as our Saviour hath declared, fuch an ab- SERM. ftractednefs from the world, and indepen- III.

IT

dance on all things temporal, as he hath shewed, and which he taught all his dif ciples, thefe furely have nothing in them, which favoureth of imposture. If we shall fuppofe the moft friendly and upright mind to have really defcended from heaven, to be the teacher of mankind, he muft on the whole have taught as our Saviour did. And why should I not receive his teftimony, the receiving of which can, in no refpect, obftruct, but greatly aideth me in my progress towards that perfection, which is my highest aim in life? If all this fhould be looked upon as no more than prefumption, yet it will be acknowledged to be a strong prefumption; and in which the mind may reft perfectly fecure against fuffering by it in any refpect

で

I fhall conclude this difcourfe with one very natural inference from what hath been faid, and which may be very properly addreffed to believers; namely, that one way to become established in the Chriftian faith is to be diligent in the practice of Chriftianity; to give the greatest pains in fubduing all irregular affections, and in cultivating

SERM. Cultivating thofe, which are good and wor I thy; in doing good, and bringing forth the fruits of righteoufnefs. The purer the, heart and the life are, the more difcerning the moral eye will be. And as corrupt affections bribe and biafs the understanding, and pervert the judgment; fo purity and goodness of heart prepare the mind for acting its part with impartiality, and for judging aright. But what is principally to my purpose is, that men, who conform their tempers and actions to the precepts of Christianity, and attain to the holy and divine life, must have, in themselves, a witness to the happy tendencies, bleffed effects, and to the importance of that reli gion; a witnefs, which other, men have not. They must be fenfible, that they are in a right ftate, and enjoy human nature and human life in the beft manner. And furely, nothing will more contribute to establish the mind in believing, than this, The direct evidences of the truth and divine authority of the religion of Jefus, from prophefies and miracles, are strong and convincing to the judgment: but it is the experimental fenfe of what that reli

1

gion

gion is, and what it produceth, which SERM. filleth the mind with peace and joy in be- III. lieving. That we may therefore be firm believers, and hold faft our confidence, let us endeavour to be fincere and eminent in the Christian practice.

SERM.

IV.

SERMON

IV.

Obfervations upon our Saviour's last difcourfes with his difciples.

JOHN xiv. 1.

Let not your heart be troubled ; you believe in God, believe alfo in me.

N

OTHING can be more engaging to the attentive reader, than the light, in which our bleffed Saviour appeareth in these his last discourses to his disciples, and in his prayer to the Father for them. Our Lord knowing, that the time of his paffion drew near, and that he muft quickly leave his difciples, fetteth himfelf in the most friendly manner, to comfort them under their apprehenfions of the loss, which they should sustain by his absence, and to fortify their minds against the difficulties

ficulties, which they were like to meet with, SERM. in acting the part, to which he had called IV. them; and accordingly in perufing thefe difcourses, we shall fee a greatnefs of mind, which did indeed become the Son of God, in conjunction with the utmoft tenderness of affection; the surest and noblest foundation laid for the comfort of his difciples; and addreffed to them in the moft engaging After I have represented these things particularly, I fhall make fome reflections upon them; chiefly with a view of fhewing, that these difcourfes of our Lord, and his prayer at the conclufion of them, bear the plain marks of being genuine; and that therefore they furnish a ftrong prefumptive argument for the truth of our holy religion.

manner.

Our bleffed Lord doth not at all attempt to leffen the apprehenfions of his difciples, concerning the fufferings, which they were to meet with, when he fhould be removed from them. He tells them plainly, that the world would hate them. * If the world hate you, ye know it hated me before it

bated you. If ye were of the world, the

world would love his own; but because ye are