designs, 226. 2. Restrained with a degenerous awe of mind, 227. 3. Indued with a mercenary disposition, 227.

II. That a friend is blessed with many privileges; as, 1. Freedom of access, 228. 2. Favourable construction of all passages, 229. 3. Sympathy in joy and grief, 231. 4. Communication of secrets, 232. 5. Counsel and advice, 234. 6. Constancy and perpetuity, 235.

In every one of which particulars, the excellency of Christ's friendship shining forth, 236, we may learn the high advantage of true piety, 237.

SERMONS XV. XVI.

AGAINST LONG EXTEMPORARY PRAYERS.

ECCLES. V. 2.

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. P. 240.

Solomon having been spoken to by God himself, and so the fittest to teach us how to speak to God, here observes to us, that when we are in God's house, we are more especially in his presence; that this ought to create a reverence in our addresses to him, and that this reverence consists in the preparation of our thoughts, and the government of our expressions, 240; the two great joint ingredients of prayer, ib. Of which,

The first is, premeditation of thought, 245.

The second is, ordering of our words by pertinence and brevity of expression, 255.

Because prayer prevails upon God;

Not as it does with men by way of information, 241; persuasion, ib.; importunity, ib. An objection to this last is answered, 244.

But as it is the fulfilling of that condition upon which God dispenseth his blessings to mankind, 242. An objection to this is removed, ib.

As it is most properly an act of dependence upon God, 244; a dependence not natural, but moral; for else it would belong indifferently to the wicked as well as to the just, ib.

I. Premeditation ought to respect, 1. The object of our prayers; God and his divine perfections, 246. 2. The matter of our prayers, 247; either things of absolute necessity, as the virtues of a pious life; or of unquestionable charity, as the innocent comforts of it, 248. 3. The order and disposition of our prayers, 249: by excluding every thing which may seem irreverent, incoherent, and impertinent; absurd and irrational; rude, slight, and careless, 249.

Therefore all Christian churches have governed their public worship by a liturgy or set form of prayer, 250. Which way of praying is, truly,

To pray by the spirit; that is, with the heart, not hypocritically; and according to the rules prescribed by God's Holy Spirit, not unwarrantably, or by a pretence to immediate inspiration, 251.

Not to stint, but help and enlarge the spirit of prayer, 252; for the soul, being of a limited nature, cannot at the same time supply two distinct facul ties to the same height of operation; words are the work of the brain; and devotion, properly the business of the heart, indispensably required in prayer, 253.

Whereas on the contrary, extemporary prayers stint the spirit, by calling off the faculties of the soul from dealing with the heart both in the minister and in the people, 253. And besides, they are prone to encourage pride and ostentation, 254; faction and sedition, 255.

II. Brevity of expression the greatest perfection of speech, 256; authorized by both divine, ib., and human examples, 258; suited best to the modesty, 259, discretion, ib., and respect required in all suppliants, 260. Is still further enforced in our addresses to God by these arguments, 260: 1. That all the reasons for prolixity of speech with men cease to be so when

we pray to God, ib. 2. That there are but few things necessary to be prayed for, 264. 3. That the person who prays cannot keep up the same fervour and attention in a long as in a short prayer, 265. 4. That shortness of speech is the most natural and lively way of expressing the utmost agonies of the soul, 266. 5. That we have examples in scripture both of brevity and prolixity of speech in prayer, as of brevity in the Lord's prayer, 267; the practice of it in our Saviour himself, ib.; the success of it in several instances; as of the leper, of the blind man, and of the publican, 268. Whereas the heathens and the pharisees, the grand instances of idolatry and hypocrisy, are noted for prolixity, 268.

By these rules we may judge, 1. Of our church's excellent liturgy; for its brevity and fulness, for the frequent opportunity of mentioning the name and some great attribute of God; for its alternate responses, which thing properly denominates it a Book of Common Prayer, 269: for appointing even a form of prayer before sermons, 270. 2. Of the dissenters' prayers, always notable for length and tautology, incoherence and confusion, 271.

And, after this comparison, pronounce our liturgy the greatest treasure of rational devotion; and pray God would vouchsafe long to continue to us the use of it, 272.

SERMONS XVII. XVIII.

OF THE HEINOUS GUILT OF TAKING PLEASURE IN OTHER MEN'S SINS.

ROMANS I. 32.

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. P. 273.

The sin of taking pleasure in other men's sins is not only distinct from, but also much greater than all those others mentioned in the foregoing catalogue, 273. To arrive at which pitch of sinning there is a considerable diffi- · culty, 276; because every man has naturally a distinguishing sense of good and evil, and an inward satisfaction or dissatisfaction after the doing of either, and cannot quickly or easily extinguish this principle, but by another inferior principle gratified with objects contrary to the former, 274, 275. And consequently no man is quickly or easily brought to take pleasure in his own, much less in other men's sins, 276. Of which sin,

I. The causes are, 1. The commission of the same sins in one's own person, 276. 2. The commission of them against the full conviction of conscience, 277. 3. The continuance in them, 279. 4. The inseparable poorspiritedness of guilt, which is less uneasy in company, 280. 5. A peculiar unaccountable malignity of nature, 282.

II. The reasons why the guilt of that sin is so great, are, 1. That there is naturally no motive to tempt men to it, 284. 2. That the nature of this sin is boundless and unlimited, 286. 3. That this sin includes in it the guilt of many preceding ones, 287.

III. The persons guilty of that sin are generally such as draw others to it, 289; particularly, 1. Who teach doctrines, ib., which represent sinful actions, either as not sinful, 290, or as less sinful than they really are, 291. Censure of some modern casuists, 292. 2. Who allure men to sin through formal persuasion or inflaming objects, 293. 3. Who affect the company of vicious persons, 295. 4. Who encourage others in their sins by commendation, ib., or preferment, 296.

Lastly, the effects of this sin are, 1. Upon particular persons; that it quite depraves the natural frame of the heart, 297; it indisposes a man to repent of it, 298; it grows the more, as a man lives longer, ib.; it will damn more surely, because many are damned who never arrived to this pitch, 300. 2. Upon communities of men; that it propagates the practice of any sin, till it becomes national, ib.; especially where great sinners make their dependents their proselytes, 301, and the follies of the young carry with them the approbation of the old, ib. This the reason of the late increase of vice, 302.

SERMON XIX.

SINNERS INEXCUSABLE FROM NATURAL RELIGION ONLY.

ROMANS I. 20.

So that they are without excuse. P. 303.

The apostle in this epistle addresses himself chiefly to the Jews; but in this first chapter he deals with the Greeks and gentiles, 303, whom he charges with an inexcusable sinfulness, 303. And the charge contains in this and in the precedent and subsequent verses,

I. The sin [that knowing God they did not glorify him as God, ver. 21]: Idolatry; not that kind of one which worships that for God which is not God; but the other, which worships the true God by the meditation of corporeal resemblances, 304.

II. The persons guilty of this sin [such as professed themselves wise, ver. 22] not the Gnostics, but the old heathen philosophers, 305.

III. The cause of that sin [holding the truth in unrighteousness, ver. 18], 306, that the truths which they were accountable for, viz. 1. The being of a God, 307; 2. That he is the maker and governor of the world, ib.; 3. That he is to be worshipped, ib.; 4. That he is to be worshipped by pious practices, ib.; 5. That every deviation from duty is to be repented of, ib.; 6. That every guilty person is obnoxious to punishment, 308;

Were by them held in unrighteousness, 1. By not acting up to what they knew, 308. 2. By not improving those known principles into proper consequences, 309. 3. By concealing what they knew, 310.

IV. The judgment passed upon them [that they were without excuse, ver. 20], 312; that they were unfit not only for a pardon, but even for a plea, 313. Because,

1. The freedom of the will, which they generally asserted, excluded them from the plea of unwillingness, 313. 2. The knowledge of their understanding excluded them from the plea of ignorance, 314.

From all these we may consider,

1. The great mercy of God in the revelation of the gospel, 315. 2. The deplorable condition of obstinate sinners under it, 317.

SERMON XX.

OF A WORTHY PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST.

MATT. XXVII. 12.

And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou hither, not having a weddinggarment? P. 318.

The design of this parable, under the circumstantial passages of a wedding's royal solemnity, is to set forth the free offer of the gospel to the Jews first, and, upon their refusal, to the gentiles, 318. But it may be more peculiarly applied to the holy Eucharist; which, not only by analogy, but with propriety of speech, and from the very ceremony of breaking bread, may very well be called a wedding-supper, 319; to the worthy participation whereof there is indispensably required a suitable and sufficient preparation, 320. In which these conditions are required;

1. That the preparation be habitual, 323.

2. That it be also actual, 325; of which the principal ingredients are, 1. Self-examination, 327; 2. Repentance, 328; 3. Prayer, 329; 4. Fasting, 330; 5. Alms-giving, 331; 6. Charitable temper of mind, 332; 7. Reading and meditation, 333.

[The reverend author seemed to have designed another discourse upon this text, because in this sermon he only despatches the first part, viz. The necessity of preparation; but proceeds not to the second, viz. That God is a severe animadverter upon such as partake without such a preparation, 320.] b

VOL. I

SERMON XXI.

THE FATAL IMPOSTURE AND FORCE OF WORDS.

ISAIAH V. 20.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil. P. 334.

[Vol. ii. Serm. xxix. p. 500. Serm. xxx. p. 519. Vol. iii. Serm. i.] Here a woe is denounced against those, not only in particular, who judicially pronounce the guilty innocent, and the innocent guilty; but, in general, who, by abusing men's minds with false notions, make evil pass for good, and good for evil, 334. And in the examination of this vile practice it will be necessary,

I. To examine the nature of good and evil, what they are, and upon what they are founded, viz. Upon the conformity or unconformity to right reason, 336. Not upon the opinion, 337, or laws of men, ib.; because then, 1. The same action under the same circumstances might be both morally good and morally evil, 339. 2. The laws could neither be morally good nor evil, ib. 3. The same action might be in respect of the divine law, commanding it, morally good; and, of a human, forbidding it, morally evil, ib.

But that the nature of good and evil is founded upon a jus naturale, antecedent to all jus positivum, may be exemplified in those two moral duties, towards God and towards one's neighbour, 340.

II. To show the way how good and evil operate upon men's minds, viz. by their respective names or appellations, 341.

III. To show the mischief arising from the misapplication of names, 342. For since, 1. The generality of men are absolutely governed by words and names, 342. And, 2. Chiefly in matter of good and evil, 345; which are commonly taken upon trust, by reason of the frequent affinity between vice and virtue, 346; and of most men's inability to judge exactly of things, ib. Thence may be inferred the comprehensive mischief of this misapplication, by which man is either, 1. deceived, 348; or, 2. misrepresented, 349.

Lastly, To assign several instances, wherein those mischievous effects do actually show themselves. Vol. ii. p. 500.

I. In religion and church, 501; such as calling, 1. The religion of the church of England, popery, 502; which calumny is confuted, from the carriage of the church of Rome towards the church of England, 503; and from the church of England's denying the chief articles of the church of Rome, 503; 2. Schismatics, true protestants, 507; against whom it is proved, that they and the papists are not such irreconcilable enemies as they pretend to be, 507. 3. The last subversion of the church, reformation, 510; which mistaken word turned the monarchy into an anarchy, 510; 4. The execution of the laws, persecution, 511; by which sophistry the great disturbers of our church pass for innocent, and the laws are made the only malefactors, 511; 5. Base compliance and half-conformity, moderation, 512, both in church governors, 513, and civil magistrates, 514.

A terrible instance of pulpit-impostors seducing the minds of men, 517. II. In the civil government, 520, 522 (with an apology for a clergyman's treating upon this subject, 520); such as calling, 1. Monarchy, arbitrary power, 523; 2. The prince's friends, evil counsellors, 526; 3. The enemies both of prince and people, public spirits, 528; 4. Malicious and ambitious designs, liberty and property, and the rights of the subject, 531. Together with a discovery of the several fallacies couched under those words, 525, 527, 529, 532.

The necessity of reflecting frequently upon the great long rebellion, 533.

III. In private interests of particular persons, vol. iii. 3; such as calling, 1. Revenge, a sense of honour, 3; 2. Bodily abstinence with a demure affected countenance, piety and mortification, 6; 3. Unalterable malice, constancy, 7; 4. A temper of mind resolved not to cringe and fawn, pride, and morosity, and ill-nature, 8; and, on the contrary, flattery and easy simplicity,

and good fellowship, good-nature, 10; 5. Pragmatical meddling with other men's matters, fitness for business, 11. Add to these, the calling covetousness, good husbandry, 12, prodigality, liberality, 13, justice, cruelty, and cowardice, mercy, 13.

A general survey and recollection of all that has been said on this immense subject, 13.

SERMON XXII.

PREVENTION OF SIN AN INVALUABLE MERCY.

1 SAMUEL XXV. 32, 33.

And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me. And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with my own hand. P. 351.

This is David's retractation of his revenge resolved upon an insolent wealthy rustic, who had most unthankfully rejected his request with railing at his person and messengers, 351. From which we may,

I. Observe the greatness of sin-preventing mercy, 352. Which appears, 1. From the deplorable condition of the sinner, before that mercy prevents him, 352. 2. From the cause of that mercy, which is God's free grace, 355. 3. From the danger of sin unprevented; which will then be certainly committed; and, in such deliberate commission, there is a greater probability that it will not, than that it will be pardoned, 356; because every commission hardens the soul in that sin, and disposes the soul to proceed further, and it is not in the sinner's power to repent, 357. 4. From the advantages of the prevention of sin above those of the pardon of it, 358; which are the clearness of a man's condition, ib., and the satisfaction of his mind, 359.

II. Make several useful applications, 360. As, 1. To learn how vastly greater the pleasure is upon the forbearance, than in the commission of sin, 360. 2. To find out the disposition of one's heart by this sure criterion, with what ecstasy he receives a spiritual blessing, 360. 3. To be content, and thankfully to acquiesce in any condition and under the severest passages of providence, 362; with relation to health, ib., reputation, ib., and wealth, 363.

SERMONS XXIII. XXIV.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE NATURE AND MEASURES OF CONSCIENCE.
1 JOHN III. 21.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have confidence towards God. P. 365, 383.

It is of great moment and difficulty to be rationally satisfied about the estate of one's soul, 365; in which weighty concern we ought not to rely upon such uncertain rules, ib., as these: 1. The general esteem of the world, ib. 2. The judgment of any casuist, 366. 3. The absolution of any priest, 368. 4. The external profession even of a true religion, 369.

But a man's own heart and conscience, above all other things, are able to give him confidence towards God, 370. In order to which we must know,

I. How the heart or conscience ought to be informed, 371, viz. by right reason and scripture, 372, and endeavouring to employ the utmost of our ability, to get the clearest knowledge of our duty; and thus to come to that confidence, which, though it amounts not to an infallible demonstration, yet is a rational, well-grounded hope, ib.

II. By what means we may get our hearts thus informed, 374, viz. 1. By a careful attention to the dictates of reason and natural morality, ib. 2. By a tender regard to every pious motion of God's Spirit, 375. 3. By a study of the revealed word of God, 377. 4. By keeping a frequent and impartial account with our conscience, 378.