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fome or other of the other Particulars mentioned, I fhall therefore apply myself to these, without dwelling longer on the general Comparison.

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II. Secondly then, We are to confider what is to be meant by the folid Foundation here fpoke of, the building the House upon a Rock. St. Luke expreffes it a little more fully, for he calls it digging deep, and laying the Foundation on a Rock: By all which put together, I apprehend are meant these three Things:

1. Serious Confideration and Forecaft; this is the digging deep.

2. Faith in Chrift; this is hearing Chrift's Sayings.

3. A firm Refolution to add Practice to our Knowledge of Chrift's Doctrine. These three are the digging deep, and laying the Foundation of Religion fo folidly, that it will never fail. They deferve a more particular Confideration.

1. The first Thing towards the laying a folid Foundation in Religion is, deep Confideration and Forecaft. And there is nothing more commonly wanting than this. For we take up our Religion, as we do other Cuftoms, from our Parents. This Childrens Devotion, as flight as it is, is ufually all the Foundation in Religion we lay, and therefore it is no Wonder it holds out fo badly in a Day of Trial and Temptation. The Duties, the Promifes, the Threatnings, and the Examples of Religion, if they are ever fo weighty and momentous, cannot exert their Force, when we have fo fuperficial a Glance of them as we commonly take through the Levity of our Minds; for as it is not a fudden, quick

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paffing by, which will acquaint us with the Features of a Man's Face, fo as to make us know it again; fo neither is it any flight, tranfient View of Religion, which will work a deep Impreffion of it upon our Spirits, fo as to engage our Affection, and ftir us up to Action. And therefore wherever we obferve that any Man makes a Conscience of obeying, as well as of knowing, and believing our Saviour's Doctrine, we may affuredly conclude, that fuch a Perfon has deeply confidered the Truth and Importance of that Doctrine beforehand, and is very fully refolved to venture his Salvation upon it. For confidering that the Temptations to the tranfgreffing our Duty are prefent, (the Objects of Senfe) and both the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel are not prefent, except to the inquifitive confidering Mind, we must needs believe, where we observe a Man to walk contrary to the Dictates of Flesh and Blood, and by the Rules of an hidden unfeen Life, that he is not only acquainted with the Theory and speculative Knowledge of these Things, but that they have made deep Impreffions upon his Spirit, and have taken deep Root, when they bring forth fuch plentiful Fruit in his Life and Converfation.

To Confideration, I added Forecast, in preparing for a future State. This is a certain Confequence of the believing and confidering of it. For who can seriously believe and confider that there is fuch a Place of Glory and Happiness as Heaven is, and likewise that there is no coming at it for impure Souls living in the voluntary Pursuit of their evil Courses, that will not make Preparation fuitable to that future State? It is true,

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[SERM. there is a strange Stupidity poffeffes moft Men, that they employ most of their Time and Labour about this present, perishing, tranfitory State; but I think this is not to be accounted for, any otherwife than that it is a great Want of a lively Faith, which keeps them fo much in the Dark about all Things to come, and confequently the Soul in a State of Inactivity as to all thofe Things.

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2. A Second Thing belonging to the folid Foundation, wherein the good Chriftian refembles a wife Builder is, his digging till he comes to a Rock, to lay his Foundation upon. Now this Rock, I take to be Faith in Chrift: for it is be that beareth thefe Sayings of our Saviour's; that is, he who becomes his Difciple, he that liftens to and believes his Doctrine. This is the Foundation of all; and includes these two Things: First, The faving Nature of Chrift's Doctrine; and then, the Efficacy of Hearing or Believing it: Two Things admirably fitted to lay a Foundation for a good and happy Life. First, I fay, the faving Nature of Chrift's Doctrine, Whosoever heareth these Sayings of mine; there is a mighty Virtue both in Chrift, and in his Doctrine; He only has the Words of Eternal Life; and, the Words which I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life, fays he. First, Abstracting from the explicit Confideration of the Chriftian Doctrines, the Faith we have in the Perfon, of Chrift, is a good Foundation for all the following Superftructure of religious Practice. For as when the People of Ifrael in Egypt, were once fatisfied in the Perfon of Mofes, that he was duly

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authorized by God to conduct them to the Land of Promife, by the Miracles which he wrought, before they knew any thing as yet of the Excellency of that Law, which he afterwards delivered to them, they had then Foundation enough for that Faith in his Conduct, upon which they adventured themselves and all their Concerns in that Expedition; fo every one who was acquainted with the Perfon of Chrift, and faw and believed the Miracles he wrought, had Foundation enough for the Superstructure of Chriftian Doctrine and Practice. And much more they, who, from the heavenly Voice at his Baptifm, believed him to be the Son of God; for whofoever believes this, is well difpofed and prepared to believe all his Doctrine, and to live according to it. And if this Foundation can be well laid, only from the Belief of Chrift's Perfon, the Founder of our Religion, how much more from the express Belief of the great Articles of our Faith; fuch as God's Works of Creation and Providence, the Redemption wrought by Chrift, his Resurrection from the Dead, his Afcenfion to Heaven, his furnishing his Church with the plentiful Gifts and Graces of the holy Spirit, the Immortality of the Soul, and Refurrection of the Body, the Judgment to come, an Eternity of Happiness prepared for the Believers, who walk according to this Faith; and an Eternity of Mifery for the Unbelievers, and wicked Livers. What a noble Foundation is all this for the Superstructure of a good Life! and how impoffible for any one, who firmly believes thefe Things, if he acts confiftently

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to his Principles, not to live a good Life! This is then the laying the Foundation on a Rock, which will very well bear this noble Superstructure. But now, fuppofing the fame Superftructure to be built, not upon the Foundation of Faith in Christ, but upon fome worldly Confiderations, as the fair Life of an Hypocrite is; it is an easy Thing to imagine what follows here, that in a Day of Adversity, the Foundation of worldly Encouragements failing, this Superftructure of good Life will all fail too.

3. The third Thing belonging to a folid Foundation, is a firm Refolution to follow our good Principles with a fuitable Practice; not only in a Time of Peace and Quietnefs of the Church, but when we must take up our Crofs and follow Christ. Ye may perhaps think this belongs more to another Part of the Similitude, between the Successfulness of the good Builder and the good Christian; namely, the Proof of the Solidity of his Religion, beyond that of the Hypocrite, in that it stood firm against all Shocks and Trials, than to this of the good Foundation of Faith in Chrift; but I think a Refolution at least of Conftancy to the practical Part, must enter into the Description of the Foundation itself; for as our Saviour elsewhere describes the wife Builder, and one of the first Measures he takes, to be the fitting down, and counting the Coft, and weighing all the Dangers and Difficulties; fo this Foundation cannot be well laid without a View of the Difficulties we are to undergo, and a firm Refolution, with the Grace of God, not to be overcome by them. Otherwise it is to be feared, that Trials and Temptations affaulting us by Surprize,

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