have received so much Good, is not only Dilobedience, but Ingratitude. Now Ins gratitude is one of the vileft, blackest Crimes that we can be guilty of, even in reference to Man; but with regard to God, it is infinitely worfe: For all the Kindneffes which our Earthly Friends how totus, come originally from him: He is the Source and Fountain of them, They are but his Inftruments of Convey ance. -It is God that gave us our Beings and Well-beings: It is He that made us, and not we ourselves: It is he that fpreads our Tables, and fills our Cups: In bim we live, move, and have our Being. He hath plentifully provided for our Happinefs on Earth now, and hath prepared for us a Kingdom in Heaven, which we fhall most certainly Inherit hereafter, if we don't fell the Reverfion of it for the Pleafures of Sin. In fhort, 'tis impoffible to reckon up all the Mercies and Bleffings which God hath conferred, and doth confer upon the Sons of Men; they are as the Stars of the Sky in Multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea-fhore in numerable. What monftrous ingratitude must it then be, to fly in the Face of lo gracious a God? Torebel against fo bountiful a Benefactor? And yet every one doth this,

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this, and confequently is thus monftrously Ungrateful, who lives not in a conftant, fincere Obedience, to all his Commands. A Confideration this fufficient, if we had any ingenuity, to make us forfake all Sin, and be holy in all manner of Converfation.

But if we are fo far loft to all Sense of Shame and Gratitude, as not to be moved from hence; it must be farther remembred, that infinite Justice is an Attribute belonging to God, as well as infinite Goodnefs; and as This will pardon all true Penitents, fo That will punish all obstinate, unrepenting Sinners. And being the Sins of these Wretches are fo much the greater, because committed against a God who is infinitely Good; therefore the Punishment of them, will be so much the greater too, because inflicted by a God who is also infinitely Just, and will render to every one according to his Works.

Let thofe confider this, who when convincingly reproved for their wicked Lives, will answer, that God is Good; or God is Merciful! Alas! this will but aggravate: their Guilt, and encrease their Damna-. tion. Such Perfons who continue in Sin, because God's Goodness abounds; trample

the fame under their Feet, and do a

to the Spirit of Grace. They defpile the

Riches of his Goodness, and Forbearance, and Long-fuffering, not knowing that the Goodness of God Thould lead them to Repentance. But after their Hardness, and impenitent Hearts, they treasure up to themselves Wrath against the Day of Wrath:

Thirdly, and Laftly, From the foregoing Difcourfe we may infer, that 'tis our Duty to love and praife God above all Things. The principal and natural Attractives of Love and Praise, are the irrefpective Goodness, or Excellency of any Being; and its relative Goodness, or Kindnefs to us. But now it appears, that thele are infinitely more in God, than in any other Being; and therefore our Returns ought to be proportionably greater. If they are not, we must be the most unnatural of all Creatures. To love them that love us, is a Duty but of a low Attainment, the Publicans and Sinners do the • fame; nay, y, the Beafts will do it; very the Ox (as the Prophet (ays) knows bis Owner, and the Afs bis Mafter's Crib. We must act contrary to human Reason, if we don't praife and love God for his Excel lencies; but if we are not induced thereto by the Confideration of his Kindness, we

muft

must be more stupid and fenfelels than the Beasts that perishtoviskuo qu you bob then let us not fail of performing thele our bounden and indifpenfable Duties: But let us manifeft our Love to God, by duly valuing the Excellencies of his Nature, by making him the only proper Object of our Happinels, and preferring him to any Thing that may happen, to be his Rival, Let us imitate the glorious and happy Spirits, which are Attendants on God's Throne; and continually give him most humble and hearty Thanks and Praife, for all his Goodness and loving Kindness to us. When the World was Created, thofe Sons of God: fhouted for Joy: And when our Saviour came to Redeem the World, a Multitude of them appeared, praifing God, and fay ing, Glory to God in the Highest. And now the Angels, and Archangels; the Cherubim and Seraphim; and the rest of the heavenly Company; are finging Hallelujah's; never-ceafing Hymns; and eternal Anthems; to the Glory of the eternal God, the Almighty Father of Men, and Angels. Let us then joyn in with this cœleftial Quire; and as long as we have Tongues to fpeak, fet forth bis noble Praife. Neither let us fet it forth with

our

our Lips only, but also in our Lives, by giving up ourselves to his Service, and by walking before him in Holinels, and Righteoufnels all our Days: Which that we may all do, God of his infinite Mercy grant, for JESUS CHRIST his Sake. Amen.

SERMON vii.

1 John v. 4.

This is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith.

VER fince the Tranfgreffion of our

E firft Parents, the Purity of Human

Nature hath been miferably flamed; irs Faculties have been fadly depraved; and its Affections very ·liable to be deluded, to be influenced, to be overcome by the World. And the Reafon of this is obvious enough: For the Temptations which proceed from the World strongly affect ing our external Senfes, are therein exactly fuited to the corrupt Motions of our degenerate Conftitution; which unhappily employs it felf, but yet is extremely well pleafed