to this affertion of the Pfalmift the church of Rome can by no means agree: they understand this matter much better than the Pfalmift did, namely, That, besides God, there are in heaven innumerable angels and faints, in whom we are to repofe great truft and confidence; and to whom alfo we are to addrefs folemn prayers and fupplications, not only for temporal good things, but for the pardon of our fins, for the increase of our graces, and for eternal life: that there are in heaven particular advocates and patrons for all exigencies and occafions, against all forts of dangers and diseases, for all graces and virtues; and, in a word, for all temporal, fpiritual, and eternal blessings; to whom we may apply ourselves, without troubling God and our bleffed Saviour, who alfo is God bleffed for evermore, by prefuming upon every occafion to make our immediate addresses to him. For, as they would make us believe, though Abraham was ignorant of it, and David knew it not, the bleffed fpirits above, both angels and faints, do not only interceed with God for us for all forts of bleffings, but we may make direct and immediate addreffes to them to bestow thefe bleffings upon us for fo they do in the church of Rome; as is evident, beyond all denial, from feveral of their prayers in their molt publick and authentick liturgies.

They would indeed fain palliate this matter, by telling us, that by thefe direct and immediate addreffes to angels and faints to beftow grace and eternal life, upon them, they mean no more, but only to pray to them that they would be pleafed to interceed with God for thefe bleflings to be bestowed upon them by their mediation. But if they mean no more, why do they fay more than they mean? why do they use such expressions as, to the common fense and understanding of mankind, do fignify a great deal more than they fay they mean; fuch expreffions as they themselves do acknowledge, if they be understood according to the most obvious fense of the words, would render them guilty of flat idolatry: efpecially when they know, that they are charged with idolatry upon this account; and fince to clear themfelves of it they will not alter their prayers, they juftly lie under the fufpicion of it?

And

And yet admitting what they fay in this matter to be true, and that by thefe expreffions in their prayers they intend no more, but the folemn invocation of angels and faints, that they would interceed with God to beltow thefe bleffings upon them for the fake of their merits, and upon their mediation: yet this furely is a great deal too much, and cannot be done without a high intrenchment upon the office of the only Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. But let them not deceive themselves, God is not mocked. The Lord our God is a jealous God, and he will not give his glory to another.

I have not yet inftanced in the grofleft part of their fuperftition, not to fay downright idolatry, in this kind; I mean in their extravagant worship of the bleffed virgin and mother of our Lord; whom they blafphemously call the Queen of heaven; and whom, by a new ftyle, unknown to the fcriptures and primitive antiquity, they think to dignify with the modifh title of our Lady; as if that could be any addition of honcur to her, whom the angel declared to be blessed among women who, if fhe know any thing of the follies of her worshippers here below, with what difdain and indignation do we think fhe hears thofe infinite prayers that are made to her, and that facrilegious worship which is given her in that church, and which makes both pages of their religion; and which for the frequency of it, both in their publick and private devotions, is very much beyond what they give to God and Christ; as if there were none in heaven but fhe, nor any thing upon earth to be worshipped in com parison of her image?

Nay, fo far have they carried this extravagant folly, and how much farther they would have carried it, had not the reformation given a check to it, God only knows; fo far, I fay, have they proceeded in this folly, as, in that famous book of their devotions, called our Lady's pfalter, not only to apply to her fome part of this pfalm out of which I have taken my text, beginning it thus, How good is God to Ifrael, to them that worship his bleed mother? but they have likewife profanely burlefqued, I cannot afford it a better term, this whole book of pfalms, applying to her almoft the highest things that are there faid concerning God and our bleffed Saviour. Hear, Q

Kk 2

heavens,

heavens, and give ear, O earth; and be ye horribly astonished, to fee the belt and wifest religion in the world tranfformed into fuperftition and folly; and to fee the most learned perfons in that communion fet themselves in good earneft to juftify all these follies and abfurdities by a grave and groundless pretence to infallibility.

3. and laftly, This fhews us how neceffary the favour of God is to every man's happiness: and there is but one way to gain his friendship and favour, by becoming holy and good, as he is. Then may we rejoice and glory in God, as the Pfalmift here does, and fay, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee. A wicked man dreads God above all things in the world, and he has great reafon to do fo: For he is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither fhall evil dwell with him: "the foolish shall not stand in his fight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity. When by fin we depart from God, we forfake our own happiness: Salvation is far from the wicked, fays David, Pfal.cxix. 155.; and again, a little after the text, They that are far from thee fhall perish. But it is good for me to draw near to God. Now, by holiness and goodness we draw near to him, who alone can make us happy.

It is certainly the common intereft of mankind there fhould be a God, becaufe we cannot poffibly be happy without him: but then it is no man's intereft to be wicked, because thereby we make him our enemy in whofe favour is life, and upon whom all our hopes of happiness do depend.

To conclude: If we would have God for our happinefs, we must be fure to make him our friend; and then we may promife to ourselves all thofe advantages which the friendship of fo great and powerful a patron can give us. And there is but one way to establish a firm friendship between God and us; and that is, by doing his will, and living in obedience to his laws: Ye are my friends, (faith our bleffed Lord), if ye do whatfoever I command

you.

This is the love of God, (faith St. John), that we keep his commandments: and to love God is the way to be made partakers of thofe glorious things which God hath prepared for them that love him; fuch as eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man.

1

Which God of his infinite goodness grant we may all at laft be made partakers of, for his mercies fake in Jefus Chrift. To whom, with thee, O Father, and the Holy Ghoft, be all honour and glory, dominion, and power, both now and for ever. Amen.

SERMON

XLI.

A thanksgiving-fermon for the late victory at fea.

Preached before the King and Queen at Whitehall, October 27. 1692.

JE R. ix. 23. 24.

Thus faith the Lord, Let not the wife man glory in his wif dom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he underftandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercife loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in theje I things I delight, faith the Lord.

T

Hefe words are a message from God fent by his Prophet to the people of the Jews, who trufted in their own wifdom, and might, and riches, for their safety and preservation from that deftruction which, in the former part of this chapter, God had threatened to bring upon them by the King of Babylon. To take them off from this vain confidence is this meffage fent to them, Thus faith the Lord, Let not the wife man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercile loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, faith the Lord.

Kk 3

In

In the handling of these words, I fhall abstract from the particular occafion of them; and only confider the general truth contained in them: which I fhall do under these two heads.

1. What we are not to glory in: Let not the wife man glory in his wifdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches.

2. What it is that is matter of true glory: But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercife lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

This

I. What we are not to glory in. The text inftanceth in three things, which are the great idols of mankind, and in which they are very apt to pride themselves, and to place their confidence, namely, wisdom, and might, and riches. I fhall confider thefe feverally, and fhew how little reason there is to glory in any of them. 1. Let not the wife man glory in his wifdom. may comprehend both human knowledge, and likewise prudence in the management of affairs. We will fuppose both these to be intended here by the name of wif dom: Let not the wife man glory in his wisdom; that is, neither in the largeness and compass of his knowledge and understanding, nor in his skill and dexterity in the contrivance and conduct of human affairs; and that for these two reasons.

1. Because the highest pitch of human knowledge and wifdom is very imperfect.

2. Because when knowledge and wisdom are, with much difficulty, in any competent measure attained, how cafily are they loft?

Ift, The highest pitch of human knowledge and wifdom is very imperfect. Our ignorance doth vaftly exceed our knowledge at the beft. Wisdom in any tolerable degree is difficult to be attained; but perfection in it utterly to be defpaired of. Where is there to be found fo ftrong and found a head, as hath no foft place; fo perfect, fo clear an understanding, as hath no flaw, no dark water in it? How hard a matter is it to be truly wife and yet there are fo many pretenders to wifdom, as would almost tempt a man to think that nothing is eafier. Men do frequently murmur and repine at the unequal