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[SERM. Mind and Confcience is darkned, this occafions a vaft Number of other Errors and Follies in the Life, and Converfation. If therefore the Light that is in thee be Darkness, how great is that Darkness! In these Words our Saviour intimates the terrible Confequences of a Mind once darkned with any Vice. To pretend to give you the Detail of this Truth, I might as well pretend to reckon up how many wrong Steps a blind Man without a Guide would make; how he would fall fometimes into the Mire, fometimes over a great Stumbling Block, fometimes down a Precipice, fometimes into a Ditch, and sometimes into the Briers; and when he is there, how every Step he fetches to extricate himself, entangles him more and more. To give you an Example in a Mind tinctured with Malice or Hatred; It is natural for fuch chearfully to hearken to, and readily to fuck in and believe all ill Stories of the Perfons they hate; and as the Venom thereof (preads, to improve them by Jealousy and Invention. In order to this, it is natural to encourage Tattlers and Talebearers; and from private Calumnies, it is as natural for that wicked Temper to proceed to publick Affronts and Injuries; and then for the Juftification of them, to Forgery, and Mifreprefentation. Thus if Satan can once poffefs the Mind with one black Vice, as Malice, Luft, or Covetousness, it is an eafy Thing afterwards to lead fuch a Person in a String, from one wrong Step to another, till it is really incredible to what Degrees of Wickedness we shall be hurried at last, only in Confequence of a little Ambition, or Covetoufnefs, or Refentment, or Jealousy, or Hatred, or Envy, against such as stand in the Way

of

of our Designs or Paffions, Nay most of the Errors and Herefies that are in the World, are owing to this Caufe, of the Mind's being blinded with Vice. And it is moft probable this is the trueft Account of Atheism, that fince, Men, do not live up to their Principles, they bring their Principles down to their Vices. But it is high time to haften to

V. The fifth and laft Thing propofed, and which follows naturally as a Confequence from all the reft, that it is therefore our Duty to use our utmost Endeavours both to keep this inward Light free from all Clouds of Vice, that it may afford us clear Direction in our Duty, and to follow thofe good Directions in our Life and Converfation. Our Duty here is twofold.

1. To have an unbyaffed good Guide of our own Minds and Confciences, that the Light in us be not Darkness.

2. Then to take care that we follow the Directions of that inward Guide.

I have not Time now to dwell upon them, but they are both difficult Tasks: firft to keep the Mind and Confcience fo clear and unbyaffed, that it be no way clouded with Prejudice, or Paffion; Jealoufy, or Sufpicion; Malice, Hatred, or Self-Intereft; Addictedness to Party or Faction, Favour or Partiality; but that we keep ourfelves equally well poised to those that differ in Opinion from us, as to those that are of our Mind and Sentiment; to thofe that are our Foes, as well as to those that are our Friends; to those that thwart our worldly and carnal Interefts, as well as to those that do not stand' in the way of them. Let us ftudy to difcern and love Truth

and

[SERM. and Virtue, wherever they are, and carefully to guard against all Prejudices and finifter Byaffes, that may vitiate or deprave our difcerning Faculty.

Then when we clearly see the Truth, let no natural or acquired Corruption of our own Hearts, let no Temptation or ill Advice of others, let no Mifreprefentations of malicious Inftruments, let no Conveniency or Self-Intereft of our own, or any others whom we may affect, tempt us to act contrary to the Dictates of our own well informed Minds and Confciences, as we expect either Peace here, or eternal Felicity hereafter. Both which, God of his infinite Mercy bestow upon us all, for Jefus Christ's fake. To whom, &c.

SER M.

SERMON XXII.

MATT. VI. 24.

No Man can ferve two Mafters: for either be will hate the one, and love the other; or elfe be will hold to the one, and defpife the other. Ye cannot ferve God and Mammon.

I

The Fourth Sermon on this Text.

N these Words we have another Argument against Covetousness, taken from thé Inconfiftency of it with the Service of God: In order to which our Saviour first repeats a common Maxim, that No Man can ferve two Masters; meaning Mafters of contrary Humours and Interests, for that both he will fecretly fettle his Affection on the one, and be alienated from the other; and openly, whenever their Interefts interfere, he will cleave to the one, and forfake the other. Then he applies this particularly to the Service of the World, and afferts the Inconfiftency of it with the Service of God. Ye cannot ferve God and Mammon. In the Words we have thefe three Things.

I. The Maxim in general; that no Man can ferve two Mafters.

II. The Reasons of that Affertion; that both his inward Affection, and his external Service will be drawn two different and contrary ways.

III. The

III. The Application of this Maxim, with the Reasons of it, to the Service of God and the World; Ye cannot ferve God and Mammon. All which I shall confider as they lie in order.

1. First, we have the Maxim in General; that no Man can ferve two Mafters. For understanding of which, fomething is to be confidered of ourfelves, Men, fomething of Mafters, and fomething of the Service here fpoke of.

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1. As to ourselves, Men; it is certain we are never without a Mafter; we find we are far from being able to fubfift of ourselves, we must lean to fomething without us for our Support. As the Vine clings to the Oak, and by Virtue thereof creeps up, which, if left alone by itself, could only crawl along the Ground; fo Man, for all his Pride and Vanity, is a poor weak Thing of himself, and must take to fome outward Supports. It is true all the Supports we betake ourselves to, except God, are rotten and deceitful; all our other Masters break and leave us in the lurch, but we are often deceived with them firft, and take them to be very fubftantial, tho' they prove but Vanity.

As we have all fome Mafter or other, fo we have but one at a time, that is, one that carries away our Heart in chief, though our Hearts and Affections may happen to be parted, and to have divers inferiour Inclinations to other Things. But there is always one Thing uppermost in our Affections, and that is it to which we are properly Servants.

2. By Mafters here is to be understood Masters in chief, of which one is not fubordinate to the other: For where they are fubordinate, à Man

may

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