none of these divertisements? And when will they be held to cogitation, to advertency? Wherein shall men have fatisfaction, when men have nothing of themselves, but the malignity of their spirits, and the guiltiness that is charged upon their confcien

ces.

Guilt is as the foundation of all fickneffes and diftempers a finner is both in pain, and in distemper. In pain, this wounds his confcience and in diftemper, because his nature is vitiated. It is true, the finner's confcience is often afleep; for here we have avocations, divertisements and other enjoyments; he does not take things into confideration, but being in anguish and perplexity of foul, he is then awakened into confideration.

Now pray what a cafe will these men be in, when they are charged with thefe things? Then it will be as St. Bernard expreffes. Undique anguftia, hinc accufantia peccata, inde terrens juftitia: fubtus patens & horridum chaos inferni; defuper urens confcientia; foris ardens mundus, round about ftraits; on one fide fin accufing, on the other fide the righteousness of God threatning; below hell opened; above an angry judge, God offended by he wickedness of men; within themselves, a tormenting burning vexing confcience; abroad, the world on fire round about: this is the case of men in a state of fin.

Thirdly, I infer, if our conversation be in heaven, then religion is a thing of a great name, and powerful effect. Religion is not fo flight a thing as a naked profeffion, or a bare denomination. Glorious things are reported in fcripture of religion: It hath

defervedly

defervedly a very great name in the world; for fee what effects religion doth attain: through a man's religion, he is an habitation of God, through the spirit a man is made a temple of the Holy Ghost, a man is made partaker of the divine nature, and as here in the text, his converfation is in heaven. Wherefore,

if we profefs religion, let us do fuch things, by virtue of the spirit of religion, which others can neither do, nor counterfeit, that men may say that God is in us, of a truth; and let the world have evidence and experiment, that religion in us is reafon, and fignifies fomething, by our transformation, and transfiguration, and heavenly converfation; let men have experience of the fruits of our religion. 'Tis a question our Saviour asks, What do you that pretend to religion more than others? Mat. v. 47. Now as a further prefervative, I super-add this; let us always remember that which is foberly spoken, if a man name God, declare himself a christian, profess the chriftian faith, and has initiated himself in the school of Chrift, he is a great finner, if he commit the fame things that the men of the world do, he fins more grievously, as 1 Cor. v. 9, 10. I wrote to you in an epiftle, not to company with fornicators, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters, for then must ye needs go out of the world. Fornicators, covetous, extortioners, high finners: yet he doth not forbid to accompany with them. But if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, tortioner, with fuch an one, no not to cat,

or an ex

come not

near

near him. So that he is a greater finner, because of his denomination, and profeffion.

Laftly, To fhut up this point, be fure we do not fall under a bad and contrary character. Let us not do as the men of the world, who have their portion in this life for that is the clean oppofite and contrary. They have much laid up in ftore, but are not rich towards God. I will conclude my difcourfe by offering this, and leave it to your ferious confideration. That worldly-mindedness is contrary to the fpirit of religion; that a man cannot be a man of religion, and be under the power of a worldly fpirit. Pfal. cxix. 36. Incline my heart unto thy tefti monies, and not to covetousness. When mens eyes. and hearts are after their covetoufnefs, they are alienated wholly from God, and thine end is come and the measures of thy covetousness. So Ezek. xxxiii. 31. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they fit before thee, as my people, and they hear thy werds, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they fhew much love, but their heart goeth after their cove toufness. Mat. vi. 24. our Saviour tells us, we cannot ferve God and Mammon, we cannot be under the power of both: you may ufe one as a means, and the other as an end; but to put them in a competition and equality, that cannot be. It is our Saviour's caution. Luke xii. 15. Above all things, take heed and beware of covetoufnefs. See what it is in its effects, Luke xvi. 14. Thofe that were ingenuous, and heard our Saviour, laid up his word; but the Pharisees who were covetous derided him : nay thofe horrid characters, Ram. i. 29. Filled with all unrighteoufness, fer

nication,

nication, wickednefs, &c. Covetoufness is put in a conjunction with the worst fins. I Cor. vi. 9, 10. There they are mentioned, that fhall not inherit the kingdom of God, and amongst others the worldlyminded and the covetous. So again, the apostle puts them in a conjunction. Ephef. v. 5. No whoremonger, nor unclean perfon, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Chrift, and of God. You fee to be earthly minded, to be under the power of the world, in God's esteem, it imports a perfect alienation from God. If they be inordinately bent, either upon the power of the world, or the wealth of the world, they cannot be in favour with God. Colof. iii. 5, 6. The wrath of God is upon fuch children of disobedience. And to add but one more, 1 John ii. 15. If we love the world the love of the father cannot be in us. Therefore, be fure you have every thing of this world, only in the place of means, all things in fubordination, all things in confiftency, fo as to promote the end; for you muft not put them in a ballance.

DIS

DISCOURSE XXXIX.

The Moral part of RELIGION reinforced by CHRISTIANITY.

TIT. ii. II, 12.

For the grace of God, that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that denying ungod linefs, and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world.

Oberly, righteously, and godly; thefe three are the

Sober

chief heads of morality; they are terms that are

:

known in the world; and they have been univerfally acknowledged in all ages. I fay, all the instances of morality are comprehended in these three, fobriety, which terminates itself in every man's perfon: righteoufnefs, which requires all duties which belong to a man's neighbour and piety, that terminates itself upon God. So that by this you may understand, that there is no prejudice at all done to religion, to talk of God's creation, or the reinforcing the principles thereof, or the ufe of reafon in the matters of religion. For you fee the apoftle doth join them together.

The grace of God, or the

grace of the gospel, is that which doth recover us : whatsoever is of foundation in the creation of God, whatsoever any man is bound to by any principle of reason, the fame is reinstated and further fettled

by