SERM. Paffions alfo, and to enforce his ComIII. mands by propofing, together with 'them, fuch Motives and Confiderations, as (he knew) would have the greatest Influence towards determining our Choice; towards fecuring, and enlivening our Chriftian Obedience. And the most operative of these Motives feems to be that, which applies it felf to our Fears, and urges upon us the ftrict Practice of Vertue, by the Threats of divine Vengeance, which will certainly attend our Difobedience. This Confideration the facred Writers frequently inculcate; and particularly St. Paul in the Words of the Text, wherein he exhorts the Philippians to Work out their own Salvation with Fear and Trembling.

On which Words I intend to build this plain, but useful Propofition, That "A Fear of God's Wrath, and of Eter"nal Punishment is a proper and suffi"cient Motive to lead Men to Holi"nefs." This feems to be a very evident Truth; and yet thofe, who have

to

to deal with scrupulous Confciences,SER M. know, that some very pious and well- III. meaning Christians, do in good earnest doubt of it; and will not allow themselves to be in a Regenerate Eftate, or to have a fure Title to the Divine Favour, because their Repentance, wholly took its Rife at the first, and hath fince perhaps in fome Measure received its Growth and Increase, from that base and flavish Principle of Fear, to which, they imagine the true Sons of Adoption and the Elect of God are always Strangers.

To remove the Scruples, under which fuch good, but mistaken Men labour, shall be the Business of my present Difcourse: Wherein I shall endeavour,

I. First, By fome general Reflections to leffen the ill Opinion, which these Perfons entertain of themfelves;

II. And then proceed more directly to prove, that the Principle, from which their Repentance and Obe

SERM.
III.

dience hath fprung, is fuch, as they may securely rely on. And,

I. I defire them to confider, that, although the Gospel doth (almost in every Page of it) represent to us the Neceffity of Repentance in general; yet, as to any particular Motive, from whence this Change of Mind and Manners must necessarily flow, it is altogether filent. Which feems to intimate this Truth, That, if a Man be but fincerely and throughly Good, it matters not much out of what Principle he first became fo: Elfe the Scripture, which so often and earnestly pref

fes

upon us the One, would have laid Some ftrefs on the Other alfo. It is faid

indeed that we must Love the Lord our Luke x. 27 God with all our Heart, and with all our Soul, and with all our Mind, and with all our Strength; that we must walk in all bis Ways, and keep all his Commandments: But it is no where determined, from what Motive this our Love, and Obedience muft originally fpring, in or

der to find Acceptance with God. And SERM. therefore, where no exprefs Directions III. are given, there the Divine Goodness seems to have indulged a Latitude. And why then should we make the Way that leads to Eternal Life narrower, and the Gates ftraiter, than God himfelf appears to have made it? But,

2. It seems a little unequal and preposterous in these Perfons, to lay fo great a Stress on their Fears in one Respect, when they diftruft them so much in another. For the State of their Cafe

is plainly this, That by a Dread of Divine Vengeance they were at first scared from the Practice of Vice, and led into the Paths of Vertue: And it is the fame religious Dread that now inclines them to suspect, and condemn themselves, on that very Account. They fear they have not repented in that manner they ought to have done, because their Repentance was at first the Effect of their Fear; that is, they allow the Suggestions of this Paffion to have a great deal of Weight in the lat

ter

SER M.ter Cale, but none at all in the former. III. Which is, at one and the same time,

22.

to pay too much, and too little Regard Rom. xiv. to it, and to condemn our felves (as St. Paul elsewhere speaks) in that thing we allow. And the Judgments Men pass On their own Condition, from such inconfiftent and confused Views as these, must needs be very uncertain, and unfit to be relied on. Nay,

3. It is no flight Token of a Man's being really and fincerely Good, and upon fuch Principles and Grounds as are well-pleafing to God, in that he suf pects himself not to be fo:

Since we rarely find any but the best and most religious Minds entertaining fuch little Doubts, and encouraging fuch nice Scruples as these. The bold prefumptuous Sinner goes on hardily in his way; careless and fearless; without looking backward to the Point from whence he fet out, or forward to the End of Jer. xviii.6 his Journey. He repenteth not of his Wickedness (according to the Defcription given of him by the Prophet Jeremy)

Saying,