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here, and an entire reliance on his promifes for futurity, we may arrive at such a degree of communion with the divine Spirit even in this life, as fhall give peace to the foul; a grateful earnest of that bleffed communion with the fame Spirit in the life to come, when Faith shall be swallowed up of fight, and Hope loft in poffeffion.

Here however it may be proper to obferve-that there is fuch a thing as a false glorying even from a religious perfuafion. It is not all Religion that is the knowledge of God. Men may entertain unworthy notions of the Deity; may mistake the fopperies of superstition for fpiritual fervice, and a perfecuting fpirit for zeal according to the gospel ; may even misapprehend the frenzy of enthusiasm for divine illuminations. therefore behoves us to try the spirits and doctrines of men, whether they be

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of God, before we give place to fuggeftions of fo pernicious a tendency.-The spirit of true Religion is rational, meek, and orderly. The rejoicings of good Christians are no proud boastings; but the inward and filent teftimony of their confciences, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, they have had their converfation in the world.;

To return then, and conclude - It is undoubtedly our excellence, our everlafting intereft, to acquaint ourselves with God, and to walk before Him, as unto whom we must give an account. All other advantages, how eminent foever, unless fanctified by religious principles and moral righteoufnefs, are, comparatively speaking, of no confideration. The prefent world itself with all it's glories is but a tranfitory fcene that foon paffeth away; and can afford no folid fatisfaction but in the consciousness of

doing well, and in the hopes of a better life. Herein confifts the triumph of the Christian, that he can look beyond the grave, and hath a profpect of happiness through the gates of death: A happiness that fadeth not away, referved in Heaven, for as many as ftedfastly believe the doctrines, and confcientiously obey the precepts of the gospel.-This, in a word, is to know God, and Jesus Christ whom He hath fent; and in the knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life.

SERMON

SERMON XXV.

LUKE, xi. 28.

But He faid, yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it.

ESUS (faith the Evangelift) was

JES

cafting out a devil, and it was dumb: And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the pcople wondered. The generality, whofe minds were free, and their judgments unprejudiced, were readily ftruck with fo amazing and effectual an operation; and, if left to themselves, would without doubt have attributed this mighty

VOL. II.

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cure to that Divine Power, from whence it really proceeded. But fome (i. e. the Pharifees, as St. Matthew informs us) whose private interests, paffions, and prejudices rendered them infenfible both to the doctrine and miracles of our Lord, with the utmost perverfenefs faid, "He cafteth out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils :" Chufing rather to attribute a work, which they could not but acknowledge to be above the efficacy of nature and art, to the influence of an evil Spirit, than to confess the Spirit of God, in an inftance the most demonstrative of his power and goodness.

Upon this our Saviour condefcended, chiefly (as we may fuppofe) for the fake of the multitude, who were in such danger of being mifled by their falfe Teachers; to refute their impious calumny, by expofing the abfurdity of it: Obferving to them how unlikely it was that

Satan

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