we be not wanting to ourselves; for God's grace is fufficient for us; greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the world.

IV. And lastly, which is the proper and genuine effect of all these, the practice of a holy and virtuous life in all the parts and inftances of it. And unless this effect be produced, we want the surest evidence of the former: for it is not credible, that that man hath a due sense of God, and pious affections towards him, or does fincerely exercise himself in the duties of religion, or is firmly refolved in well-doing, who does not shew forth effects of all this in a good conversation. Thus St. James reafons, chap. iii. 13. Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge amongst you? that is, instructed in the Chriftian knowledge, in the heavenly wisdom; let him shew forth, out of a good conversation, his works.

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So that herein the power of godliness doth visibly appear, in the course of a good life; and it is the very design of the Apostle, in this chapter, to declare this to us, as will appear to any one that confiders the defcription here given of those perfons, who, under a shew of religion, denied the power of it; they were such as notwithstanding all their pretences to godliness, allowed themselves in several vices, and lusts, and paffions, and were destitute of the virtues of a good life; they were selfish, and covetous, and vain-glorious, and proud, evil-speakers, disobedient to parents, unthankful to their benefactors, filthy and impure, treacherous, heady, conceited, sensual and voluptuous; fo that whatever appearance of godliness they made, they were almost as bad as could be imagined; there is hardly a fuller catalogue of fins to be met with in the Bible: befides that all these vices are such as are plain and evident in the lives of men.

So that, upon the whole matter, it is very clear wherein the Apostle mainly places the power of godliness, namely, in the real effects of religion, such as are the mortifying of our lufts, and fubduing of our paffions, the government of our tongues, and the several virtues of a good life.

1. In the mortifying of our lufts, the lufts of intemperance and uncleanness, covetousness, and ambition. He

:

that

that is a flave to any of these, his religion is but a form, how glorious a shew soever it may inake. Fleshly lufts war against the foul, and will finally ruin it. Covetoufness and pride are enmity to God. God refifts the proud afar off, and the covetous man the Lord abhors.

2. In the fubduing of our paffions, wrath, hatred, malice, envy, and revenge. They are the very nature and properties of the devil, and dispositions as contrary to God, as light is to darkness; therefore whoever allows himself in these, whatever pretences he makes to religion, is really a bad man. This St. John tells us is a plain cafe, 1 John iii. 10. Whosoever doth not righteousness, is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. James iii. 13. 14. But if ye have bitter envying and ftrife in your hearts, glory not, and lye not against the truth, that is, do not pretend to be religious; this wisdom defcendeth not from above, but is earthly, fenfual, devilish.

3. In the government of our tongues. This is a great effect of religion, to keep our tongues from speaking evil, from backbiting, and flandering, and cenfuring, and reviling, from prophane swearing and curfing, lewd and filthy talking. When mens tongues run out into these diforders, it is a sign that they are not under the government of religion, and that the fear of God hath not feized upon their hearts; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. So St. James tells us, chap. i. 26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart; this man's religion is vain. And on the contrary, it is a good fign that religion hath some power over men, when it restrains them in this kind. So the fame Apostle tells us, chap. iii. 2. If any man offend not in word, the fame is a perfect man.

4. In the several virtues of a good life, in oppofition to these and all other vices; such as are truth and justice, humility and meekness, patience and contentedness with our condition, peaceableness and charity to those that are in want and necessity, a readiness to forgive our enemies, and an univerfal love and kindness to all

men.

I have not time to recommend these particularly to you, the scripture does it frequently and fully, tel

B 3

telling us that these are the will of God, and the divine nature, the new creature, pure religion and undefiled, the wisdom that is from above, the fruits of the Spirit, the proper and genuine effects of true piety, the sensible and substantial evidences of our love to God, the things wherein the king dom of God consists, and that he that in these things ferveth Chrift, is accepted of God, and approved of men; but he that neglects these, whatever form of godliness he puts on, is a denier of the power of it. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. He that doth not righteousness is not of God.

Thus I have done with the second thing I propounded to speak to, namely, wherein the power of godliness confifts. There are two other particulars remaining, which I shall referve to a farther opportunity.

SERMON CCV.

Of the form, and the power of godliness.

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2 Т1 м. ііі. 5.

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.

T

The fecond fermon on this text.

HE third thing propounded, was to give some marks, whereby we may know when these are separated, when there is a form of religion with

out the power of it.

I need not infist long upon this, because this will, in a good nieafure, appear by the account I have given of these two severally, of the form of religion, and of the power of it; for he that considers wherein each of these confifts, will easily judge when they are feparated. But yet, that we may be sure not to mistake in a matter of fo great concernment, I will inftance in two or three grofs and palpable characters of this, and they are so comprehenfive as to contain most of the rest.

I. He hath only a form of godliness, who minds merely the external part of religion, without any inward sense of it,

II. He that useth only the means of religion, without regard to the end and effect of it.

III. He that is grofly and knowingly defective in the practice of any part of it.

I. He hath only a form of godliness, who minds merely the external part of religion, without any inward sense of it. He that worships and ferves God outwardly, but hath no inward reverence and esteem for him, who cares not, fo the work be done, and the duty performed, with what heart and affection he does it. This is a mere carcafs of religion, which is so far from being pleasing to God, that it is intolerably offenfive to him; for, though it be outwardly an honour done to God, yet really and in truth it is a contempt of him.

And yet it is to be feared, that this is a religion which many in the world chuse and content themselves with. They can ferve God an hour together, and mention his name an hundred times, without ever thinking of him, or being affected with the business-they are about: nay, which is worse, this is a religion which a great part of the world use, and cannot help it; I mean all those who ferve God in an unknown tongue. For how is it possible their minds and hearts can be concerned in a service they do not understand? They may poflibly have a devout mind in general: but they cannot exercise any asts of devotion in the particular service they are engaged in. The best of men are apt enough to let their thoughts swerve, and go aftray from God when they are worshipping of him, though they understand the service they are about; but when they do not understand, it is impoffible their minds and thoughts should go along with it, and be concerned in what is done. This is properly, and in the strict sense of the word, μύρφωσις ευσεβείας, an image of religion and " devotion, without any life or fenfe." And if to have our bodies put in a devout posture, to move our hands, and lips, and eyes, without understanding the service

we

we offer to God, may be accounted worshipping of him, this is a fervice that may be performed by puppets as well as men. God is a Spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. Inspirit and in truth, in oppofition to a mere bodily service, and external shew of devotion. God, who is a spirit, must be worshipped with our spirits. He expects from reafonable creatures a reasonable service; and that service only is reasonable, which is dictated by our understandings, and accompanied with our hearts and affections : and to worship him otherways, is to offer a sacrifice without a heart; it is to offer the iame and the blind in facrifice, which would be an affront to our governor, much more to the great King of the world. Whatever we do in the fervice of God, we must do it heartily as to the Lord, because he is the fearcher of hearts, and all things are open and naked to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

II. He hath only a form of godliness, that useth only the means of religion, without regard to the end and effect of them. A man may exercise his understanding in the service of God, and his heart may be touched, and his affections moved in prayer, and at the hearing of God's word, and the receiving of the facrament, and yet this may be but a form of religion, if it go no farther. If we do not forsake those fins we confess to God, and daily beg the pardon of; if we do not truly and heartily endeavour that we may live godly, and righteous, and sober lives, as well as pray that we may do fo; if the counsels and directions of God's word have not an influence upon our lives; if we be not awed by the threatnings of it to leave our fins, and encouraged, by the promises of it, to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God; we use the means of religion to no purpose, and we difcredit the institutions of God, because we make no proficiency under them. We are just like the disciples of those formal professors of religion, whom the Apostle describes after the text, who are ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. It seems they used the means of instruction, and continued to use them, they were ever learning; but all this