manifts would fain do; that Chrift hath promised to be with his Church for ever; and therefore their Church, or the Majority of the whole Church, can teach only what he appointed they should. But ours is a very just Way of arguing; that we teach what Chrift appointed we should, and therefore we are a Part of his Church, with which he hath promifed to be for ever. For that our Doctrines are Catholic, however the Romanists have stolen the Name, we are bold to fay, and fully able to prove on this Account we have nothing to fear. Could we but say as much of our Lives too, then all were well.

But alas, though they have little Cause on Comparison to reproach us in this Refpect, we have much Cause to reproach ourselves. The Number of professed Christians amongst us indeed is large yet even that is leffening. But the Number of fuch as are truly Christians, and behave like Chriftians-What fhall we fay of this? May God, who commanded the Light to Shine out of Darkness, cause the Light of his Gospel to shine more effectually into the Hearts of Men, and brighten the very dark Prospect there is before us concerning fpiritual Matters;

that we may know, at least in this our Day, the Things which belong to our Peace y, our present and future Happiness. But what others will do, is for them to confider: and what shall be the Confequences of Mens Doings, is for God to appoint. Let us only look to our own Souls; that in the Midft of a bad World we be, as we ought, innocent, prudent, and exemplary; that we watch over those, who are under our Care, and warn others as we have Opportunity; that, by openly profeffing the Gospel of Chrift, we encourage the Profeffion of it; and, by adorning our Profeffion with a fuitable Conduct, do Honour to it. Provided we behave thus; let others behave as they please, and the Event be what it will to them, and to all, in temporal Concerns; to us the final Event however shall be good. Chriftianity began with a very small Number: and were it to be reduced to an equally small one again, we might take the fame Comfort ftill, which our Saviour gave his Disciples at firft: Fear not, little Flock: for it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom, The Kingdoms of this Earth we have Cause to hope will yet, in due Time, notwithstanding all Appearances to the contrary,

Luke xix. 42.

z Luke xii. 32.

become

become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ*, in a much ampler Manner than they have hitherto been. But the Kingdom of Heaven, God, who cannot lie b, hath, in the plainest Terms, promised to the faithful Disciples of his Son. And all who have fecured his Prefence with them here, by a Life of Religion and Virtue, fhall affuredly reign with him for ever hereafter in thofe bleffed Manfions of his Father's Houfe, whither be is gone to prepare a Place for us, and will come again, and receive us unto himself, that where he is, there we may be alfa.

a Rev. xi. 15.

b Tit. i. 2.

C

John xiv. 2, 3.

SER

SERMON III.

EPHESIANS iv. 26.

Be ye angry, and fin not.

HE Nature of Almighty God being

TH

abfolutely perfect and uncompounded, neither Paffions nor Affections, properly fo called, have any Place in it: but his Actions all proceed from uniform and unmixed Regard to Truth and Equity. His Creatures, incapable of attaining to be in any Respect what he is, fall fhort of it in different Degrees, from those Spirits above, that approach nearest to pure Intelligence, though infinitely diftant from it, to the lowest Inhabitants of Earth, which have no other Guide than Appetites and Instincts. Man is of a middle Rank; and partakes, almoft equally, of inferior Principles to excite and move him, where Reafon would be infuf

ficient,

ficient, and of Reason to direct and restrain thefe, where else they would take a wrong Courfe, or exceed proper Bounds. Our Proportion therefore of lower Faculties, though a Proof that we are very imperfect, contributes to our being on the Whole lefs fo, than we fhould have been; and a due Regulation of them by the higher, will make us continually more perfect than we are. This is the great Employment allotted us by our Maker here on Earth which indeed we often find much Pain in attempting, but should suffer much greater by neglecting, and shall be rewarded eternally for performing.

Now, according to the feveral Kinds of our inward Difpofitions, the moral Discipline of them varies. Some, as the benevolent Sort, require chiefly to be strengthened: some again, as the irafcible, to be kept in Subjection. And indeed our Anger is fo hard to be governed, and the Cause of such dreadful Evils, when it is not governed; that no Wonder, if great and wife Men have seemed to speak of it, as totally and effentially vicious; as requiring to be, not only moderated but rooted out. Yet, as thofe Parts of the outward Frame of Nature, which have produced at any Time the most frightful Ef

fects,