[SERM. Victory over their Enemies; Arguments more fitted to work upon them in a Politick, than in a Religious Capacity. By the Kingdom of Heaven, they understood generally nothing but the Meffiah's great temporal Kingdom. So that till the Chriftian Religion discovered it, and proved it beyond all Exception, by the Resurrection of our Saviour from the Dead, and his Afcenfion into Heaven, the World had very little certain Knowledge, or firm Belief, or lively Senfe of a future State of Happiness, as a Reward of a virtuous Life. Judge now what Effects fuch a wonderful Discovery as this, where it is firmly believed, must have upon Men; and how eafily they might contemn the short Pleasures of Sin, in comparifon of an Eternity of spiritual Joy; and what exalted Degrees of Virtue, fuch a Discovery, and such a Faith, would lead them to: (a) This is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith, faith St John.

2. As the World never had fuch a clear Difcovery of a future State, till Life and Immortality were brought to Light by the Gospel; fo neither had it ever such a perfect Defcription and Revelation of Duty, as the Gospel has made. We may fee from the Improvements our Saviour has made upon the Law in this fame Sermon on the Mount, what a mere Shell and Outside of Duty the Law was, at leaft according to the Interpretation of the Jewish Doctors, before he gave us the true fpiritual Meaning and Interpretation of it; and what a Door was opened to Mens Lufts

(a) I John v. 4.

and

and Paffions, by the Indulgences to that carnal People, through the Liberty of Divorce and Retaliation, which our Saviour has now cut off. Understanding then our Duty, at least being put in a Capacity to understand it, infinitely better than ever the World did before, may it not reasonably be expected that we fhould do fomething more than others?

3. Was there ever fuch a plentiful Effufion of the Spirit in Gifts and Graces, either of Sanctification or Edification, as in the days of the Gofpel? Was there ever fuch a Thing known or heard in the World, as was feen at, and after that wonderful Pentecoft upon our Saviour's Afcenfion into Heaven? What a ftrange working was there then upon the Spirits of Men, and accordingly what a wonderful Change was made both in their Faith and Manners? All this was the Effect of our Saviour's powerful meritorious Interceffion in Heaven. And where all this Affiftance was afforded, might it not juftly be expected, that thofe Men should do fomething more than others? But ye may fay, thofe were rare Times indeed, the Days of Miracles, like thofe of the Church in the Wilderness, when it daily rained Manna. But now we are put to our Shifts, as they, when they came into Poffeffion of the Land of Canaan; then it ceafed raining Manna, and they were put to ploughing, and fowing, and reaping, and nothing was to be got but by hard Labour. So it is with us now, what was delivered in thofe Days by immediate Inspiration, we are fain to Labour hard to find out by painful Study, to find out the right Senfe and Meaning of the Divine Oracles; and instead of those miraculous Preparations and Dif

Ff3

pofitions

pofitions of Mens Hearts, we must now take abundance of Pains by Meditation and Application, to bear home Divine Truths upon our own Spirits, and rub up our Memories, that we do not lofe and forget what we have heard and learned. And inftead of those wonderful Draughts of Souls into the Net of the Gofpel, which the Apostles made, our Ministers often toil all Night and catch nothing. All this is true, but where lies the Fault? Is it to be expected that God should govern his Church by perpetual Miracles? If a Man has good Land to work upon, and God fends kindly Weather, yet if he will fleep, or drink, and idle away his time, when he should be at Work; if he lets all the Season flip, and has nothing ready, neither his Ground, nor his Plants, whofe Fault is it, if he makes no Crop? If ye have good Doctrine in your Bibles, but will not read nor confider it; if ye have edifying Sermons in your Churches, but will not be at the Pains to come and hear them; or if ye hear them fo carelefly, that ye never think more of them to put them in Practice; if ye may obtain good Things for asking them of God by affiduous Prayer, but will not trouble your felves to bow a Knee from one Weeks end to another; if ye have Sacraments which confer Grace, but will live gracelefly without ever receiving the Sacrament, or without ever preparing your felves for it; is it not plain that all this Barrenness is owing to your felves, and that Christianity is not to blame for it?

4. Lastly, It may well be expected that we Chriftians fhould do fomething more than others, confidering what Encouragement we have from the new Gofpel-Covenant, beyond what the

World

Now

World had from the Covenant of Works. there is a powerful and a gracious Mediator, by whom we may have Access to God. Now there is an Act of Pardon and Indemnity obtained by what he has done and fuffered for us, upon the eafy Terms of the Gofpel. Now Repentance is accepted instead of Innocence, and fincere inftead of perfect Obedience. Now we have an Interceffor at the Father's right Hand ready to prefent and back all our Petitions, and to bestow upon us more Grace upon our Application to him, and our diligent Improvement of that Stock of Grace which we have already. And surely after all this, the Question of my Text may well be asked, What do ye more than others? But how to answer it, I leave between God and your own Confciences, befeeching him to give us all Grace to walk worthy of our holy Calling, and to be fruitful in every good Work, to his Honour and Glory, and our own eternal Comfort in the great Day of Accounts. For which God of his infinite Mercy prepare us all, through the Mediation of Jefus Chrift. To whom, &c.

SERMON XXXII.

MATT. V. 48.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.

T

The Fourth Sermon on this Text.

HESE Words are a Corollary or Confequence drawn by our Saviour, immediately indeed from the fubject Matter of the laft Duty he had here recommended, the Love of Enemies, and the Arguments wherewith he had preft that Duty; but it is not improbable, this being likewife the Conclufion of his Vindication of the Law from the imperfect Gloffes and Interpretations of the Scribes and Pharifees, that this Exhortation to Perfection may have an Afpect too, to all those other Duties which he had taught in a perfecter Senfe. As if he had faid, Be ye therefore perfect in your way as God is in his; study the highest Measures of Sanctification, by which Means ye fhall best resemble your Heavenly Father, who is holy to the highest Degree of Perfection. These two Senfes not being inconfiftent with each other, I intend briefly to confider them both.