whence in Greek they were called * *Αφωρισμένοι, εμarati. So that the Words amount

to this, That St. Paul before he was a Chriftian, was a rigid Separatist.

So that the Pharifees properly were, and might be called the Jewish Cathari or Puritans.

But Singularity is not Sincerity, tho' too often and mischievously mistaken for it; and as an House built upon the Sand is likely to be ruined by Storms; fo an House built out of the Road is exposed to the Invasion of Robbers, and wants both the Convenience and Affistance of Society: Christ is not therefore called the Corner Stone in the Spiritual Building, as if He intended that His Church fhould confift only of Corners or be driven into them. There is a By-Path as well as a BroadWay to Deftruction. And it both the argues Nature, and portends the Doom of Chaff, upon Agitation to feparate and divide from the Wheat. But to fuch as venture their eternal Intereft upon fuch a Bottom I fhall only fuggest these two Words.

Firft, That admitting, but not granting that the Party which they adhere to, may be truly pious; yet the Piety of the Party cannot fanctify

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fanctify its Profelytes. A Church may be properly called Holy, when yet that Holiness does not diffuse itself to each particular Mem-. ber: the Reason of which is because the whole may receive Denomination from a Quality inherent only in fome of its Parts. Company may occafion, but it cannot transfufe Holiness. No Man's Righteousness but Chrift's alone can be imputed to another. To rate a Man by the Nature of his Companions, is a Rule frequent indeed, but not infallible. Judas was as much a Wretch amongst the Apostles, as amongst the Priests. And therefore it is but a poor Argument for a Man to derive his Saintfhip from the Virtues of the Society he belongs to, and to conclude himself no Weed, only because he grows amongst the Corn.

Secondly, Such an adhesion to a Party carries in it a strong Sufpicion and Tang of the rankest of all ill Qualities, Spiritual Pride. There are two things natural almost to all Men.

First, A defire of Preheminence in any Perfection, but especially Religious. Secondly, A Spirit of Oppofition or Contradiction to fuch as are not of their own Mind or Way. Now both these are eminently gratified by a Man's lifting himself of a Party in Religion.

And

And I doubt not but fome are more really proud of the affected Sordidness of a pretended Mortification, than others are of the greatest Affluence and Splendor of Life: And that many who call the Execution of Law and Justice Perfecution, do yet fuffer it with an higher and more pleasing Relish of Pride, than others can inflict it. For it is not True Zeal rising from an hearty concernment for Religion, but an ill, restless, cross humour, which is provoked with Smart, and quickned with Oppofition. The godly Party is little better than a Contradiction in the Adjunct; for he who is truly godly, is humble and peaceable, and will neither make, nor be of a Party, according to the common Sense of that Word. Let fuch Pretenders therefore fufpect the Sandiness and Hollowness of their Foundation; and know, that fuch Imitators of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram build upon the fame Ground upon which they stood, and into which they funk. And certainly that Man's Condition is very unfafe, who accounts his Sin his Perfection, and fo makes the Object of his Repentance, the Ground of his Salvation?

And thus I have discover'd some of those false and deceiving grounds upon which many bottom their Eternal State, and by which they

think themselves in the direct Way to Life, and Happiness, while God knows they are in the high and broad Road to Perdition.

Pass we now to the Third Thing proposed, which is to fhew, whence it is that fuch ill founded Structures are, upon Tryal, fure to fall. For the Demonftration of which we muft obferve, that to the violent Diffolution of any Thing Two Things concur, First, an Affault or Impreffion from without. Secondly, an Inherent Weakness within. One is the active, the other the paffive Principle of every Change. For fo much as there is of Weaknefs, there is of Non-Refiftance, and fo far as any Thing yields or not refifts, the contrary Impreffion enters, and by Degrees weakens, and at length destroys the Subsistence of the Thing opposed.

As for the first of thefe, The Force and Oppofitions from without. It comes from the Tovnes the True Common Enemy, the Impla cable, Infaciable Devourer of Souls, the Devil; who will be fure to plant his Engines of Bat tery against every Spiritual Building which does but look towards Heaven. The Opposi tion he makes, our Saviour here emphatically defcribes by the Winds blowing, the Rain defcending, and the Floods coming, which is not

an

an infignificant Rhetorication of the fame thing by several Expressions (like fome Pulpit Bombast made only to measure an Hour-Glass) but an exact Description of thofe three Methods, by which this Affault of the Devil prevails and becomes Victorious.

First, The firft is, that it is fuddain and unexpected. The Devil ufually comes upon the Soul as he fell from Heaven, like Lightning. And he fhews no fmall Art and Policy by his fo doing: For Quickness prevents Preparation, and fo enervates Oppofition. It is observed of Cafar, that he did Plurima & maxima bella folâ celeritate conficere: So that almost in all his Expeditions he feldom came to any place, but his Coming was before the Report of it. And we fhall find, that the Roman Eagles owed most of their great Conquests as much to their Swiftness as to their Force. And the fame is here the Devil's Method in his Warfare against Souls. Upon which account alfo the fame Character that Tully gave the forementioned Cafar in his Epistles to Atticus, may much more fitly agree to him, that he is Monftrum horribile Celeri tatis & Vigilantia. He flies to his Prey, he fetches his Blow quick and fure. He can fhoot a Temptation in a Glance, and convey the Poy