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ing of the Scriptures, or hearing of them read. and explain'd. And of thofe who afford their bodily Prefence at thofe Duties, how few are there who afford Attention or Prefence of Mind? And yet fewest of all, who ever fet themselves to amend or reform their Life and Manners, from any thing they learn of their Duty. There is fuch a general Neglect, or rather Contempt of Religi on; there is fuch an Hardness and Impenetrablenefs of Heart; there is fuch a Dulnefs and Abfence of Mind 'as to all religious Performances; there is fuch a Treachery of Memory; and, in fhort, fuch an Incorrigibleness of Life and Manners; that we have nothing almost left but the bare Shell and Outfide of Religion, and are for the far greatest Part utter Strangers to the inward Power and Life of it. Not to speak of the Works of Darkness, which are as freely committed among Chriftians, as if they believed nothing of Heaven or Hell, of God or Devil: Of the Convictions of Confcience at prefent, or of a Judgment to come. And is this to be Lights of the World? For fhame, let us either renounce our Christianity, or endeavour to live up to the Duties and Characters of it. Let us not follow the hidden Things of Difhonefty, nor give into the black Vices of the World; but diftinguish ourselves by the confcientious Practice of the Virtues of the Gospel; particularly those contained in this excellent Sermon on the Mount. Let us learn to

deny Ungodliness and worldly Lufts, and to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent World; looking for the bleffed Hope and the glorious Appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us

from

[SERM. from all Iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works. Deceive not your felves; Chriftianity is quite another Thing than the Lives of the prefent Chriftians represent it to be. We were defigned for a peculiar People, and an Holy Nation, fhewing forth the Praises of him who bath called us out of Darkness into his marvellous Light. Our Life and Manners, let me tell you, would have been much more excufable, and would have fuited much better in the Times of Darkness and Ignorance, than under the Light of the Gospel. And if we content ourselves with the bare Knowledge of our Duty, without the Practice of it, our Saviour has told us what will become of these Structures that have fuch fandy Foundations; when attempted by any strong Temptation; down they'll come, and great will be the Fall thereof.

Now God of his infinite Mercy give us Grace to confider, in this our Day, the Things which belong to our Peace, before the Time come that they be hid from our Eyes. And to this God, &c.

great

SERMON

SERMON XXVII.

MAT. V. 14.

-A City that is fet on an Hill cannot be hid. Ver. 15. Neither do Men light a Candle, and put it under a Bufhel: But on a Candleftick, and it giveth Light to all that are in the House.

The Fourth Sermon on this Text.

T

HESE two Similitudes of a City on an Hill, and a Candle on a Candlestick, are two Branches of the foregoing Character of Chriftians, whom our Saviour, in the Words immediately preceding, calls the Light of the World. They are used by him in Pursuance of the fame Defign ftill, as Arguments to ftir up Christians to an exemplary Behaviour.

I fhall enquire into the Meaning of them; and from thence it will appear, of what Force they are to induce the Conclufion that follows at the next Verse, Let your Light fo fhine before Men,

&c.

First then, let us enquire into the Meaning of this Property of Light, the Confpicuousness of it; on Account of which, Chriftians are here compared to a City Jet on an Hill, and a Candle on a Candlestick; which two I take to be both a Pre

diction

[SERM. diction of their Circumftances, and an Intimation of their Duty. I intend to confider both these as represented by thofe two Similitudes.

1. As a Prediction of the Circumftances of Chriftians, what they fhould be in the World. The first of these Similitudes doth chiefly point at this, namely, that of a City on an Hill, which cannot be bid; for this foretels the confpicuous Eminency of the Chriftian Church; the other has a more immediate Afpect on their Duty; that they were fet up for this End, that as a Candle on a Candlestick, they might from their Example fhew others what fort of Perfons they ought to be. To begin with the first Similitude, comparing Chriftians to a City on an Hill, which cannot be bid: This I take to be a Prediction of the future Circumstances of Chriftians, q. d. Tho' at prefent ye are but an inconfiderable Handful of People, and make no Figure in the World, the Time is coming on when this Mustard Seed shall grow up into a great Tree, and this little Leaven fhall leaven the whole Lump; when ye fhall be very eminent for your exemplary Lives, and patient Sufferings, and glorious Miracles; when ye fhall be a great Body of People, a noble Society, the Chriftian Church, ordered and governed by the best Laws and Difcipline, which shall over

top and obfcure all the Pagan Churches in the World, and draw the Eyes and Attention of all Spectators, and even provoke the Hatred and Jealoufy of Princes and Commonwealths; and therefore ye had need to walk very circumfpectly; your Actions will be all fifted and fcanned to the utmost; and your Life and Doctrine expofed upon the Theatre of the World. This I take

to

to be the right Paraphrafe and Meaning of the Words; from them I fhall confider these two Things.

I. How these Predictions were accomplished. II. What Care and Exemplariness of Life is confequent upon them.

I. Let us confider what way these Predictions concerning the Eminency of Christians were accomplished. And here we are to remember, how from very fmall Beginnings Chriftians rose to a great Height and Eminency, not of worldly Splendour, but of every Thing that was truly valuable; to make them a glorious Church. Some Writers of the Church of Rome make use of this Text, to prove that Wealth and Riches, and outward Splendor, is one of the Marks of the true Church; but they could not perhaps have fallen upon any thing more difagreeable, either to the Doctrine of the New Teftament, which every where commends a Spirit of Poverty, and a Mind difengaged from the World; or to the State of the Primitive Church in its most flourifhing Circumstances. This Eminency and Confpicuity then must relate to such Things, which our Saviour fet a greater Value upon than worldly Wealth; and which he thought deferved indeed to be the Glory of the Church, and of the particular Members of it. For I must observe, that whatever our Saviour foretold to this Auditory, under express Addreffes to them, Ye are, or Ye fhall be fo and fo, was fulfilled to themselves; and not put off to their Pofterity in future Generations. Let us enquire then in what Respects

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