3. It is a greater honour to God : John xv. S, * Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit ;' Phil. i. 11, ' Being filled with the Iruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and
EpH. II. 10.] THE TWENTIETH SERMON. 407
praise of God;' 2 Tlie.s. i. 11, 12, 'Wherefore we pray for you, that our God would count you worthy of thi.s callinn^, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him.' Christ's religion is not a barren religion, but full of good works. It is a mighty credit to religion in you that profess it, when goodness is the constitution of your hearts, to do good the business of your lives.
4. It edifieth others, and provoketh an holy emulation : Heb. x. 24, ' Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works.' We provoke them most by our example when they are cold, negligent, and backward to works of piety and mercy. In all things we should be an instance of divine virtues.
5. This is the fruit which God expecteth from us, that the trees of righteousness should bear the fruits of righteousness. If we frustrate his expectation, he will hew us down and cast us into the fire, Mat. iii. 10. Therefore good works are not needless things.
The means to enable us are : —
1. Be sure that you are renewed. The dead cannot do the works of the living, * Neither do men gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles,' Mat. vii. 16. Our first business is to look to our conversion to God. All outward duties begin in the heart; they are valued no farther than they come from it sanctified.
2. Keep 5'our hearts under a sense of God's authority, that you may feel something in your own bosoms that may tell you you are bound to obey him, and may plead God's right with you. This is done by a frequent meditation upon your creation and redemption : your creation giveth God a full right to you, and redemption maketh it comfortable ; by both you see you are his : Acts xxvii. 23, ' There stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.'
3. You are intrusted with his talents, and of their improvement you must give an account: Mat. xxv. 14, A lord called his servants, and delivered to them his goods, in order to improvement.
4. What encouragement we have from a gracious God and cove- nant, which takes not advantage of involuntary weaknesses, but accept- eth their endeavours who sincerely do their best : Mai. iii. 17, ' I will spare him, as a man spareth his son that serveth him.'
5. Eemember often your great obligation to God ; you can never do so much for him as he deserveth of you : Ps. cxvi. 12, ' What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me ? '
6. Do all as in God's eye, and with a constant dependence upon him : Ps. xvi. 8, ' I have set the Lord always before me.' Make him your paymaster, governor, and judge, and it will not only keep you sincere, but diligent in good works. The work is not sincerely done when you look to man, nor thoroughly done. Such have their reward only here, Mat. vi.
7. Love your work. A little thing will stop him that doth it unwillingly : Ps. cxix. 47, 48, ' I will delight myself in thy command- ments, which I have loved ;' and ' I will lift up my hands unto thy commandments, which I have loved.'
8. Account yourselves much beholden to God, that he will employ you in any service for his glory.
FAREWELL SERMON.
Peeached in the Church of St Paul, Covent Garden, 17th August 1662.
EDITORIAL liOTE.
The ejection of two thousand ministers by the Act of Uniformity in IGG'2 could not fail to make a great impression on the minds of the people of England, and especially of the ministers who were ejected, and of the people who had enjoyed their ministry. The last utterances of these ministers in the pulpits which they were about to quit were naturally listened to with peculiar interest. Many of these were published from notes taken by hearers; and in the fol- lowing year, 1G63, these were collected and published in a volume, under the title of " Farewell Sermons." In this volume, that by Dr ]\Ianton occupies the second place, coming immediately after that of Mr Calamy. From this volume it is now reprinted.
FAREWELL SEEMON.
Wlierefore, seeing tve are compassed about loWi so great a cloud of luitnesses, let us laij aside every weight, and the sin lohich doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.—H^^. XII. 1.
In the former chapter you have a spiritual chronicle, or a catalogue of the Lord's worthies, and all the eminent effects of their faith ; and now the apostle comes to make use of this history, that he had produced through so many successions of ages, of all the holy men of God that excelled in faith : ' AVherefore, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,' &c. The text is wholly hortatory. In it observe : —