Reign of Christ upon Earth was then s ERM. hindered, and the Accomplishment of iv. the Prophecies in that refpect deferred to diftant Ages.

Many Princes fince, indifcreetly Pious, have made attempts to regain the Ground, Christianity loft, by the Force of their Arms, and to plant the Faith anew in thofe Places, where it once had Poffeffion, by the Points of their Swords. But (alas!) that great Work is to be accomplished, not by fuch Holy Wars as thefe; but by Conflicts of another kind, which we must maintain with our own Corrupt Habits and Vicious Inclinations; not by Foreign Acquifitions, but Domeftick Victories over those Impieties of Chriftians, which gave the great Enemy of our Faith his firft Advantages against it: For though the Kingdom of Heaven fuffer Violence, and Math. xi. the Violent take it by Force; yet the Wea- 12 pons of our Warfare are not Carnal, but 4Spiritual. When the Converfions of those that name the Name of Chrift, become agreeable to the Purity of his Doctrine; when the Divifions of Christendom

2 Cor. x.

IV.

$ ER M. are healed, and the Profeffors of our Holy Faith live together every where like Men of one Mind in one Houfe; then shall the Scepter of Christ's Kingdom extend itself to all the unconverted Parts of the Earth, and not fooner.

That God, ere the Day of final Doom, will bring this about, the Scripture seems to fay but of the particular Time, at which he will effect it, we know no more, than of That, in, which he will come to Judgment. However, let us All, as far as lies in our Power, contribute to this Great Event, and prepare the Way for it. None of Us, I think, are now obliged to enter upon the Miffion, and facrifice our Lives, in order to spread the Gospel among Mahometans and Heathens: I fay, None of us, I think, are now obliged to it, as not being armed with the Power of Miracles, requifite for fuch an Attempt. However, without hazarding our Lives, much may be done by us, both at Home and Abroad, towards encouraging and promoting fo good a Work. And let us not blame, much less deride, thofe Good Men (though

of

of another Communion) whofe honeft S ER M.
Zeal hath carried them yet further. Let IV.
us rather mention with Honour the Names
of as many of them, as we can reasonably
suppose to have been led into this Design
by fincere Motives of advancing the Glory
of God, and the Salvation of Souls, with-
out aiming at By-Ends, or any Temporal
Advantages; and let us wifh, that the
Reformation had not undergone just Re-
proaches for its Backwardness to promote
fo glorious an Enterprise: an Omiffion,
not eafily to be excufed in fuch Pro-
testant Nations, as have greatly enlarged
their Traffick and Wealth by the Pro-
ductions of thofe Countries, wherein many
poor Ignorant Savages dwell, who want
only to be instructed in the faving Know-
ledge of Chrift, in order to embrace it.
But, how shall they believe in Him of whom
they have not heard? and how shall they
bear, without a Preacher? It might just-
ly be expected, that Those, who had been Rom. xii.
Partakers of the Carnal Things of these 14
Gentiles, should have miniftred unto them
in Spiritual Things; that, after enriching

2

themselves

SER M. themselves by the Spoils of thofe Provinces IV. (which I know not what Right they had

to invade and conquer) they fhould at least have made that charitable Return of planting the Gofpel among them; a Work of greater Importance and Service to the Publick than all their other Plantations.

But this is a Reflexion, in which, perhaps few, if any, that hear me, are concerned. To conclude, therefore; Let every One of us, in our several Places and Stations, do our best to promote the Kingdom of Chrift within us, by promoting the Love and Practice of Evangelical Purity and Holinefs; and let us likewife frequently put up our most ardent Requests for the Enlargement of his Vifible Administration without us; beseeching God, in the Words of our Church, that he would pleafe, of his Gracious Goodness, Shortly to accomplish the Number of his Elect, and to haften the Kingdom of his Dear Son.

To Him, with the Father, &c.

A Scorner Incapable of True Wisdom.

A

SERMON

Preached before the

QUEEN,

A T

WHIT E-H A L L,

October 28, 1694.

PROV. xiv. 6.

A Scorner feeketh Wisdom, and findeth

it not.

T is the Wifest among the Children S ER M.

IT

of Men, who speaks; and about that which most nearly concerns Us; and He best understood, even the Method of attaining True Wisdom: It becomes us,

therefore,

V.