the character of Jesus, in the view of much disgrace, and particularly, of excommunication, which he afterwards underwent, manifested a grateful, and virtuous, and religious disposition of mind. Men therefore may be justified by their words.

SERM.

IV. Nothing now remains, but that I XVI. mention a remark or two by way of application.

1. No one may hence infer, that he may be saved by a fair profeffion of religion, without good works.

Our Lord affures us, that mens words will be taken into confideration in the day of judgement. And by them they may be acquitted, or condemned. But other things will be confidered also, both thoughts and outward actions. And if men are justified by their words, it is, when they are virtuous, and shew a good habit and difpofition of mind. And when good words proceed from a good mind, they will not be alone. There will be good works, as well as good

words.

2. We have here a mark, which may be of good use for determining our fincerity, or infincerity.

This is a thing, about which sometimes we would be glad to be fatisfied. Men may in good measure judge of us by our words. But we can better judge concerning this matter, ourselves: because upon recol

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