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SERM. Now this bufinefs, our calling, is double; our general LII. calling, which is common to us all as Christians, and our particular calling, which peculiarly belongeth to us, as placed in a certain ftation, either in the church or state. In both which vocations that we are much obliged and concerned to be industrious, shall be now my business to declare.

I. As to our general calling, (that fublime, that heavenly, that holy vocation h,) in which by divine grace, according to the evangelical difpenfation, we are engaged, that neceffarily requireth and most highly deserveth from us a great measure of industry; the nature and defign of it requireth, the fruit and refult of it deferveth our utmost diligence; all floth is inconfiftent with discharging the duties, with enjoying the hopes, with obtaining the benefits thereof. For,

It is a state of continual work, and is expreffed in terms importing abundant, inceffant, intenfe care and pain; for Phil. ii. 12. to be indeed Chriftians, We must work out our falvation Rom. ii. 7. with fear and trembling; we must by patient continuance in well doing feek for glory, and honour, and immortality. Col. i. 10. We must walk worthy of the Lord, to all wellpleafing, 1 Tim. vi. being fruitful in every good work. We must be rich in Phil. i. 11. good works, and filled with the fruits of righteousness, (John xv. 5, which are by Jefus Chrift to the praise and glory of God. Jam.iii.17.) We are God's workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus unto

18.

8, 16.

Eph. ii. 10. good works, which God hath before ordained that we should

1 Theff. v.

9.

1 Theff. i.

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walk in them.

We have a foul to fave, and are appointed eis TEPITOINGLY ́owrnplas, to make an acquift of falvation.

We have a mind to improve with virtue and wisdom, qualifying us for entrance into heaven, for enjoyment of God's favour, for conversation with angels.

As Chriftians we are affumed to be fervants of God, Rom. vii. 6. and readmitted into his family, from which for our difloyalty we had been discarded; fo that as he was our na

vi. 22.

Eph. ii. 19.

h *Η ἄνω κλῆσις. Phil. iii. 14. Κλῆσις ἐπουράνος. Heb. iii. 1. 'Αγία κλήσις. 2 Tim. i. 9. (Eph. i. 18. 2 Theff. i. 11.)

tural Lord, so he is now fuch also by special grace; who SERM, did make us, who doth maintain us, under whofe pro- LII. tection and at whofe difpofal we fubfift; whence we are obliged to be faithfully diligent in his fervice: we must constantly wait upon him in devotional addreffes; we must carefully study to know his pleafure; we must endeavour Eph. v. 10. exactly to perform his will, and obey his commands; we must strive to advance his glory, to promote his intereft, 28. to improve all talents and advantages committed to us for 27. those purposes; we muft, as St. Paul expreffeth it, always 1 Cor. abound in the work of the Lord.

Rom. xii. 2.

Luke xi.

Matt. xxv.

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23. vi. 20.

Tit. ii. 14.

We must also look upon ourselves as fervants of Chrift Col. iii. 24. our Redeemer; who by his blood hath purchased us to Cor. vii. Eph. vi. 7. himself, that we might be zealous of good works; performing a fervice to him, which confifteth in a faithful difcharge of manifold duties, and in pursuance of all virtue ; with most intent application of mind, with expedite promp titude, with accurate circumfpection; giving all diligence, 2 Pet. i. 5. as St. Peter fpeaketh, in adding one virtue to another; ravagiosbeing ready, as St. Paul faith, to every good work; and s Seeing that we walk circumfpectly, or behave ourselves Eph. v. 15. Βλέπετε πως exactly according to the rules of duty in all our conver- gis. ἀκριβῶς fation.

Σπεδὴν παρ

Tit. iii. 1.

Col. iv. 2.

Rom. xii.

12.

This fervice requireth of us affiduous attendance on Eph. vi. 18. works of piety and devotion; that we do incessantly watch to prayer, that we always give thanks, that we continually 1 Theff. v. do offer up the facrifice of praise to God.

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Luke xviii.

1.

1

Theff. v.

It demandeth from us a continual labour of charity that we serve one another in love; that we should as we 18. have opportunity, work good to all men, that we fhould Eph. v. 20. always purfue good toward one another, and toward all Heb. xiii.

men.

Col. iii. 17.

15.

1 Theff. i. 3.

ἀγάπης.

It obligeth us with all our powers to purfue peace with Kóros Tas all men, (which, confidering our natural peevishness, pride, Gal. v. 13. and perverfenefs, is often no eafy tafk,) and that we do Ass orovdáčav, ftudiously endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit Egyagusin the bond of peace.

Gal. vi. 10.

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1 Theff. v.

It chargeth on us contentedly and patiently to undergo 15. whatever God doth impofe of burden or fufferance, fo Ei duvarov.

Ro. xii. 18. δυνατόν.

Heb. xii. 14. 2 Tim, ii. 22. Eph. iv. 3.

LII.

SERM. that patience have its perfect work; and it is a crabbed work to bend our stiff inclinations, to quell our refractory Jam. i. 4. passions, to make our sturdy humour buckle thereto.

Acts xxiv.

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It doth exact that we fhould govern and regulate according to very strict and fevere laws all the faculties of our foul, all the members of our body, all internal motions, and all external actions proceeding from us; that we should check our inclinations, curb our appetites, and compose our paffions; that we should guard our hearts from vain thoughts and bad defires; that we fhould bridle our tongues from evil and from idle difcourfes; that we fhould order our steps in the ftraight way of righteousness, not deflecting to the right hand or to the left.

In the discharge of this fervice how many rough difficulties are there to be furmounted, how many great obstacles to be removed, how many ftout oppofitions to be encountered, how many potent enemies to be vanquished, how many fore hardships, croffes, and tribulations to be endured!

How fhrewd a tak muft we find it to circumcife our hearts, to mortify our earthly members, to crucify our flesh with its affections and lufts, to pull out our right eyes, and cut off our right hands, to renounce our worldly interests, to hate our nearest relations, to take up and bear our cross, whenever confcience and duty fhall call us thereto !

Our calling therefore doth require great industry; and the business of it confequently is well reprefented by those performances, which demand the greatest intention, and laborious activity; it is ftyled exercife, (agoniftic and af1 Tim.iv. 7. cetic exercife; yúuvale σeautòv @pòs evoébaav, Exercife thyJelf to godliness; and iv toútų dè avròç åσxã, Herein I exHeb. xii. ercife myself, to have always a confcience void of offence toward God and toward men ;) wrestling, (hμŵv † ráan, our Eph. vi. 12. wrestling is not only against flesh and blood, but against Heb. xii. 1. principalities and powers ;) running a race, (Let us run 24. with patience the race that is fet before us: So run that ye 2 Tim.iv.7. may obtain: I prefs toward the mark for the prize of the 1 Tim.i.18, high calling ;) a warfare, a combating, (War a good war

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Phil. iii. 14.

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2 Tim. ii. 3.

Matt. xi.

1 Theff. v.

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1 Cor. xvi.

13.

fare, holding faith and a good confcience: Fight the good SERM. fight: Thou therefore endure hardship, as a good foldier of LII. Jefus Chrift: Every man that striveth for the mastery is 1 Tim. vi. temperate in all things ;) offering violence, (The kingdom of heaven fuffereth violence, and the violent take it by force ;) 1 Cor. ix. watching, (Let us not fleep as do others, but let us watch 25. and be fober: Watch ye, ftand faft in the faith, quit you 12. like men, be strong: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into. temptation.) Hence the precepts importing the general tenor of Matt. xxvi. Christian practice are usually couched in terms implying 41. xxiv. great fedulity and contention of foul; 'Aywvigerde, Strive Luke xii. to enter in at the strait gate: Let us labour therefore to 1 Pet. v. 8. enter into that rest: Labour not for the meat that perisheth, Apoc. iii. 2. but for that meat which endureth to everlafting life. Give diligence to make your calling and election fure. Gird up 24. the loins of your mind, be fober, and hope to the end. μεν. Wherefore, brethren, seeing that ye look for fuch things, be Heb. iv. 11. Εργάζεσθε. diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without John vi. 27. Spot and blameless.

42.

37.

xvi. 15.

Luke xiii.

Σπουδάσω

Σπεδάσατε. 2 Pet. i. 10.

Luke xii.

Such is the work of our general calling, and fo much 1 Pet. i. 13. industry it challengeth from us; with great reason indeed, for that fuch work is needful to our happiness, and that Eph. vi. 14. our labour will certainly be rewarded therewith.

2 Pet. iii. 14.

The work indeed of itself is most worthy to employ us, doth most become us, doth much adorn us, doth best befit our divine extraction and large capacity; is the noblest, the handfomeft, the sweetest employment that could take us up; but we have also the greatest in- John iv. ducements and encouragements poffible for our industry therein.

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There are, by the divine bounty and mercy, wages affigned abundantly correfpondent to our work, yea, infinitely furpaffing it; there is oλùs modos, a great (or a Matt. v. 12. manifold) hire for our flender and fimple performances; there are several noble prizes highly worth our striving for with our utmost strength and contention of foul.

In recompenfe thereof we shall affuredly gain even here in this tranfitory state the special favour and love of God,

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LII.

SERM. with his constant protection and care for our good; his faithful direction and friendly affiftance to guide us and Pf. xxxiv. 9. uphold us in all our ways, to bless and profper our underlxxxiv. 11. takings, to fupply us in our needs, and comfort us in our xxxvii. 3, diftreffes; fo that we shall lack nothing that is good, that no evil shall happen to us, that all things fhall concur and Prov. xii. cooperate for our benefit.

xxxiii. 19.

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Pf. xci. 10.

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Rom. viii. 38.

We shall thereby taste the fatisfactions of a calm mind, and a found conscience, quickened by the confolations of Col. iii. 15. the divine Spirit; the peace of God ruling in our hearts, Phil. iv. 7. which paffeth all understanding.

We fhall afterward, when this moment is paffed over, and our short day's work dispatched, receive from God's bountiful hand an unconceivable affluence of good things, Jam. i. 12. an eternal permanence of life; undisturbed reft, indefec1 Pet. v. 4. tible wealth, ineffable joy, incorruptible glory, a kingdom

1 Cor. ix.

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John iv. 36. He, faith our Lord, that reapeth, receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life everlasting.

Αποδώσει

To them, faith St. Paul, who, by patient continuance in Rom. ii. 6, well doing, feek for glory, and honour, and immortality, God in recompenfe will beflow eternal life. And,

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2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.

2 Cor. v.

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I have, faith that blessed labourer of himself, fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteoufness.

What more effectual fpur or incentive can there be to industry in this bufinefs, than to confider that which Eph. vi. 8. St. Paul fo often doth inculcate; Knowing that whatfoever good thing any man doeth, the fame (a recompenfe Col. iii. 24. for the fame) he shall receive of the Lord; and knowing that (in confideration of our fervice done to the Lord) of the Lord we shall receive the reward of the inheritance ?

What exhortation can be more firmly grounded, or 1 Cor. xv. ftrongly backed, than is that of the Apoftle, Therefore,

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i Rom. xiv. 18. He that in these things ferveth Chrift, is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

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