16 S E R M O IV S upon the S E k m. XXII. and Works: Faith is .not foúnd and perk& unlefs it produce theft Works, and there Works are not acceptable, unlefs they were the VVorks of Faith, and done in Faith. II. The Second Doubt is, Whether the good Works of the Faithful (hall be only mentioned, and not the Evil? I Anfwer : So fome would colle& from this Scheme and Draught fet down by Chrift 'Tis a Probleme, difputed with Probabilities on both fides, by good Men. Some reafon from the term; by which Pardon is expreffed : As by the Blotting out of Sin : Rememdring Tranfgregons no more : Cart into the depths o( the Sea. 'Tis like God will cover them, becaufe repented of, and forgiven in the World. On the other fide, they urge ; The exalt Reckoning, Rev. 2o. I I. The general Particles, 2 Cor. ro. and b.eelef. 12. 13. And that for every Idle word that men (hall fpeak, they hall give. an Account thereof en the day of fudgment, Matth. r2. 36. hwould not interpole, I cannot fay abfolutely, that their Sins (hall not be mentioned at all;. for Acts 3. i9. 'tis fäid, Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your fin, may be blotted out, when the times of Refrefhina (hall come from the pretence of the Lord. Certainly, not to their Trouble and Confufion : Poffrbly not particularly : Thefe Scriptures are not cogent to prove they fhall. For it may be meant diftributively ; . All the Evil of the Wicked, and the Good ache Godly. Howevever, there Scrip- tures fhould breed an Awe in our Hearts. III. A Third Doubt is, That only Works of Mercy andCharity, rather than Piety, are mentioned by our Lord and Saviour. I. Anf:'er, (r.) 'Tis clear, that the Special is put for the General, and an Ail of Self-denying Obeaunce is put for all the reft. In ocher Places a more general Eitpreffion is put ; as, Matth. 16. 27. For the Son of Min"ball come in the Glory of his Father, with his An els ; and then he fhall re yard every Man according to his Works : And 2 Cor. 5. to. For we mule all appear before the fua'gment-Seat of Chri/1; that every one may receive the th n s done in his Body, according to that he bath done, whether it be good or bad. And Rev. 20. i 2. And I fan the Dead, (mall and great, fland before God ; and the , Books were opened : and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life : And she Dead were judged out of thole things which were written in the Books, according to their Works. And therefore, Afts of Mercy are not intended to be cryed up alone; as feparate from all other Aft; of Piety and Charity to God and Men ; yea, all A &s of Charity, for which we are accountable unto God, are not mentioned : Comfort- ing the Aftli&ed, Reproving the Faulty, Initru&ing the Weak, Counfelling the Er- ring, Praying for others. Therefore, under there Works of Charity, all the Fruits of Faith are underftood, and the real gracious Conftitution of the Heart that mull produce their : t Cor. 13. 3. And though Í befton all my Goods to feed the Poor, and though I give my Body to be burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth me not ; éii, But Chrift doth not exprefs that fo plainly, becaufe he would Thew, that this Judg- ment (hall proceed according to what is vifible, and fenfible. (2.) Chrift _tingled out Works of Mercy for the Evidence ; becaufe the yews had been more exa& and diligei t in the obferving the Ceremonies of External Worfhip, but negligent of there things : Therefore, cloth God fo often, by the Prophets, tell them of Merck above Sacrifices. Hofea 6. 6. For I d fret Mercy, and not Sacrifice; and the I(nowledoe of God, more than burnt Offerings : And Mercy above Farting, Ifa. 58, 6, 7. Thefe are Duties never out of Seafon, and including a real' Benefit to Man- kind : God preferreth them before External Rites of Worfhip. (3.) Thefe are molt evident and fenfible Difioveries, and lb fitted to be produced as Fruits of Faith. There is a Demonftratiòn of the Soundnefs of it : A fignis no- tioribus. Thefe are moll confpicuous, and fo fitteft to iii ifie Believers before all the World ; who reckon Good and Evil moll by the Bodily Life. Therefore doth Chrift inftance in A &s of Bodily, rather than Spiritual Charity : Not in Reproving, Converting,. Counfelling ; but in Feeding and Cloathing. (4.) Thefe are Alls, wherein we do exercife Faith and Self denyal. In imparting Spiritual Gifts to others, we lofe nothing our felves; as our Candle lolcth nothing by communicating Light to another. Chrift would have us venture fomething on our Heavenly Hopes; and not pleafe our Rives with a Religion that colts us no- thing,
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