"wrath, and vex you in his fore difpleafure:" for "behold, the Lord cometh with ten thou"fands of his faints, to execute judgment upon "all, and to convince all that are ungodly a

mong them, of all their ungodly deeds which "they have ungodly committed, and of all their "bard Speeches which ungodly finners have spo"ken against him." There is an alarming paffage, (Pfal. vii. 11, 12, 13.) which I would recommend to your ferious perufal; "God judg"eth the righteous, and God is angry with the "wicked every day. If he turn not, he will "whet his fword; he hath bent his bow, and "made it ready. He hath alfo prepared for him "the inftruments of death; he ordaineth his ar"rows against the perfecutors." God himself hath undertaken the defence of the juft: Chrift will finally be glorified in his faints, when all their enemies fhall be caft out of his fight, overwhelmed with fhame, and doomed to everlafting contempt and mifery.

THUS far have I spoken for the conviction and reproof of those who have the boldness to scoff at vital religion and practical godlinefs; and fhall now conclude the fubject with a few words of advice and encouragement to the true fervants of Chrift, who feel the influences of his gofpel, and are determined, through grace, to live unto Him who died for them.

Let me then call upon you to lay your account with opposition in your way heavenward. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you; but rather rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers

of

are ye;

"eth

of the fufferings of your Lord, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. You have good company, you have powerful affiftance, and glorious hopes: "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy for the Spirit of God and of glory reftupon you. "Stand faft," therefore, as the Apoftle exhorts you in the words following my text, "in one fpirit, with one mind, ftriving together for the faith of the gofpel; and in nothing terrified by your adverfaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to << you of falvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for "his fake." Beware of courting the favour of the wicked, by conforming in any degree to their corrupt maxims and practices; but keep up the majefty of true godlinefs, and study so to live, that they may find no occafion against you, except it be concerning the law of your God. "Be "blameless and harmless, the fons of God, with"out rebuke, in the midft of a crooked and per"verse nation, among whom ye fhine as lights "in the world, holding forth the word of life."

σε

Finally, brethren, whatfoever things are true, "whatfoever things are honeft, whatsoever things are juft, whatsoever things are pure, "whatsoever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report: if there be any vir"tue, and if there be any praife, think on these things; and the God of peace fhall be with "" you. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON VI.

ROMANS xiv. 8.

Whether we live, we live unto the Lord: and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: Whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's.

THE

HE following verfe will inform you who that Lord is of whom the Apostle speaks in this paffage. "To this end," faith he, "Christ both "died, and rofe, and revived, that he might be "Lord both of the dead and living." He is the King whom God hath fet upon his holy hill of Zion, and appointed to be the head over all things to the church: for as Paul wrote to the Philippians, in regard of his humbling himself, and becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs; "therefore God alfo hath "highly exalted him, and given him a name, "which is above every name: that at the name "of Jefus every knee should bow, of things in "heaven, and things in earth, and things under "the earth; and that every tongue should con

fefs, that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of "God the Father." This doctrine we all profefs to believe: nay, the defignation we bear imports an acknowledgment that Chrift is our Mafter.

But

But fomething more than the appellation of Christians is neceffary to prove that we are in truth his fervants. The proper, the only decifive teft, is that which lies before us in the words of my text; where one who knew well what Chriftianity was, thus fpeaks in the name of all fincere believers: Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's.

It is the comprehenfive defcription of the Chriftian's life expreffed in thefe few, but emphatical words, We live unto the Lord, which I have chofen for the fubject of the following difcourfe. And my design is,

I. To inquire into the import of living unto the Lord; and

II. To apply the character as a measure, or ftandard, for helping us to judge of our spiritual condition.

I. Living unto the Lord may be confidered as including the following particulars:

ift, That we make his will the rule, the only rule, of our conduct.

Our Lord hath intrufted us with various talents, and requires that we should improve them to the best advantage, for the important purpofes for which they were beflowed. We are bis fervants, and have a tafk affigned us, for which we must be accountable to him at laft. It is not left to our own choice what pieces of fervice we shall perform; but we must at all times wait upon him for direction; faying, as Paul did when ftruck to the ground, "Lord,

"what

Neither is

"what wilt thou have me to do?" it enough that we do the things he requires, unless we do them because he requires them. The laws of our Lord'are fo wifely calculated to promote the private interefts of individuals, and the public welfare of human fociety, that they who are moft difaffected to his government, will choofe, for their own fake, to comply with many of his facred injunctions: but they, and they only, live unto the Lord, who realife his authority, and do every thing he enjoins, as an act of willing and cheerful obedience, as a part of that homage they owe to their Master.

2dly, To live unto the Lord, is to make his approbation our governing aim, and to ftudy to pleafe him in all that we do.

I need not tell you that we early contract a love for many things which are hurtful to our fouls, and ftand condemned by the laws of our Sovereign. This renders fome parts of duty fo painful to the flesh, that they are compared in Scripture to the "cutting off a right hand, and "the plucking out a right eye;" operations which no man would fubmit to, far lefs perform them himself, unless the preservation of the reft of his body rendered them abfolutely neceffary. Other parts of duty are attended with inconveniences of a different kind: They may draw upon us the fcorn, the hatred, and perfecution of a partial, blind, malignant world; fo that if we liften either to the corrupt part of our own nature, or to the voice of the multitude, we fhall unavoidably be perfuaded to leave them undone, or rather do the contrary. Nothing else than a prevailing