means, 1st, ministers are brought under contempt, 111. 2dly, Men of fit parts and abilities are discouraged from undertaking the ministry, 114.

A brief recapitulation of the whole, 117.

SERMON V.

THE DUTIES OF THE EPISCOPAL FUNCTION.

TITUS ii. 15.

These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. P.122.

Titus supposed to be a bishop in all this epistle, 122. The duties of which place are,

I. To teach, 124. either immediately by himself, 127. or mediately by the subordinate ministration of others, 128.

II. To rule, 129. by an exaction of duty from persons under him, 130. by a protection of the persons under the discharge of their duty, 131. and by animadversion upon such as neglect it, 131.

And the means better to execute those duties, is not to be despised, 124–134. in the handling of which prescription these things may be observed:

1. The ill effects that contempt has upon government, 134. 2. The causes upon which church-rulers are frequently despised, 137. And they are

Either groundless; such as their very profession itself, 138. loss of their former grandeur and privilege, 139.

Or just; such as ignorance, 140. viciousness, 141, fearfulness, 142. and a proneness to despise others, 143. The character of a clergyman, 144.

SERMON VI.

WHY CHRIST'S DOCTRINE WAS REJECTED BY THE JEWS.

JOHN vii. 17.

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. P. 146.

An account of the Jewish and Christian economy, 146.

The gospel must meet with a rightly disposed will, before it can gain the assent of the understanding, 148. which will appear from the following considerations:

I. What Christ's doctrine is, with relation to matters of belief, 149. and to matters of practice, 149.

IF. That men's unbelief of that doctrine was from no defect in the arguments, 152. whose strength was sufficient, from the completion of all the predictions, 152. and the authority of miracles, 153. And whose insufficiency (if there could have been any) was not the cause of the unbelief of the Jews, 154. who assented to things less evident, 155. neither evident nor certain, but only probable, 156. neither evident, nor certain, nor probable, but false and fallacious, 156.

III. That the Jewish unbelief proceeded from the pravity of the will influencing the understanding to a disbelief of Christianity, 157. the last being prepossessed with other notions, and the first being wholly governed by covetousness and ambition, 157.

IV. That a well-disposed mind, with a readiness to obey the will of God, is the best means to enlighten the understanding to a belief of Christianity, 160. upon the account both of God's goodness, 160. and of a natural efficiency, 162. arising from a right disposition of the will, which will engage the understanding in the search of the truth through diligence, 163. and impartiality, 165.

From which particulars may be learned, 1. The true cause of atheism and scepticism, 167. 2. The most effectual means of becoming good Christians, 169.

SERMON VII.

GOD'S PECULIAR REGARD TO PLACES SET APART FOR DIVINE WORSHIP.

PSALM lxxxvii. 2.

God hath loved the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. P. 175.

All comparisons import, in the superior part of them,

difference and preeminence, 175. and so from the comparison of this text arise these propositions:

I. That God bears a different respect to consecrated places, from what he bears to all others, 175. which difference he shews, 1. By the interposals of his providence for the erecting and preserving of them, 176. 2. By his punishments upon the violators of them, 180. 3. Not upon the account of any inherent sanctity in the things themselves, but because he has the sole property of them, 186. by appropriating them to his peculiar use, 187. and by deed of gift made by surrender on man's part, 187. and by acceptance on his, 189.

II. That God prefers the worship paid to him in such places above that in all others, 193. because, 1. Such places are naturally apt to excite a greater devotion, 193. 2. In them our worship is a more direct service and homage to him, 197.

From all which we are taught to have these three ingredients in our devotion; desire, reverence, and confidence, 199.

SERMON VIII.

ALL CONTINGENCIES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GOD'S PRO

VIDENCE.

PROV. XVI. 33.

The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing of it is of the Lord. P. 201.

God's providence has its influence upon all things, even the most fortuitous, such as the casting of lots, 201. Which things, implying in themselves somewhat future and somewhat contingent, are,

I. In reference to men, out of the reach of their knowledge and of their power, 202.

II. In reference to God, comprehended by a certain knowledge, 204. and governed by as certain a providence, 205. and by him directed to both certain, 205. and great ends, 208. in reference,

1. To societies, or united bodies of men, 208. 2. To par

ticular persons, whether public, as princes, 214. or private, touching their lives, 217. health, 218. reputation, 218. friendships, 221. employments, 222.

Therefore we ought to rely on divine Providence; and be neither too confident in prosperity, 225. nor too despondent in adversity, 227. but carry a conscience clear towards God, who is the sole and absolute disposer of all things, 228.

SERMON IX.

THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD.

1 COR. iii. 19.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. P. 229. Worldly wisdom, in scripture, is taken sometimes for philosophy, 229. sometimes, as here, for policy, 230. which,

I. Governs its actions generally by these rules, 231. 1. By a constant dissimulation; not a bare concealment of one's mind; but a man's positive professing what he is not, and resolves not to be, 231. 2. By submitting conscience and religion to one's interest, 234. 3. By making one's self the sole end of all actions, 237. 4. By having no respect to friendship, gratitude, or sense of honour, 239.

Which rules and principles are,

II. Foolish and absurd in reference to God, 241. because in the pursuit of them man pitches, 1. Upon an end, unproportionable, 242. to the measure of his duration, 242. or to the vastness of his desires, 243. 2. Upon means in themselves insufficient for, 244. and frequently contrary to the attaining of such ends, 247. which is proved to happen in the four foregoing rules of the worldly politician, 248.

Therefore we ought to be sincere, 255. and commit our persons and concerns to the wise and good providence of God, 255.

SERMON X.

GOOD INCLINATIONS NO EXCUSE FOR BAD ACTIONS.

2 COR. viii. 12.

For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted accord

ing to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. P. 257.

Men are apt to abuse the world and themselves in some general principles of action; and particularly in this, That God accepts the will for the deed, 257. The delusion of which is laid open in these words, 258. expressing, that where there is no power, God accepts the will; but implying, that where there is, he does not. So there is nothing of so fatal an import as the plea of a good intention, and of a good will, 258. for God requires the obedience of the whole man, and never accepts the will but as such, 262. Thence we may understand how far it holds good, that God accepts the will for the deed, 265. a rule whose

I. Ground is founded upon that eternal truth, that God requires of man nothing impossible, 265. and consequently whose,

II. Bounds are determined by what power man naturally hath, 265. but whose,

III. Misapplication consists in these, 266. 1. That men often mistake for an act of the will what really is not so, 266. as a bare approbation, 266. wishing, 267. mere inclination, 269. 2. That men mistake for impossibilities things which are not truly so, 271. as in duties of very great labour, 271. danger, 273. cost, 278. in conquering an inveterate habit, 283.

Therefore there is not a weightier case of conscience, than to know how far God accepts the will, and when men truly will a thing, and have really no power, 286.

SERMON XI.

OF THE ODIOUS SIN OF INGRATITUDE.

JUDGES Viii. 34, 35.

And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel. P. 288.