Gospel-love, heart-purity, and the flourishing of the righteous being the last sermon of the…

Use. The first may be for our Information. If those good works, both to God and Man, which are the fulfilling of the Commandment, must flow from a Gracious principle, then we are Instructed by this truth, how to Judge of their best works who still abide in the State of nature, having neither a pure heart, nor a good Conscience, nor Faith unfeigned.—Why what Judgement are we to make of their works? why ⟨p. 25⟩surely they are not the end of the Commandment, they are not the fulfilling of the Commandment; the works of such, even their works of charity, of love, of temperance, Patience, of Justice. were called by some of the godly learned Ancients, shining sins, and why we may not call them so now, I know no reason. That's the Judgement they give of such mens good actions; for as Christ tells the Pharisees, Luke 16. 15. that which is highly esteemed among men, is an Abomination unto God. Why? because it wants this principle. And to be sure, though their box of ointment, I mean the good things done by Persons who have not these principles, I say though their box of ointment may have a fragrant smell among many men, yet there are many dead flies in it, especially one great one, called unbelief, which makes their whole box of ointment very unsavoury in the nostrils of God, for so saith the Apostle, Heb. 11. 6. ⟨p. 26⟩without faith it is Impossible to please God. And that's one of the springs expressly spoken of in the text; Gospel charity is of a nobler extract than to be found in the whole compass of nature, and Godliness moves in a higher sphere than the best dress that the gayest Moralist ever reached unto. In Matth. 5. 20. Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God. That's a word for Information.

Use. The first may be for our Information. If those good works, both to God and Man, which are the fulfilling of the Commandment, must flow from a Gratious principle, then we are Instructed by this truth, how to Judge of their best works who still abide in the State of nature, having neither a pure heart, nor a good Conscience, nor Faith unfeigned.—Why what Judgement are we to make of their works? why