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SERMON I.

The Relative Duties of CLERGY and PEOPLE.

Preached the 1st Sunday after Induction*.

MAL. ii. 7.

For the Prief's lips should keep knowledge, and they should feek the law at his mouth: for he is the Melenger of the Lord of Hofts.

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S they who have been witneffes SER M. of God's terrible and great judgments, and even fmarted themfelves under the rod of his difpleasure, have the strongest and moft powerful motives that can be to Obedience; fo if these motives have not a fuitable influence upon them, if they can feel this rod, without hearing him who has appointed it; this is no doubt a very weighty aggravation of their crime, and represents their Sin as more exceeding finful.

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*N. B. This Sermon being too long to be delivered at once, feveral Paragraphs were omitted in the preaching.

+ Mic. vi. 9. VOL. III.

Rom. vii. 13.
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SERM.

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This is the complaint which we find often made of God's antient people the Jews, who, even whilft they smarted under chastisement, turned not always unto him that fmote them; or if they did it for the time, yet no fooner was that uneafinefs removed, than they went back again to their abominations. They were too prone (it seems) to vice, to bear profperity with equal minds, and to withstand thofe temptations which it furnished them to fin. The remembrance of paft troubles made but a faint impreffion: So long as there was prefent refpite, they had prefent opportunity: And with Pharoah they feem to have been hardened but the more +.

Had any judgment been fufficient to have reclaimed this ftubborn people, one would have expected it from their captivity at Babylon, which lafted till a new generation of men was rifen up, unacquainted with the vices of their Forefathers, and trained up themselves in the school of adverfity, abfent in long exile from the holy land, and after their return meeting with fuch oppofition, as for many years obftructed their rebuilding the Temple, and thereby fuch celebration of Divine Worship as the law prescribed. And yet after all, we find, by this Prophet Malachi, they were but too little touched with the fense + Exod. viii. 15.

* Ifai. ix. 13.

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of these adverfities; and however they had SER M. learnt to keep clear of Idolatry, or the worship of falfe Gods, they had yet but little relish of their mighty privilege in being admitted to approach the true one in their religious folemnities; they robbed him therefore of his tithes and offerings *, they counted it a vain thing to ferve God †, and thought there was no profit in the keeping of his ordinances. Nay, and which was worst of all, the Priesthood itfelf did not escape the general pollution. They whose office obliged them to teach others their duty, should first have been careful to reform at home. But instead of this, we find them in the head of the delinquents. They offered the polluted bread upon the altar, and imperfect facrifices, and then they pretended to blame the inftitution, and said, The table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even his meat, contemptible ||.

By fuch practices as thefe, no wonder if they made the people to abhor the offering the Lord**; and (as the Prophet speaks in the verfe after the Text) caufed many to ftumble at the law. For however it be true that Religion depends not in reality on the regular behaviour of its Minifters, but founds the truth of its Doctrines on the infallible affurance of divine teftimony, and

* Mal. iii. 8, 9. + Ver. 14. | Ver. 12: ** I Sam. ii. 17.

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Mal. i. 7, 8. tt Mal. ii. 8.

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SERM. derives the obligation of its laws from the I. authority of the fupreme Lawgiver; yet it cannot be denied but the generality of men, who are governed, not fo much by reason, as affection, will from their approbation or diflike of those that speak, be induced to give more or less credit to what they shall deliver. And therefore, when once the Persons of the Priests shall become (as the Prophet obferves thefe were among the Jews) contemptible and bafe before all the People, their function falls of course into difcredit with their Perfons, and Religion will hardly maintain its reputation after them.

This being the true ftate of the case, the Prophet was fent in time to correct these iniquities of the Priests, which were like to be attended with fuch fatal confequences. To this purpose he denounced against them very grievous judgments, in cafe of their impenitence. And the better to induce them to comply with his advice, he lays before them the original inftitution of their order in the perfon of Aaron, and obferves how much better their ancestors had anfwered the defign of their function, to the end they might perceive how fcandalously they themselves had deviated from the duties of it. My covenant (fays God) was with him of life and peace, and I gave them to him

* Ver. 9.

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for the fear wherewith he feared me, and SER M. was afraid before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity *. And then follow the words of the Text, declaring the nature of the Prieft's Office, in that part of it more especially which is directed to the people. For the Prieft's lips fhould keep knowledge, and they fhould feek the law at his mouth, for he is the Meffenger of the Lord of Hofts.

From hence you may please to obferve with me these three things, viz.

I. The Dignity of the Priesthood: for he is the Messenger of the Lord of hosts.

II. The Duty of those who are called to this Office, implied in the first clause of the Text: for the Priest's lips fhould keep knowledge. And

III. The Duty of the People with regard to them they (fays the Prophet) Should feek the law at his mouth.

I. First then, I begin with the Dignity of the Priesthood, as implied in the character here given of the Priest; for he is the Meffenger of the Lord of bofts.

For the better explication of which point, it will be neceffary to enquire into the ori

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