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National or Publick Mercies; and fe veral of the Pfalms of David, (efpecially that recited in the firft Leffon for the Morning Service of this Day) are Hymns of Praise for the feveral gra tions Deliverances vouchfafed to the Jewish Church and Nations. And indeed no Ditty is more decent in its felf, or more pleafing to God, than return of Praise for Mercies receiv'd, For it becometh well the Juft to be thankful. But then 'tis not the meer verbal acknowledgements of our Lips, that will recommend our Gratitude, for to fpeak our Hearts affected with the goodness of God, (and 'tis the Sincerity of that which confecrates all our Devotions) we must live and act as Perfons distinguish'd and preferv'd by a wonderful Deliverance. We must neither grow wanton by Impunity, nor fupine and careless, for the fafety we enjoy. For fhould we abuse God's Mercies by Vice and Profanefs, and thwart the ends of his Providence, by Strife and Sedition, by private Dif fentions or open Rebellion; a worse thing may yet happen to us, and a provoked Vengeance may yet arise to deftroy both us and our Sovereign;

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let us then at least for our own Sakes,dif card those Principles, which tend to the divifion and ruin both of Church and State, for fince God has punish'd us less than our Iniquities deferve,and has granted us fuch a Deliverance as this, nothing can juftife out joining again with the fame People, in the fame Abomination. Ezra, 9. 13.

To conclude therefore, Let every one of us fhare the Bleffed Fruit of our Deliverance in a thorough and hearty Reformation; let us Fear God, Honour the Queen, and not meddle with those that are given to change; and to induce the God of all Power and Might to defend our Perfons, and preferve our Estates and protect our Religion, be it our conitant Care to improve and cultivate the three great Duties of Devotion towards God, fubmiffion to our Governours,and Brotherly Love and Charity one toward another.

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SERMON XII.

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1. CORINTH. 12.7. But the Manifeftation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal.

IS the profefs'd defign of the Apoftle thro' this whole Chapter, First, to defcribe the Office and Character of the feveral Minifters and Stewards of the Myfteries of God, and then to represent the variety and excellence of thofe Graces, which ferv'd to adorn their Functions, and support their Ministry.

According to this View,he begins the Chapter with a feafonable Advice to fome Chriftian Converts, who might not perhaps be fo well fettled in their new Faith, that they would be very U 2

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careful to diftinguish the nature of fuch Gifts, and that as well from the end, the use and exercife of the Gifts themfelves, as from the Lives, Actions and Deportments of fuch, as either in Reality or Pretence, laid claim to them; and the Reason of this Admonition feems to be grounded on the 2d Verse, where he tells them, that whilft they remain'd in a State of Gentilism (which in other places is call'd a State of Darkness and Ignorance) they mistook the Anfwers of their Pagan Oracles, for divine Inspirations, and fuppos'd that to be the Spirit of God, which was in good earnest, but the meer delufion of that wicked Spirit, the Devil: And fince the worft of Men, fuch as Simon Magus, and others, had pretended to vie with the Apoftles, in thofe Gift and Operations that came down from Heaven (as at this Seafon) St. Paul judged it very requifite to clear the Minds of his Followers from any mistake in this Matter, by defcribing the Spiritual Graces, defcending from the Holy Ghost, in fuch a manner, that the Apostles and true Ministers of the Church, might be visibly

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