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ing and Reproving the most Profligate, or Powerful Sinner alive; or, by Abandoning, Utterly, our Infidelity, or Impenitency, our Corrupt Principles, or Corrupt Practices, all the Dearest of our Sinful Gratifications, of Body or Mind; Tamely fubmitting our Reason to an Unfhaken Belief of the Mysteries, and our Paffions to an Intire Obedience to the Precepts of the Gospel.

Let us therefore Now, by a wife Choice, take into our Minds, fuch a Judgment of Things, as we shall not Then be able to keep Out of Them; Let us now be Industrious in Performing the Duties, which we shall Then Hate the Thoughts of Neglecting. Though our Endeavours may Now be fufficient to Prevent the Judgments of God, they may not Then suffice to the Removal of Them. Let us turn to the Lord with all our Hearts, and diligently feek him, whilst he may be found. Behold, now is the Accepted time, behold, now is the day of Salvation.

Let our Apprehenfions of the Evils, which furround us, work fo Happy and Lafting a Change in us, that thofe Evils Themselves

Themselves may never Invade and overtake us, but that we may obtain the Mercy and Favour of the most High, fuch Degrees of his Mercy and Favour, as may Effectually Preferve us from Deftruction, both Temporal and Eternal, through the Powerful Merits and Mediation of our Bleffed Lord and Saviour, Jefus Chrift; To whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, Three Perfons, and one God, be all Honour, Praife, and Thanksgiving, both Now, and for Evermore. Amen.

SERMON

298'

SERMON VIII.

The Temporal Advantages of Religion.

PROV. III. 16.

Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand Riches and Honour.

W

ISDOM, or Religion, is here introduced Holding out to men's View, the greatest Temporal Bleffings, as Inducements to engage them in her Service. And the fame Encouragements to Virtue and Goodness, are offer'd in Other places of Holy Scripture. Therefore St. Paul affures us, *that Godliness is profitable to all things; having promife of the life that Now is, as

* 1 Tim. iv. 8.

well

And

well as of That which is to come. yet, the fame Holy Spirit, which Sometimes gives us a prospect of Good Men, Drawn in the most Agreeable and Beautiful Light, does Elsewhere represent Them under the utmost Disadvantages of Shade and Situation: They are Sometimes Figured out, as Crown'd with Happiness, and at Other times, as Loaded with Mifery.

It will Therefore be neceffary, in treating of this Subject, to confider Three Things:

I. First, That the Propofal of Temporal Advantages, in the Text, is subject to feveral Limitations and Conditions, and not Intended to be Understood in an UNIVERSAL and ABSOLUTE fenfe, as Infallibly Afcertaining thefe Advantages to every Good man in the World;

II. Secondly, That according to the Natural ftate of Things, which God hath Determin'd, according to the Ordinary and fettled Courfe and Tendencies of Human Affairs, a Religious Life is the most proper and Likely means of fecuring thofe Advantages; And

III. Thirdly,

III. Thirdly, That, Abstracting from the Natural Tendency of Things, God does frequently, by his Special Providence, vouchsafe thefe Advantages to his Faithful fervants; And fuch Advantages, when placed in the hands of Good men, may be properly accounted Bleffings.

I. That the propofal of Temporal Advantages, in the Text, is fubject to several Limitations and Conditions, and not intended to be understood in an UNIVERSAL and ABSOLUTE fenfe, as Infallibly Afcertaining thefe Advantages to every Good man in the World. And the Truth of this Propofition may appear from the following Particulars.

ift. The Encouragement proposed in the Text, cannot be understood Otherwife, than as they are Compatible with the Established State and Order of Things in the World. If Honour and Riches, in the Highest fenfe of Them, were to be the Portion of every Good Man, the Consequence must be, (as Few Good men as there are in the World) that the Honourable and the Mighty would do more than bear a Juft Proportion to their

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