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briety at the time it self, it will follow, from SER M. thence, as has been shewed under the

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Third Head, That we ought to make the ftrictest Enquiry and Examination whether we have not done fo, now the time is over. We fee that the Days of his Sons Feaftings were no fooner over, but Job rose up early in the Morning and fent and fanctified them. loft no time, not so much as deferred a Day. If therefore we have followed the Example of his Sons in one refpect, we ought to copy after their good Father in the other: If we have Feafted in our Houses, every one our Day, and fent and called for our Neighbours to eat and to drink with us; We ought, now the Days of our Feafting are gone about, to rise up early in the Morning, and to offer Burnt Offerings according to the Number of us all: i. e. we should every one of us examine into our paft Behaviour, and endeavour to atone for whatever may have been rafhly committed, or have inconsiderately flipped from us, since it may be, notwithstanding all our Caution, that we have finned and curfed GOD in our Hearts. This will certainly have that good Effect upon us, as to make us more watchful over our felves for the Future, and not fo apt to give the Reins to our unreasonable Inclinations.

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tions. Besides which, we have this further Advantage from an early Examination, that our Slips and Errors will not fo foon have escaped us, but that, by a little Reflection, we may foon call them to mind: Whereas when we go on for any confiderable time unexamined, one Sin may drive out another, and fo a great many Sins go unrepented of: Our Memory, for the generality, being very frail where it is irksome to us to have it otherwife.

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I fhall only add one thing more, and that is, that a bare Sufpicion that we have finned and offended GOD, during this Season, is ground enough to feek Reconcilement with Him. fob only faid, It may be that my Sons have finned, but yet That he thought a fufficient Reason why he should send and fanctify them. And I fear there are very few

of

us, but of whom it may be faid without Offence, It may be that we have finned: And therefore, though we may not accuse our felves in our present Thoughts of any Offence; yet the bare Poffibility of having offended should be fufficient to prompt us to the Examination I have been difcourfing of: That so whatever we may have been guilty of, in commemorating the First Coming of our Lord in Humility, may be forgiven us upon our Repen

Repentance, and all of us be admitted to meet Him at His Second Coming in Glory, with Joy and Gladness.

Which Gon of his Infinite Mercy grant for

the fake of the fame, his moft dearly be-
loved Son Jefus Christ our Lord, to whom
with the Father, and the Holy Ghost,
be afcribed, as is moft due, all Honour and
Glory Might, Majefty and Dominion, now
and for ever.
Amen.

SERM.

I.

VOL. I.

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SERMON

SERMON II.

The Schools of the PROPHETS.

SERM.
II.

AMOS vii. 14, 15.

Then answered Amos, and faid to Amaziah, I
was no Prophet, neither was I a Prophet's
Son; but I was an Herdman, and a Ga-
therer of Sycomore Fruit.

And the LORD took me, as I followed the
Flock, and the LORD faid unto me, Go,
prophesy unto my People Ifrael.

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0 come at the full Senfe and Meaning of these Words, we have no Occafion to look any further backward than to the tenth Verse. We may there read that this Amaziah, to whom the Prophet here fpeaks, was the idolatrous Priest of Bethel, which was one of the High-Places where Jeroboam, the Son of Nebat, had erected a Calf for the Ten Tribes to worship, to prevent their returning to their Allegiance to the

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II.

King of Judah, 1 Kings xii. 26, &c. which SER M. they would have been apt to have done, had they still continued to go up, as formerly, to do Sacrifice in the House of the Lord at Jerufalem. The occafion of the Answer, which Amos makes to Amaziah, was a Complaint of that Priest against the Prophet, for preaching against the Idolatry committed at these Places, and denouncing for that Reason, Destruction with the Sword, Amos vii. 9. against the Houfe of Jeroboam, then King of Ifrael. This, we must be fenfible, muft very nearly concern the Intereft, as well as the Honour, of Amaziah: Infomuch that it is no wonder if he should endeavour, by the best Stratagem he could contrive, to rid himself of fo troublefome and dangerous an Adverfary. He therefore fends a Complaint of him to the King, and, the more effectually to bring upon him the Royal Displeasure, accufes him of Sedition, Confpiracy and Treafon : Allegations of this Nature, as they are founded upon Malice, must be supported with Lies: And fo the Context informs us this was. Amos, as I have obferved, had threatened the House of Jeroboam with Destruction by the Sword: Not that the Prophet spake maliciously against the King, but as tenderly forewarning him of a

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