tense Degree muft confequently have the deepest averfion against that for did Paffion, which is hereby declared to be inconfiftent with Perfect Love. And certainly the Love of God and his Religion, can enliven Chriftians with a much greater Warmth of Courage and Resolution, than the bare Love of ones Country or ones Honour, could poffibly inspire into the Natural Man: This has been evidenc'd by a Cloud of Witneffes: Let the Heathens brag of their Decius and their Curtius, that devoted themfelves to Death for the fafety of their Country; we have our Mofes and St. Paul, that defired to be made accurfed for the Children of God: Their Socrates drank his Poifon chearfully; our Cyprian faid Amen, to the Sentence of his own Condemnation: Their Scavola burnt his Hand with an unalte red Countenance; we are able to name a whole Army of Matyrs, who have kiffed the Stake, enjoyed the Flames, and fung Hymns in the midst of their Torments and Perfecutions. Thus in true Courage, the Chriftian World as far exceeds the Heathen, as in the Motives to it, and in the goodness of the Cayle. Some indeed there are,

and

and those too many; who think Courage to confist in Roaring and Blafpheming, in speaking big Words, and Tyrannizing over their Inferiors, in quarelling and duelling, in trampling under Foot all Laws and Conftitutions both of God and Man: But these Things, my Beloved, ought not so to be: True Chriftian Courage, such as I recommend to all who now hear me, is fearful to offend God; has a reverend regard to the Laws; is obedient to lawful Superiors, courteous to equals, affable and indulgent to Inferiors; evermore grounded upon a good Caufe, and therefore ftill accompanied with Piety, Chearfulness and Refolution. The Wicked indeed fleeth, when no Man purlueth; but the Righteous is bold as a Lyon: He fhall not be afraid for any evil Tidings; (the Reafon follows immediately after) for his Heart Standeth fast and believeth in the Lord. And this leads me to the Confideration of the

2d. Branch of my Text; namely, The Prophet's Exhortation to an obsolute dependance upon God for his Protection; Fear ye not, stand still, and fee the Salvation of the Lord.

Since the Race is not always to the Swift, nor the Battle to the ftrong, or the Couragious, but time and chance (as the Preacher obferves) happens to them both; the best way to fecure to our felves a certainty of Succefs, is to fix our dependance upon the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither fhadow of turning: Then tho' the Arm of Flefh fhould be never so strongly exalted against us, yet fhall we find, that the Right hand of the Lord has the preeminence, that the Right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass: It is better therefore to truft in the Lord, than to put any Confidence in man; it is better to trust in the Lord, than to put any Confidence in Princes. But fince the Mercy of God is not such a foolish tenderness, or unaccountable relenting, as is fometimes found in those whom we ftile good-natur'd Men, an eafiness of being wrought upon with out any reafon for it; I thall therefore,

Ift. Enquire, what is to be performed upon our part, in order to fit us for the Divine Protection, or to qualify us for feeing the Salvation of the Lord. And,

2dly. I fhall prove, that if we are fo qualified, we fhall certainly be Pro

tected,

tected, we shall affuredly fee the Salvation of the Lord.

ft. Then, I fhall enquire, what is to be performed upon our Part, in order to fit us for the Divine Protection, or to qualify us for feeing the Salvation of the Lord.

The Lord is on my fide, fays the Royal Pfalmift, I will not fear what Man can do unto me: We must be fecure that God is on our fide, if we would be free from Human apprehenfions. Now to make us fecure of this, it is not enough that we can say we are Chriftians, we are Proteftants, we are called by his Name, we are Members of the pureft Church upon Earth. No, unlefs our Practices are agreeable to our Profeffion, unless we exemplify our high calling in our Lives and Converfations, thefe are but fo many Enhancements of our Guilt, abufes of the manifold Advantages which God has bestowed upon us, and are fo far from affording us impunity and Protection, that they only qualify us for being beaten with many Stripes. Neither are we to reflect upon the Faults and Errors of those who feem defign'd for the inflicters of God's Judgments; and from thence prefently

Con

Conclude, That God will not fight against us upon their fide: Their Of fences are no extenuation of our Guilt, and the Scourge may be made use of, tho' it is afterwards to be caft into the Fire Executioners (we know) are feldom chosen out of the beft of Men; the vileft and the meaneft are generally thought fit enough for fuch an employment; and not only the wicked part of Human kind, but even Lice and Flies, the meaneft Particles and Refuse of the Creation, in the avenging hand of God, become dreadful Inftruments of his Wrath and Indignation. The fureft way to give a guels at our own Condition, and the Circumftances we lye under for a well provided hope of Protection, is to Examine our own ways; left otherwise, by endeavouring to fhun one extream, we fhould ignorantly and unadvisedly run into another; and avoiding Despair, fhould be guilty of Prefumption. To this purpose, the Royal Pfalmist (in the Person of God) gives us this clear information; 0! That my People would have barkened unto me! For if Ifrael would have walked in my ways; I fhould foon have put down their Enemies, and turned my Hand against their Ad

verfaries: