ON GOOD WORKS. ROMANS VI. 22, 23. But now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Of all the motives which should ac- SERM. tuate the Christian to lead a good life, that XIV. which ought to be the most efficacious and prevailing, is commonly altogether overlooked and neglected, or else made too much of. To lead a good life, or to endeavour to do so, through the mere hope of future reward, or dread of future punishment, is acting from a low and mercenary principle in comparison with the motives that should operate upon the true Christian, 1 SERM. Christian, and stimulate him to works of XIV. righteousness. Besides, Christianity does 66 Apostle said unto the Lord, increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye bad faith "as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say "unto unto this sycamine tree, be thou plucked up SERM. by the root, and be thou planted in the sea, XIV. " and it should obey you. But which of you 66 66 having a servant ploughing, or feeding cattle, "will say unto him by and by, when he is 66 come from the field: go and sit down to "meat. And will not rather say unto him, "make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird 66 thyself, and serve me till I have eaten and “drunken, and afterwards thou shalt eat and "drink? Doth be thank that servant because "he did the things that were commanded him? "I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall "have done all those things which are com"manded you, say, we are unprofitable ser"vants, we have done that which was our 66 duty to do." Now this parable sets the matter in the right light. Whatever we may suppose, we have no title to reward for obeying the commandments of God; it is our bounden duty, let what will come of it. The parable indeed cannot set it in its full light, because among ourselves there is always something due to a good and faithful servant; and as he is our fellowcreature, we may owe him even thanks for SERM. his care and fidelity, but between God and XIV. us the case is different-God receives no 66 thing from all our services; " If thou be righteous," says Elihu to Job, "what givest thou him, or what receiveth he at thy "band?" Towhich we may add the remark of the holy Psalmist, "Thy goodness reach"eth not unto him." God is above all wants, and therefore in reality in need of no services; but he is supreme above all things, and therefore he may promulgate his laws freely, and require strict obedience. But from what I have been saying, let it not be imagined I am depreciating good worksfar from it. They are not the less amiable for being necessary, but as the case stands with us Christians, we have a nobler hope, than what can arise from any prospect of recompence strictly due to our just deeds. And the text I have chosen may serve to open your eyes to the truth of what I have been urging. In the text, two things are very prominent and noticeable: we are there called the servants of God-death is said to be the wages of sin, but that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our |