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braced and Indulged, when the Fear of mifery is the means of Avoiding it. And though this be not fo Generous and Excellent a principle of obedience, as the Love of God; yet our Blessed Saviour and St. Paul have propofed it, as an Engaging motive. And wherefoever Reformation of life is One effect of it,. the Love of God will certainly be Another. Thus may a due apprehenfion of Danger become the cause of Safety, Fear be turn'd into Hope, and Sorrow into Joy.

III. Thirdly, Those who are fincerely Religious fhould look forward to the Refurrection, as the fountain of Patience and Comfort under all Calamities, and of Resolution and Conftancy under the moft Difficult duties that Religion enjoyns. For the Worft circumftances in the Wilderness will eafily be difpenfed with, if the Promifed land is but kept in view. The Heavieft afflictions, that the Body fuftains here, will appear Light when put into the Balance with its Future Glory. Self-denial will be lefs troublesome, when attended with cer

certain hopes of the Enjoyments that follow. And 'tis a fufficient encouragement to Mortification, that it is the means of being Raised to eternal Life. Those may very well be Indefatigable in all the duties of Religion, who are Refresh'd with a Conftant and Lively sense of that place, where they shall not only reft from their labours, but receive the Ineftimable Reward of them.

IV. Fourthly therefore and Laftly, Since we shall certainly be raised from Death, we should not propose to our felves happiness in this life, as the End of our obedience. Indeed in the Old Testament, wherein a Future ftate is but Obfcurely reveal'd, Temporal bleffings are very frequently propofed, as an encouragement to the obfervance of God's Commands; but in the Gospel, wherein Life and Immortality are brought to light, they are very seldom mention'd, and are never to be the Principal motive to Religion; unless it can be Imagin'd, that our Hopes and Defires may Terminate in that, which we are forbid to Love. For thus

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it is written: * Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth; and, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world: If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him: Which Texts are not to be understood of those things alone, which are in their own nature finful; for 'tis unquestionably true, that the fixing our Affections, even upon fuch Prefent enjoyments as are in themselves Lawful, does Alienate us from the Love of God, and a Future state.

And after all, Temporal bleffings, which have fometimes been with too much Earneftness and Artifice recommended, are frequently denied to the Beft of men. And that Goodness muft be Uncertain, which is not fupported by the expectation of a Certain reward: That Religion cannot ftand very long, which is built upon an Unstable foundation. But the ftrongest temptations will hardly Shake the virtue of those, whofe Love and Hopes are devoted to

* Col. iii. 2.

† 1 John, ii. 15.

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the Treasures, which will Infallibly be dispensed in that day of Retribution, when they shall be refcued from the Tyranny of Death, and appear Pure and Perfect before the Judgment Seat of Chrift; when they fhall Hear the Bleffed fentence pronounced upon them, and See the first rays of Endless glory; when they shall meet the Lord in the air, and thence with Him and the Holy Angels ascend to the manfions of Heaven; where they shall reign for ever, without any danger of revolting to Sin, or relapfing from Blifs.

Unto God Bleffed for ever, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, be all Honour, Praife and Thanksgiving, from generation to generation, Amen.

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SERMON III.

The Neceffity and Measures, the Excellency and Efficacy of Works of Charity Reprefented.

LUKE XVI. Ver. 9.

Make to your felves friends of the Mammon of unrighteoufnefs, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting Habitations.

T

HE Rule here given by our Bleffed Saviour, is grounded up

on the Parable of the Unjust Steward; who, finding that he must be put out of his Stewardship, improved the fhort Seafon, which was ftill in his Hands, to the utmost Advantage. He

had

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