"Wit; thofe who would be admired for "their metaphyfical Acutenefs, and doughty

Dexterity in controverfial Squabbling. "Those also may be reckon'd in, who are "Men of Mysteries, who endeavour to make "the plain Doctrines of the Gospel as intri"cate as they are able; these are so far from, << above all Things, endeavouring to promote "the Defign of the Gofpel, that it hath not "greater Enemies in the World. And to "those may be added, fuch who preach up

free Grace, and Chriftian Privileges, any "otherwife than as Motives to Holinefs, and "never scarcely infift on any Duties except "thofe of believing, laying hold on Chrift's Righteousness, renouncing their own Righ

teousness; which they that have none at all "to renounce have a mighty Kindness for: "All which Things, may, I grant, and ought "to be preach'd; but to make Chriftians "Duty to confift either wholly, or moftly " in these Things, especially as they are explained by not a few, is the Way efpecial"ly to harden Hypocrites, but to make no "fincere Converts."

"Those again do nothing less than chiefly "promote Chriftianity, who are never in "their Element, but when talking of the Irrefpectiveness of God's Decrees, the Abso

cr

luteness of his Promifes, the utter Impotency " of Men to do any thing towards their Con« verfion; and infift, with great Emphasis, "on

"on thefe dangerous Opinions. And thofe << may alfo be well reckon'd in, who are of "a narrow unchriftian Spirit, who confine "Religion to a Party, and are more zealous " to make Converts to a Party than to an holy Life."

These Things, with the unholy Lives of the Preachers of the Gofpel, are the Things which make Atheifts and Deifts, and harden the Multitude in their wicked Courses. May we, my Brethren, who are the Ministers of the Gospel, be Men of another Stamp, and act in another Manner.

Let us get true and juft Notions of Chriftianity; and, in order to this, let us ply our Studies, and impartially fearch the holy Scriptures. This, 'tis to be fear'd, is what few have done. 'Tis exceeding evident, to any Man that has ftripp'd himself of Prejudice and Prepoffeffion, acquainted himself with the holy Scriptures, with Men, and their Writings, that not only the ignorant, the lazy, the vicious, but thofe who have been Men of Learning, and Piety, have taken many Things on Truft; and that the Zealots in all Ages, as they have been for making Creeds for others, fo they have been fo far confiftent, with themselves, as to take their own at first from others.

An impartial Search of the holy Scriptures is, indeed, a Thing ufually attended with very great Discouragements. A Man hereby

runs

runs a very shrewd Rifque of differing in fome Point of other from other Perfons, even from the greatest Number, and from Councils and Fathers; for they were none of them infallible; and if he does, he may have little Thanks for his Pains. "Tis not his Studioufnefs and Diligence, 'tis not the Unfpottednefs of his Life, nor all the Proofs he may give of his Sincerity, that shall skreen him from Cenfure: No, he may be condemned for a Heretick, or as bad, and be treated accordingly, (though, by the way, the Scripture knows no fuch Heretick, and 'tis commonly an Argument, wherewith Perfons knock down an Adverfary, when others are weak and insufficient.) The impartial Searcher after Truth might be neglected, have his Character fecretly undermined, or openly vi lified; he might fee the lazy, and fuch who have believed as others have before them, and who are zealous on fo good a Foundation, caress'd, extol'd, prefer'd. Ages and Places have often been where this has been the Cafe; may they be no more: By these Things Men do their Endeavour to prevent all Progrefs in useful Knowledge, and Proteftants have been running back apace to Popery.

My Brethren, if any of us fhould ever have our Lot caft into fuch Times and Places, let us bravely make head againft to pregnant a Mischief; let us defpife that Favour which we can't have with Honour and a good Con

science;

fcience; let us act like reasonable Creatures, and like Chriftians: And as Religion is a thing of the greatest Importance, let us fearch into our own, and labour to be fully fatisfied of the Nature and Defign of it. This will be for our own Satisfaction, and we shall have all that Favour from Men that is worth having.

And being thus fully convinced of the Defign of Chriftianity, let us act accordingly: Let us fee that our Religion be not Superftition, that it be not Priest-craft, a Pretence to carry on base Designs; let us be free from a blind, a furious Zeal, and a perfecuting Spirit that commonly attends it; and may we always remember there are other Methods of Perfecution befides dragooning and burning, that when we do not touch a Hair of a Man's Head, yet we may ruin his Reputation, his Usefulness, his Family, and fend him betimes to his Grave: Let us be free from all Loofness and Profaneness, from all Intemperance, Excefs, Uncleannefs, the Polluti ons in the World through Luft. A Freedom from thefe has been the diftinguishing Cha racter of Diffenting Minifters: May it ever be fo! Let us not be of a revengeful, an unforgiving Temper, be proud and imperious, be worldly or covetous, be deceitful and treacherous, be of an uncharitable, an unpeaceable Spirit. I do not charge any here. with thefe Things: But can it be unfeafonable F

to

to warn one another of these Things in this evil World? Should fuch be the Spirit, the Character of any of us, how uneafy might our minifterial Imployment well fit on us? how well might our own Consciences condemn us, for being and acting so contrary to the Religion we preach? and how terrible will our Condemnation be another Day?

What vaft Mischief will our bad Example do? O amazing Thought, how many shall we involve in Guilt, and in eternal Perdition with our felves!

My Brethren, let us be Men of another Character; Men of pure Religion, of unfeigned Piety, of great Humility, of strict Sobriety, of plain Honefty and Integrity, of fincere Love one to another, and to all Men. Let us be Men of Temper and Moderation, Men of an extenfive Charity, (I am indeed for Charity for all who profefs Chriftianity, and live holy and good Lives. And if this be not the Charity our Saviour and his Apoftles have taught us, I know nothing of it: Is it to believe nothing, to hope nothing, or to believe all Things, and hope all Things?) Let us be Men of a peaceable Spirit, be for glorifying God, and doing Good to Men; thus fhall we fhine like Lights in the World: By thefe Things will it appear that we are orthodox indeed. What Impreffion will the holy Lives of Ministers make on their People? What Comfort and Succefs might we promise our felves in our mi

nifterial