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does to his Natural Stature, and no more. Are they not uneafie and full of Concern about Fame and Glory, about their Titles and their Coats of Arms, about their Pedigree and about their Pofterity, about the Opinions and Cenfures of Men, what estimation and refpect they poffefs in their Minds, what they think, and what they say of them? Are they not folicitous to procure a handfom Character in the World, and to be thought to deserve it, to appear Witty and Ingenious, Men of Parts and Learning, of Conduct and Sagacity, and (perhaps) of Piety and Religion; and are they not inwardly troubled and difcompofed when they think they fail of any of these little Ends, or when they hear of any thing faid to their Difreputation, or meet with any Disrespect? Do not Men difquiet themselves about having Heirs to a great Estate, continuing their Name, and living (as they call it) in their Pofterity? Do they not trouble themselves about Poffibilities and Contingencies, about what shall be, or what may be, fo as not to be able either to enjoy the prefent, or to be thankful for what is past, merely for the anxious Concern they have about what is to come? Nay, are there not many fo beyond all measure fottish, as to be poffeffed with a troublesom Care of what fhall fall out after they are Dead and in the Grave, and to leave behind them a Stock of Praise and Commendation, which either they fhall not then be in a Condition to know, or will certainly defpife? So vain is the Shew that Man walks in, and fo

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many are the ways whereby he acts the Tyrant and the Executioner upon his own Mind, and difquiets himself in vain. A Character so very applicable to every Man, more or lefs, that journies upon the Road of this World; that our Church in her Wisdom has thought fit to appoint this Pfalm, of which the Text is a part, to be used in her Funeral-Office at the Burying of the Dead; thereby implying, that there is no Man, though never fo Great, Wife, or Good, but of whom it may juftly be faid at his last Exit, and upon whase Tomb it may be infcribed as the concluding Motto of his Life, that he has walkt in a vain thew, and difquieted himself in vain. Some indeed do pafs away their time fo quietly and inoffenfively, that they do not much disturb the Peace of others; but there is no Man but who vainly difquiets himself.

Poor unhappy Creature, that he should do fo! Are there not neceffary and unavoidable Causes of Trouble fufficient, but he must needs add voluntary Afflictions to his heap of Mifery; impofe fupernumerary Penances; difquiet himself, and that too in Vain, without Reason, and without Measure, to no End or Purpofe? 'Tis indeed a very deplorable Cafe; but the confideration of. all this will ferve to teach us two very useful Leffons, To be more Humble, and to be more Wife.

First, To be more Humble. When Self begins to rife up in thee, and thou findeft thy Soul tempted to Pride and Arrogance upon the Con

> ceit of either Natural or Acquired Excellencies, then confider the vain Shew, the empty Apparition wherein Man walks, and the yet much vainer Difquiet wherewith he voluntarily afflicts himfelf. Take a View of thy Picture, of thy Natural and of thy Moral Vanity; and return to a juster Estimation, to a more fober and modeft Account of thy felf. Confider how vain thou art in thy Nature, and how much vainer thou art in thy Conduct, and then fee, what Ground or Foundation thou haft for Pride; which would ill become thee as a Creature, but much worse as such an infirm and ill-govern'd, as fuch a doubly vain Creature.

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Secondly, To be more Wife. More Wife indeed, than to be thus needlefly troublesome to our felves; to walk about like reftlefs and difturb'd Ghosts, and moleft our own Ease and Quiet. For though we cannot help our Natural Vanity, that of walking in a vain Shew; yet we may in great measure help and prevent that which is Moral, our difquieting our selves in vain; and shall act very unaccountably to our felves, and be great enemies to our own Peace and Tranquility, if we do not. We should think it a moft intolerable Calamity, and that we had just Cause of Complaint, if we did fuffer as much from others as we do from our felves, if they were as troublefome to us as we are to our own Souls. A Houfe that is haunted and troubled with Evil Spirits, is look'd upon as a great Affliction; and fo is a Mind that is tormented with perplex'd and un

eafie Thoughts. These are great Judgments, and fevere Trials, when they are brought upon us by a fuperiour Hand: But are they the lefs fo,becaufe inflicted upon us by our felves? Or rather, does not this add to our Mifery, the Aggravation of Folly?

In our Patience then let us poffefs our Souls, and be more Wife than to vex and torment them with vain and needlefs difquiets; confidering, that fufficient to the fhort day of Life is the Neceffary Evil thereof. But if our Heads muft work, and we will be folicitous, let it be where our great Concern lies, and about what deferves our Care and Thoughtfulness; that is, fo to order our Lives and Conversations while we are here, that we may be for ever Happy hereafter; To Fear God and Keep his Commandments; for that is the whole and only Duty, and ought therefore to be the whole and only Concern, of Man.

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A Difcourfe fhewing that the Law is not made void through Faith.

Being a Vifitation Sermon Preach'd in the Cathedral Church of Sarum, before the Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert Lord Bishop of Sarum, at his Vifitation held there September 2. 1692.

ROM. iij. 31.

Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forhid; yea, we establish the Law.

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O have a right general Notion of the Gof pel, of those Terms and Conditions upon which God dispenses Pardon and Salvation to the World in Jefus Chrift; to understand how far it agrees with the Law, and how far it differs from it; in what respect it is an Abatement, and in what refpect it is an Improvement of it; is a thing fo so very neceffary to all Chriftians, especially to all Teachers and Profeffors of Chriftianity (as that without which no one particular Head or Point of Christian Divinity can either be rightly comprehended by themselves, or open'd and explain'd to others) that I need not question the

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