almost tempt me, if I durst, to lay aside some part of these opportunities, so as not to administer the Word and Sacraments so often as you now enjoy them. But alas! I dare not, it is my duty to administer them as I do, and therefore must continue it, and leave the event to God and you, as knowing that these are the means which God hath appointed for your Salvation: and hoping, that although some by the instigation of the Devil, neglect them, to their greater shame and confusion, yet others, by the blessing of God, will improve them to their greater glory and happiness in the other world.

All that I can do more, is to admonish and exhort you to walk with Zacharias and Elizabeth, as in all the Commandments, so likewise in all the Ordinances of the Lord blameless. Do not take up with some without the other, not with any without all; nor yet with all without walking blameless in them. Catch at all opportunities you can get, of presenting yourselves before your Heavenly Father in our daily prayers, and before your blessed Redeemer in the Holy Sacrament: and come with that presence of mind, with that simplicity of heart, with that humility, reverence and faith, as becomes such sacred Ordinances: and I dare assure you, your time will not be lost, but the best spent of any part of your whole life. For by this means your hearts by degrees will be emptied of all carnal and worldly thoughts, and filled with such a sense of God and religion, as by His grace and assistance, will keep you firm and steadfast in His faith and fear all your life long, and so make you righteous before God Himself.

How this comes to pass, even how by this means you will become righteous before God, is the last thing I promised to shew, and may easily do it: for although I do not deny, but that after all your endeavours to walk in all the Commandments, you will offend in some; and after all your endeavours to walk in all the Ordinances of the Lord, you will not be altogether blameless in any, as not performing them with that perfect exactness as ye ought; yet so great are the mercies of God, and so all-sufficient are the merits of your Saviour, that God for His sake will accept of what you thus do sincerely, as well as if it was done perfectly;

LIV.

SERM. and so, notwitstanding your daily infirmities and manifold imperfections, He will look upon you in His Son as righteous, and by consequence you will be righteous before Him, or as the word signifies, in His sight. He will overlook your infirmities and take notice only of your sincerity, and Heb. 13. 21. that shall be "well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ."

ver. 24.

This is that great mystery that is revealed to us in the Rom. 3. 20. Gospel, wherein as we are assured, "That by the deeds of the Law, no flesh shall be justified," or accepted of as righteous in the sight of God;" so we are assured withal, that we "are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption 1 Pet. 2. 5. that is in Christ Jesus;" that our "spiritual sacrifices are Eph. 1. 6. acceptable to God by Jesus Christ;" that He "hath made 2 Cor. 5. 21. us accepted in His beloved Son;" that He who "knew no sin, was made sin for us, that we might be made the right1 Cor. 1. 30. eousness of God in Him;" who is therefore said, “to be Jer. 23. 6. made righteousness to us," or "for us," and called "the Lord our righteousness." The meaning of all which is, that although we be not perfectly righteous in ourselves, nor can be, so long as we are in the body, yet the only-begotten Son of God, in whom He is well pleased, having in our nature been obedient to death for us, God in Him is well pleased with us too, and with what we do, if we do but sincerely endeavour to do what we can to obey Him, and believe in His said Son, for His assistance of us, in the doing it, and for God's acceptance of it when it is done; for then God looks upon us, not as in ourselves, but as members of that body whereof His Son is head, and so as partakers of all the merits both of His life and death; whereby our sins are not only pardoned, but all the defects and imperfections of our obedience are supplied and made up: that most perfect obedience and righteousness which He performed to God for us, being made over to us, and reckoned ours. In which therefore, although we be not perfectly so in ourselves, yet we appear as righteous before God, and He is pleased to accept of us as much as if we were perfectly so in ourselves, or rather more. The righteousness which we have in Christ, being far greater than it was possible for us to have performed in our most perfect state.

Thus it was, that these two persons, in my text, became righteous in the sight of God, before Christ's coming; and therefore we cannot doubt but that we who live after it, may be so too, if we do but follow their steps, "walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless.” And who would not be so, if he can? If he can, did I say ? Who cannot be so if he will? If he will, I say, but set himself in good earnest about it. Blessed be God, you are all as yet, not only capable of being righteous, but you have all the means that can be desired in order to it. And if you will not use them, whose fault is it? Whom can you blame but yourselves? You must even take what follows, and thank yourselves for it: whereas, if you be but willing and obedient, so as to seek the righteousness of God before all things else, and walk in all the ways that lead to it, you cannot miss of it, but may as certainly have this testimony as ever Zacharias and Elizabeth had it, that you are righteous before God.

And one would think, that you should not need many arguments, or much entreaty, to endeavour all you can after it it being your own interest and concern, and that the greatest that you have or can have in the world, which that I may convince you of, I desire you to consider only one thing, and that is, that righteous persons are the only happy persons in the world, both in this world and the next.

In this world, there are many, I know, esteemed very happy they that have crowns upon their heads, sceptres in their hands, and whole kingdoms at their feet: they that have stately houses, large estates, and great possessions at command: they that are beloved and honoured by their neighbours, and have many servants waiting continually upon them they that like Dives are "clothed in purple [Luke 16. and fine linen, and fare sumptuously every day :" they that 19.] feed upon dainties, drink the choicest wines, lie upon beds of down, and have their fill of all earthly enjoyments: these are reckoned the happy people of the world, in comparison of whom, the rest of mankind are a company of miserable and contemptible wretches. But alas! what is there in all this to make men happy? Nothing certainly, unless men were like brutes, capable of no other happiness but what

LIV.

SERM. consisteth in pleasing their senses, gratifying their appetites, or tickling their disturbed imaginations. But true happiness is quite of another nature, and so far above the reach of such low and little things, that a man may be as happy without them as with them, and as miserable with them as without them. And therefore to find out those who are really the most happy people upon earth, we must search for such as have their portion, not in this world, but the [Ps. 17.14.] other; for such "whose bellies are not filled with hidden

treasure," but whose souls are filled with the treasures of true wisdom and righteousness: for such as are "righteous before God, walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless." These we shall find to be the only happy people in the world, in comparison of whom, all the rest of mankind, howsoever they may think of themselves, or appear in the eyes of their fellow-mortals, are really poor and miserable creatures. As I do not question but you will all acknowledge, if you do but consider the great privileges that are conferred upon the righteous above all other

men.

The righteous, and they only, are in favour with God, the Supreme Governor of the world; and in so great esteem [Mal.3.17.] with Him, that He calls them His special, His peculiar people, His treasure, His jewels. They have the honour of waiting continually upon Him, and of enjoying His presence and the light of His countenance. They are nearly related to all and every person in the most sacred Trinity. They have God the Father, to be their God and their Father, to take care of them, and to provide all things necessary for them. They have God the Son, to be their God and their Saviour, to save them from their sins, and to appear continually in Heaven for them, and to prepare them a place there, against they go out of this world. They have God the Holy Ghost to be their God, their Sanctifier, and their Comforter, to prevent their falling into sin, to assist them in their duty, and to support and comfort them in all conditions. They have the Holy Angels to minister unto them, and to keep them in all their ways. They have all the Saints in Heaven and earth for their brethren, their companions and fellow-citizens: they have the infinite wisdom of God to

guide and direct them in all their affairs, and to shew them the way they ought to walk in: they have the Almighty power of God, to defend them from all their enemies, and to protect them from all danger and mischief: they have "all [Rom. 8. 28.] things in the world working together for their good,” and concurring to make them happy: they have God's blessing upon every thing they do, and upon every thing they have, to make it the best that it can be in its kind for them they have all things that are good, and nothing that is evil or unprofitable for them: they have all occurrences, all circumstances, all conditions of life sanctified to them: so that if they fall into poverty, that is made better for them than riches; and so is sickness and disgrace, than health and honour they live under the immediate care and conduct of God Himself, whose "eyes are continually upon them, and [Ps. 34.15.] His ears open to their prayers:" they have free access unto Him upon all occasions, and are sure to obtain whatsoever they ask that is really good for themselves or others. "For James 5.16. the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much." They "are the salt of the earth," that keep the [Matt. 5. rest of mankind from being consumed; as we see in Sodom, if there had been but ten righteous persons in it, God would have spared it for their sakes, and would not destroy it till [Gen. 18. righteous Lot was gone out.

13.]

32;

ch. 19. 22.]

Thus the Almighty Governor of the world hath a particular kindness for the righteous, guiding them by His counsel all the while they are upon earth, and afterwards receiving them into glory: for "the wicked must go into Matt.25.46. everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." So that after they have lived a few years upon earth, they are all translated to Heaven, where they behold the glory, and enjoy the presence of the chiefest good; where they live with Christ, their dear and blessed Saviour, and solace themselves continually in the embraces of His love and favour; where all tears are wiped from their eyes, all cares and fears [Rev.7.17.] are banished from their hearts, and all manner of sin and imperfections perfectly rooted out of their souls; where their spirits are made absolutely perfect, and their bodies fashioned [Phil. 3. like to Christ's glorious body: where they have the sweet and blessed society of their fellow glorified Saints, and of the [Luke 20.

21.]

36.]