more proper and Third General head, fome natural inferences that may be drawn from it. They are many and weighty. But I will not detain you further than by the mention of a few of them. And, 1. This fhould be so far from fhocking our faith, that it ought, on the contrary to confirm and ftrengthen it. For the univerfal degeneracy of Chriftians in thefe latter days was plainly and punctually foretold by Chrift and his apoftles. "When the fon of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" said our Saviour, Luke xviii. 8. "Now the fpirit fpeaketh" (fays St. Paul in his firft epiftle to Timothy, ch. iv. 1. 2.) "that in the latter times fome fhall depart from the faith giving heed to feducing fpirits, and doctrines of devils; fpeaking lies in hypocrify, having their confciences feared with a hot iron." ch. iv. 12. And in his fecond epiftle, ch. iii. 1, 2. "This know, that in the laft days perilous times fhall come; for men fhall be lovers of their own felves, covetous, boafters, proud, blafphemers:" To which he adds a large catalogue of the blackeft and worft of fins which fhould then abound. And parallel paffages to these are alfo to be found in St. Peter's and St Jude's epiftles. Now "the teftimony of Jefus is that fpirit of prophecy;" Rev. xix. 1o. and if he therefore and his apostles, by that spirit of prophecy, forewarned us of this event, it fhould not, methinks, leffen our esteem of their doctrine, to fee that prediction fulfilled. Nay, the vicious lives of the generality of Christians is an argument for the truth of Chriftianity on another account for the profeffed defign of God in revealing it, being to reform the world, and that defign being fo remarkably defeated; were not our religion founded on a rock, on the moft apparent reafon, and moft inconteftable miracles, it muft, a long time ago, have funk under the weight of this fingle prejudice. "Had this counsel, or this work been of men, it would," under fuch a difadvantage, "have" certainly "come to nought; but it being of God, nothing can overthrow it." Acts v. 38, 39. We may from hence, in the 24 Place, take occafion to confider the monftruous degree of pravity and perverseness, that is hid in the heart of men, and to account for the rife of it. It is plainly fuch, and fo great, we fee, as to be proof against the brightest discoveries of God's will, and our duty; fuch as no rules can rectify, no endeavours can reform. And this one reflexion, duly attended to, would fatisfy us, that we are not now in our natural ftate, and as we came forth from the hands of God; but fallen and degenerated from primitive perfection. For can it enter into the heart of man to conceive, that the nobleft part of the vifible creation should, in its original frame and conftitution, be the most imperfect and faulty; That man should have been created by God, with fuch violent tendencies to evil, and fuch rooted averfions from goodness, as at prefent difcover themfelves in him? Even without the light of revelation, it would, on this very account, be highly reasonable for us to believe (what thofe, who reafoned beft among the heathens, the scholars of Socrates, did believe) that fome change must needs have happened in our faculties and natures, fince they were first formed; and that our fouls are now placed in a state, not of natural dignity and excellence, but of probation and recovery. 3. It will be a third good Use of what has been difcourfed, if we learn from thence, not to mea'fure doctrines by perfons, or perfons by doctrines; that is, not to make the one a complete rule and frandard, whereby to judge of the goodness or badnefs of the other. I cannot now duly explain this reflexion, and fhall therefore employ it only in order to wipe off a reproach that hath been fometimes caft on that excellent church, of which we are members; as if ill livers abounded more than ordinarily in her communion. Itruft in God, the afperfion is utterly falfe and groundlefs; the mere effect of malice, envy, or defign. But, were it never fo true, yet would not this be a touch-ftone to try her doctrines by; fince for the - fame reafon that the Wickednefs of Christians iņ general is no argument against the truth of Chrifinity, the wickednefs to be found in any particular fociety of Chriftians, can be no objection againft the doctrines particularly profeffed in that fociety. By fcripture and by reason, religious opinions are to be examined; and not by the lives and practice of thofe who efpoufe them. However, fince the world is for the most part compofed of fuch as do not reafon rightly, but judge merely by outward appearances; fince mankind are generally fo mad, that, the holieft religion in the world mult needs fuffer in their opinions, opinions, on the account of the ill lives of thofe who profefs it; let us therefore, make this. 4th and lait Ufe of what has been laid, To excite ourselves from thence to do what in us lies towards removing this scandal from the Christian faith at large, and from that particular church of Ghrift to which we belong; both by living ourfelves, as becomes our holy religion; and by influencing others. as we have ability and oppor tunity, to live as we do; that fo both we, and they may "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things;" Tit ii. 10. may render it lovely and defirable in the eyes of all men, even its fiercest enemies and oppofers; "having our converfation" (as the apoftle fpeaks, 1 Pet. ii. 12.) "honeft among the Gentiles" (and those who are worse than Gentiles; Christians in name and profeffion, but at the bottom hardned and feared unbelievers)," that. whereas they fpeak against "us as evil-doers, they may by our good works, "which they fhall behold, glorify God in the "day of vifitation." The, primite Chriftians (as you have heard) appealed freely from their doctrines to their lives, in confirmation of the truth of Chriftianity: We, on the contrary, are forced to appeal from our lives to our doctrines; and to fhelter ourselves under the indifputable goodnefs of the rule we embrace, whilft we are guilty of very many, and very great deviations from it. Let us be afhamed to make use of this argument any longer, and refolve to render our actions and opinions perfectly consistent, that fo our religion may appear to be, not a notional fyftem, but a vital and fruit ful ful principle of holinefs; and we may fave not only our own fouls, but the fouls of many others alfo, who fhall be won over to the "obedience of the faith," by obferving our good converfation in Chrift Jefus." To whom with the Father, and blessed Spirit, be apribed all Mjafty, Might, and Praife, now and for ever. Amen. A SER |