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the utter Destruction of it. So again, if any Teacher fhould vent a Doctrine contrary to any of the clear Rules of Morality laid down in the New Teftament, and fhould act upon that Principle, if in other Things he had ever fo fanctified an Appearance, ye might know him by the Fruits of his Doctrine to be a falfe Prophet; e.g. any Man fhould forbid Marriage, (which was a Doctrine vented in the very Apoftles Times,) it would quickly appear from the vagrant Luft fuch a Doctrine would introduce, that it produced Fruits as contrary to the Chriftian Morals, as the Fruit of a Thorn is different from that of a Vine. If any Man fhould bring in the old Jewish Doctrines of Polygamy and Divorce, `tho' in other Things he pretended ever fo great Sanctity, it would quickly appear, from the Fruits of fuch Doctrine, that it would be the opening of a Door to vagrant Luft: If any one should preach up the Obligation of cutting off Hereticks by Death, and then fhould interpret every Difference in Opinion from his own Sect or Party to be Herefy, it would quickly appear by the Fruits of fuch a Doctrine, what a vaft deal of Mischief and Bloodshed it would introduce into the World. If any fuch falfe Prophets fhould ftart up, as to preach down all Property, and leave the World to be poffeffed in common by all Mankind; howfoever plaufible fuch a Doctrine might found, what a vast Disorder and Confufion would it let in into the World? I might fay the fame of a great many other Doctrines, fuch as that of Equivocation, mental Refervation, private Revenge, or the like, which, however, T 2 while

while they are argued in the Theory, might, in many Cafes, be plaufibly defended; yet if the curfed Fruits which they would produce were confidered, they might very eafily be difcerned to be the Productions of falfe Prophecy.

But fome may fay, it is true, the manifeft grofs Contradictions of Chriftian Morals may be found out by this Rule; but how will it difcover the clofer Herefies, which are more Deviations from the Articles of our Faith, than from the Rules of Life and Morals? This Queftion may be easily answered. For, First, It is the preceding Doctrine of Chriftian Duties which our Saviour is fecuring in the End of this Sermon on the Mount, and the chief Thing he had in View at this Time was, to guard against fuch falfe Teachers as might pervert their Obedience to these Precepts; and therefore that this difcerning of false Prophets, from the Fruits of their immoral Doctrine, was fufficient for that End. But, Secondly, I fay, fuch Errors of falfe Prophets as destroy any of the main Articles of our Creed, may be discovered by their Fruits, as well as those more immediate Deviations from Christian Morals; for they will as effectually deftroy Morality as the other; e. g. If any falfe Prophet should deny the Being or Providence of God, that would immediately have fuch an Influence on his Morals, that the Fruits of all vicious Practice would na

turally follow; fór if you take away the Love and Fear of God, you destroy all the Law and the Prophets; the Love of God, and of our Neighbour for his fake, being the Sum and Substance of the Moral Part both of the Law and Gofpel. Again, if any falfe Prophet should deny

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our bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift to be the Son of God, what is the terrible Fruit or Confequence of this, but to leffen the Authority of all his Laws, as well as to take away the Virtue of his Merits, and all Gratitude for them? Nay, fince there are so many exprefs Sayings of his own and his Apostles to this Purpose, what is the natural Tendency of fuch falfe Doctrines, but to invalidate the Authority of the New Teftament, and to represent our Saviour and his Apostles to be as fallible as other Men; which at once lays open a wide Door for the Tranfgreffion of the Evangelical Precepts, and the running out into a vicious Course of Life; and then I am fure by their Fruits ye may know them. Now what I have faid of the two firft Articles of our Creed, is true of all the reft. There cannot one of thofe Foundations be removed, but the Superstructure of Chriftian Practice will fall to the Ground. I do not fay that this will be the Confequence of all the small Errors of every Prophet or Teacher; neither does every erring Teacher incur the Compellation of a falfe Prophet; that Term not being applicable to any but the Broachers or Maintainers of fuch fundamental Errors, as deftroy Chriftian Practice. So that upon the whole, I know no better Way to discern and discover falfe Prophets, than by the curfed Fruits of their Doctrines on themselves, and others who believe them.

So much for the fecond Thing contained in the Words, The Mark whereby falfe Prophets are known: Ye shall know them by their Fruits.

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III. The third and laft is, the Illuftration of of this Mark, from the different Fruits of good and bad Shrubs and Trees: For as natural as it is for a good Fruit-Tree to bring forth good Fruit, and a bad Fruit-Tree to bring forth bad Fruit, as natural it is for good Doctrine to bring forth a good Life and Conversation, and for bad Doctrine to bring forth bad Fruits in the Life and Converfation. We are not fo to interpret this Simile, as if a good Man might not grow bad, or a bad Man grow good; the Meaning is only, that a good Man, while he continues fuch, is very apt to bring forth abundance of pious and virtuous Actions, for that indeed it is natural for good Doctrine to bring forth good Life; and that a bad Man, while he continues fuch, is very apt to bring forth a great many evil Actions: for that the Principle both of good and evil, naturally works according to its kind. This Obfervation would afford us the trueft Mark of Difference between a good and a bad Man; but fince it is ufed here only to put a Difference between true and falfe Prophets, and the natural Fruits of good and bad Doctrine, I fhall only infift upon the Affinity between these two, good Doctrine, and good Life, and bad Doctrine, and bad Life.

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It is a great Commendation of the Chriftian Religion, that it is a Tree which naturally brings forth the Fruits of good Life; it is a Doctrine according to Godliness; and wherever it is rightly understood, and fincerely believed, it will certainly bring forth the Fruits of holy living, What is the Reafon then that we fee fo many vicious Chriftians? the Reason is plain, they do

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not throughly understand or firmly believe the Christian Doctrine. They are only Chriftians in Name and Profeffion, but not true Believers. It concerns us then mightily, if we intend in good Earnest to amend our Lives, to take Care first to imbibe the Chriftian Doctrine, and to ftock ourselves with the plentiful Knowledge, and firm Belief of it. In order to this, I would recommend to you a Study, which I am forry to tell you, is gone very much into Defuetude, I mean, the Study of the holy Scriptures. Let your Heads and Hearts be ftocked plentifully with thofe excellent Notions, wherewith it abounds; let us experience upon our own Spirits the Force of the admirable Doctrines and Precepts of it; and let us confider the Force of that divine Atteftation of Miracles which was given to it; together with the wonderful Succefs it had, while it was firmly believed in the World.

Let us beware of thofe dangerous Principles, which are to be found both in atheistical and immoral Books, and are freely scattered in the Converfations of Men, and more and more rooted by their evil Practices. For it is not only the formal falfe Teachers that are the Corrupters of Christian Doctrine and Morals; but there are a great many other falfe Prophets, who, tho' they do not pretend to be Teachers, poifon a great deal of Company with their immoral Maxims, and loofe Principles, and vicious Difcourfe, and bad Examples. There is a great Torrent of unchristian Principles and Practices abounds in this wicked and perverfe Generation. Never was there more Pains taken to difcourage good, and to propagate bad Principles; and never was there

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