And to convince Mr S. fully of the foolery of thefe principles, I will try what can be done with them either in a categorical or hypothetical fyllogifm, e. g. “ A rule " is a rule; tradition is a rule; ergo, tradition is a rule." Again, "If a rule be a rule, then a rule is a rule; but "a rule is a rule; ergo.” How is any man the wifer for all this? But it may be Mr S. can make better work with them, and manage them more dexterously, fo as to principle any thing that can be folidly concluded in: any controverfy.

And now I hope at laft to have given Mr S. full fatiffaction, fince he has brought me to the very point he defired, to acknowledge that I have no principles. And indeed, if there be no other to be had, but fuch as thefe, I do declare to all the world, that I neither have any principles, nor will have any.

The

The

CONTENT S.

SERMON I. The wifdom of being religious.

and to depart from evil, is understanding,

-Job xxviii. 28.

Page 1

-2 Pe. iii. 3. Know

And unto man be faid, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;

SER. II. The folly of scoffing at religion.

ing this first, that there fhall come in the last days fcoffers, walking af

ter their own lufts,

55

Prov. xiv.

SER. III. The advantages of religion to focieties. 34. Righteoufnefs exalteth a nation; but fin is the reproach of any people,

SER. IV. The advantages of religion to particular perfons.-
Pfal. xix. 11. And in keeping of them there is great reward,

70

81

Philip. iii.

SER. V. The excellency of the Chriftian religion. 8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord,

SER. VI. The precepts of Chriftianity not grievous. v. 3. And his commandments are not grievous,

95

1 John 113

SER. VII. Of the obligation of Chriftians to a holy life.2 Tim. ii. 19. Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity,

129

SER. VIII. Of the happiness of a heavenly conversation.
Phil. iii. 20. For our converfation is in heaven,

244

SER. IX. Of the end of judgements, and the reafon of their continuance. If. ix. 12. 13. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ftretched out Atill. For the people turneth not unto him that fmiteth them, neither do they feek the Lord of hosts, 162 Heb. iii. 13.

SER. X. Of the deceitfulness and danger of fin.

Exhort one another daily while it is called, To-day; left any of you be bardened through the deceitfulness of sin,

176

SER. XI. The hazard of being faved in the church of R me. 1 Cor. iii. 15. But he himself fhall be faved; yet fo as by

fire,

189

SER

SER. XII. Of the inward peace and pleasure which attends religion.- Pfal. cxix. 165. Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing fall offend them,

SER. XIII. The nature and benefit of confideration.

Page 207

-Pfal.cxix.

59. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies,

223

SER. XIV. The folly and danger of irresolution and delaying. Ffal. çxix. 60. I made hafte and delayed not to keep thy commandments,

239

SER. XV. The diftinguishing character of a good and a bad man. 1 John iii. 10. In this the children of God are manifeft, and the children of the devil: Whosoever doth not righteousness, is not of God,

253

SER. XVI. Of the joy which is in heaven at the repentance of a finner.—————— Luke xv. 7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one finner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine juft perfons, which need no repentance,

SR R. XVII. Of the fin against the Holy Ghost..

274

Matth. xii. 31.

32. Wherefore I fay unto yon, All manner of fin and blafphemy fhall be forgiven unto men: but the blafphemy against the Holy Ghost foall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever Speaketh a word against the Son of man, it fall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghof, it fall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come,

SER. XVIII. The example of Jefus in doing good..
Who went about doing good,

286

Acts x. 38. 303

SER. XIX. On the fifth of November 1678. Before the Honourable houfe of Commons. Luke ix. 55. 56, But he turned, and rebuked them, and faid, Ye know not what manner of Ipirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to fave them,

320

SER. XX. Of love and charity.- ·John xiii. 34. 35. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as 1 have loved you, that ye alfo love one another. By this fall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye love one another,

336

SER. XXI. Of the trial of the fpirits. - John iv. 1. Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God; because many falfe prophets are gone out into the world,

35.2

SER

The wifdom of being religious.

Joв xxviii. 28.

And unto man he faid, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.

I

N this chapter Job difcourfeth of the fecrets of nature, and the unfearchable perfections of the works of God. And the refult of his difcourfe is this, That a perfect knowledge of nature is no where to be found but in the author of it; no lefs wifdem and understanding than that which made the world, and contrived this vaft and regular frame of nature, can thoroughly understand the philofophy of it, and comprehend fo vaft a defign. But yet there is a knowledge which is very proper to man, and lies level to human understanding; and that is, the knowledge of our Creator, and of the duty we owe to him; the wisdom of pleafing God, by doing what he commands, and avoiding what he forbids. This knowledge and wisdom may be attained by man, and is fufficient to make him happy: And unto man he faid, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.

Thefe words confift of two propofitions, which are notdiftina in fenfe, but one and the fame thing varioutly expreffed; for wisdom and understanding are fynonymous words here: and though fometimes they have different notions, yet in the poetical books of fcripture they are most frequently used as words equivalent; and do both of them indifferently fignify either a fpeculative knowledge of things, or a practical skill about them, accor ding to the exigency of the matter or thing spoken of. And fo likewife the fear of the Lord, and departure from evil, are phrases of a very near fenfe, and like importance: and therefore we find them feveral times put together in fcriptures Prov.iii.7. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil? VOL. I

A

Chap.

Chap. xvi. 6. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. So that they differ only as cause and effect; which, by a metonymy ufual in all forts of authors, are frequently put one for another.

Now, to fear the Lord, and to depart from evil, are phrafes which the fcripture ufeth in a very great latitude, to exprefs to us the fum of religion, and the whole of our duty. And because the large ufage of these phrafes is to be the foundation of my following difcourfe, I fhall, for the farther clearing of this matter, endeavour to fhew these two things.

1. That it is very ufual in the language of fcripture to express the whole of religion by these and fuch like phrafes.

2. The particular fitness of these two phrafes to defcribe religion.

I. It is very ufual in the language of fcripture to exprefs the whole of religion by fome eminent principle or part of religion.

The great principles of religion are, knowledge, faith, remembrance, love, and fear; by all which the fcripture ufeth to exprefs the whole duty of man.

In the Old Teftament, by the knowledge, remembrance, and fear of God. Religion is called the knowledge of the Holy, Prov. xxx. iii. And wicked men are defcribed to be fuch as know not God, Jer. x. 25. So likewife by the fear of the Lord, frequently in this book of Job, and in the Pfalms and Proverbs. And then they that feared the Lord fpake often one to another, Mal. iii. 16. And the fear of God is exprefsly faid to be the fum of religion Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole of man, Eccl. xii. 13. And, on the contrary, the wicked are defcribed to be fuch as have not the fear of God before their eyes, Pfal, xxxvi, 1. And fo likewife by the remembrance of God: Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, Eccl. xii. 1.; that is, enter upon a religious courfe betimes. And, on the contrary, the character of the wicked is, that they forget God: The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God, Pfal. ix. 17. In the New Teftament, religion is ufually expreffed by faith in God and Chrift, and the love of them, Hence it is, that true

Chriftians