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teach them his Statutes, and incline their Hearts unto them, and not fuffer them to go Aftray in the Ways of Error and Deftruction.

LASTLY, That which muft crown the Success of the Preachers, and make fure the Title of the heavenly Inheritance to the Hearers, is fuch a Conver fation as becometh the Gospel of Christ. All who would be faved by the Gospel, muft answer the End of it, by living up to it. They muft adorn it, by making: it the Rule of their Behaviour. The Defign of God in the Gofpel is to bring Men to Happiness by Holiness, without which no Man fhall fee the Lord. Nothing in the Scripture is more plain and certain, than that Chrift requires of us to deny Ungodlinefs and worldly Lufts, and to live foberly, 1ighteously and godly in this prefent World; and that it is to no purpose to call him Lord, Lord, if we do not the Things which he fays; for he is the Author of eternal Salvation to thofe only who obey him. Hearing, and Faith and Knowledge are fo far

good

SER M.

II.

2

SERM

II.

good as they tend to make us good, and no farther. They are all of them in order to Practice; and if feparated from it, they will ftand us in no ftead, but rather 下 aggravate our Guilt, and fubject us to an heavier Doom. For Faith without Works is dead. And to him that knoweth to do Good, and doeth it not, to him it is Sin. If ye know thefe Things, happy áre ye if ye do them. But that Servant which knew his Lord's Will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his Will, shall be beaten with many Stripes Whofoever heareth the Sayings of Chrift and doeth them, fhall be likened unto a wife Man which built his House upon a Rock. And the Rains defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that Houfe, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a Rock. But every one that heareth the Sayings of Chrift, and doth them not, fhall be likened unto a foolish Man, which built his Houfe upon the Sand. And the Rain defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that House,

and

1

1

and it fell, and great was the Fall of it. For not the Hearers of the Law are Just before God, but the Doers of the Law fhall be juftified. Wherefore, my beloved Brethren, be fwift to Hear; and lay apart all Filthiness and Superfluity of Naughtinefs; and receive with Meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to fave your Souls. But be ye Doers of the Word, and not Hearers only, deceiving your own felves. For if any be a Hearer of the Word and not a Doer, he is like unto a Man beholding his natural 1 Face in a Glafs; for he beholdeth himfelf, and goeth his Way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of Man he But whofo looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful Hearer, > but a Doer of the Work, this Man fhall be bleffed in his Deed.

was.

That all of us may be thus bleffed, God of his infinite Mercy grant, for the Sake of his Son Jefus Chrift our only Lord and 3 Redeemer. To whom, &c.

The

SERM.

: II.

60°

A!

The Evidences of Chrift's
Refurrection.

Being the Substance of Two
SERMONS on that Subject.

SERM. III, IV.

2 TIM. II. 8.

Remember that Jefus Chrift, of the Seed of David, was raifed from the Dead.:

T

HESE Words contain a plain Propofition, that Jefus Chrift, of --the Seed of David, was rais'd from the Dead; as alfo a ftrict Charge to Timothy, and in him to all Chriftians, to remem-, ber it. From which Injunction of the Apoftle we may reafonably conclude, That the Doctrine of Chrift's Refurrection is not only a moft certain and evident Truth, but alfo of great Ufe and Confequence to us, and a moft neceffary

and

and fundamental Article of the Chriftian

Faith.

I SHALL therefore at this Time lay before ore you th the Sum of those Proofs and Evidences upon which our Belief of this great Article of our Faith is grounded.

Now the Refurrection of Chrift being an Event fuppos'd to have happen'd many Ages fince, it is capable of fuch Proof as other antient Events are capable of, that is the Evidence of Testimony. And if there be as good Evidence of Chrift's Refurrection as there is of any other antient Facts, the Truth of which is judg'd unquestionable; then all impartial Perfons will allow that the Refurrection of Chrift ought to be look'd upon as an undoubted Truth; it being manifeftly unreasonable to refufe that Evidence in one Cafe, which in all other Cafes is admitted; unless it can be made appear that this one Cafe is different from other Cafes, and is incapable of being prov'd by the Teftimony of Witneffes, either because the Thing faid to have been done is not a proper Object of Senfe,

or

SERM.

III, IV.

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