SERM. have been Faithful in a small and tem XVI. porary Trust, committed to them Here;

may hereafter be put in Poffeffion of a never-fading Inheritance, which shall be their Own for ever. As our Saviour has largely and diftinctly fet forth this matter, in his Parable of the Unjuft Steward, Luke xvi.

MISTAKING this True End and Defign of Religion, men have fallen into Two contrary Extremes: Some having framed to Themselves fuch a notion of Religion, as is confiftent with the Vices of this prefent World; and Others, on the contrary, fuch a one as is not confiftent with fome of the most confiderable and important Duties of Life. Some have placed the highest Excellency of Religion in retiring wholly from the World, fo as to render themselves altogether uselefs in it: And Others, on the contrary, imagining Religion principally to confift in certain Forms and Ceremonies, or in the Profeffion of certain Systems of empty Opinions; indulge themselves in the Practice of known Immoralities, at the fame time that they are most zealously reli

gious.

gious. The proper Remedy for Both SER M. these Mistakes, is to endeavour to give XVI. men a just idea of the Nature of True Religion; and of the Influence it ought to have upon mens whole Behaviour, with regard to the World, and to the things that are in it. For which Purpose I have chosen these words of the Apoftle: Love not the World, neither the things that are in the World; If any man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him.

IN difcourfing upon which words, I fhall endeavour to fhow, ift, What the Apostle here means by the World, and the Things that are in it; which he exhorts us, not to love. 2dly, What That Love of the Father is, with which the Love of the World is inconfiftent. And 3dly, What are the principal Reasons and Motives, upon which the Apostle here fo earnestly cautions men against That Love of the World, which he thus describes as inconfiftent with the Love of God.

1. WHAT the Apostle here means by the World, and by the Things that are in it, which he exhorts us Not to love, he himself expreffly and diftinctly explains

in

SER M. in the words next following the Text: XVI. For all that is in the World, faith he,

the Luft of the Flesh, and the Luft of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, is not of the Father, but is of the World. That is to fay: Not That World which God has created, or any of the things that he has made in it but That world which Sinners have fashioned to themselves, and which is entirely the Work of their own Invention. Every Creature of God is Good; and every thing that he has made may be made ufe of with Thanksgiving: But there is an imaginary World, which corrupt Minds have framed to themselves in Perverseness, by Abuse and Mifapplication of the good Creatures of God. And concerning the World in This fenfe of the word, this Wicked Form and Fashion of a World, it may very well and properly be faid, what the Author of the Book of Wisdom fays concerning Death, ch. i. 13, that God made it not: 'Tis made entirely through Enmity to Him, and in direct Oppofition to His Commands. The Particulars of which the World in This fenfe confifts; the wicked and corrupt World,

which

which is not of the Father, which is no SER M.
part of the creation of God; all the XVI.
things that are in it, as the Apostle here
expreffes himself, are reducible under Three
Heads.

THE First, is the Defire of unlawful Pleasures; all Intemperance and Debauchery, Luxurioufness, Drunkennefs and Uncleanness. And Thefe are ftyled by the Apoftle, the Luft of the Flesh, because they are the things into which men are hurried by Paffion and Appetite, which is what the Scripture ftyles Flesh; in oppofition to the Dictates of Reafon and Religion, which is what the Scripture calls being led by the Spirit. All the Good things of Life, which God has created to be injoyed with Temperance and Thankf giving, according to the Ends and Meafures of Nature, within the Limits of Reafon, Sobriety and Good manners, and confiftent with the more Noble Views and Improvements of Religion: All Thefe things, I fay, are the Gifts and Bleffings of God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, 1 Tim. vi. 17. But when men, inftead of governing their Paffions and Appetites

A a 2

SER M. petites by Reafon, do on the contrary fufXVI. fer their Reafon to be over-ruled by Paf

fions and Appetites; fubverting the natural Order of God's Creation, and giving no attention to thofe Superiour Faculties, which were defigned to diftinguish men from the Beafts that perish: their Injoyments in This cafe are of Such a nature, that they can neither pray for them beforehand, nor return Thanks for them afterwards, as Bleffings of God; but are forced to reflect upon them with Shame, whether they will or no; as being conscious that these things proceed not from the Father and Creator of the Universe, but from what the Apostle here styles the World by way of oppofition; That World, which is an Enemy to God; and concerning which St Paul speaks, when he fays of Wicked men, that the God of This World has blinded their minds, 2 Cor,

iv. 4.

THIS is the First Particular; the Luft of the Flesh. The Second Head, under which the Apostle here reduces all the things that are in the World, in the wicked and corrupt World, is the unlaw

ful