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and confequently to exhort them to try the fpirits, i. e. the doctrines and practices of their Leaders, whether they are of God, would, I am perfuaded, be altogether vain and ineffectual. Hence however muft appear to every found mind the propriety and great expediency of trying the spirits in general, before the paffions are engaged, and the will betrayed; and of taking the written word of Revelation only for our fupreme direction; in oppofition to the inward lights of the Enthufiaft on the one fide, and to the unwritten traditions of the Romanift on the other: Both alike incompetent and very dangerous Guides to be entrusted with a man's falvation.

Upon the whole-There are, and ever will be, a great number of fouls in the Christian World, who for want either of a natural good capacity, or of the improvements of education, have little ability

ability to judge for themselves; and are therefore under a neceffity of receiving their religious impreffions for the most part from the examples and inftructions of other men, A confideration, which as it demonstrates the utility of established Paftors and Teachers, at whose lips the people may feek and receive knowledge; fo does it indicate withal the importance of their facred function, upon which the interefts of Religion fo much depend; and the obligations they are under to a faithful discharge of it. In regard to both which particulars, give me leave to bring to your remembrance, and submit to your candid application, the gracious conduct of our common Lord and Mafter: Who well foreseeing how many of his weak but willing Disciples in every age must unavoidably be led much more by authority than private judgment; and fenfibly affected with the dangers they would be

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expofed to upon that account from false Prophets and evil Seducers; was pleased fo far to confult their fecurity, as to denounce a very remarkable threatening against all those who fhould take advantage of their weakness to abuse and miflead them, contained in thefe awful words, with which I fhall conclude

Whofoever fhall offend one of thefe "little ones which believe in me, it "were better for him that a mill-stone

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were hanged about his neck, and that " he were drowned in the depth of the "fea. Wo unto the world because of "offences; for it must needs be that "offences come; but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh."

SERMON

SERMON XVII.

LUKE, xvi. 8.

And the Lord commended the Unjuft Steward, because he had done wifely: For the Children of this World are in their Generation wiser than the Children of Light.

THERE is no part of our Lord's doctrine more deferving our attention, than what he occafionally delivered in parable: Which, it must be owned, is a method of inftruction admirably adapted to prevail with finful men (who are generally impatient of open reproof) as it fhews them their follies in a fair

though

though indirect light, and leads them infenfibly to an abhorrence of them.

This is evidently the cafe of the particular parable now under confideration; in which is reprefented a Steward of fome rich man, who for breach of trust, and bad adminiftration, was about to be removed from the profitable employment, Upon which melancholy profpect he providently enough confiders how to fecure himself a maintenance after he fhquld lofe his place. And here, the first way it feems he thought of, and that truly a very reasonable one, was to earn his livelihood by hard labour, fuch as letting himself out to dig for a dayly hire; but as he had never been brought up to this, he could not find in his heart to make the experiment. What then must he do? Why he argues right, the confequence of idleness is certain beggary; but though he could not dig, yet to beg he was afhamed,

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