Fear, and shall be amazed at the Strangeness of his Salvation, fo far beyond all that they looked for. And that they repenting and groaning for Anguish of Spirit, fhall fay within themselves; This was he whom we had fometime in Derifion and a Proverb of Reproach; we Fools accounted his Life Madness, and his End to be without Honour. How is he numbered among the Children of God, and his Lot is among the Saints. Any of these Confiderations would effectually convince us, that neither the Expreffions nor Behaviour of the Apostles and primitive Christians proceeded from wild Enthufiafm, or the like, but from Soberness and Truth. The Effects are as adequate to their Caufe, and the Behaviour as well proportioned to the Motive as in any other Cafe more familiar to our Experience.

From what has been faid, it appears plainly, First, That God is not

a

a hard Master, reaping where he has not fown; but that his Precepts are adapted to our Understandings, and the Motives annex'd to them, to our Affections; infomuch, that nothing is wanting but our own Application to make them effectual to us, as they have been to others. And how shamefully must we be wanting to our felves, who bestow all our Care and Thought upon this vain, uncertain, and miferable Life, and will not fee a far off (if it may be called afar off) into our next Stage of Existence, which indeed may be nearer to us, than our nearest Expectation? Does this become the noble Faculties we are invested with, is it worthy the great Ambition of our Natures? I might here play the Orator in rallying our foolish Choice, the grofs Abfurdity and Perverseness of our Conduct; but I shall only put you in mind of that exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory referved

referved for us in the Heavens ; do but admit the magnificent Idea, and it must work for it felf, it will make us fuperior to all the Power of the Adversary; whilst without it, we become the Sport of every Temptation, we muft fide with the World, and fneak into base Compliances, and may be fneered out of our Salvation by every rash and thoughtless Mortal. How fond therefore fhould we be of a Contemplation fo full of Hope and Affurance, of Energy and Motive? And how must we be covered with Shame and Confufion, if we reflect on the dumb Idol that fucceeds in its Room, whenfoever we fuffer it to depart from us.

Secondly, Thofe Persons to whose Diftribution the Honours of this World are more especially committed, are, if poffible, more concern'd in this matter than others. When Honour (as a late Author fays) is a fup

port

port to virtuous Principles, and runs parallel with the Laws of God and our Country, as was most certainly defigned in the original Conftitution of Things, it cannot be too much cherished and encouraged. But when the Dictates of Honour are contrary to those of Religion and Equity, they are the greatest Depravations of human Nature, by giving wrong Ambitions and falfe Ideas of what is good and laudable, and fhould therefore be exploded by all Governments, and driven out as the Bane and Plague of human Society.

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Thirdly, We of this Place fhould confider the uncommon Opportunities we enjoy of encouraging Virtue, and discountenancing Vice in the Distribution of our Honours; we who are in a good measure secluded from the World, and form'd into fmall Societies, under very extraordinary Re

Vit. The Univerfity of Oxford.

gulations;

gulations; where our Customs and Fashions are prescrib'd to us in almost every Particular, by wife and good Men, and not left to the Caprice of the World. Should any low or vicious Qualifications gain Efteem amongst us, and become matter of Recommendation to our highest Honours and Preferments, I will fay nothing at prefent of the Confequences, but this must be far more inexcufable, than in Societies more mix'd and diffus'd, which are govern'd also by many Persons of different education, and by Laws more general and loose.

Fourthly, Thofe few Perfons, the Eyes of whose Understanding are enlightned, fo that they know, what is the Hope of the Calling, of the God of our Lord Jefus Chrift the Father of Glory, and what is the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints, ought in common Prudence to affociate themselves together as much as