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each require. His Apostles he directed by Inspiration into all Truth: and strengthened them with Power to work Miracles in Confirmation of it. When Religion, by their Means, was known and proved sufficiently, these extraordinary Effects of his Prefence gradually ceased : but those, which remained still needful, were still experienced. And to this Day, wherever his Ministers teach Men to believe and do what he hath commanded, there he is alway with them: and wherever two or three of his Difciples are gathered together in his Name, there he is in the Midst of them w: protecting his whole Church, and every Member of it, outwardly against their temporal Enemies to such Degree, as infinite Wisdom fees to be fit; and inwardly against their spiritual ones, so that nothing, but their own wilful Sins and Perseverance in them, shall hazard the Salvation of any one of them. But so far as Men allow themselves to teach, believe, or practise, contrary to his Commands, they forfeit their Title to his gracious Prefence, which evidently depends on their Obedience to those Commands. And confequently no Set of Men in the World have a Right to argue, as the Ro

manists would fain do; that Christ hath promised to be with his Church for ever; and therefore their Church, or the Majority of the whole Church, can teach only what he appointed they should. But ours is a very just Way of arguing; that we teach what Chrift appointed we should, and therefore we are a Part of his Church, with which he hath promised to be for ever. For that our Doctrines are Catholic, however the Romanists have stolen the Name, we are bold to say, and fully able to prove on this Account we have nothing to fear. Could we but say as much of our Livesş too, then all were well.

But alas, though they have little Cause on Comparison to reproach us in this Respect, we have much Cause to reproach ourselves. The Number of professed Christians amongst us indeed is large: yet even that is lessening. But the Number of fuch as are truly Christians, and behave like Christians-What shall we say of this? May God, who commanded the Light to Shine out of Darkness, cause the Light of his Gospel to shine more effectually into the Hearts of Men *, and brighten the very dark Profpect there is before us concerning spiritual Matters;

that we may know, at least in this our Day, the Things which belong to our Peace y, our present and future Happiness. But what others will do, is for them to confider: and what shall be the Consequences of Mens Doings, is for God to appoint. Let us only look to our own Souls; that in the Midst of a bad World we be, as we ought, innocent, prudent, and exemplary; that we watch over those, who are under our Care, and warn others as we have Opportunity; that, by openly profefsing the Gospel of Christ, we encourage the Profeffion of it; and, by adorning our Profession with a fuitable Conduct, do Honour to it. Provided we behave thus; let others behave as they please, and the Event be what it will to them, and to all, in temporal Concerns; to us the final Event however shall be good. Christianity began with a very small Number: and were it to be reduced to an equally small one again, we might take the fame Comfort still, which our Saviour gave his Disciples at first: Fear not, little Flock: for it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom". The Kingdoms of this Earth we have Cause to hope will yet, in due Time, not

withstanding all Appearances to the contrary,

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become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Chrift, in a much ampler Manner than they have hitherto been. But the Kingdom of Heaven, God, who cannot lie b, hath, in the plainest Terms, promised to the faithful Disciples of his Son. And all who have secured his Prefence with them here, by a Life of Religion and Virtue, shall assuredly reign with him for ever hereafter in those blessed Manfions of bis Father's House, whither he is gone to prepare a Place for us, and will come again, and receive us unto himself, that where he is, there we may be also.

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SERMON III.

:

EPHESIANS iv. 26.

Be ye angry, and fin not.

HE Nature of Almighty God being

neither Paffions nor Affections, properly fo called, have any Place in it: but his Actions all proceed from uniform and unmixed Regard to Truth and Equity. His Creatures, incapable of attaining to be in any Respect what he is, fall short of it in different Degrees, from those Spirits above, that approach nearest to pure Intelligence, though infinitely distant from it, to the lowest Inhabitants of Earth, which have no other Guide than Appetites and Instincts. Man is of a middle Rank; and partakes, almost equally, of inferior Principles to excite and move him, where Reafon would be insuf ficient,