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faith St Paul; that is, they who make SER M. Riches their ultimate End and View, will XVI. fall into Temptation and a Snare, and into many Foolish and Hurtful Lufts, which drown men in deftruction and perdition, i Tim. vi. 9. And therefore in the fame chapter, ver. 17. he mentions Trufting in Riches and Trufting in the Living God, as direct Oppofites to each other. Laftly, with Regard to the Honours and Efteem of Men, and the corrupt and unworthy Compliances, by which the Pride of Life leads Men to aim at Falfe Reputation and Power; Do I (fays the Apoftle) Seek to pleafe men? for if I yet pleafed Men, I fhould not be the Servant of Christ, Gal. i. 10.

IN This fenfe therefore, and for these Causes, it is, that the Love of the World, and the Love of God, are in the Text declared to be inconfiftent with each other. And as He who loves the World, the Wicked World in the fense now explained, cannot have the Love of the Father in him: So, on the reverse, if any Man has the Love of the Father in him, that is, acts fteddily and immoveably upon the Principles of

I

Truth

SER M. Truth and Virtue; to Him will the World,
XVI. the wicked and corrupt part of the World,

neceffarily bear a Hatred, Joh. xv. 19. If
ye were of the World, the World would
love his own; but because ye are not of the
World, but I have chofen you out of the
World, therefore the World bateth you. And
ch. xvii. 14. The World bath bated them, be-
cause they are not of the World. The Rea-
fon and Ground of which Procedure, is
excellently expreffed by the Author of the
Book of Wisdom, ch. ii. 12. Because the
Righteous is not for Our Turn, and he is
clean contrary to our Doings; he upbraid-
eth us with our offending the Law, and ob-
jetteth to our Infamy the Tranfgreffions of
our education.
He profeffeth to have the
Knowledge of God, and
reprove our Thoughts.

-was made to

III. THE Third and Laft thing I propofed, was to confider the Reafons and Motives upon which the Apostle here fo earneftly cautions Men against that Love of the World, which he thus defcribes as inconfiftent with the Love of God. Its Inconfiftency with the Love of God, that is, of our Supreme Good and ultimate Hap

piness;

piness; is itself One principal and sufficient SER M. Motive. But This and all other Motives XVI. whatsoever, are included in, or reducible to, what the Apostle alleges in the words following my Text, ver. 17. The world paffeth away, and the Luft thereof; but He that doth the Will of God, abideth for ever. There can be nothing in This World worth purchasing at the Expense of incurring the Divine displeasure.

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For all the things that are in the World, even thofe that are innocent, much more the Sinful ones here mentioned by the Apostle, are obtained with uneafinefs and much Uncertainty, are possessed with Mixture of Diffatisfaction, are preserved with continual Fear and Hazard of lofing them; And, when poffeffed in the higheft Perfection, and for the longest Period, must of neceffity pass away in a very few years, to return no more for ever. That Habit of Mind, which is founded in the Love of Truth, and in the Practice of Virtue, is the only Thing that will continue and improve for ever into a complete felicity in the eternal Kingdom of God.

VOL. III.

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SER

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f

SERMON XVII.

The Folly of mocking at Sin.

PROV. xiv. 9.

Fools make a Mock at Sin.

T

HERE is nothing, concern- SER M.
ing which Men of great Spi- XVII.
rits are more apt to make a
wrong Judgment, than con-

cerning the Notion and true Extent of Courage and Magnanimity. Courage, is a Bravenefs of Mind, confifting and fhowing forth itself in a just Contempt of Danger. And because this is a Virtue moft ufually found in men of betBb 2

ter

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