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do you give it me? Amitry that agreeth with Gods defcription you cannot abide, dt.208 36. Heb. 13.7, 17. I Gote 4 1 Thef. 5. 12, 13. 1 Tim. 5 17 20. and 2 Tim.4. 1. So that indeed it is but a mock-minifter, a mockfacrament,a mock-prayer,and fo a feeming vain Religion which you defire.

7. Laftly, you pretend alfo to fincere obedience: If we ask you, whether you are willing to obey God you will fay, God forbid that any fhould deny it. But when it comes to the particulars, and you find that he commandeth you that which flesh and blood is against, and would cost you the lofs of worldly profperity, then you will be excufed: and yet that. you may cheat your fouls, you will not profeffedly difobey, but you will perfwade your felves that it is no duty, and that God would not

I 2.

have

have you do that which you will not do. Like a Countrymans fervant, that promifeth to do all that his Mafter bids him: but when he cometh to particulars, threshing is too hard a work, and mowing and reaping are beyond his ftrength, and plowing is too toylfome, and in the conclufion, it is only an idle life with fome eafie charres,that he will be brought to. This is the Hypocrites obedience. He will obey God in all things, as far as hé is able, in the general: But when it comes to particulars, To deny himself, and forfake his worldly profperity for Chrift, and to contemn the world, and live by faith, and converfe in heaven, and walk with God, and worship him in Spirit and truth, to love an enemy, to forgive all wrongs, to humble our felves to the meanest perfons, and to the loweft works; to confefs our faults with fhame and for

row,

row, and ask forgiveness of those they have injured, these and other fuch works as thefe, they will not believe to be parts of obedience, or at leaft, will not be brought to do them.

Poor fouls, I have flood here a great while to hold you the glafs, in which, if you were willing, you might fee your felves. But if you will yet wink and hate the light, if you perish in your felf-deceiving, who can help it?

Briefly and plainly, be it known to thee again, whoever thou art that hearest this, that if thou have not these five characters following, thy Religion is all but vain and felf-deceiving.

1. If Gods authority, as he fpeaketh by his Spirit, Word and Minifters, be not bighest with thy foul, and cannot do more with thee, then Kings and Parliaments, and then the world and flesh, Mat.23. 8,9,10. I 3 2. If

be not practically more effeemed by thee, and chofen, and fought, then any thing, or all things in the world, Mat, 6. 21. Col. 3.4. Joh. 6. 27. 2 Tim. 4.8,9. Matth.22. 5. Luke 18. 22, 23. Phil. 3. 20.

3. If thou fee not fuch a loveliwefs in holiness, as being the image of God, as that thou unfeignedly defireft the highest degree of it, Matth. 5.20. Pfal. 119. 1, 2, 3, &c. Phil. 3. 12, 13, 14.

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4. If any fin be fo sweet and dear to you,or feem fo seceffary, that you confent not, and defire not to let it go, Mat. 19. 22. Phil. 3.8. Pfal. 66. 18.

5. If any known duty feem fo eeftly, dangerous, troublesome and unpleasant, that ordinarily you will not do it, Mat.16.24,25,26. Pfal. 119. 6.

Ina word, God must be loved and obeyed as God, Chrift muft be

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entertained as Chrift: Heaven must be valued and fought as Heaand Holiness loved and pra Atifed as Holiness: Though not to the height of their proper worth (which none on earth is able to reach) yet fo, as that nothing be preferred before them.

But yet there is one more difcovery which if I pass by, you

will think I bawk a chief

my text.

parc of

An unbridled tongue in a Profeffour of Religion is enough to prove bis Religion vain.

By an unbridled tongue is not meant all the fins of our speech. [If any man offend not in word, the Jame is a perfect man, and able alsə to bridle the whole body. But in many things we offend all] Jam.3.2. Every unwarrantable jeaft, or angry word, or hafty rafh expreffi

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