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with him? and does not the Apostle apply the fame promise to every good Chriftian, Heb. xiii. 5. I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee? For where is the difference between thefe expreffions, I will be with you, and, I will make my abode with him? I will be with you always, and, I will never leave thee nor forfake thee? Is it promifed to the church, that the Spirit fhall lead her into all truth? and is not the fame promife made to every good man, John xiv. 21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, be it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and will manifeft myfelf to him? that is, God will reveal his will to thofe that love him, and keep his commandments. Hath God promised to build his church upon a rock? And doth not our Saviour ufe the fame metaphor concerning every man that doth the will of God? Matth. vii. 24. Whofoever heareth thefe fayings of mine, and doth them, is like a wife man that built his houfe upon a rock. So that if to be built upon a rock fignifies infallibility, it belongs to every good man, who fincerely practifeth what he knows, as much as to any church.

When men are enabled by God to work miracles for the confirmation of the doctrines which they deliver, there is great reason to believe that they are infallibly affifted in the delivery of thofe doctrines: But without this, it is the vaineft thing in the world for any perfon or church to pretend to it; because they offer no evidence fit to fatisfy any man that they are fo affifted And I do not hear that the Pope, among all his privileges, does pretend to the power of miracles.

Secondly, From hence likewife we may infer the great reafon of error and infidelity in the world. If any man be an infidel, it is not the fault of his understanding, but of his will; it is not because there is not fufficient evidence that the Chriftian religion is from God, but because mens interefts and lusts make them partial and incompetent judges of matters of religion. The evidence of the Chriftian religion is fuch as recommends it to every man's reafon and

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confcience; fo that (as St Paul argues) if the gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are left; in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, left the light of the glorious gofpel of Chrift, who is the image of God, should shine unto them, 2 Cor. iv. 3. 4.

If men did but ftand indifferent for the entertain. ment of truth, and were not swayed by the interest of any luft or paffion, I am confident that no man that hath the gospel fairly propofed to him, would conti nue an infidel. If men did but truly live up to the principles of natural religion, they would easily be convinced, that the Chriftian religion, which is fo fuitable thereto, is front God,

Thirdly and laftly, What hath been faid is a great argument and encouragement to obedience, and holinefs of life. Do we defire not to be mistaken about the mind of God? Let us heartily endeavour to do his will. If we would not be feduced by the error of the wicked, let us take heed of their vicious practices. The best way certainly to preferve a right judgement in matters of religion, is to take great care of a good life. God's goodness is fuch, that he will not fuffer any man's judgement to be betrayed into a damnable error, without fome vice and fault of his will. The principles of natural religion are born with us, and imprinted upon our minds, fo that no man can be ig norant of them, nor need to be mistaken about them ; and as for those revelations which God hath made of himself to the world, he hath been pleased to accom pany them with fo much evidence, that an honeft and fincere mind may easily discern them from error and impofture. So our Saviour hath affured us, that if any man defire to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.

On the other hand, if we fee any oppose the clear truth, or depart from it, and embrace grofs errors and delufions, we may almoft certainly conclude, that there is fome worldly luft or intereft at the bottom of it. So our Saviour has likewise told us, that the reason why men love darkness rather than light, is,

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because their deeds are evil; and every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, left his deeds should be reproved. I will conclude this whole difcourfe with St Peter's exhortation, the 2d of Pet. iii. 17. 18. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know thefe things before, beware, left ye alfo being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfaftnefs. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

SERMON

XC.

The nature of covetoufnefs.

LUKE XII. 15.

And he faid unto them, Take heed, and heware of covetousness; for a man's life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth.

Mong all the irregular appetites of men, there

is none that is more common and unreasonable, and of a more universal bad influence upon the hearts and lives of men, than this of covetoufnefs; and therefore in fpeaking of this vice, I fhall ftrike at the root of a great many others; even of apostasy from God's truth and religion, of which covetoufnefs, and the love of this prefent world, is one of the most common causes. So that if I can contribute any thing to the cure of this great diftemper of mens minds, I fhall in fo doing remove that, which is the caufe and occafion of a great part of the evils and mifchiefs which are in the world. And to this end I have pitched upon thefe words of our bleffed Saviour to his hearers: And he faid unto them, take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man's life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he posseseth.

In which words are these three things obfervable: First, The manner of the caution which our Saviour here gives, Take heed, and beware; he doubles it, to fhew the great need and concernment of it.

Secondly, The matter of the caution, or the vice which our Saviour here warns his hearers against, and that is covetoufnels: Take heed and beware of covetoufness.

Thirdly, The reafon of this caution, Becaufe a man's life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which be poffeffeth. Human life is fuftained by a little, and therefore abundance is not neceffary, either to the fupport or comfort of it. 'Tis not a great estate and vaft poffeffions that make a man happy in this world; but a mind that is equal to its condition, whatever it be.

First, The manner of the caution which our Saviour here gives, Take heed, and beware. This is a peculiar kind of caution, and no where elfe, or upon any o ther occafion that I know of, ufed in fcripture; in which, for the greater emphafis and weight, the words of caution are doubled, as if the matter were of fo much concernment, that no caution about it could be too much; to fignify to us both the great danger of this fin of covetoufnefs, and the great care men ought to ufe to preferve themfelves from it.

1. The great danger of this fin; how apt we are to fall into this vice; and of how pernicious a consequence it is to thofe in whom it reigns.

ift, How apt we are to fall into this vice. And excepting thofe vices which are immediately founded in a man's natural temper and conftitution, there is none that men have a more univerfal propenfion to, than this of covetoufnefs. For there are two things which human nature does more efpecially defire to be fecured againft, which are want and contempt; and riches feem to be a certain remedy against both these evils. And because men think they can never be fufficiently fecured against thefe, therefore their defire of riches grows endlefs and infatiable: fo that unless men be very jealous and watchful over them

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felves, this defire will grow upon them, and enlarge itself beyond all bounds.

2dly, As men are very apt to fall into this vice, fo is it of very pernicious confequence to thofe in whom it reigns. The mischief of it is very great, and very extenfive; fo St Paul tells us, 1 Tim. vi. 8. 9. 10. where he preffeth men to be contented with a small competency of the things of this life, because of the great danger and mifchief of a covetous mind: Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich, (that is, they are bent and refolved upon being rich), fall into temptation and a fnare, and into many foolish and hurtful lufts, which drown men in deftruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil. But this I fhall speak more fully to, when I come to fhew the great evil and unreasonablenefs of this vice.

2. This earneft kind of caution, as it fignifies the great danger of this fin of covetoufnefs, fo likewife the great care that men ought to use to preserve themfelves from it; for the greater the danger is in any kind, fo much the greater care fhould be used for the avoiding of it. Men are not fo folicitoully concerned to defend themselves against a flight mischief; but when a terrible one threatens us, we fhould be continually upon our guard against it, and fummon all our ftrength and force to refift it. Thus much for the manner of the caution.

I proceed to the fecond thing to be confidered in the text, viz. the matter of the caution, or the vice which our Saviour here warns his hearers against, and that is covetousness; Take heed, and beware of cove toufnefs. And in speaking of this, I fhall confider these two things.

1. Wherein the nature of this vice confifts.

2.

I fhall endeavour to fhew the great evil and unreafonablenets of it. I fhall be large in both.

I. For the nature of this vice of covetoufnefs. The fhortest description that I can give of it is this, that it is an inordinate defire and love of riches; but when this defire and love are inordinate, is not fo eafy to be determined. And therefore that we may the bet

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