But, fecondly, the enthufiaft is equally concerned in this general doctrine which I have laid down; that conftant holiness of life is the indifpenfable, the neceffarily-faving condition, through Jesus Christ, of every chriftian. He is pleafed to fay, that he depends only upon his faith; but, if he means by it only his belief and perfuafion, I hope that he has fomething better to ftand upon for at the laft day, as you have feen from fcripture, the inquiry will not be, whether you had an affurance of your falvation, or whether you fancied yourself one of Chrift's elect but whether you have daily endeavoured to perform Chrift's will; whether you have advanced in holy purposes; whether you have laboured and striven against your natural corruptions, and have "worked out your own falvation" by a gradual progress in that holiness which only can fit you for the company of heaven. It will be a poor answer to fay that you had faith. It will fignify little to tell your judge, that you relied intirely upon his mèrits, if you have been careless and negligent of your

own;

own; much less, if in any one instance you have been an habitual wicked liver. Though you have fighed, and wept, and groaned at the name of Jesus Christ; all these paffionate expreffions of your forrow for fin will fignify nothing, if you are ftill fuch good friends as to live together. You must therefore take St. Peter's direction, and "add to your faith, virtue;" the most fincere and univerfal endeavour to do God's will; and then you will not be alarmed when you hear that folemn and irrevocable fentence of your judge, "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE XI.

2 PETER I. 5.

WHEREFORE, GIVING ALL DILIGENCE, ADD TO YOUR FAITH, VIRTUE.

In this concluding difcourfe upon my present text, I propofe chiefly to note the most successful arguments which have been ufed to palliate the prevailing enthusiasm of these times, and fhew their unreasonableness and futility.

If any thing may be affirmed positively from these words of the apoftle, it must be this-that faith and virtue are not the fame thing, and that one may exist without the other; for he bids us, as the

fum

* That is, faith or belief may exist without holiness in fome cafes: for I have fhewn before, that holiness, or a difpofition of mind to please God, by obeying his will, cannot exist without a disposition of mind to please him by believing his word also.

fum of our duty, to add them together. And yet the strongest argument which enthusiasm hath ever advanced, is founded on the fuppofition that they eventually mean the fame thing. For, when the reasonable christian hath objected to the enthufiaft, that falvation by faith alone, without the neceffary condition of good works, (a doctrine which he is perpetually founding in the ears of the common people as the very perfection of christianity) is dangerous to chriftian morals, if not deftru&ive of all morality; he presently turns upon him, and replies, that what we really believe we cannot but practise; and that true faith, therefore, includes morality in its effence; and, as to falfe or hiftorical faith, no inference ought to be drawn against him from its inefficacy, as he neither vindicates it himfelf, nor recommends it to others.

This is very plaufible, and is partly false and partly true; it, therefore, requires a particular, though it must be a very brief confideration. The diftinction I would offer upon this fuppofition, is, that where the confequence believed, immediately follows

the

the perception and belief, it is true; and faith and practice do go together: but where the confequence is at a confiderable distance, it is falfe; that is, a man may act contrary to his own perception of things.

A familiar inftance from common life will best illuftrate this argument. If a man really believes his houfe is on fire, or that he has taken arfenic by mistake, he will certainly, without delay, use the neceffary precautions for fecuring his property and his life. But, if you tell the fame man that his exceffes will fhorten his life, and his extravagance reduce his eftate, it is more than probable, though he fhall fully affent to both your propofitions, that he will not be induced by your remonftrances to alter the courfes and the company to which he has been long ufed: he may, indeed, be fo civil, as to thank you for your advice, and to say, that he will confider of it; but he will probably make it his first business to forget it, and continue his former habits.

But how, fay you, can this happen upon the common principles of reafon; for it is making

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