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This can be faid of -no other thing, that Men are SERM. apt to make the Object of their Wishes. Nothing V. in this World that Men purfue, no earthly Bleffing of whatever Kind it be, is so permanent and lasting, fo fixt and certain, but in fome Senfe or other it may be taken from us. But of true Religion and the Love of God, the good Part which Mary chose, we cannot be deprived, we can never lose it, it can never be stolen, it can never be forced from us; if we do not wilfully part with it, we are fure to poffefs it, and it is fure to be a Bleffing to us. Nothing else we value, can be fo relied on: For whether it be Friends, they shall fail; whether it be Pleasure, that fhall ceafe; whether it be Riches, they shall vanish away. And even while we keep them, there are Times and Seafons, when they can do us no real Service, and that too, when we ftand most in need of them. How vain is it to talk to a fick Man. of Friends! How little is he difpos'd to hear of Pleafure! What Comfort can his Wealth afford him! All these he would gladly barter and exchange, per-> haps for one Moment's Eafe; certainly for a Time to recover his Strength, to recollect the fcattered Powers and Capacities of his Soul, before he go hence and be no more feen. A little Time to make his Peace with God, to arm himself with Strength and Courage to meet Death, is to such a Man a thing of more Worth and Value, than all he can poffefs befides. And what, but Religion, can enable him to do this ?.. What else dispose him with an undaunted Heart, to deliver himself up to that King of Terrors, to be transported by him to the great World of Spirits, which are waiting for their final Doom? Religion. will do this and after this, Religion will for ever be our Pleasure and Delight: It will be our chief

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SERM. Happiness in the other World, as it is now our chief Intereft in this.

V.

to us.

Thus we fee in what Sense it is here faid of Religion, that it fhall not be taken away from us. It fhall never fail us, it fhall not, like those which are called worldly Goods, be removed from us by any Accident or Disaster. It does not depend upon any Change of Fortune; nor is it liable to be impaired by Age. It cannot be corrupted by Moth or Ruft, neither can Thieves break through and steal it. It is not in another Respect like the Goods of Fortune, which at fome certain Seafons are improper to be enjoyed, and in some Circumstances are quite useless There is no Time when Religion may not properly be enjoyed; there are no Circumftances that destroy the Use of it. When other Comforts are most apt to fail us, it is then in its greatest Vigour. It rifes in Proportion to our Exigencies and Wants, and the more we are afflicted and forsaken by the World, the more ready it is to revive and chear us. In all Circumstances and Conditions, in Sickness and in Health, in Prosperity and Distress, it is our fafeft Guide, our beft Companion, our trueft Friend, our only Security from the Fear of Death, and when it comes, our only Comfort and Support. Nay, it will follow us to the Grave, it will rife with us at the Day of Judgment, it will recommend us to the Favour and Mercy of our Judge, and afcend with us to a State of Glory.

and there is but one, by which and that is, by neglecting it, even after they have taken and have felt its bleffed InGood Men have fometimes

One Way there is, we can ever lose it, which too many do, fome Pains to gain it, fluence on their Hearts.

their Fits of Sloth, which betray them into Sin and

Folly:

Folly to prevent which, the fame Care which Mar-SERM, tha used in the Management of her worldly Bufinefs, V. is neceffary to be applied to our fpiritual Concerns, if we expect to persevere unto the End. Let those therefore, who are poffeft of this one thing neceffary, take heed that they do not lose it; have it not, pray to God to give it,

and let those who
and use their best

Care to gain it. And may God of his great Mercy give us all Grace to confider it as the best and most valuable Poffeffion we can gain, and the most worthy of our Care in keeping; that we may set a just Value on the Things of the next World, and no more than a juft Value on the Things of this.

Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Ghoft, &c.

Myfteries

SERM.
VI.

Myfteries no real Objections to the
Truth of Christianity.

A

SERMON

On DEUT. xxix. 29.

The fecret Things belong unto the Lord our God. But the Things which are revealed, belong unto us, and to our Children for ever, that we may do all the Words of this Law.

MONG the feveral Artifices, by which the Enemies of our Faith have attempted to deftroy the Credit of Reveal'd Religion, that which they have practised with the greatest Succefs is, the representing it as an Ene

my to our Reason. A Charge, which, if it could be fupported with as much Truth and Juftice, as it is fometimes with Confidence afferted, must have its Weight, not only upon the ignorant and unwary, but likewife upon the wifeft and most confiderate Part of Mankind. For whatever is plainly contradictory to our Reason, can never be the Object of our Faith And whatever Religion would obtrude fuch Doctrines

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upon its Profeffors, muft be a falfe or corrupt Religion. SERM, And thus far we may agree with our Adverfaries: VI. But then it is our Duty, on the other hand, in a Matter of fo much Consequence to our Salvation, to take heed how we reject a Doctrine, as plainly contradictory to our Reason, till we have throughly tried and examined it, and that, not only with fuch a deliberate Caution, as the Importance of the thing deferves, but likewife with all that Diffidence and Humility, which becomes Creatures of fuch limited Capacities. There are many things utterly unconceivable, which nevertheless, upon a strict Enquiry, will be found not to be against Reason, but above it. This we are willing enough to acknowledge in general, tho' in particular Inftances we are too apt to forget it. Which of us will not readily confefs, that our Knowledge is but finite? And yet, when we come to use it, we behave, as if we thought it infinite. Known unto us. are all God's Counfels from the Foundation of the World. We arraign and acquit his Providence, as best. fuits with our own Schemes of Government, and the fecret Things which belong to him, we explain in fo clear a Manner, that they seem to be no Secrets at all to us! It is a Reflection, we think, upon our Underftandings, not to be able to give some Account of every thing. Solutions, Subtleties and Diftinctions are found out to palliate our Ignorance, and rather than renounce one favourite Error, we intrench ourfelves within a thousand others.

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To check this exorbitant Curiofity, this Pride of human Reason, was the Defign of Mofes in my Text, when, after having inftructed his Followers in the great Duties of their Religion, and (as he terms it) fet Life and Death before them, he proceeds to inform them in the Words of my Text, that if there was any thing

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