poffible, to comfort, fupport and fpeak often one to another; seeing a true and lively Faith is so rare amongst profeffing Chriftians, and is like to meet with fore Difcouragements, as our Lord foretels, even to the time of his fecond Coming.

Laftly, As the Jews believed not Mofes in our Lord's Account, notwithstanding their Zeal for the Law and the Temple, fo we should do well, to examine our felves whether we be in the Faith, to prove our own felves particularly by the Tefts given us in my Text. If we love the Praises of Men, verily we have our Reward, fuch as it is; and be it great as it will, it must terminate with this Life, if it does not fail us before: It administers no Hope, it opens no Profpect of Glory in the Life to come: A narrow Ambition! If we feek the Honour which comes from God, in all probability it will deprive us of many

Com

Comforts, and involve us in fome Difficulties, but it brings with it a Hope which maketh not ashamed. Even the Discouragements we fall under are so many Exercises of those Virtues which will increase our future Glory, and of Confequence our prefent Satisfaction. So that we may fay with the Apostle, (how great a Paradox foever it may feem to others) Behold, we count them happy which endure. These are Tests so strong and determinate, that I perfuade my felf, there is not one who hears me this Day, but has already judged himself, and knows distinctly by which of these two Motives his Conduct is influenced.

May we all meditate on these things, and give our felves wholly to them, and not fuffer them to go away as a Morning Cloud or the early Dew. Whilst we retain them in our Minds, our Conversation, our ToλíτEvμa will

be

be in Heaven: It will be no difficult Task to us, by patient Continuance in well-doing, to feek for Glory and Honour and Immortality; the fame Affections which yield us our present Pleasures under their present Gratifications, the fame Love of Being and Perfection, when better directed, and exercised on more worthy Objects, will furnish out to us Enjoyments proportionably greater and more fincere; we may forlake all without Lofs, and fave our Life, by losing it for Chrift's Sake. Not as pleafing Men, but God--- How perplexed and variable a thing is this pleasing Men! God, we all know how to please better than any fingle Perfon in the World --- Men, a corrupt, ignorant, humoursome, fhort-liv'd Race; God, eternal, immutable.

Brethren, if there be any Virtue, if there be any Praise, if we have any Spark of Ambition kindled in our Souls,

Souls, as we all have, let us think on these Things, let us contemplate the Riches of the Glory of God.

DISCOURSE IV.

The Nature and Danger of Hypocrify.

LUKE xii. I.

In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, infomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to Say unto his Difciples; First of all beware ye of the Leaven of the Pharifees, which is Hypocrify.

H

OWEVER the Jewish Nation, at the time of our Lord's Appearance, were fallen into a State very remote from what their Religion fhould

have