SECTIOIiF IV. 131 heart, that it suppresses all injustice and enmity, fraud andMalice, envy and oppression, and every evil work which sin and Satan have introduced into this world. A Christian must preach and prove the purity and power of his gospel in his whole conversa- tion, that it changes a lion into ä lamb, an earth-worm into an Angel, and a son Of Adam intoa child of God: This is the way to adorn flee doctrine of God Our Saviour, as St. Paul expresses it; Tit. ii. 10. This must forée a conviction upon the eyes and ears, and,consciences Of men, that there is something ditine and heavenly in our religion. IV. rr Without holiness and good works we are not, Or eats be conformable to our Lord Jesus Christ :" And yet all the mem- bers must be conformed to their head, when they are presented by him before the Father ; Rom. viii. 29. God has predestinated all his children to be conformable to the image of his Són, that he may appear to be the Srst-barn, and in all things may have thepre-eminence: He must present themwithout snot and bleritisle; like himself, in the other world, that they may dwell With him for ever. And in this world the disciples mustresemble their Lord; Christians should be public blessings to the world, as their master was, who Went aboiet doing good ; Acts x. 38. and they should be known to be his followers by this blessed character. V. Another use of good works is, " to evidence the truth Of dur faith, and our interest in.this salvation ; James ii. 20; 24. Forfaith which does not produce good works is dead, and cannot save us. Our faith in Christ is made known to ourselves, as well as to the world, by our works ;, Rom. viii. 1. They who are in Christ Jesus, and are free from the condemnation, pf the law, must walk not after the but after the spirit ? 1 John ii. 2 -6. Christ is the propiation for our sins, and hereby we know that we know him; if we keep his commandments : And it is bykeeping or obeying his word, that we know we are in hint. VI. Works of holiness, a new heart andnew obedience, are needful to fit and prepare us for the actual possession and Ides- redness of heaven, for Without holiness no man shall see God°°. And in this view a sincere return to God with obedience to his Commands, is a necessary requisite, in order to our final salva-. tlon ; Heb. xii. 14. This blissful vision of God is reserved only *. Note, Mien I speak of good 'works, or works of holiness, as necessary toward our final salvation, or our completepossession of heavenly blessedness, f mean all the inward exercises of holy fear, and love, and hope, And obedience, and dependence, and patience in the heart, &c. as well as the outward perfor- mances of the acts of religion and righteousness in the life : But it must still be understood with this limitatián, viz. They are necessary where there is time and room;opportunity and capacity for the performance of them ; on that this dothnot exclude infants from salvation, whó are not capable of exercising the .principles of grace : Nor Both it eirclude dying penitents who have no space of ,time allowed them for living a life of holiness. 12
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