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

Secondly, Obedience must have Gods command, ¹else it cannot enjoy Gods promise and blessing; Whatsoever God commands he hath annexed a gracious promise thereto for our encouragement and reward; Therefore it's said. In vain do they worship me; There is no promise of Gospel-privileges or salvation to such actions; Now how sad a thing is it, when the same Motto which Solomon puts upon all these fading things here below, shall likewise be set upon thy Religion and devotion; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and vexation of spirit; It's the promise that a godly man embraceth, that he looketh after, for even in holy actions truly, so it's not thy performance, thy grace, but the promise that bears thee out; Therefore we are all said to be Children of the Promise, Gal. 4.28. and heirs of the Promise, and 2 Cor. 7.1. Having these Promises let us cleanse our selves; If then thou art never so zealous, though thou shouldst give thy body to the sire, and have not a promise, it would profit thee nothing; Shouldst thou give away all thou hast, Shouldst thou endure all hardship, yet if thou hast no promise to this action thou art but a tinkling Cymbal; Oh then let the people of God in all their acts of obedience mind the command for the lawfulness of them, and the promise for the encouragement thereunto; if no command then no promise, God will not water that plant, or give increase to it, which he hath not planted; And for this end Austin and others did condemn all those famous moral actions of the heathens as glittering sins, because they had no promise belonging to them of Eternal life: As they did them upon humane inferior motived, not supreme and divine, so their recompense was but the cockleshells of this world, not that weight of glory in heaven.

Secondly, Obedience must have Gods command, ¹else it cannot enjoy Gods promise and blessing; Whatsoever God commands he hath annexed a gracious promise thereto for our encouragement and reward; Therefore it's said. In vain do they worship me; There is no promise of Gospel-priviledges or salvation to such actions; Now how sad a thing is it, when the same Motto which Solomon puts upon all these fading things here below, shall likewise be set upon thy Religion and devotion; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and vexatien of spirit; It's the promise that a godly man embraceth, that he looketh after, for even in holy actions truly, so it's not thy performance, thy grace, but the promise that bears thee out; Therefore we are all said to be Children of the Promise,