CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

3. Hence we see, That good works and an holy active life is not forbidden but commanded by the Scripture; To preach Christ, or faith, or grace, or the benefit of the Sacraments so, as that a godly, exact, and diligent walking and working is excluded, is to preach another Christ, another Gospel then we have received; Our Saviour by those Parables of divers talents, as also of the foolish Virgins, and of the unjust steward, Mat. 25. of hiring Labourers into the Vineyard, did hereby commend the necessity of working, Paul fought a good fight, and all the godly Worthies commended by him, Heb. 11. had an active laborious faith, and they are accounted blessed that die in the Lord: Why? because their works follow them, Rev. 14.13. yea, at the day of judgement that judicial process will be according to the works we have done, or we have not done, for omission of duties, though there be no commission of sin, the sentence of condemnation will be pronounced; so that concerning this duty of working there have been errors on both sides, sometimes Satan hath so prevailed as to persuade men against working, to fancy a kind of notional faith that will not purify or cleanse the heart, a painted fire that will not burn: Sometimes again when he could not prevail that ways, then he hath set up working to overthrow believing to make Christ and his grace ineffectual, Take we heed then that we split not our selves at either of these rocks, but conform our selves to Christ, who was never idle, but like a careful Shepherd went up and down seeking the lost Sheep; This is the devils great temptation, to tempt thee not to work, or if thou workest to puff thee up with confidence about it, and so to make thee •un in vain: The Popish Doctrines they have so infected men about works, teaching them to put confidence therein, that it was an infinite mercy to the Church when the true doctrine about Christ and the grace of the Gospel be•a•e to be published, and by reason of some expressions there arose up the Antinomians and others, who cried down working as if that were to bring the Law in again for justification, but both these miss the mark, both the Pharisee with confidence in his works, and the Publican without his works, are excluded this place of glory.