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obferve that there is a Prudence arifing from the Knowledge of every Man's Character and Station; and we cannot but think, that every Man is capable of acting conformably to it; which is indeed taking Heed to himself.

But when I recommend this Heed to our felves, I wou'd not be thought to encourage a low timorous Miftrust, which is very unbecoming a good or a great Spirit: nor wou'd I advise the folitary unfociable Life of an Eremite; as if we cou'd only take heed of Men, by withdrawing from them: Which is impracticable in fome Stations of Life, and feems altogether needlefs in any For, by a fecret Obfervance of Men, we may be aware of the infidious Scribe or the treacherous Pharifee, even whilft we live in the midst of Ferufalem. Besides, when I recommend a decent Referve in Mirth and Laughter; I wou'd not be understood, as if I enjoined a Morofeness of Temper; nor wou'd I feem to think that this Heed to our felves confifted in certain Religious Aufterities beyond the Power of Human Nature; which feem indeed good to fome, but are feldom practicable by any. Nor wou'd I forbid the innocent Diverfions of Life, provided they are always agreeable to Character, and not enjoyed unfeafonably, nor indeed to any Excefs. For there is a ferious fort of Mirth, which flows from an innocent Heart, and is always under the Rules of Difcretion. There is a Cheerfulness free from any Wantonnefs of Mind; There is fometimes a Relaxation of Cares, which is such as a Wife Man wou'd enjoy, and fuch as a Holy one cannot condemn.

Therefore let us take Heed to our Perfonal Behaviour, our Words, and our Actions; let us avoid the firft Approaches to Sin, and the leaft Temptation to it; and let us keep in view every thing that will give us any kind Notice and Warning against it. Let us know the Deceits of other Men, and likewife the Deceitfulness

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ceitfulness of our own Hearts. And let us take this Heed with us into every Action of our Lives; and let us always confider Times and Places, Perfons and Things: And whilft we ftudy to remember other Mens Thoughts and Actions, let us not feem to forget our felves; but always bear in our Minds the remembrance of our own Character and Station, and guide our felves with a fuitable Difcretion; for then we fhall truly take Heed unto our felves, and become an Example of the Believers in Word, in Converfation, in Charity, in Spirit, in Purity, and in Faith.

Which leads me to confider, in the Second Place, why we ought to take Heed unto our Do&rine.

Our Life and Doctrine generally explain one another; the Connexion is close, the Influence is reciprocal; and therefore he that takes heed unto himfelf, will think himself obliged to take heed unto his Doctrine. However, the Caution is of general Ufe; and we may obferve, that the great Truths of the Gofpel-Doctrine were never more openly attacked, never more infolently derided, than at this Time, Therefore it becomes us to ftudy thofe Points with great Application, and preach them with great boldness in the Lord.

St. Paul often exhorts Timothy to fpeak thofe things which were agreeable to found doctrine, according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God. And in another place he fpeaks of the great Myfteries of Godlinefs, that God was manifeft in the flesh, juflified in the Spirit, feen of angels, and preached unto the Gentiles and then he exhorts him to put the Brethren ; in remembrance of these things; for by doing this, be wou'd be a good Minifter of Fefus Chrift, nourished up in the Words of Faith and of good Doctrine, whereunio be bad attained.

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Therefore we fhou'd never conceal the great Truths of the Gospel, but give them their due Weight and Authority. For when we conform our Doctrine to any fingular Tafte, or any prevailing Error of the Age; or warp the Truth to the particular 'Judgment of a private Friend, or a publick Minifter; then we depart from the Character of faithful Difpenfers of the Word, and fink in the esteem of good Men, and become base and almost contemptible before the People.

It was St. Paul's Glory, that he preach'd Chrift, and Him crucified; and we fhou'd preach the fame Doârine with the fame uncorruptnefs and foundness of Speech; not with inticing words of Man's wisdom, but in demonftration of the Spirit and of Power. For which reason, we fhou'd confine our felves to the ScriptureLanguage, whenever we speak of the Mysteries of the Gofpel. Nothing has raised more Difputes, than varying from the Words of Scripture, and darkening the Godhead in lowness of Speech. Chrift certainly spake of himfelf in the propereft Words: And if we can never pray more agreeably to God, than when we pray in the Words of Chrift; certainly we can never fpeak more fignificantly to the Understandings of Men, than when we fet forth the Divinity of Chrift in the very Words of Chrift himfelf. For as there was no guile in his Mouth, fo there was no Fallacy in his Words; they were always Eafy, they were always Plain, they were always Weighty. And therefore on every occafion, he spake as one having Authority: And when he reasoned with the two Difciples on the way to Emmaus, he made their hearts burn within them.

It is neceflary indeed that we fhou'd be skilled in all the difficult Points in Controverfy: but it is not neceffary that we shou'd frequently preach Controverfial Divinity, nor utter the Terms of Philofophers and Schoolmen; because it is a Language not Intelligible by the Common People, and fometimes not well understood by the Preacher himself. And the fame rea

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Ton which forbids Praying in an Unknown Tongue, forbids Preaching too in the like. Befides, when we deliver our Difcourfe in obfcure Terms and abstracted Thoughts, the common Hearer is not any ways edified by it; for it forms no Idea's on the Mind, it leaves no Traces on the Memory; but dies away in the very Sound, and the Remembrance of it perishes with it. And we may obferve, that all Controverfy implies fome degree of Truth, fome appearance of Probability on the oppofite Side; which creates Doubts in a fcrupulous Mind, and raises Miftrufts and Jealoufies of the Truth, and does not always quiet them again. It is firring up a Lion; and who shall lay him in chains, and bring him again into ftrong holds?

We cannot but obferve, that St. Paul reasons on the Refurrection of our Bodies, in familiar Inftances addreffed to the Senfes, and fhews the different Condition of them in a future State, from the different Glory of the Sun, and of the Moon, and of the Stars and confirms our Hopes of a glorious Refurrection, from a Grain of Wheat, which is fown in the Earth, and corrupted there, and rifes again in a beautiful Plant. And we may likewife take notice, that St. Paul does fometimes wifely obviate the Objections of his Adverfaries, without making any diftinct mention of them, and that he artfully endeavours to lead us from Error, by propofing nothing but the Truth it felf. This is fufficient to convince us, that we fhou'd take Heed not only to the Doctrine it felf, but likewife to the very Manner of delivering it; left we fhou'd unwarily raife a Doubt, by an imprudent way of confirming the Truth.

As we fhou'd take Heed to the Manner of propofing our Doctrine; fo. we fhou'd be cautious that we do not avoid one Error, by falling inadvertently into another. Therefore we fhou'd fo diftinguish the Trinity, as not to divide the Unity: We fhou'd fo re

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verence the Godhead of Chrift, as not to deftroy the Manhood. And we fhou'd take care not fo to advance the Principles of Natural Religion, as to render Revelation lefs needful; nor fhou'd we fo far exalt Reafon, as to debafe Faith: but divide the Word with great Caution, and affign each its proper Bounds, without removing the Neighbour's Land-mark.

Since therefore there is fuch great difficulty in managing of Controverfy, and frequently little benefit from it to the common Hearer; let us rather preach Practical Difcourfes, and avoid Difputations, and Strife of Words. This will fhew us Virtue it felf in all the Beauties and Excellencies of it. This is an Eloquence that is feen and felt, and that carries it felf into every pare of Life, and gives a Goodness fuitable to every Station of it: It makes the Father kind, and the Son obedient; it makes the Servant faithful, and the Mafter tender. It gives a Compaffion to the Hearts of the Rich, and adminifters comfort to the Weak and the Indigent; It is this that makes us good Friends, good Neighbours, good Men, and good Chriftians.

This feems to be the great End and Defign of the Gof pel; and we may obferve, that the Difputes which Chrift heard in the Temple, and his Queftions to the Doctors concerning the Law, are now quite loft and forgotten. But his Sermon on the Mount is Practical, and is ftill in the Hands of every Chriftian. It fets forth to us the Bleffedness of the Meek, the Bleffed nefs of the pure in Heart, the Bleffednefs of the Merciful, and the Blef fedness of the Peace-maker. It encourages Love, and forbids the Hatred of our very Enemies. It teaches us how to Pray, and in what manner to give our Alms; how to do Good, and fometimes how to fuffer for it. It forbids a Carefulnefs for Worldly Things, and reproves us, in the Nourishment of the young Ravens. It endeavours to abolish all Delight in earthly Pomp,

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