have nothing of this temper, will have just ground to fear the insincerity of all their former pretensions.

2. The Christian temper and course must be persisted in to the end of life. This is to be stedfast and unmoveable in it. It is not enough that there hath appeared some evenness and constancy hitherto; but we must be careful that we hold out to the end. Many have begun and continued for a while to behave in a very promising manner, "but their latter end has been worse than their beginning," and they have proved apostates after all. But we are concerned, as it is said the righteous shall do, to "hold on our way," Job xvii. 9. and "having begun to build," that we may be "able to finish."

That we be not wearied out by the length of our way. We are to "lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees," Heb. xii. 12.; not allowing ourselves to be weary of well-doing, either by reason of the frequent repetition of selfdenying duties, or through the decays of age and strength, and the increase of bodily infirmities, which are apt to make the exercises of religion tiresome. We should be careful to maintain a willing spirit, even when the flesh is weak. Thus it is promised, Isa. xl. 31. that "they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint."

That we suffer not ourselves to give over our work in despondency, because of the slow progress and small success we discern; as if it were an impracticable thing to arrive at the perfection we hope for, because we still find opposition from depraved appetites, and affections, and passions. We should go on, notwithstanding, in our conflict, as assured of victory if we faint not.

That we are not affrighted from our stedfastness by the approach of sufferings, but resolutely adhere to God and a good conscience, "withstanding in an evil day, that having done all we may stand:" remembering the terms on which Christ invited us to become his disciples, that we must be content to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, any cross which he lays in our way, and to follow him, whithersoever he leads us; and that whosoever shall save his life, by turning his back

Hh

on Christ, shall lose it; his sake, shall find it,"

"and whosoever will lose his life for Matt. xvi. 24, 25.

That we suffer not ourselves to be drawn aside from the faith or practice of the gospel, by giving heed to them that lie in wait to deceive; but "beware, lest being led away by the error of the wicked, we fall from our own stedfastness," 2 Peter iii. 17. To this purpose, it concerns us to see that our persuasions are well grounded in the word of God, and not taken up upon trust; and then, that no other consideration, beside evidence of a mistake, draw us from that which we apprehend to be the truth as it is in Jesus, or the practice of any known duty.

And, finally that we be not insensibly drawn on to apostacy, by the importunate allurements of present temptations. Many who behaved well for a time, and some that have acquitted themselves with bravery in a time of persecu tion; yet, by remitting their care and watchfulness, have had the edge of holy affections and resolutions so worn off by degrees, through the deceitfulness of riches, the cares of life, and the customary society of irreligious men, that they have left their first love; the things that remain are ready to die, if they prove not absolute apostates. It claims the lively and daily concern of all who would finish well, to guard against this danger.

II. I am to shew the necessity of this qualification of steadfastness, in the whole Christian temper and work.

1. It is necessary to our acceptance with God, and our final happiness, by divine constitution.

Constancy or evenness in our course of obedience, so as not to turn aside knowledge to crooked paths, is many ways signified to be a necessary term of our acceptance. It is a natural fruit of sincerity or uprightness; and, therefore, as that is insisted upon, so must the fruit of it be. The psalmist desires to be "kept free from presumptuous sins;" because then," says he, "shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression," Psal. xix. 13. Customary sinning is often declared to be inconsistent with a new nature, or being born of God. So the apostle John, 1 John iii. 6. "Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not," as a matter of allowed and ordinary practice; "whosoever sinneth in such a

manner, hath not seen him, neither known him." No, he belongs to another master and father; for, ver. 8. "He that committeth sin, is of the devil." Ver. 9. "Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." And so our blessed Lord himself, John viii. 34. "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." The meaning of these passages can be no less than this, that a truly good man cannot allow himself ordinarily to commit a known sin, and least of all to continue wallowing in the mire, if he should fall into it. Without an habitual abstinence from known sins, we can have no title to the benefit of Christ's sacrifice. Under the law, no sacrifice was allowed for presumptuous offences; but "he who did ought presumptuously," was understood to "reproach the Lord, and was to be cut off from his people." Num. xv. 30. The reason is given, ver. 31. "Because he had despised the work of the Lord, and had broken his commandments." Under the gospel, indeed, the virtue of Christ's sacrifice reaches to presumptuous sins, as well as others: "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin," 1 John i. 7.; but from none without repentance, or till men come to "walk in the light, and not in darkness," ver. 6.

Perseverance is equally necessary to our final reward. So the promises run: "He that endureth to the end, shall be saved," Matt. x. 22. "To them, who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life," Rom ii. 7. "Be thou faithful unto the death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Rev. ii. 10. "Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing," Luke xii. 43. On the other hand, apostacy is declared to cut off all just hope, and to fix men under the most dreadful doom, Ezek. xviii. 24. "When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doth according to all the abominations which the wicked man doth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done, shall not be mentioned, in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die," Heb. x. 26, 27. "If we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth," that is, by apostacy, and without repentance, "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indigna

tion, which shall devour the adversaries." If we draw back, it is "unto perdition," ver. 39.-2 Pet. ii. 20, 21. "If, after men have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." Awful warnings! which should ever keep up a wakeful care to finish our course with joy.

2. Stedfastness is necessary to the credit of our holy profession. Nothing is so great a disparagement to religion, and so freely opens the mouths of its enemies, as any scandalous falls, and especially the open apostacy of those who have inade a distinguishing pretence to it. The body of mankind, how injuriously soever, will interpret that to be a defect in religion itself, which is really nothing else but the great imperfection or insincerity of those who have pretended to it: and, therefore, every good man should be solicitous, that his good may not be evil spoken of through his defaults, Rom. xiv. 16. "Woe to the world, because of offences.-But woe to that man by whom the offence cometh," Matt. xviii. 7.

3. It is necessary, in conformity to our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may prevailingly bear his resemblance, though we cannot in this world do it perfectly. The apostle John argues from God's perfect and absolute purity and holiness, that prevailing purity is necessary in all that share in his friendship; that "if we say, we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth," 1 John i. 5, 6. So all that the holy Jesus will own for his must be really conformed to him in the stedfastness of obedience which he performed in our nature, though they cannot come up to his perfect and absolute measure. His course of obedience was exactly uniform, regular, and even without any variation; he always actually exercised a devotedness to God. The same temper must be habitual in us, or there will be no similitude of character. And as he was "obedient unto death," Phil. ii. 8. and finished, as well as began, "the work which God gave him to do," John xvii. 4.; so we must, in our measure, follow him to the end of our course, below, being "faithful unto death."

By way of reflection.

1. We have here a rule for trying the goodness of our state, as far as we are advanced in life, by inquiring into the evangelical constancy of the Christian temper and course, since we have given up our names to be the Lord's: whether it has been the daily settled bent of our souls to please God, and avoid every known sin? Too many seem allowedly to divide their time between God and sin: from transgressing they fly to repentance; and then, as if past accounts were cancelled by that means, they return again with ease from repenting to known transgressions: thus they do in a circle, and think they have done enough. They are always overcome, when a suitable temptation offers, and always sorry when it is over, but as ready as ever to relapse when a new temptation comes. Their "goodness is as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it passes away. This is not vital religion, nor these the spots of God's children. Their purpose is never allowedly to offend; their ordinary course is an even walk with God; they rarely fall foully and presumptuously; but if they do, they repent in earnest, and very seldom relapse. Yet,

2. The best have room to censure themselves for the lesser unevennesses of their frames and course. Though they should not be such as are direct breaches of covenant, yet they are sinful and evil; and the gospel-way to prevent these from making an inroad upon the habitual state of our souls and our peace with God, is by disallowing them, exercising a general repentance for them, endeavouring to gain ground of them, and soliciting for the daily pardon of them through the blood and intercession of Christ.

3. We have all reason to be excited to the greatest concern and care, that we may always be stedfast and unmoveable in the work of the Lord.

We have many warnings of our danger, by scripture and experience, both of intermissions to which we are subject, and of greater falls, and even of apostacy itself, enough to awaken our constant fear and care.

Every breach made in our Christian course, lessens the pleasure of it, unavoidably increases our difficulties, and is in itself a tendency to apostacy: which should, therefore, set us on our guard against the least defection from God.