that I spoke either of ministers taking or forbearing, is false in fact; and I do not believe he will get any of that numerous company who will adventure to say so upon oath. It is true, when I urged him with this, having taken occasion to talk with him in the beginning of July last, he alleged, that, though I did not speak directly of ministers who had taken the oath, yet the tendency of my discourse was to bring a reflection upon them. But, for my part, if the oath be a good thing, and if he took it with a good conscience, I cannot find any thing in all that sermon that could militate against him, there being nothing in it, so far as I know, but the pure and plain truths of God. But if the word of the Lord be against men, it is a plain evidence of a galled and uneasy conscience within; for a good conscience will never be wounded at plain scripture truth. But it is the natural fruit of the sword of the Spirit, when faithfully managed, to prick and wound the guilty conscience; and, where it does not meeken and humble the spirits of men, it so irritates their corruptions, that they turn about to rend those who wield it. An instance of which we have, Luke xx. 19: "And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people; for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them."

I know it will be alleged that I have altered and smoothed my sermon, and that my notes may not be the same with what I delivered viva voce. As to which I shall only say, that it is my practice to write all I have a mind to say in public. It is true, indeed, I do not pretend to such an exact memory, as that I can confine myself in the delivery, to every thing in my notes, without varying a word or phrase: but yet I use to be pretty exact that way, when I know such critical auditors as Mr. A. are before me. One of my own children, who I am sure would not adventure to alter a word, dictated the following sermon to an amanuen. sis, from my original notes; and that same copy goes to the press: I own I helped the grammar in some places, when I revised it. So that there is not a phrase or sentence altered, at which my accuser might take the least unbrage. And I do very well remember that some things were expressed softer in the delivery than they are in the notes which now are come abroad.

Mr. A. told me, that, if I published my sermons, I could not hinder him from printing the notes he took from my mouth. For my part, if he took every word I spoke at that time, I should be very easy; for (I desire to speak it not out of vain glory, but to the praise of him who makes the tongue of the stammerer to speak plainly,) that which I deliver in public, has, for ordinary, the advantage of my notes, both for closeness of connexion and accuracy of expression. But I very much doubt if Mr. A. be such a ready writer as to catch every word, or sentence either, when I speak. As for the other sermons that Mr. A. arraigns, I design to let them come abroad in due time; and what he asserts concerning them may be

considered in a preface to each sermon apart.—I shall here subjoin a list of them, with their several texts, notifying what was affirmed concerning them.

1st, Upon John vi. 66: "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." Concerning this sermon, it was affirmed that I preached such doctrine, as he, preaching after me, was obliged to contradict.

2dly, Upon Psal. cxxxviii. 6: "Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off." In this, I was said to have arraigned the church of Scotland, in the matter of the oath.

3dly, Upon Titus iii. 8: "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works: these things are good and profitable unto men." As to this, it was affirmed, that, by ambiguous expressions, I endeavoured to lead the people to think that assurance was of the essence of faith; and that it was the duty of every man to believe that Christ died for him.

4thly, Upon Luke ii. 28: "Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God." As to which, it was said that I preached unsound doc. trine, or doctrine of an erroneous tendency.

5thly, Upon Psal. lxxxix. 16: "In thy righteousness shall they be exalted." It was represented that, in this sermon, I taught that believers are exalted above the law; that they are altogether innocent; and that God hath not any grudge in his heart against them.

Because it is charged upon us as an error, that we preach assurance to be of the essence of faith, therefore I design also to publish a sermon on that subject, from Heb. x. 22: " Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith." From which I hope it shall appear, that our principle upon that head is agreeable to the scriptures of truth, and the ancient and modern standard of doctrine in this church. And I hope that the following sermon, and the third of those above mentioned, shall be an effectual confutation of that calumny cast upon us, as if we discarded holiness and good works. And whereas, it may be alleged that this sermon was preached long ago, and that I have altered my way of thinking since that time, I here declare that what is taught in the said sermon, I own as my principle still.

It shall be my earnest prayer, that He, who, by his overruling hand, has brought forth these sermons to public view, beyond my design, may accompany them with his effectual blessing, to the edification of souls.

E. E.

October 5, 1725.

SERMONS.

SERMON I.

GOD'S LITTLE REMNANT KEEPING THEIR GARMENTS CLEAN IN AN EVIL DAY.

**

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.-Rev. 111. 4.

THE first six verses of this chapter contain an epistle sent by Jesus Christ to the church of Sardis. Where we have, first, the preface, and then the body of the epistle. In the body of the epistle we may notice these three things: 1. An accusation or charge, in the close of the first verse. 2. An exhortation to several duties, such as repentance, watchfulness, and the like, ver. 2, 3. 3. We have a commendation given to this church, in the words of my text, Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, &c. Where, more particularly, we have, 1st, The commendation itself, Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments. 2dly, A reward, They shall walk with me in white. 3dly, The reason and ground of this, For they are worthy. First, I say, we have the commendation itself. Where we may notice, the commender, the commended, and the ground on which the commendation runs. 1. The commender. Who he is may be gathered from the connexion. It is "he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars," ver. 1. It is Christ himself. And his commendation may be depended upon; for he trieth the heart and reins, and needs not that any should testify of man unto him, because he knows what is in man. 2. The party commended. Who are described, (1.) From their designation; they are called names. God had "given them a new name, a name better than of sons and of daughters," even a name "among the living in Jerusalem :" they were marked among the rolls of his chosen, redeemed, and sanctified ones. By their zeal, uprightness, integrity, and their honest appearance for God, in that degenerate day and place, they had distinguished themselves from others, and so

* Preached on a sacramental occasion at Strathmiglo, Monday, June 3, 1714. 4

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purchased a name to themselves; and they were known to men as well as unto God: "The Lord knoweth the righteous ;" and he knows them by name, they are marked out among others. (2.) They are described by their paucity; they are a few names. They were comparatively few, when laid in the balance with the multitude and bulk of carnal secure professors in this church; there was but a small part of them that had kept themselves free of the corruptions and defections of that church, and that had "not bowed the knee unto Baal." (3.) They are described from the place of their residence, Sardis, one of the seven churches of the Lesser Asia. The expression here is observable, A few names even in Sardis. Christ's character of this church, in the close of the first verse, was, that they were generally dead, though they had a name to live: "But," as if he had said, "though the generality of this church be dead, yet even there I have a few lively and tender Christians." But then, 3. Notice the ground on which the commendation runs; they have kept their garments clean, or, have not defiled their garments. Perhaps there may be an allusion in this expression to the Jews, who were not to come near any thing that was unclean, by the law of Moses, or to touch them with their garments, lest they should be defiled: or it may allude to the practice of the eastern countries, who used to gird up their long garments, to keep them from being defiled, or spotted. The meaning is, that this little remnant in Sardis had maintained their integrity, like Job; they were "perfect and upright men," men that "feared God, and eschewed evil;" they had not complied with the abounding errors and corruptions of their day, but "exercised themselves to keep consciences void of offence towards God and man.' When others were sleeping, they were waking, about their work; when others in that church were dead and secure, they were lively. And so much for the commendation given by Christ to this remnant. Secondly, In the words we have a reward, or rather we may call it a consolatory promise made to this little remnant: They shall walk with me in white. Perhaps the expression may allude to the practice of the Romans, who clothed their nobility, at any solemnity, in white: or to their conquerors, who triumphed, upon any victory obtained, in white garments; or to the priests under the law, who ministered in the temple in white garments. The meaning is, They shall walk with me in white; that is, They shall be admitted to the immediate enjoyment of fellowship and communion with me, and be partakers of my glory in heaven through eternity." But the import of the expression may be more fully spoken to afterward. Thirdly, In the words we have the reason and ground why the Lord

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puts such a difference between his remnant and others, For they are worthy; that is, valuable, and excellent persons, as Solomon speaks, "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour." Not as if they had any worthiness or excellency in themselves beyond others by nature; no, no; "They are children of wrath and condemnation, even as others;" but they are made worthy by justifying and sanctifying grace, by imputed righteousness and inherent holiness. Some render the word, "For they are meet:" so the word is rendered, Matth. iii. 8:"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." So here the Lord promises, that they who keep their garments clean should walk with him in white; why, because it is meet or suitable it should be so, that they who are holy here, should be happy hereafter.

Doct. "That although there be but few in a visible church that keep their garments clean in a declining time, yet these few are highly valued by Christ, and shall be admitted to partake of his glory in heaven."

This doctrine I take to be the scope of the verse, Thou hast a few names, &c. In discoursing on this point, I shall endeavour, through divine assistance, to do these six things:

I. Offer a few propositions concerning this little remnant. II. Show that Christ has a high value for this remnant; they are worthy in his esteem.

III. What is imported in their keeping their garments clean. IV. What it is to walk with Christ in white.

V. Inquire into the connexion between the duty and privilege.

VI. Apply the whole.

I. The first thing is, to offer a few propositions concerning this remnant, who are said to keep their garments clean; and you may take these few following.

1. That God the Father gave a remnant to Christ of the posterity of Adam, in the covenant of redemption, to be ransomed and redeemed by him, from that wo and wrath, into which Adam, by his apostacy, had involved himself and all his posterity. That such a remnant was gifted to Christ by the Father, is plain from John xvii.; where Christ in his prayer frequently speaks of those that the Father gave him, particularly ver. 6: "Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word." He promised to him, for his encouragement in that great undertaking, that he should have "a seed to serve him," and "see of the travail of his soul."

2. The Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God, in the fulness of time, took on the nature of man, and in our nature obeyed