2. By railing and libels, 51.

3. Perhaps by open force, 52.

III. The issue and success of this opposition: They shall not prevail against thee, 53.

It is bold to foretell things future, which fall under human cognizance only two ways: 1. By a foresight of them in their causes, 53. 2. By divine revelation, 53. And from both these there is ground of hope to the church, 53.

The arguments against this answered, 1. That the enemies of the church in the late confusion did not prevail against her: for that only is a prevailing which is a final conquest, 54. 2. That he who is pillaged or murdered in the resolute performance of his duty is not properly prevailed against, 54.

Wherefore the governors of the church may with confidence from the text bespeak their opposers; Who shall fight against us? it is God that saves. Who shall destroy? it is the same God that deliters, 55.

SERMONS V. VI.

TITUS i. 1.

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging the truth which is after godliness. P. 56.

The end of all philosophical inquiries is truth; and of all religious institutions, godliness; both which are united and blended in the constitution of Christianity, 56.

I. In this expression of the gospel's being the truth which is after godliness, three things are couched :

1. That it is simply a truth, 57.

2. That it is an operative truth, 57.

3. That it operates to the best effect, 58.

1. That the gospel is

The words may have a double sense, 58. so called, because it actually produces the effects of godliness in those that embrace it, 58. 2. That it is, in its nature, the most apt and proper instrument of holiness, 58. and the truth which has thus an influence upon godliness consists of two things, 59.

1. A right notion of God, 59.

2. A right notion of what concerns the duty of man, 59.

II. Three things are deduced from this description of the gospel, 61.

1. That the nature and prime design of religion is to be an instrument of good life.

This cleared by these arguments. 1. That religion designs the service of God, by gaining to his obedience man's actions and converse, 61. 2. It designs the salvation of man, who is not saved as he is more knowing, but as he is more pious than others, 62. 3. That the excellency of Christianity does not consist in discovering more sublime truths or more excellent precepts than philosophy, (though it does this,) but in suggesting better arguments to enforce the performance of those precepts, than any other religion, 62. 4. That notwithstanding the diversity of religions, men will generally be condemned hereafter for the same things, viz. their breaches of morality, 62.

2. That so much knowledge of truth as is sufficient to engage men in the practice of godliness, serves the necessary ends of religion, 63. For,

If godliness be the design, it ought also to be the measure of men's knowledge in this particular, 63.

3. That whatsoever does in itself, or its direct consequences, undermine the motives of a good life, is contrary to and destructive of Christian religion, 63.

The doctrines that more immediately concern a good life are, 1. Such as concern the justification of a sinner, 64.

And herein the motives to holy living are subverted, 1. By the doctrine of the covenant of grace without conditions of performance on man's part, but only to believe that he is justified: taught by the antinomians, 64. 2. By the doctrine of acceptance with God by the righteousness and merits of other saints: taught by the Romanists,

65.

2. Such as concern the rule of life and manners, 66.

And here the motives to godliness are destroyed,

1. By that doctrine of the antinomians, that exempts all believers from the obligation of the moral law, 66. 2. By that doctrine of the church of Rome, which asserts any sin to be in its nature venial, 68. The church of Rome herein resembling the Jewish church corrupted by the Pharisees, who distinguished the commandments into the great and the small, 69. 3. By the Romish doctrine of supererogation, 71. 4. By that doctrine, that places it in the power of any mere mortal man to dispense with the laws of Christ, so as to discharge any man from being obliged by them, 73.

3. Such as relate to repentance, 76.

The doctrine of repentance may be perverted in a double respect : 1. In respect of the time of it: as is done by the Romish casuists, who say, that a man is bound to repent of his sins once, but when that once shall be, he may determine as he thinks fit, 76. 2. As to the measure of it, 79. The Romish doctrine considered in this respect, and refuted, 79.

The improvement of all lies in two things:

1. To convince us how highly it concerns all, but especially the most knowing, to try the doctrines that they believe, and to let inquiry usher in faith, 81.

2. It suggests also the sure marks by which we may try them, 82. As, 1. It is not the pleasingness or suitableness of a doctrine to our tempers or interests, 82. nor, 2. The general or long reception of it, 82. nor, 3. The godliness of the preacher or asserter of any doctrine, that is a sure mark of the truth of it: but if it naturally tends to promote the fear of God in men's hearts, and to engage them in virtuous courses, it carries with it the mark and impress of the great eternal truth, 83.

SERMONS VII. VIII. IX.

PROVERBS xxix. 5.

A man that flattereih his neighbour, spreadeth a net for his feet. P. 85.

The words being plain, the matter contained in them is prosecuted under three general heads, 85.

I. What flattery is, and wherein it does consist, 86.

Though we cannot reach all the varieties of it, the general ways are, 1. Concealing or dissembling the defects or vices of any person, 86. And here are shewn two things:

First, Who they are that are concerned to speak in this case; namely, I. Such as are intrusted with the government of others, 87. 2. Persons set apart to the work of the ministry, 88. 3. Those that profess friendship, 88.

Secondly, The manner how they are to speak: as, 1. The reproof should be given in secret, 90. 2. With due respect to and distinction of the condition of the person reproved, 91. 3. With words of meekness and commiseration, 94. 4. That the reproof be not continued or repeated after amendment of the occasion, 97.

4. The second way of flattery is the praising and defending the defects or vices of any person, 99.

Under this species, the distinction between a religious and a political conscience observed, and censured, 101. And two sorts of men charged as the most detestable flatterers :

1. Such as upon principles of enthusiasm assure persons of eminence and high place, that those transgressions are allowable in them, that are absolutely prohibited and condemned in others, 102.

2. The Romish casuists, who persuade the world, that many actions, which have hitherto passed for impious and unlawful, admit of such qualifications as clear them of all guilt, 104.

This kind of flattery is of most mischievous consequence, and of very easy effect: 1. From the nature of man, 105. 2. From the very nature of vice itself, 105.

3. The third kind of flattery is the perverse imitation of any one's defects or vices, 106.

4. The fourth consists in overvaluing those virtues and perfections that are really laudable in any person, 108.

II. The grounds and occasions of flattery on his part that is flattered, 111.

Three mentioned. 1. Greatness of place or condition, 111. 2. An angry, passionate disposition, and impatient of reproof, 113. 3. A proud and vainglorious disposition, 114.

III. The ends and designs of the flatterer. He spreads a net for his neighbour's feet, 117.

The flatterer is influenced by these two grand purposes:

1. To serve himself, 117.

2. To undermine him whom he flatters, and thereby to effect his ruin, 118. Which he does, 1. As he deceives him, and grossly abuses and perverts his judgment, which should be the guide of all his actions, 119. 2. He brings him to shame and a general contempt, 120. He effects his ruin; forasmuch as by this means he renders his recovery and amendment impossible, 121.

SERMONS X. XI. XII.

PSALM Xix. 13.

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. P. 123.

These words suggest three things to our consideration : 1. The thing prayed against; presumptuous sins, 123.

2. The person making this prayer; one adorned with the highest elogies for his piety, even by God himself, 123.

3. The means he engages for his deliverance; namely, the divine grace and assistance, 123.

The words are discussed under two general heads :

I. Shewing what these presumptuous sins are.

II. Shewing the reason of this so holy person's praying so earnestly against them.

The first head is handled in three things:

1. Shewing in general what it is to presume, 123.

The scripture description of presumption. Three parts go to make up a presumptuous sin. 1. That a man undertake an action, known by him to be unlawful, or at least doubtful, 124. 2. That, notwithstanding, he promise to himself security from any punishment of right consequent upon it, 124. 3. That he do this upon motives utterly groundless and unreasonable, 124.

The presumptuous sinner is divested of the two only pleas for the extenuation of sin. As, 1. Ignorance, 125. 2. Surprise, 127. Distinction between sins of presumption and sins of infirmity. Three opinions concerning a sin of infirmity, 128. The

1st, Derives the nature of it from the condition of the agent ; affirming that every sin committed by a believer, or a person truly regenerate, is a sin of infirmity, 128. This doctrine is considered and refuted, 129.

2. Some, from the matter of the action; as that it is committed only in thought or desire, or perhaps in word, 130. To this is answered, 1. That there is no act producible by the soul of man under the power of his will, but it is capable of being a sin of presumption, 131. 2. The voice of God in scripture is loud against this opinion 131.

3. Some, from the principle immediately producing the action, viz. that the will is carried to the one by malice, to the other by inadvertency, 132.

But for our better conduct is shewn, first negatively, what is not a sin of infirmity: as, 1. When a man ventures and designs to commit a sin upon this ground, that he judges it a sin of infirmity, 132. 2. That sin, though in itself never so small, that a man, after the committing of it, is desirous to excuse or extenuate, 133. 2. Positively, what is namely, a sin committed out of mere sudden inadvertency, that inadvertency not being directly caused by any deliberate sin immediately going before it, 133.