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Saviour to Himself, Luk. iv. 18. He has SER M. anointed me to preach the Gospel to the I. Poor,—to preach deliverance to the captives, to fet at Liberty them that are bruifed. Laftly, of fuch a Perfon, who thus delights to do the Will of God, it may be declared, though he be a Servant, be is the Lord's free Man, 1 Cor. vii. that because the Son has made him free, therefore be is free indeed, Joh. viii. 36; or (as it is in the Words of the Text,) that he knows the Truth, and the Truth doth make him Free.

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SERMON

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SERMON

XIXIX

II.

A Virtuous Mind the best Help to understand True Religion.

DAN. xii. 10. latter part. And none of the Wicked fhall underftand; But the Wife ball underftand.

T

O feek a man's true and final SER M.
Intereft, by parting with some

present and inconfiderable Ad-
vantages for the fake of more
and much greater ones to

come, is the proper Act of Wisdom; and
the general Character of Folly, is the
chafing some trivial present Benefit, at the

pur

hazard

II.

SER M. hazard of much better and more valuable

II.

things in reverfion. For This reafon, in Scripture-phrafe, Religion and Virtue are almost always fignified under the denomination of Wisdom; and Folly, is but another Name for Sin. The Sinner and the Fool, are always reciprocal Terms; and no man is ftiled Wife by the Spirit of God, upon any other account than that of being Religious. For unto man he said; The Fear of the Lord, That is Wisdom; and to depart from Evil, is Understanding, Job xxviii. 28. And This is fo much the known language of Scripture, that I need in this place but juft mention it. Thus Ecclef. ii. 13. Then I faw, fays Solomon, that Wisdom excelleth Folly, as far as Light excelleth Darkness; the Meaning is, that Religion and Virtue is as much more, excellent and more profitable to men than Wickedness, as one thing can be preferable to another. And in the Words of the Text; None of the Wicked shall underStand: But the Wife, (those who are fuch in oppofition to the Folly of Wickedness, that is, the Righteous) fhall underftand.

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To Underftand, may be taken in two SER M. Senses; Either to fignify the understand- II. ing of these particular Prophecies; or the understanding the true nature of Religion in general. In Both these Senfes, the Words are very proper and emphatical; and in Both, they are very remarkably fulfilled. If we take them in the former Senfe; None of the Wicked shall underftand; i. e. none of them fhall apprehend the true meaning and intent of these Prophecies; But the Wife, viz. the righteous and well-disposed, the careful and diligent inquirers, shall understand them: If we take them, I fay, in This Senfe, then They were very remarkably fulfilled upon the Jews in our Saviour's time; who, notwithstanding that this Prophecy of Daniel contained as clear a Prædiction as could be defired, of the Time and Manner of our Saviour's appearing in the Flesh; yet through their obftinate prejudices against Him and his doctrine, they refolved not to fee it: And because there were other paffages in the Prophecy, more obfcure, and difficult to be interpreted; therefore they would by no means be perfwaded to understand what was plain. The like to

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