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SERMON

XII.

Hindrances of religion.

[From Dr. OwTRAM.]

2 COR. iv. 18.

We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not feen; for the things which are feen are temporal, but the things which are not feen are eternal.

T

HESE words are spoken of our state

as it ought to be, and not as what it really is. The truly religious man looketh forward unto the rewards and joys of another world, and in profpect thereof difregardeth the events of all temporal things here below. And we fhould all do fo, were we not hindered by divers worldly occurrences and confiderations; the removal of which fhall be the fubject of my present difcourfe.

ONE thing, and the firft, which hinders our attending to the eternal concerns of the other world, is this; That we are early accustomed

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cuftomed to live the contrary life of worldliness and fenfuality. There and thence we begin to live; it is long before we arrive to any confiderable ufe of our reafon, and longer ftill before we attain to any measures of religion. We do at first judge of all things by the feeing of the eye, and the hearing of the ear, and by the notices of our bodily fenfes and we are fallen fo far down the ;

hill before we are aware, that it is

ever to return back again.

very hard

All thofe things that feed and flatter our fenfes, they are of ready, eafy precepts; we need take no pains to fee what is pleafant, nor to tafte that which is sweet, nor to hear that which is delightful: It costs us no labour at all, to be inclined to pride, and ease, and fenfuality: It is not matter of difficulty to us, to love that which gives us pleasure, and to hate that which creates uneafinefs to us. Whence it comes to pafs, that we fink deep into the life of fenfuality, very early in our youth, before we are well aware of our greateft duties and concernments; and being engaged by nature, and inftituted by custom at first to live by fenfe,

we

we find it very difficult afterwards to live at any other rate.

We find it very difguftful to us, to deny our senses any thing they have been accustomed to enjoy. It is hard to ftarve an inordinate appetite; it is difficult to reftrain an urgent defire; we cannot eafily forego the acquaintance of our master-delights, nor frown upon the temptations that flatter us, and that have formerly miniftred pleasure unto us Hence it is that Solomon advises, that a child fhould be trained up in the way he fhould go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it: And it is required, to remember our creator in the days of our youth; which differs not from the apoftle's fenfe, where we are commanded to flee youthful lufts. Every man is naturally a ftranger to spiritual things, for the natural man receiveth not the things of the fpirit of God. But much more are they eftranged from these things, and with greateft difficulties are they brought to any fenfe or feeling, any tafte and liking of them, who have long lived the life of worldlinefs and fenfuality.

A SECOND reafon why we attend for little

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little to the concerns of the other world, and why the things which are not feen have fa little influence upon us, is this; That in this life we go beyond and befides the measures of God's promifes: And that, both in respect of the things we defire, and of the time we defire them in. In both which regards, we exceed the measures of God's promises, and confequently set our hearts beside the foundation which a truly religious man ought to proceed upon,

We exceed the measure of God's promifes in the things we defire, not because God doth not promise that which is fufficient, but because we defire more than enough. God hath not promised wealth and honours, riches and abundance to every man: All men were not born to be great and powerful; we cannot all defcend from kings and princes; we cannot all dwell in courts and palaces; noble blood runs but in few channels: If there were no fubjects, there would be no kings; nor could there be masters, unless there were fervants to make them fuch. The perfection of the world, the orderly adminiftration of human affairs, do require that there be a great diversity amongst

men,

men.

There must be rich and poor, high and low, great and small, rulers and subjects both together, and one as well as another; for perfect equality will bring on a ftate of disorder and confufion.

Now herein is the excefs and error of mens defires; every man would be great, every man would be rich, honourable, and noble; every man would poffefs the greatest estate, the noblest honours, and the highest preferments. Men love to be in the world, like the Pharifees in fynagogues, in the highest rooms. But this is a defign which cannot be performed, because it is not promised; and seeing there is in this case no promise from God, there can be no reafonable expectation in man.

Is

Now let every man judge impartially, whether this be not his own condition. it not his defign to get a great eftate? Of this he cannot have a religious expectation, for it is not promised unto him; food and raiment he may expect, and content also together with them, for thus far God hath promised to supply him, if he be not wanting to himself.

But that he fhall be as rich as his neigh

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