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could not possibly give again unto God more than God had at first given to him, no benefit could possibly be reflected back from the actions of men to God. "Can a man be profitable "unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable "to himself? Is it any thing to the Almighty, * that thou art righteous; or is it gain to him, ،، that thou makest thy way perfect ? If thou "sinnest, what dost thou against him? Or if

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thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost ،، thou unto him? If thou be righteous, what givest thou him, or what receiveth he of "thine hand? Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit "the son of man: but thine actions, whether good or bad, cannot at all affect him, who "sitteth on high among the Cherubims. It is true, God in several passages of Scripture represents himself as receiving honour and glory from actions done in obedience to his commands: but in this he only speaks to the weak capacities of men, and signifies to us, that such actions shall be as amply rewarded by him, as though his honour and glory were thereby really increased.

But should we, for argument's sake, allow, that our works actually did him this service, yet would it still be undeniably evident in the third

place,

place, that the service done to him by our best works, bears not the least proportion to the reward proposed: For what is the reward proposed? No less than eternal life and never-ceasing bliss. Now could indeed the powers of man confer some new attribute or perfection upon the divine nature, this might perhaps bear some proportion to the proffered recompence. But the utmost that can be contended for, with any the least pretension to reason, is, that by the proper exercise of the human faculties some small accession is made to the glory and honour of God's majesty. And this, if true, could not surely be put in competition with an immortality of happiness! Suffering for God's sake, every one must allow, is at least as meritorious as doing a good action for his sake: and yet St. Paul, who suffered as much as perhaps ever man did for the Gospel, reckons that "his present sufferings

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were not worthy to be compared with the

glory that should be revealed:" he teaches us, "that our light affliction, which is but for a

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moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding "and eternal weight of glory; whilst we look "not at the things which are seen, but at the

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things which are not seen: for the things "which are seen are temporal, but the things "which are not seen are eternal." But the thing is too plain to need a number of texts to

VOL. II.

L

prove

prove it: I proceed therefore, fourthly, to shew, that our works are at best imperfect. In order for our works to be perfect in the sight of God, they must spring from a pure root; that is, be the fruits of a perfect and unsinning obedience: "for a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, "neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good "fruit." So that if indeed we are intirely free from spot or stain of guilt, if we can with a safe conscience pronounce ourselves in a state of innocence and integrity, then may we venture to plead our cause before God upon the footing of our own merit, and challenge the reward at the hands of justice. But alas! who can say, I have made myself clean? "All have sinned, "and come short of the glory of God." Even a good man falleth seven times a day. And shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, he found no steadfastness in his servants, and his angels he charged with folly: how much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust; which are crushed before the moth! If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say,' I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. For how can man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not;

yea

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yea the stars are not pure in his sight! How much less man that is a worm, and the Son of man' that is but a worm! And if this be the true state of our case, as most certainly it is, we ought not to be high minded, but to fear; we ought not to rely upon the justice but upon the mercy of God, and confide not in our own merits but in the all-sufficient merits of Christ for salvation; lest ours be the unhappy case of the stubborn Jews, who being wilfully ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, proudly refused to submit themselves to the righteousness of God.

But that our works are at best imperfect, will yet farther appear, if we will but in the least recollect, that we cannot perform them without the immediate assistance of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle tells us, "that we are not sufficient "of ourselves to think, much less to do any

thing as of ourselves; but all our sufficiency "is of God." We have a load of corruption. that weighs us down, which by our own force alone we are not able to remove: we have a course of righteousness to run; but unless God. strengthens our feet, we must run in vain, and can never hope to attain the prize of glory. "Not unto us, therefore, O Lord, not unto us, but

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"unto thy name give the praise, for thy loving "mercies sake."

It is clear, then, that in whatever light we view the very best actions of man, they carry along with them no pretensions to merit in the sight of God. But if examples be of more force with us than precepts, the holy writings will furnish us with a sufficient number of examples too; examples of men exceeding us as far in modesty and humility, as they did in virtue and holiness. "I am not worthy," says the good patriarch Jacob, "of the least of all the mercies "and of all the truth which God hath shewn "unto his servant." And holy David, "Who

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am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, "that thou hast brought me hitherto? And "this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O "Lord God, therefore thou hast spoken also of "thy servant's house for a great while to come: "but doth this appertain unto man, O Lord!" With what diffidence also and caution doth the great Apostle of the gentiles speak of his labours without measure in the church of Christ! "I am the least of the Apostles, that am not "meet to be called an Apostle, because I per"secuted the church of God, but by the grace "of God I am what I am; and his grace, "which was bestowed upon me, was not in “ vain,

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