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[SERM. There is an Ufe or two I would briefly make of what has been faid, and I fhall have done.

1. First then, this Doctrine may serve to direct us what Value to fet upon the many feveral Opinions which are in the World in Matters of Religion. My Text informs us, that the most dangerous of all other are those which undermine Christian Practice; and as they have a Tendency to the establishing or the diffolving of this, they are more or less Important, more or lefs Edifying, or Dangerous. And therefore let us not be impofed upon only with Names of Orthodoxy or Heterodoxy; and thofe perhaps taken only from the Name of fome famous or infamous Author, or from fome Party which pretends to Monopolize all found and Orthodox Opinions to it self. The true Mark whereby to know what Opinions are, or are not of Value and Confequence, is to confider what Tendency they have to the Establishing or Destroying, to the Fixing or Unfixing Christian Morality; for all found Opinions are in Order to an holy Life; and all that are otherwife, have a bad Influence on our Morals; and if there be any Opinions which have no Influence that Way, neither directly, nor in their Confequences, these are of fo indifferent a Nature, that we ought not to spend our Zeal about them. The new Creature is what Chrift regards more than either Circumcifion or Uncircumcifion; and fo should we. And in general, if our Zeal for dry Opinions were abated, and all the Feuds and Heats which are usually raised on Account of them prevented; and our Zeal and Concernedness reserved for better Purposes, even for promoting Holiness in our felves and others; this would be the best

Sign of our Orthodoxy in Opinions, and the best Fruit flowing from our Belief of them. As a Tree is known by it's Fruit, fo let all Opinions be tried by this Teft, and judged of accordingly. 2. This Doctrine is as good to direct our Practice, as to regulate our Opinions. By every Thing our Saviour faith here, we may fee what a Zeal he hath for good Morals; and how earnestly he requires them at our Hands. There is nothing in this excellent Sermon, but what is directly upon this Subject. His Refpect to the Moral Law he expreffes and inculcates in the fullest and highest Terms, and takes all poffible Pains to stir up his Disciples to the Practice of it. And more particularly in this our Text he guards them against all fuch Practices or Doctrines as may have any Tendency to the propagating any the least Immorality in the World. Let this then put us mightily upon our Guard, and make us very cautious how we efpoufe any Customs, that have in them a Tendency to corrupt the Morals of Mankind, either by our Example or Opinion, or Countenance, Authority or Intereft. If we are fo weak as to be guilty of any Piece of Immorality, let us take Care not to juftify and defend it, nor to tempt others into the like evil Practice; remembring that this is to fet ourselves directly in Oppofition to our Bleffed Lord; this is to defert our Saviour's Side, and to fide with the Devil, his grand Enemy, who seeks as much to corrupt and destroy us, as Christ to fanctify and fave us. Let the Thoughts of the Judgment, which will be pass'd on all those who are inftrumental in teaching Immorality, either by their evil Example, or by their Doctrine, Intereft, Counsel, or Autho

thority,

thority, utterly deter us from all fuch Practice; and, on the contrary, make us good Inftruments in propagating all good Morals by Word and Example. This is to enter into our Saviour's Defign and Spirit; This is to be Co-operators and Fellow-workers with him in the Reformation of the World; This is the way to become the best Benefactors to Mankind; and this is the fureft Way to fave our own Souls. All which God of his infinite Mercy grant, for his dear Son Jefus Chrift his Sake; To whom, &c.

SER

SERMON V.

MATT. V. 19.

Whosoever therefore fhall break one of these leaft Commandments, and fhall teach Men fo, be fhall be called the leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whofoever shall do and teach them, the fame fhall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

H

The Fifth Sermon on this Text.

AVING, fince I formerly difcourfed on thefe Words, been by diverfe Accidents interrupted, and diverted from the Profecution of them, it will be neceffary briefly to remind you of their Sense and Meaning, and of the two Points I proposed to handle from them; one of which ftill remains to be spoke to.

By the Kingdom of Heaven here, I fhewed you was meant the Chriftian Church; and that by the being called little or great in it, was meant the Judgment, which in the great Day shall be pafs'd, concerning the feveral Sorts of Christians. Particularly our Lord declares here, who fhall in that great Decifion and Reward of all Mens Actions be contemned; and who fhall be honoured. On the one Hand, they who break the Commandments of the Moral Law, and teach Men to break them, shall in that Day be accounted the very worft and unworthieft of all Chriftian Pro

feffors;

feffors; and, on the other Hand, great Honour fhall be put upon those Chriftians, who both by their Life and Doctrine shall have promoted the Study and Practice of Morality.

Now having formerly spoke to the Sin and Punishment of those, who by their Life and Doctrine deftroy Morality, from these first Words of the Text, Whosoever therefore shall break one of thefe leaft Commandments and fhall teach Men fo, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; I proceed now to the Virtue and Reward of the Promoters of Chriftian Morals, from these last Words of the Text, But whosoever shall do and teach them, the fame fhall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

I. I begin with the Virtue, which is briefly defcribed here to confift in a Conjunction of thefe two, the Doing and Teaching the Commandments. Before I fpeak of thefe apart, it may not be amifs perhaps to obferve this Difference, which our Saviour puts between his Difciples, and the Teachers of the Jewish Church in those Days. The Jewish Teachers contented themselves with Teaching good Things; but did not think themselves obliged to put them in Practice. The Character our Saviour gives of them is, that They fay, and do not, Matt. xxiii. 3. But as to our Lord's Difciples, he every where lays the chief Strefs upon their good Lives, as in the end of this excellent Sermon, where the only Difference he makes between the Wife and Foolish Builder is, that the Wife Builder bears and doth his Sayings, but the Foolish Builder bears and doth them not. And in Imitation of our Lord, St Paul advifes Timothy to be an Example of the Believers, 1. Tim.

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