m

fuch accurfed Ends is the higheft Sacri- SERM. lege, the guilty muft expect to receive, as XVI. our Lord threatens them elsewhere, the greater Damnation: And one may add, the furer. For no Sinner, I think, lies fo much out of the Way of Repentance as the Hypocrite. It seems, by a juft and terrible Judgment of God, they that abufe Religion to deceive others, are ftruck with fpiritual Blindness, and frequently deceive themselves ; and really imagine, (good Actors as they are) themselves to be indeed the Saints, which they do but perfonate. This appears to be the Cafe of the Generation that are pure in their own Eyes, in all Ages, as well of the Chriftian as Jewish Church: O how lofty are their Eyes! and their Eye-lids are lifted up. Hence the Satisfaction and Prayer of the Pharifee, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other Men are. Hence the Cenforiousness that is condemn'd in the Beginning of the following Chapter, the viith of St. Matthew, Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what Judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what Measure ye mete, it fhall be measured to you again. And why beboldeft

SERM. beboldeft thou the Mote, that is in thy BroXVI. ther's Eye? &c. And left any one should

doubt, whether our Lord had the fame Sort of People still in his View, he adds their Surname; Thou Hypocrite, first cast out the Beam out of thine own Eye, &c. Indeed the fevere judging, or haughty pitying, the Actions and Manners of others, must always have been a Darling of the antient, as it is of the modern Hypocrify; fince it proves of double Ufe to them; advancing with the People the Prefumption of their own Innocence, who treat Mifcarriages fo feverely, and by the fame Act entertaining their Supercilioufness at their Neighbour's Expence.

But to return to the Remainder of the fixth Chapter. The fixteen, laft Verses are taken up in fhewing the Root, and prefcribing and recommending the Cure of all these Disorders. The Love of this preJent World, and little Faith in God's Providence, divide (at beft) Mens Cares and Affections between their heavenly and their earthly Treafures. But because these Treafures are to be gain'd, and preferv'd, and enjoy'd, by Defigns and Actions many

Times altogether inconfiftent one with SERM. another; it unavoidably follows, that he, XVI. that would win the true Riches, must cast out of his Heart the immoderate Delight in gathering, and the immoderate Fear of wanting, what Moth and Ruft can corrupt, and what Thieves break through and steal. And if Mens Hearts are lifted up to the Defire of Title, and Place, and Pomp, they are still the farther from the Kingdom of God, as they want ftill more of this World, and are fafter bound in the Service of Mammon and all Iniquity. To remedy this it is, that the fingle Eye, one View, one ultimate End of our Actions, and fovereign Object of our Defires, is recommended; without which our whole Body must be full of Darkness; our Life must be as the Motions of a Man without the Ufe of his Eyes; equally deftitute of all certain Confidence or Comfort, and of Truth, Steadiness, and Uniformity. Then, for thofe Things that are indeed neceffary for the Infirmity of human Condition, as Food and Rayment; to cut off all Handles to the Covetoufnefs and Anxiety of feeking and keeping worldly Things, there is

fet

SERM. fet forth, not only the Trouble and InXVI. fufficiency of these Cares and Labours,

but the Univerfality of God's Providence, and the particular Tenderness thereof to Mankind, and especially his Servants that depend upon it. And the Clofe has an exprefs Promise, that all these Things fhall be added to them that feek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteoufnefs; not the partial Righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, but an equal Obedience to all the Laws of God's Kingdom, or Government, flowing from an honeft Heart, dedicated to this Service, and admitting no Doubleness, or any Rival to its heavenly Choice. I need not enlage upon the Happiness of fuch Men; you fee by the Words juft cited, that they have the Promife, both of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come. I will only remark with regard to the Subject in Hand, that they are free from the miferable Neceffity which the others impose upon themselves, when they fall into any Sin, of doing all Things to deceive Man, instead of appeafing Almighty God; whereby they make a Study and Art of Wickedness, hiding and intrench

.

ing one Crime behind another; nay, re- SERM, fine fo far in Impiety, as to turn their best XVI. Actions, their Fafting, their Almfdeeds, and their Prayers, into Sin.

Nor are these the only Inftances, wherein they prostituted Religion, or the Appearance of it, to their Intereft and Vainglory. Another we find in this, that whereas in Truth they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men, yet they compass'd Sea and Land to make one Profelyte; not to the Knowledge of God's Will and obeying it, (for that is Religion indeed) bur to their Faction, a falfe Zeal and real Enmity to all Godliness; and accordingly made him twofold more the Child of Hell than themselves. And to this our Lord might have a Regard, when he said to his Difciples (in the viith Chapter and 6th Verse of St. Matthew) Give not that which is holy unto the Dogs, neither cast ye your Pearls before Swine. It was not for them (as the Scribes and Pharifees of old, or as others have been blamed of late) to pick out the most profligate Perfons, much lefs to make them fo, in order to their Converfions.