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fear the Lord. The Root; that is to fay, SER M. the first Ground and Principle, the first Capacity and Difpofition to receive Religious Truths; that which makes the Mind fufceptible and apt to apprehend them; that which makes them eafy and pleasant to be understood. For Wisdom Wild. vi. goeth about, seeking fuch as are worthy of 16,17,14. ber; fhe Sheweth herself favourably unto them in the Ways, and meeteth them in every thought: For the very true Beginning of her, is the defire of Difcipline ;- And

whofo feeketh her early, shall have no great travel, for he shall find her fitting at his Doors.

FURTHER; as a virtuous Difpofition of Mind is the best preparative for beginning the Study of Religion; fo Practife and Experience in the courfe of a Virtuous Life and in the Obedience of God's Commands, is in continuance the best informa tion and perpetual improvement of a man's Understanding and Judgment in the Knowledge of Divine Truths. He that keepeth the Law of the Lord, getteth the Understanding thereof, fays the wife Son of Sirach; and the perfection of the Fear of the Lord, is Wisdom, Eccluf. xxi. 11. E

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SER M. vil men understand not judgment; but they II. that feek the Lord, understand all things, Prov. xxviii. 5. He that practifes what he knows, improves his Knowledge continually by that Practife; and by Actions, even more than by Speculation and Study, is the Understanding of practical Truths inlarged. In the common Affairs of the present Life, 'tis obvious that Men of Bufinefs, Experience and Diligence,: are generally much better Judges in their proper Employments, than Others who for Parts and Learning may perhaps in other refpects be esteemed much fuperior. And fo it is likewife in Matters of Religion. Not the Wife and Crafty, not the learned and profound, not the fubtle Arguers in Speculation and Difpute, are the best Inftructors in the Duty of a Chriftian; but, in these matters, rather the mouth of the Juft, (fays Solomon,) bringeth forth Wif dom, and the Lips of the Righteous know what is acceptable, Prov. x. 31, 32, There is a Spirit and a Life in the Discourse of a Righteous Man, proceeding from the Sincerity of an Upright Heart; which no Skill nor Art can imitate. There is a Knowledge and Difcernment arifing from. virtuous

virtuous Practifes which another man SERM. cannot learn from him that has it, but II. by going himself and doing likewife. The Pure in Heart fee God here, as well as hereafter, after another manner, than vitious and profane Philofophers argue about him. And as with regard to worldly Employments, men of Parts and Learning can dispute and contend about them, without understanding them; but Those only are truly fkilful, who have exercised themselves in the Practife of the particular Imployments: So in Religion, there is no man truly wife and knowing, but he that has lived like a Chriftian, instead of difputing about it. When fome of the Jews, moved with the Wisdom and Excellency of our Saviour's Discourses, believed on him by a fudden Impulse of unexperienced Affection; our Saviour, knowing the Weakness of the Ground of their Faith, faid unto them, If ye continue in my Word, then-ye fhall know the Truth, and the Truth fhall make you free, St Joh. viii. 31; free, from the flavery of unreasonable Lufts and Paffions ; free, from the Darkness of Ignorance and Errors. The Wife shall understand.

SERM.

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ON the contrary, in the Nature of Vi tious Inclinations, and in the Practise of all Wickedness, there is fomething neceffarily repugnant, something that in the na ture of things will be a hindrance and impediment to a right Understanding in matters of Religion: None of the Wicked fhall understand. A vitious Difpofition blinds mens Eyes, corrupts their Princi ples, and fubverts their Judgment; it causes, that men have Eyes and fee not, Ears and bear not, Underftandings and yet do not understand. They become vain in their Imaginations, as St Paul expreffes it, Rom, i. 21. and their foolish heart is darkned. They have a reprobate mind, Rom, i. 28. The Word in the original fignifies, an injudicious mind; a mind defpoiled of its right Judgment, and of its natural Power of difcerning. They have, as the fame Apostle elsewhere elegantly describes Eph iv. them, their Understandings darkned,-becaufe of the Blindness of their Hearts. A Perfon in this state; the natural man, as St Paul calls him; (fo we render the Word, 1 Cor. ii. 14. but it ought to be tranflated, the Senfual man;) a man wholly taken up with the Cares and Pleasures

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of the prefent Life; fuch a one receiveth SER M. not the things of the Spirit of God, he underftands them not, has no relish of them; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can be know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned: fpiritually difcerned ;

i. e. discerned by Those only, who have Faculties to difcern them with; by Thofe, whole Minds are not blinded with the Love of Wickedness. St John gives us an emphatical Inftance of This in one particular Vice, that of Hatred or Malice; which whofoever is addicted to, he tells us is no more capable of understanding the Doctrine of the Gospel, that Doctrine of Love and univerfal Charity, than a man whofe Eyes are fhut, is able to difcern the Light: He that bateth his Brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither be goeth, because that Darkness has blinded his Eyes, 1 Joh. ii, 11. No Words can express in a more lively and emphatical manner, than this Defcription does, the incredible ftupidity of fuch Chriftians as think they do God good Service by perfecuting one another, and expect to propagate the peaceable and charitable

Doctrine