what favour can we pretend to, if we prefumptuoufly SER M. fhall offend, oppofe that will, which is the fupreme XIX. rule of justice, and fole fountain of mercy?

It is the will of our Redeemer, who hath bought us with an inestimable price, and with infinite pains hath rescued us from miferable captivity under most barbarous enemies, that obeying his will we might command our own, and ferving him we might enjoy perfect freedom: and shall we, declining his call and conduct out of that unhappy ftate, bereave him of his purchase, fruftrate his undertakings, and forfeit to ourselves the benefit of fo great redemption?

It is the will of our beft Friend; who loveth us much better than we do love ourselves; who is concerned for our welfare, as his own dearest interest, and greatly delighteth therein; who by innumerable experiments hath demonftrated an excess of kindness to us; who in all his dealings with us purely doth aim at our good, never charging any duty on us, or difpenfing any event to us, fo much with intent to exercise his power over us, as to exprefs his goodness towards us; who never doth afflict or grieve us more Lam. iii. against our will, than against his own defire; never 33. indeed but when goodness itself calleth for it, and even mercy doth urge thereto; to whom we are much obliged, that he vouchfafeth to govern and guide us, our fervice being altogether unprofitable to him, his governance exceedingly beneficial to us: and doth not fuch a will deferve regard; may it not demand compliance from us? To neglect or infringe it, what is it? is it not palpable folly, is it not foul difingenuity, is it not deteftable ingratitude?

So doth every relation of God recommend his will to us; and each of his attributes doth no lefs: for,

It is the will of him, who is most holy, or whofe will is effential rectitude: how then can we thwart it, without being stained with the guilt, and wounded with a fenfe of great irregularity and iniquity?

CC 4

It

SERM. It is the will of him, who is perfectly juft; who XIX. therefore cannot but affert his own righteous will,

10.

and avenge the violation thereof: is it then advifable to drive him to that point by wilful provocation; or to run upon the edge of neceffary severity?

It is the will of him, who is infinitely wife; who therefore doth infallibly know what is beft for us, what doth moft befit our capacities and circumftances; what in the final refult will conduce to our greatest advantage and comfort: fhall we then prefer the dreams of our vain mind before the oracles of his wisdom? fhall we, forfaking the direction of his unerring will, follow the impulfe of our giddy humour ?

It is the will of him, who is immensely good and benign; whose will therefore can be no other than good will to us; who can mean nothing thereby but to derive bounty and mercy on us can we then fail of doing well, if we put ourselves entirely into his hands? are we not our own greatest enemies, in withftanding his gracious intentions?

It is finally the will of him, who is uncontrollably powerful; whofe will therefore muft prevail one way or other; either with our will, or againft it, either fo as to bow and fatisfy us, or fo as to break Ifa. xlvi. and plague us: for My counsel, faith he, shall fland, and I will do all my pleasure. As to his difpenfations, we may fret, we may wail, we may bark at them; but we cannot alter or avoid them: fooner may we by our moans check the tides, or by our cries ftop the fun in his career, than divert the current of affairs, or change the ftate of things established by God's high decree: what he layeth on, no hand can remove; what he hath deftined, no power can reverse our anger therefore will be ineffectual, our impatience will have no other fruit, than to aggravate our guilt, and augment our grief.

Dan. v. 23. As to his commands, we may lift up ourselves against him, we may fight ftoutly, we may in a fort

prove conquerors; but it will be a miferable victory, S ER M.
the trophies whereof fhall be erected in hell, and XIX.
ftand upon the ruins of our happiness; for while we
infult over abused grace, we must fall under incenfed
juftice: if God cannot fairly procure his will of us
in way of due obedience, he will furely execute his
will upon us in way of righteous vengeance; if we
do not furrender our wills to the overtures of his
goodness, we muft fubmit our backs to the strokes
of his anger he must reign over us, if not as over
loyal fubjects to our comfort, yet as over ftubborn
rebels to our confufion; for this in that cafe will be
our doom, and the laft words God will deign to
spend upon us, Thofe mine enemies, which would not Luke xix.
that I fhould reign over them, bring them hither, and17.
flay them before me.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the Heb. xiii.
dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the 20, 21.
Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is well pleafing in his
fight, through Jefus Chrift: to whom be glory for
ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON

1

SERMON XX.

A Whit-Sunday Sermon of the Gift of the
Holy Ghoft.

ACTS ii. 38.

And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft.

AMONG the divers reasonable grounds and s B R M. ends of the obferving feftival folemnities, (fuch xx. as are comforting the poor by hospitable relief, refreshing the weary labourer by ceffation from ordinary toil, maintaining good will among neighbours, by cheerful and free converfation, quickening our fpirits and raifing our fancies by extraordinary reprefentations and divertisements, infufing and preferving good humour in people; fuch as are alfo the decent confpiring in public expreffions of special reverence to God, withdrawing our minds from fecular cares, and engaging them to fpiritual meditations,) the two principal defigns of them seem to be these.

2. Θεοὶ δὲ οἰκτείραντες τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπίπονον πεφυκὸς γένος, αναπαύλας τι αὐτοῖς τῶν πόνων ἐτάξαντο, τῶν ἑορτῶν ἀμοιβας τοῖς θεοῖς. Plato 2. de Leg.

Legum conditores feftos inftituerunt dies, ut ad hilaritatem homines publice congerentur, tanquam neceffarium laboribus interponentes temperamentum. Sen. de tranq. an. 15.