Serm.CLIII. Of the Neceffity ofgood Works. 3 5 3 fórth his Angels, and they(hall gather out of his Kingdom all thins that offend, and themwhich do iniquity, and (hall co them into a furnace of fire; there (hall be wailing andgnafbing of teeth. Match. 25. 41. there you have the very Sentence recorded, which fhall be pronounced upon finners at the great day; Then (hall the King fay to them on his left band, that is, to the wicked, Depart ye curfed into e- verla/ling fire, prepared for thedevil and his angels. And ver. 46. Thefefhallgo into everlaflingpunifhment. And this is that which St. Paul tells us, renders the Do- &rineof the Gofpel fo powerful for the Converfion and Salvationof linnets, Rom. r. a6. I am not äfbamedof the Gofpel of Chrifl, becaufe it is the power of God to falvation, to every one that believeth. And ver. r8. For the wrath of God is reveal- ed fromHeaven againft all ungodlinefs and unrighteoufnefs ofmen. And Chap. 2. 8, 9. To thhem thatobey not the truth, but obey unrighteoufnefs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguifh, upon every foul of man that doth evil. Ephef. 5. 6: Let no man deceiveyou with vain words, for becaufe of thefe things, viz. the fins he had mentioned before, comet!) the wrath of God upon the children of difobedience.' 2 Theff. r. 7, 8, 9. When the Lord fef:cs, fpeaking of the Judgment ofthe great day, (hall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeanceon them that know not God, and that obey not theGofpel of our LordJefus Chrifl, who fhall be.'punifhed with everlafling defiruflion from the pretence of the Lord, andfrom the glory of his power. So that the Gofpel gives all imaginable difcouragement to the tranfgreflion and difobedience of God's Laws, by denunci= ationof the greateft dread and terror that can be prefented to human Nature, e- nough to make any fenfible and confederate Man willing to do or forbear any thing, to efcape fo horrible danger, to cut of a foot or àhand, or to pluck out an eye, not only to reftrain nature in any thing, but even to offer violence to ir, rather than to be call into hell where the worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched, as our Saviour expreffeth ir, Mark 9, 48. This is the firft Argument from the threat- pings. The (al) Is from the Promifes of the Gofpel, which are full encouragement to obe- dience; and there are three great Promifes made in the Gofpel toRepentance, and the obedience of God's Laws. r. The promife ofPardon and Forgivenefs.. 2. Of Grace and Affiftance. 3. Of eternal Life and Happinefs. And thefe certainly containall the encou- ragement we can defire that God,will pardon what is paf, aíTft us in well-doing for the future, and reward our perfeverance in it to the end witheternal life; and all this is exprefly promifed to us in the Gofpel. r. Thepardon and forgivenefs of fans paff. Afls /3. 38, 39. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, is preached unto you the forgivenefs offins : and by him, all that believe are jufiifïed from all things from which ye could not be juflified by the Law of Mofes. And ,this is a great encou- ragement to amendment, to be fully indempnified from all paff fins and tranfgref- fions; and this Promife is made to believing, which includes is it Repentance and a better courfe. 2. The promife ofgrace and afïiftarice to enable usto all the purpofes of hole- nefs and obedience. And this our Saviour hath moff exprefly and emphatically promifed to all that are fancerely refolved to make úfe of it ; and that upon the eafieff condition that can be, if we do but earneftly pray to God for it, telling us that we maywith the faine confidence and affurance of fuccefs, (nay with much greater) afk this of God, as we can any thing that it good, ofthe kindeft Father upon Earth, Luke it. 9: And furely here is a mighty encouragement to well-do- ing, to be affured that God is moff ready to afford his Grace and Aflitance to us to this purpofe, ifweheartily beg it ofhim. So that neither the confederation of our ownweaknefs, nor of the power of our fpiritual Enemies, can be any difcourage- snent or juff excufe to us from doing our Duty, fence Godoffers us fo freely all the ftrength that we need, and to endow us withan inward Principle of well-doing; morepowerful and effeftual to all thepurpofesof holinefsandvirtue, than any op- Z z pofetion
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