those who, they know, are the grand Obftacles to their being fo. The Light of Nature will convince a Man of many Duties, which it will never enable him to perform. And if we should look no further than bare Nature, this feems to be one cut out rather for our Admiration than our Practice. It being not more difficult (where Grace does not interpofe) to cut off a Right-hand, than to reach it heartily to the Relief of an inveterate implacable Adverfary. And yet God expects this from us, and that so peremptorily, that he has made the Pardon of our Enemies the indifpenfable Condition of our own. And therefore that Wretch (whosoever he was) who being preffed hard upon his DeathBed to pardon a notable Enemy, which he had, answered, That if he died indeed, he pardoned him, but if he lived he would be revenged on him. That Wretch, I fay, and every other fuch Image of the Devil, no doubt, went out of the World fo, that he had better In fine, after we never have come into it. God preferve us from the one, or enable us to do the other. To whom be rendred, and afcribed, as is most due, all Praife, Might, Majefty, and Dominion, both now, and for evermore. Amen. Falfe 133 A A A A A A A A A A A ANS joju jo Falfe Foundations removed, and true ones laid for fuch wife Builders as defign to build for Eternity. MATTH. VII. 26, 27. And every one that beareth these Sayings of mine, and doth them K 3 not not, Shall be likened unto a foolish Man which built his House upon the Sand. And the Rain defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that House and it fell, and great was the fall of it. T seems to have been all along the prime Art and Method of the great Enemy of Souls, not being able to root the Sense of Religion out of Mens Hearts, yet by his Sophiftries and Delufions to defeat the Design of it upon their Lives; and either by empty Notions, or falfe Persuasions to take them off from the main Business of Religion, which is Duty and Obedience, by bribing the Confcience to reft satisfied with fomething lefs. A Project extreamly suitable to the corrupt Nature of Man; whofe chief, or rather fole Quarrel to Religion is the Severity of its Precepts, and the Difficulty of their Practice. So that although it is as natural for him to defire to be happy, as to breath, yet he had rather lofe and mifs of Нар Happiness than seek it in the Way of Holiness. Upon which Account nothing speaks so full and home to the very inmoft Defires of his Soul, as thofe Doctrines and Opinions, which would perfuade him, that it may, and fhall be well with him hereafter, without any Neceffity of his living well here. Which great Mystery of Iniquity being carefully managed by the utmost Skill of the Tempter, and greedily embraced by a Man's own treacherous Affections, lies at the Bottom of all falfe Religions, and eats out the very Heart and Vitals of the true. For in the Strength of this, fome hope to be faved by believing well; fome by meaning well; fome by paying well; and fome by fhedding a few infipid Tears, and uttering a few hard Words against thofe Sins which they have no other Controversy with, but that they were fo unkind as to leave the Sinner before he was willing to leave them. For, all this Men can well enough submit to, as not forcing them to abandon any one of their beloved Lufts. And therefore they will not think themselves hardly dealt with tho? you require Faith of them, if you will but difpenfe with good Works. They will abound, and even overflow with good Intentions, |