SERMON XVI. JAMES ii. 10. WHOSOEVER SHALL KEEP THE WHOLE LAW, AND YET OFFEND IN ONE POINT, I IT T has, I hope, been fufficiently proved, that the interpretation given of these words, in the preceding difcourfe, is not arbitrary and conjectural; but grows out of the context and the occafion, and is conformable to the whole tenour of St. James's argument, and the particular object he had in view. It makes no greater abatement in the apostle's expreffion, than the peculiar ardour and energy of fcripture-language, and the concise fententioufnefs of proverbial maxims, abfolutely abfolutely require; no greater than is authorized by the foundeft rules of criticism, and the practice of the fobereft expofitors in many fimilar inftances. At the fame time, it seems to ftahd clear of all the objections which have been ufually urged against the text. It leaves no room to charge it with extravagant and undiftinguishing feverity, and the doctrine it prefents to us is confirmed by the whole tenour of holy writ. Every one in the leaft converfant with fcripture must know, that the rewards of Christianity are there promifed to thofe only who, to the beft of their power, endeavour to "ftand perfect and compleat in all the will "of God;" and that its punishments are denounced against every habitual fin of every kind, without any exception made in favour of thofe who offend in one point only, and obferve all the reft. And as this is the univerfal language of fcripture, fo is it perfectly conformable to every principle of reason, juftice, and equity. In regard to a future recompence, the cafe will not admit a doubt. * Col. iv. 12. Eternal life being the free and voluntary gift of God, he may certainly give it on whatever terms he thinks fit to prescribe. The terms he has prescribed are, faith in Christ, and obedience to all his laws. Whoever therefore does not comply with the terms required, can have no claim to the favour granted on those terms, and thofe only. Although the offender in one point may poffibly go fo far as to flatter himself that he shall not be punished for his offence, yet he can never furely expect to be rewarded for it. It would indeed be ftrange, if all who had only one favourite vice fhould be admitted to a state of felicity hereafter. For, fince different men are, by their different inclinations, led to tranfgrefs in different ways, it must by this means come to pafs, that finners of every denomination. would find their way to heaven. And thus, instead of meeting there, as we are taught to expect, with the fpirits of juft men made "perfect," and an illuftrious affembly of faints and angels, we fhould find ourselves furrounded, in the very manfions of blifs, with fuch fort of company as we should be afhamed to be seen in upon earth. સ્પંદ 1 *Heb. xii. 23. Nothing Nothing therefore can be more undeniably reasonable and juft, than that the habitual tranfgreffor of any one divine command, fhould be excluded from future happiness. Yet ftill perhaps it may be thought hard, that he should be doomed to future misery. There is scarce any thing we are apt to think fo reasonable, and fo natural, as that a number of good qualities fhould atone for one bad habit, and shelter us from punishment, at least, if not entitle us to reward. Yet why should we expect this from the Gospel difpenfation; when in the ordinary courfe of God's providence we find it quite otherwife? How often do we fee, in the affairs of this world, not only that one habitual vice, but that one finglé wrong action, will, in fpite of a thousand excellencies, draw after it the ruin of fortune, fame, and every earthly comfort? The cafe is the fame in the economy of nature, and the artificial inftitutions of civil fociety. The health of the human body is the refult of perfect order in every part. If the flightest member be indifpofed, it disturbs the ease of the whole, and "every member suffers with "it." In the body politic, a compleat obe dience to the laws is the only title to the protection of the ftate; and a fingle crime, notwithstanding all our other services, will render us obnoxious to its punishments. Add to this, that in all compacts and covenants which we enter into with one another, concerning our worldly affairs, the breach of any one effential condition vacates the covenant, and deprives us of all the benefits we claim under it. Now, the title we have to everlasting happiness hereafter is founded folely, not on the precarious ground of our own imperfect fervices; for "we are all unprofitable fervants*;" but on the fure bafis of that efficacious covenant, which was made between God and us through the mediation of our Redeemer, and which he fealed with his own many All the All the precepts of conditions of this co blood upon the crofs. the Gospel are fo venant, which we have promised, and which we are bound, to obferve. If therefore we wilfully and habitually violate any one of thefe conditions, though we religiously obferve all the reft, we evacuate the covenant, we forfeit our federal right (the only right |