his worship, in the whole courfe of our walk, endeavouring to do always the things that please him; and when called to extraordinary duties, we must not decline them.

2. There are three things requisite to fit a man to ferve the Lord, or to do any thing that can juftly challenge that name. Men are not natu

rally fit for the Lord's fervice; and they far miftake it, who think that they may, juft when they please, put to their hand to the Lord's work, and do it right. Nay, before ever we can do any thing that God will own as fervice, we must, (1.) Give up with our old masters. We are all by nature the fervants of fatan and fin For their fervants we are to whom we obey, whether of fin unto death, or of obedience unto righteouf nefs, Rom. vi. 16. And no less fure it is, that we all naturally ferve and obey divers lufts: but now we must renounce these before we serve the Lord; for we are affured that there is no ferving two masters. The Lord will not half it with fin, Mat. vi. 24. No man can ferve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or elfe he will hold to the one, and defpife the other: ye cannot ferve God and Mammen. And, I affure you, this is no eafy matter to get a finner and his old mafter fairly parted; no lefs than the mighty power of God can do it. Sometime there. may be outcafts, but matters are quickly made up betwixt them, and all agreed again, until God himfelf effectually perfuade to a feparation.

(2.) There must be a fair engaging to Christ as our master. We must accept of him for our

Lord. A mafter will not allow one to come in and put to his hand to his fervice, unless he first covenant and engage to own him for his Lord;

Part III. and this is no eafy matter, to bring a finner, who is naturally an enemy, to come this length. To call Chrift, Lord, is fomething more than to refolve, under a conviction, to live better, and ferve the Lord; nay, 'tis fomewhat more than, under fome work on the affections, to go to a corner, and make or write a personal covenant. I fear, perfonal covenanting, however good and juftifiable in itself, yet is far mistaken, and much. abufed by fome, while it is made a ground of hope by fome who never understood what converfion meant, never were humbled, and taken off their own bottom, and engaged to the Lord by the power of his grace. If any man think this an eafy matter to call Chrift, Lord, he has never yet done it to purpose. I am fure the great a poftle thought it no eafy matter, but a thing so far above the line of nature, that the work of the Holy Ghoft is required to bring us to it, 1 Cor. xii. 3. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man, fpeaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Fefus accurfed; and that no man can say that Jefus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoft.

(3.) Before any can ferve God, he must have a heart fuited to the work. The carnal mind is not fubject to the law of God, but opposite to every duty. Before the fruit be good, the tree must be good. It is one of the many mad attempts that a deceitful heart and deceitful devil put people upon, under convictions, to ferve the Lord in newness of life, with old hearts: but they who have learned of Chrift, Matth. vii. 17. that the tree must first be made good, before the fruit can be fo, will know other things. First, we must be created in Christ, and then we may walk in good works, Eph. ii. 10. Now, not one piece

of

of fervice that is acceptable can any perform, with-1 out these three prerequifites.

3. That ye may understand what it is to ferve the Lord, we shall offer you this remark, that be-1 fore any piece of work performed by us, can juftly challenge this honourable name of fervice done to the Lord, it must have thefe fix qualifications.

(1.) It must be a thing commanded, otherwife it is ferving our own fancy, and not the Lord. The mafter's precept is the meafure of the fervant's obedience. We never find the Lord ap proving any for doing what he did not command them; nay, we find him, even when he has for bid things, rather challenging the doers, becaufe they did what he mmanded not, than because they did what he forbade, Jer. vii. 31. They have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their fons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. And to the fame purpose is chap. xix. 5. Who required this at your hand? will one day be the enter tainment of fuch fervices as are done without a command." And there is one command that puts them all to the duor, Deut. xii. 32. What thing foever I command you, obferve to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

(2.) There must be a regard had to the autho rity of the command in the doing. If men fhall, upon finiftrous motives, as very oft they may, do the things that are commanded, God will not reckon this for fervice done to him: men, that cannot pry into the hearts of the doers, may, but fuch deceits take not with God. It is not obedience, that is not done because commanded. It is frequently repeated in the erection of the taber

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nacle, that every thing was done as the Lord commanded Mofes, Exod. xvi. 34. and xxxiv. 4, etc. and that to intimate, that Mofes, in every step, had his eye upon the command; and fo fhould we in every thing eye the command.

(3.) Every duty, that it may be service to God, must be done in the name of Chrift. God will accept of no fervice but what is offered on this altar, Col. iii. 17. And whatsoever ye do in word. or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. In the name of Jefus, is, 1. By the command of Jefus, Matth. xviii. 20. Nothing, I am fure, can be done in his name, that has not the warrant of his command. 2. In the nar of Chrift, is in the strength received from Chrift, Luke x. 17. It was the name of Christ, that is, the power of Chrift, that cured the lame man, Acts iv. 10. and it must be this that must enable us to duty. 3. In the name of Chrift, is, in a dependence upon him for the acceptance of our fervice; for all our facrifices must be offered upon this altar, which fanctifieth the gifts that are put on it. 4. In the name of Chrift, is to the glory of Chrift. Nor will any service be accepted, that runs not in this channel.

(4.) Every piece of service, that God will own as fuch, must be done in faith: for, without faith it is impoffible to please God; for whatever is not of faith, is fin. Now, faith looks at the promife as its only fecurity, both for throughbearing, acceptance, and reward.

(5.) Service must be done in the manner that is required. It is not enough that the thing be done, but it must be done in the manner commanded; for even this comes in as a part of the

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command, Pfal. cxix. 4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

(6.) Service must be done in the proper time. God has fill'd up our time with work, and every duty has its own time, and we must do every thing in its feafon. Every thing is beautiful in its feafon and, To-day if ye will hear his voice. If the command be to-day, obedience to-morrow will not answer it. If any of these be wanting, then God will own no duty as service done to him.

4. To add no more, we offer this one remark more, for clearing what is meant by the Lord's fervice, and that is, that one may be called a fervant of the Lord, or claim this title, it is not enough to do fome one piece of commanded duty; nay, nor is it enough to multiply duties: but,

(1.) There must be an equal respect unto all God's commands, Then fhall I not be afhamed when I have refpect unto all thy commands, fays the pfalmift, Pfal. cxix. 6. The heart must be reconciled to all, and count them to be right concerning all things.

(2.) There must be a fixt benfail of will towards a compliance with them all. A fervant must have it to say with the apostle, Heb. xiii. 18. that he is in all things willing to live honestly. And,

(3.) There must be a constant and permanent endeavour to comply with them. We muft fhew the fume diligence to the full affurance of hope unto the end, Heb. vi. 11. And furely, if thefe few things were duly weighed, moft who have hitherto look'd upon themfelves as good fervants, would begin to be jealous of themselves, as mistaken in this matter.

II. We are next to fhew you what this deliberation, refolution, and willingness is, which ought Bb 3

to