he deliver'd Us. The Sins of Men after Chrifts having liv'd with them and dy'd for them, are by many aggravations made worse than that of the Devil himself. For he never Sin'd against Example, being the first Offender, nor againft God's Patience and long Suffering, being upon the firft Offence caft into Hell, nor laftly against Remedy, there having never been any means offer'd for his Recovery. But for Us Men, all that the Love of God could will, or his Wisdom contrive for Our good, has been made ufe of. And how fhall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation? Let us not flatter Ourielves, or think that we have any Interest in any of those innumerable Bleffings which his being made. One of Us has procur'd for Us, if we perform not the Equal and Easy conditions upon which they are offer'd to Us; if we fuffer him not to blefs us in his Own way; and we are by the Holy Ghoft inform'd how that is, namely, by turning us away Every One from Our Iniquitys. Let us not then Jay within Our felves We have Abraham for Our Father, and Him that took upon Him the Seed of Abraham for Our Brother if we go on in Our Iniquities, left we justly receive the fame rebuke which the Jews did from Him, when he was upon Earth. I know that ye are Abrahams Seed, fays Our Saviour to thofe Hyprocritical pretenders, that is, that D 3

you

you boast of your high Defcent from that great Man, and that according to the Flesh ye are what ye pretend to be, really defcended from him; but yet you have none of that Spiritual and more valuable Relation to Him which only can Entitle you to those glorious promifes made to Him. as Father of the Faithful, and to as many as are the Heirs of his Faith. For if Ye were in this Divine and comfortable Senfe Abrahams Children, the Works of Abraham ye would do. Let us thus fecure Our Title and Adoption by bearing as near a fimilitude as is poffible to this Our Elder Brother. If in Our lives are exprefs'd the resemblance and lineaments of his Divine Perfections, if in Our Converfations there appear any remarkable traces of his Innocence and Purity, his Sanctity and Love, his Humility and Meeknefs, his Zeal for the Honour of God and the Welfare of Man, if we are thus conform'd to the Image of his Son, his Honourable True and Only Son by Nature, for this likeness to the first born, God will Own Us alfo for his Sons by Adoption and Grace, nor will Chrift be afham'd to call Us Brethren. Let us then, fince he has condefcended in all things to be made like unto us, earnestly endeavour to be made like unto him. Let us not by the impuritys of Sin disgrace and dishonour that Flesh which

he

he has been pleas'd fo highly to dignify as to partake of, Let us Reverence and keep Holy and Undefil'd that Nature which he has fo far honour'd as to affume and Unite unto his Own. And fince he has Vouchfafd to take upon him our Flesh, let us, in return as the Apostle Exhorts, put on the Lord Jefus Chrift. Let us set all the Graces and Virtues of that Divine Life, which he out of his great Humility was pleas'd to lead here among us as a conftant pattern and exact Rule to model and fashion our Own by, that by a lively Faith in his Infallible Word, and a chearful Obedience to his Holy Will, and a Studious Imitation of his Perfect Example, we may at laft bé made meet to be partakers of thofe joys that he has purchas'd for all those that Love, and Obey, and Resemble Him.

To whom therefore be paid all Adoration, Praife, and Thanksgiving; be afcrib'd as is moft due, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, all Might, Majefty, and Dominion, both now and for Evermore. Amen.

SERMON III.

[57]

SERMON III.

I Theff. IV. II.

And that Te ftudy to be Quiet, and to do Tour own Bufinefs.

W

HEN the Gospel of Chrift, that Wisdom from above which is first pure than peaceable, was firft publifh'd to the World, fuch was the Oppofition of the Lufts of Men to the Purity of it, that for the fake of That, which they could not deny and durft not openly condemn, they deny'd the Peaceable Nature and Tendency of it. It was indeed too pure to be peaceable to Them, and therefore they endeavour'd to have it believ'd to be fo to all the World. Accordingly we find it as frequently as falfly urg'd against Our Saviour himself and his Apo

ftles

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