also, or they cannot prove their sincerity. The only course to take here is that in Matth. v. 29, 30, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee, that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee." Herein lies the great evidence of sincerity; and the victory over predominant lusts is like that over the Anakims, which will cost many a severe struggle.

3. To follow the Lord fully, is to follow him uprightly. A hypocrite does but walk in a vain show. His feet only, not his heart, do follow the Lord. God, who is the maker and the searcher of the heart, will never reckon himself followed fully in a carcase of duties; but notices the manner, motive, principle, and end of actions, which, if they be not right, all is wrong.-Then, to follow the Lord fully, is to follow him honestly in respect of our principle, not with a carnal selfish principle, which can only set us agoing, but with a spiritual, principle; not as a mercenary soldier follows his captain, but as a child follows his father: John vi. 26, "Ye follow me," said Jesus, "not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." There is a selfish religion, where self is the chief wheel that sets all agoing.— We must follow him singly, in respect of our end; following the Lord with a design and desire to please him, and not for carnal selfish ends. What is not done for the Lord, as the chief end, he will never reward. Want of singleness in the end, maims the action as when a wife adorns herself to please an adulterer, her aim would make her action abominable.—We must follow the Lord evangelically, in respect of the manner; following the Lord, leaning on his, and not on our own strength. This is the life of faith in obedience, by which the soul goes out of itself to the Lord for all strength, saying, as in Psalm lxxi. 16, " I will go in the strength of the Lord.”

4. To follow the Lord fully, is to follow him constantly: John viii. 31, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." It is a small matter to begin well, but it is the continuing to follow the Lord which is true following of him. It is a following the Lord habitually and evenly, so that our souls are fixed on this as their ordinary bend. It is not to take up our religion by fits and starts. We must delight ourselves in the Lord, and call always upon our God. This must be our daily business, not our by-hand work. It was the fault of Rehoboam, 2 Chron. xii. 14, "He did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord." And it is the fault of many, that they are unstable as water in matters of religion; many

people's religion is like a tree-leg, which they can lay by and put to as their convenience requires. We must follow the Lord, so as to end our journey without defection and apostacy: "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." We must not follow the Lord as ordinary servants, who have their term day, at which they give up with their masters. But our course of obedience must have its perfect work; we must go through with the work of Christ to the end. Apostates are not fit for heaven: "No man," said Jesus, "having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven," Luke ix. 62. But fearful is their doom, if they apostatise: "If any man," says God, "draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him," Heb. x. 38.

Finally, it is to follow the Lord resolutely, as Ruth did Naomi, in opposition to all discouragements and impediments in the way. There is the river of the evil example of the world, but they must strive against the stream; there are corrupt strong lusts of the heart, but they must cut off right hands, and pluck out right eyes; and there is the cross that will be laid on their backs, which they must go through with, and not turn their backs on the Lord in a stormy day, but trample on all which they have in the world to follow the Lord. They must not be as those who go to sea for pleasure, but like hardy mariners, who ride out the storm.-We now proceed, II. To give the reasons of the point.

Among others, we shall mention the following:

1. Because the change made in regeneration is a real chango though not perfect. Believers are God's "workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." The new creature, from the time of its birth, is perfect in its parts, though not in degrees. There is something awanting in every part of the new man, but no part is altogether awanting. Each gracious person has all the graces of the Spirit, though some of them are more eminent than the rest, and are as top-branches. This cannot but produce a following the Lord in a gospel sense.

2. In closing with Christ there is an universal resignation. They give themselves up wholly to the Lord. No exception can be made, but the most difficult duty is undertaken, the dearest lust is given. up with. It remains that people's sincerity in closing with Christ be evidenced by their walk, in an unlimited respect to all his commandments, in following the Lord whithersoever he goes. 3. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth, Eph. v. 9. When there is not something of all goodness, there the Spirit dwelleth not. Where the garden is only watered. by man's hands, there some plants thrive, others go back for lack

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of moisture; but where the shower comes from heaven, it brings all forward together. So where there is an artificial religion taken up by men, there may be some partial or external appearance of good fruits: but where the Spirit is at work in the soul, real goodness, and righteousness, and truth, will at once be brought forth in the life and practice.

4. True mortification is universal. Where death comes, it takes the life out of the whole body, the soul departs from every part. So, Gal. v. 24, "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." Sin keeps its dominion by one lust, as well as by many: therefore where any lust remains unsubdued, there is no genuine mortification there. But where genuine mortification to sin is, the soul will follow the Lord fully.

5. Hypocrites may follow the Lord, but none can fully follow him, but those that are sincere. Judas may be in Christ's company, but the bag was always dearer to him than his master. Demas, because he loved the present world, apostatized; so that, unless we follow the Lord fully, we go not beyond the line of hypocrites.-I now go on, III. To make some improvement. And this,

1. In an use of warning.

This may serve to warn one and all of us, to take heed to our ways, and examine well our walk, whether we follow the Lord fully or not. Much depends upon it. None follow the Lord fully in a strict sense, while out of heaven, but all honest Christians follow him in a gospel sense. Therefore ye may well suspect your states, if you do not follow the Lord fully. This may strike a damp upon the spirits,

(1.) Of the more gross sort of professors, whose religion appears plainly to be but half religion, who, even in the externals of religion, take some parts, and leave others which they know to be duty; like these, Zeph. i. 5, "who worship the host of heaven upon the housetops, and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham;" that will sometimes be praying, and sometimes cursing, taking parts of religion only here and there.-It may strike a damp on the spirits,

(2.) Of the more cleanly sort of professors, who go a great length, only lack one thing. There is one thing that is the great makebate betwixt God and them; and they go through all the rest of religion, but there they are mired, there they stick. That is the great gulf fixed between heaven and them, through which they can by no means pass. But pass it we must, or we follow not the Lord fully. Some do not see it, then it is the more dangerous; but seen it must be, and also overcome, or men may bid farewell to heaven: Rev. iii. 21," To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne."-Here some may state an

OBJECTION, If following the Lord fully take in all these things, who does it? In ANSWER, These follow the Lord fully in a gospel sense, who,

(1.) Observe the Lord daily, and bear up after him in every step, yet, like the weak child following its mother, their eye follows him, their desire goes out after him, they would be at him, and with him, wherever he goes.-This implies two things.-(1.) Their observing all the prints of his feet, they love all his footsteps, they love all the duties of religion for his sake, and desire to perform all his commandments: Psalm cxix. 5, "O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!" Their heart is in some measure reconciled to every known duty, and at variance with every known sin. The spirit is willing, though the flesh be weak. Some sins lie nearer their hearts than others; some are as right eyes, others only but as left toes; but O a right eye plucked out is good in their sight, the contrary grace is beautiful and glorious, and the desire of their souls: Rom. vii. 12, "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good,"-(2.) Their observing himself as the centre of all their desires. All goodness, holiness, and perfection, centre in him. That which is scattered here and there in his word, ordinances, and people, they take a view of, as concentred in himself, and so see in him at one view the whole of what they should be; they are pleased with it, and sincerely desire to be like him.-These follow the Lord fully,

(2.) Who aim after the Lord fully; though they cannot follow him precisely in every point, they aim at, they endeavour it, as the child following its mother, weeping, and making what way it can after her. This implies two things.-(1.) They aim at the performance of all duties, and warring against every sin. They do not give goodly words, and so fold their hands together, wishing they were better; but they even put their hands to roll up the stone, which yet perhaps may come down and down, over and over again, upon them. They aim at being holy in all manner of conversation, 1 Pet. i. 15. Grace infuses a principle in the heart, that turns the man towards every thing to which God calls.-(2.) They aim at the all of every duty, to get it right as to the manner, as well as to the matter: Phil. iii. 3, "They worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."-I come now, 2. To an use of exhortation.

I exhort you to distinguish yourselves from others, by your following the Lord fully. Sirs! have ye a desire for heaven or not? If ye have no desire, you may sit still at ease, time will carry you down the stream to an eternity of woe! If ye have a desire for

heaven, then up, follow the Lord, follow him fully. Set your affections that way. You follow duties; that is not enough, follow the Lord in these fully, or you will never see heaven. I hope you are not for bidding farewell to, and taking your last sight of heaven. If then you be in earnest to get to heaven, set yourselves to follow the Lord fully. Before I press this upon you by motives, I exhort you to take a solemn, grave, and serious consideration of what is lacking in your conversation, that you may fill it up by following the Lord. We must see our defects before we can fill them up. To assist you in this, consider what is wanting,

(1.) In your mortification of sin, what right eye remains to be plucked out, lest there may be some one leak or other that may sink the ship: Psalm lxvi. 18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Self-love prevails much, and hence beloved lusts find harbour, and escape the axe.-Consider,

(2.) What is wanting as to your compliance with known duties, whether ye make conscience of all ye know or not. Do you find that you pray, but do not meditate nor examine yourselves? then fill up that want. Do you pray, but neglect to watch? then fill up this want also; and so on.-Consider,

(3.) What is wanting in the duties ye perform? For many times these are but the half of duties, the outward part only, wanting that faith, love, zeal, and liveliness, that should be in all our duties. -Consider,

(4.) What is wanting in your bearing the cross. Every one has his daily cross. Consider how ye bear it, with what meekness and patience ye walk under it.

(5.) Consider what is wanting in your graces, if you have any; and unto what you have you should be still adding: 2 Pet. i. 5, "Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly love and charity."-Consider,

(6.) What is wanting in your relative conversation. A man is really what he is relatively. Consider how thou answerest the duties of a husband, wife, parent, child, master, or servant.-Having carefully observed all these wants and defects, be conscientious in filling them up; follow the Lord only, universally, uprightly, constantly, and resolutely. Follow him fully.-To constrain you to this, I would mention the following motives :

:

1. All is full which is set before you in the way of following the Lord. God deals not by halves.

(1.) We have a full law for our rule to walk by: Psalm cxix. 96, "Thy commandment is exceeding broad." It is extended to all the