I. Scripture-light the most sure light ... delivered in three sermons on 2 Pet.…

5. And it is also the Character of a good and gracious person, whereby he is distinguished from the ungodly of the World. A good man lives and ⟨p. 434⟩dwelleth at the sign of a settled Conversation; he is planted by the Rivers of Water, Psal. 1. the wicked are as the Chaff that are driven to and fro, not settled, not planted. It is true indeed, that a moral, civil man, may be naturally of a fixed Spirit, serious, staid, and settled in his Moralities; but though he be settled in what is Morally good, yet he is also settled upon his Lees, in what is Spiritually evil; settled in prejudice against the Saints, and against the Power of Godliness; settled in his neglect of the Sabbath, &c. and though he be of a fixed Spirit and temper Naturally, yet that fixation doth not arise to any high, or great matter. It's an easy thing to cast up the Account truly,¹ where the Sum is small: Morality is a small Sum. When did ye hear of a Boat cast away in the River, the narrow Waters? 'Tis the Ship that puts to Sea, that doth make the Shipwreck: small Boats seldom miscarry in the narrow Waters. Now the Civil, Moral man, doth trade in the narrow Waters, and he boasts that he doth not miscarry: some make Shipwreck of Faith, and a good Conscience, but as for me, saith he, I walk constantly, evenly, and these many years have made no Shipwreck of my Profession, as others have done: But I pray, what is the reason? He never put to Sea, he never yet did launch forth into the great Ocean of the Gospel; he trades in the narrow Waters of his own Righteousness, and therein he is exact and constant. But now, take a godly, gracious man, and he doth abound in the work of the Lord, and ye• […] ••shed in it; according to that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15.58. Therefore my beloved Brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord; Why? For as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Surely therefore it is a great Mercy, and blessing, to be settled in the Truth, and established in the good Ways of God; a Mercy for a Nation, a Mercy for a Church, a Mercy for a Particular Person to be thus established: And therefore,