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what favour can we pretend to, if we prefumptuouf- s ER M. ly fhall offend, oppofe that will, which is the fu- XIX. preme rule of juftice, and fole fountain of mercy?

It is the will of our Redeemer, who hath bought us with an ineftimable price, and with infinite pains hath rescued us from miferable captivity under moft barbarous enemies, that obeying his will we might command our own, and ferving him we might enjoy perfect freedom and fhall we, declining his call and conduct out of that unhappy ftate, bereave him of his purchase, fruftrate his undertakings, and forfeit to ourselves the benefit of fo great redemption?

It is the will of our best Friend; who loveth us much better than we do love ourselves; who is concerned for our welfare, as his own dearest interest, and greatly delighteth therein; who by innumerable experiments hath demonftrated an excefs of kindness to us; who in all his dealings with us purely doth aim at our good, never charging any duty on us, or difpenfing any event to us, fo much with intent to exercise his power over us, as to exprefs his goodness towards us; who never doth afflict or grieve us more Lam.iii. 33. against our will, than against his own defire; never indeed but when goodness itself calleth for it, and even mercy doth urge thereto; to whom we are much obliged, that he vouchfafeth to govern and guide us, our fervice being altogether unprofitable to him, his governance exceedingly beneficial to us: and doth not fuch a will deserve regard; may it not demand compliance from us? To neglect or infringe it, what is it? is it not palpable folly, is it not foul difingenuity, is it not deteftable ingratitude?

So doth every relation of God recommend his will to us; and each of his attributes doth no less : for,

It is the will of him, who is most holy, or whose will is effential rectitude: how then can we thwart it, without being stained with the guilt, and woundcd with a sense of great irregularity and iniquity?

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SERM. It is the will of him, who is perfectly juft; who XIX. therefore cannot but affert his own righteous will,

and avenge the violation thereof: is it then advifable to drive him to that point by wilful provocation; or to run upon the edge of neceffary severity?

It is the will of him, who is infinitely wife; who therefore doth infallibly know what is beft for us, what doth most befit our capacities and circumftances; what in the final refult will conduce to our greatest advantage and comfort: fhall we then prefer the dreams of our vain mind before the oracles of his wisdom? fhall we, forfaking the direction of his unerring will, follow the impulfe of our giddy hu

mour?

It is the will of him, who is immenfely good and benign; whofe will therefore can be no other than good will to us; who can mean nothing thereby but to derive bounty and mercy on us can we then fail of doing well, if we put ourselves entirely into his hands? are we not our own greatest enemies, in with ftanding his gracious intentions?

It is finally the will of him, who is uncontrollably powerful; whofe will therefore muft prevail one way or other; either with our will, or against it, either fo as to bow and fatisfy us, or fo as to break Ifa. xlvi. 10. and plague us: for My counfel, faith he, fshall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. As to his difpenfations, we may fret, we may wail, we may bark at them; but we cannot alter or avoid them: fooner may we by our moans check the tides, or by our cries ftop the fun in his career, than divert the current of affairs, or change the state of things established by God's high decree: what he layeth on, no hand can remove; what he hath deftined, no power can reverfe our anger therefore will be ineffectual, our impatience will have no other fruit, than to aggravate our guilt, and augment our grief,

Dan. v. 23.

As to his commands, we may lift up ourselves against him, we may fight ftoutly, we may in a fort

prove conquerors; but it will be a miserable victory, s ER M. the trophies whereof fhall be erected in hell, and XIX. ftand upon the ruins of our happiness; for while we infult over abused grace, we muft fall under incenfed juftice: if God cannot fairly procure his will of us in way of due obedience, he will furely execute his will upon us in way of righteous vengeance; if we do not furrender our wills to the overtures of his goodness, we muft fubinit our backs to the ftrokes of his anger: he must reign over us, if not as over loyal fubjects to our comfort, yet as over ftubborn rebels to our confufion; for this in that cafe will be our doom, and the laft words God will deign to fpend upon us, Thofe mine enemies, which would not Luk. xix. that I fhould reign over them, bring them hither, and flay 27• them before me.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the Heb. xiil. dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the 20, 21. Sheep, through the blood of the everlafting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift: to whom be glory for ever and ever: Amen.

SERMON

SERMON XX.

A Whit-Sunday Sermon of the Gift of the
Holy Ghoft.

ACTS ii. 38.

And ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft.

MONG the divers reasonable grounds and s ER M.

A ends of the obferving festival folemnities (fuch

as are comforting the poor by hofpitable relief, refreshing the weary labourer by ceffation from ordinary toil, maintaining good will among neighbours, by cheerful and free converfation, quickening our fpirits and raising our fancies by extraordinary reprefentations and divertifements, infufing and preferving good humour in people; fuch as are alfo the decent confpiring in publick expreffions of fpecial reverence to God, withdrawing our minds from fecular cares, and engaging them to fpiritual meditations) the two principal defigns of them seem to be these.

* Θεοὶ δὲ οἰκτείραντες τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπίπονον πεφυκὸς γένος, ἀναπαύλας τε αὐτοῖς τῶν πόνων ἐτάξαντο, τῶν ἑορτῶν ἀμοιθὼς τοῖς θεοῖς. Plato 2. de Leg,

Legum conditores feftos inftituerunt dies, ut ad hilaritatem homines publice congerentur, tanquam neceffarium laboribus interponentes temperamentum. Sen. de tranq. an. 15.

XX.

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