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(6.) The fixth and last Thing I mentioned as neceffary towards reducing of our Saviour's Precepts into Practice, is Patience and Conftancy. The observing of these Precepts is not the Work of a Day, or a Month, or a Year; but the Work of our whole Life. It is terrible to think how many have begun in the Spirit, and ended in the Flesh; how feveral, who have had the best Opportunities for Company and Education (as Judas in Chrift's own Family) have proved much worfe than others that had no fuch Advantages. We muft then gird up the Loins of our Minds, and fet ourselves fo much more steadily to the running of our Chriftian Course, as we fee the Day approaching; as Runners in a long Race, referve most of their Strength and Courage to the laft; fo we must never reckon our Work done, till we have finished our whole Course we have to run in this World. There is no Man fo perfect in his Duty, but that he has ftill fome Corruption to mortify, fome more Grace to acquire, fome Talents to improve, fome Duties to learn more perfectly, and his Peace with God to make more fecure, at leaft to clear up the Evidence and Affurance of it more plainly; and therefore we have no Reason to be flothful, but to be Followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promifes, Heb. vi. 12.

So much for the plain Defcription here given of a good Chriftian, as he is one that heareth and doeth these Sayings of our Saviour's. I find Time will not ferve to confider his Succefs, how his Labours shall stand firm both against all Trials here, and the great Trial in the Day of Judg

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ment hereafter: and therefore I must refer it, together with the Defcription and Unfuccessfulnefs of a bad Chriftian, to another Opportunity. I have briefly recommended to you feveral Chriftian Duties of great Importance, namely, as to Hearing, a Diligence to ufe the Means and Opportunities, Attention, Faith, Confideration, Meditation, Conference, efpecially Instruction of your Children, Commemoration in the holy Sacrament, and, above all, frequent Practice; then as to the practical Part, holy Refolutions, Chriftian Vigilance, fervent Prayer for Grace, Repentance after Lapfes, Courage against bad Examples, and Patience and Perfeverance to the end. God of his infinite Mercy grant, that we may confcientiously practife thefe Things, and daily grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift. To him with the Father, &c.

SERMON

SERMON XXII.

MAT. VII. 24.

Therefore whosoever heareth thefe Sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wife Man, which built his House upon a Rock: V. 25. And the Rain defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that Houfe: and it fell not, for it was founded upon a Rock.

V. 26. And every one that heareth these Sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish Man, which built his House upon the Sand.

V. 27. And the Rain defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that Houfe: and it fell, and great was the Fall of it.

The Third Sermon on this Text.

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courses I have obferved from these Words: The laft Observation I made from them was, That we have here a fhort Description both of a good and of a bad Chriftian; with the Success of the Labours of the one, and the Unfuccessfulness of

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[SERM. the Labours of the other. I began, as my Text doth, with the Defcription of the good Chriftian, which is, that he is one that both heareth, that is, learneth, and doeth thefe Sayings of our Saviour's. And having difpatched that at the laft Occafion;

The next thing the Text requires us to confider is, The good Succefs of his Labours, in thefe Words; I will liken him unto a wife Man, which built his Houfe upon a Rock; and the Rain defcended, and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and beat upon that House: and it fell not, for it was founded upon a Rock. In which Words I fhall briefly confider these five Things:

1. In general, the Comparison between the Fabrick of Religion, and the Fabrick of an House.

2. The Comparison between a lively Faith in Chrift, and the laying a good folid Foundation for building upon.

3. The Superftructure of a fair Building, or a good Life, which made an handfome Shew; but in fair Weather could not well be diftinguished from the Religion of an Hypocrite; they made each of them fo good an Appear

ance.

4. The Proof of the Excellency and Solidity of his Religion, beyond that of the Hypocrite, in that it ftood firm against all Shocks and Trials.

5. The Confequence of this, that his Religion ferved him not only for his prefent temporary Ends, but like a good well built durable House, anfwered the Ends of a lafting Habitation.

I. We are in general to confider the Comparifon between the Fabrick of Religion, and the Fabrick of an Houfe. As building a great House is one of the greateft Defigns Men commonly undertake, a Defign which ought to be well laid, and the Expence of it to be well confidered, before it is gone about; a Work which requires a fkilful Master-Builder or Architect, and good. Artifts under him of all Sorts; a Work, which requires a great Preparation of good Materials, and a mighty Diligence to carry it on; a Work, which must not be done by halves; for if it remains unfinished, it is only a lafting Monument of the Folly and Inability of the Undertaker but turns to no manner of Account as to the Accommodation and Conveniencies defigned thereby; fo it is with Religion, it is the greatest Defign a Man can fet about, and fhould be the most seriously weighed and confidered. To go thorow with it, it will put us to the Charge of every other Thing that is moft dear and valuable Defign, in which, under God, the great Architect, there are abundance of Under-Labourers and Fellow-Workers with Chrift; a Defign, which of all other, requires the most intent Pains and Diligence, and Conftancy, and Perfeverance; and which, if we do not accomplish it, will be the most eternal Monument of our Shame and Folly; but will anfwer nothing as to our eternal Accommodation and Felicity. But though all these might be usefully infifted on, yet because it seems not to be our Saviour's Defign in this Place to urge any more of this Simile, than what will fall in properly enough under fome

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