what faith, what repentance, what grace, what bearing and reading of the word, what ordinances, are faving.

For if falvation mainly confifts, in our deliverance from our fins, as we have evidently feen it doth; then that is a faving faith, which makes us obedient; and that a faving repentance, which works our amendment; and that is faving grace, which enables us to a pious practice; and that is a faving hearing and reading of the word, which is fitted, not to fill us with vain fpeculations, or myfterious notions, but to awaken our confciences, and reform our lives; and thofe are faving ordinances, which are powerful and proper means of our converfion, and virtuous perform

ances.

This is to be the end of all the helps of religion, and this the excellency of all the means of grace; that they tend strongly to make us leave our fins, and rescue us from difobedience. Our falvation is a deliverance from our fins; and then, any thing is

faving,

faving, when it delivers and frees us from them.

A fecond USE which I fhall note of this difcourfe, is for the trial of our fate; to know, whether we are indeed of the number of the faved or no. For if falvation confifteth in our deliverance from our fins, then they are not saved but lost men, who ftill live in them, and are enflaved to them.

Is any man then a defpifer, or profaner of God, of his dreadful name, or of his holy word? Doth he spend his time in luxury and wantonnefs, pride and covetoufnefs? Are his hands full of violence? or is he a ftranger to the ways of peace? In short, if he doth not make it his bufinefs and care, to fear God and keep his commandments, to be humble, chafte, and temperate; to do all men juftice, and to speak the truth, and love all, even his enemies, and employ himself in all the inftances of duty, which muft at the last and great day be the matter of his account,

He

翼

he has either no share at all, or not enough, in Chrift's falvation.

The chiefeft grace of God which they enjoy, is the grace of forbearance. God doth not snatch fome of them away in their deplorable, nor others in their insecure condition; but allows them time and opportunities of reformation: and the only advice which I can give them, is, to renounce their evil courfes, and to live as new men; and then they may comfortably conclude, that they are in a safe state, and are not without their part in that falvation, which Christ came to procure for them.

A third USE and improvement, which I shall make of this discourse, is, for the directing of our love towards our brethren; in fhewing what things we ought most chiefly to defire and endeavour after for others.

For if our greatest happiness, and the great falvation which Chrift came to procure for us, confift in our deliverance from our fins, and we are to love our brethren,

as

as Chrift loved us; then it is plain, that the great benefit which we are to feek for them, is their virtuous life and reformation.

Holiness is the greatest kindness which they can receive, or we can endeavour to promote in them. And therefore among all thofe endeavours, which are very commendably used for our brethren's good, whether in their bodies, good names, or fortunes; let us ftill be sure to have an eye to their highest good of all, their increase in good living, and their deliverance from their fins; let our greatest care be to make them better, rather than richer and more honourable than they were. For this is true kindness and love indeed, to fhew ourselves moft concerned for that, whereby they will be infinitely most advantaged.

AND, in the conclufion of all, Let us put up our prayers unto God, befeeching him, that whilst we are all talking of and hoping for falvation, we may not appear at laft, to have been all the while loft men; but that we may all make it our chiefest

care,

care, to get rid of all finful habits and wicked courfes, whilft we are in this world; that fo we may be qualified for the joys of heaven, and the conversation of bleffed fpirits, and delivered from those eternal punishments, which will be inflicted on all that are irreclaimably diso→ bedient in the world to come.

SERMON