which determines this falfe and dying life, and begins a true one, above all the titles of happiness! The Epicure or Sadducee dares not die, for fear of not being: The guilty and loose worldling dares not die, for fear of being miserable: The distrusting and doubtful Half-christian dares not die, because he knows not whether he shall be miferable or no: But the refolved Chriftian dares and would die, because he knows he shall be happy; and looking chearfully towards heaven, (the place of his rest), can unfeignedly fay with St. Paul, he defires to be diffolved, and to be with Chrift.

And let us take care to be of that number, and we need not fear any temporal calamities that may befal us.

SERMON

(59)

SERMON IV,

How to form Refolutions of Repentance,

[From Mr. KETTLEWELL.]

ACTS xi. 23,

Who when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad; and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

W

HEN fome of those Chriftians, who were dispersed abroad upon the death of St. Stephen, came to Antioch, and upon their preaching multitudes believed; the church of Jerufalem fent out Barnabas, that he fhould go and confirm them in the new courfe of life which they had undertaken, and in the holy faith which they had received. And this he doth in the words of my text; Who when he came, and had feen the grace of God, was glad; and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

By

By cleaving to the Lord, we may underftand, not only adhering to God and the Christian religion, in oppofition to the Jewish worship, and to all falfe gods and heathen idols; a point very neceffary to be preffed, when they fought converts among Jews and Gentiles;not only adhering to gofpel truths, when they grow hazardous; a thing very requifite to be inculcated at that time;-but also adhering to him in virtue and holiness, in oppofition to a wicked life; a thing moft indifpenfibly required, and fit to be ftudiously urged, in all times.

In adhering thus to God in a virtuous course, we shall meet with many difficulties, and be put to deny ourselves, and very likely others too, whom either out of fome temporal expectation, or affection, we gladly would comply withal; and this is enough to stagger our choice, and to draw our hearts off from God, unless they are fully bent upon his ways, and fixed to him by a firm refolution and fteady purpose of obedience. And that, the apoftle calls for in this place, from those who were engaged in, and would go on with, God's fervice;

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be exhorted them all, that with purpose of beart they would cleave unto the Lord.

My defign from these words is to fhew, how to form fuch a refolution of new life and purpose of repentance, as may both fet us in, and alfo carry us through with, God's fervice and this may seem most neceffary to be infifted on, because the far greatest part of penitential purposes fall off, before they have wrought an answerable practice. So that it is highly useful to inquire, what are their defects; and how, in a point of fuch. eternal moment, we may prevent mifcarriages.

It is not all holy refolution that will overcome our vices, and keep us true to our Maker against all temptations. If it is weak or wavering, the folicitations of our old friends will quickly alter, or the ftrength

of great temptations overpower it. If it is chiefly for remote futurities, and overlooks what is next at hand; it will allow us to be wicked for the prefent. If it be made only in a good mood, and the abfence of temptations, it will not bear us out when we come under them. If it be

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