of Chrift himself; to take the Care and SERM. Charge of Souls, which must needs be an VI, Employment that will arreft the Thoughts, and amaze the Confcience of every confiderate Perfon, who doth not rafhly rush into the Sanctuary, and unadvisedly take this Labour upon himself. Efpecially,

3. If he reflects on the Oppofition he will meet with, in the confcientious Discharge of that Truft repofed in him.

First, FROM the Atheist, and those who were formerly esteemed of the fame Tribe, the Deifts of our Times; a Sect of Men, who are of late grown fo numerous, that they are become a formidable Party amongst us. These Men look upon Religion as a politic Contrivance, or pious Fraud, to keep the People in Obedience, and themselves as the only fagacious Men in finding out and feeing through the Cheat; and that they deserve well of Mankind, for freeing them from those panic Fears which Religion betrays them to. From these Men, the Clergy can expect no Quarter; they have put out their own Eyes, and are unwilling that others should enjoy the Light; they are the Devil's Disciples, who not only fay, in their Heart there is no God, but glory in their Shame, and endeavour to diffufe their Poison,

K

3

SERM. Poison, and to make as many Profelytes VI. to Infidelity as they can.

Secondly, FROM the fenfual and profane Perfon who will not give himself Leifure to think, but makes the Gratification of his Appetites and fenfual Defires the chief Bufinefs of his Life. Such an one looks upon a Minifter as a Death's-head, who puts him in Mind of that Thing which is moft unwelcome to him, his Mortality, and the Account he muft fhortly give at God's Tribunal; he takes him for his Enemy, because he tells him the Truth, and will not flatter him in his evil Courfes. Would he bear a Part with him in his Riot and Excefs, or but few Pillows under his Arm-holes, prophefy to him pleafing and agreeable Doctrines, and make the narrow Way to Heaven fo wide, that he might enter in with all his evil Difpofitions and Habits along with him, he might, perhaps, have his good Word; but if he confciencioufly difcharges his Duty, difcovers to him the Danger of his Condition, and thews him the Precipice upon which he ftands; much more if he takes upon him to reprove him for his Vices, and to denounce God's Judgments against his Sins, and put the Cenfures of the Church into Execution, then he muft expect all the

evil Words, and Deeds too, which Ma- SERM. lice can invent, or the Devil fuggeft to VI. him. He will have a watchful Eye upon all his Actions, take every Thing in the worft Senfe, and put the most invidious Interpretation on all his Expreffions; his Failings fhall be magnified, his Weak-fide expofed, and even, from his best Actions and virtuous Deeds, he will extract Poison, and take Occafion to abuse him. He will miscal the Gravity of his Deportment, Formality; the Peaceableness of his Difpofition, Mean-fpiritednefs; his Temperance, Peevifhnefs; and, his Devotion, Hypocrify; and represent the most delectable Objects, and praife-worthy Deeds, not as they really are in themselves, but as they appear to his diftempered Imagina

tion.

Thirdly, WE muft expect to meet with far greater Oppofition, from thofe whose Ill-will is backed by Difference in Opinion and Intereft; whether they be our Enemies the Papifts, on the one Hand, or our diffenting Brethren on the other. As to the Papifts, we have often found to our Cofts, what formidable Enemies they are; they are all united under one Head, and fupported by a foreign Power; their Seminaries are filled with Students

SERM. who are educated from their Cradles in all VI. the Arts of deceiving; and, are supported

by a vaft Revenue from England, fet a-part for this Purpofe; they have an incredible Number of Miffionaries, who in all Places, and under all Sorts of Difguifes, make it their Bufinefs to deceive the Ignorant, to divide the Unwary, and to propagate such Doctrines, and encourage fuch Practices, which, though they do not directly tend to make us Papists, yet will in the End bring us under the Papal Yoke.

As to our diffenting Brethren, it is true they differ from us only in smaller Matters; but whoever confiders it well, will find, that the moft fierce Contentions are generally between those who are nearest related, and the Breach of Friendship is looked upon as an Offence moft difficult to be forgiven. And therefore, though I am rather for clofing than widening our Breaches, yet I think, we are but prudently cautious if we stand upon our Guard, and do not trust too far to that plausible Outfide, which is the general Difguife of impotent Illwill. It is true the Differences between us are but small, and, because they are fo, it is evident that they are not the real Cause of our Animofities, but only made ufe of to

ferve

ferve the Designs of afpiring and ambitious SE RM. Men. It is not who is in Poffeffion of VI. Truth, but who fhall be in Poffeffion of Power, which is the real Occafion of our Contest; as appears from hence, because, though all diffenting Parties feparately will allow the Church of England to be the best Church in the World, next to their own, yet do they all make use of their united Force to fupplant it. And now, when Men are acted by fuch evil Spirits as these, there is no thing they will stick at to bring about their Designs; and fuch Perfons must expect the worst of Treatment, who stand in their Way, and vigorously oppose them.

AND now, who that confiders a poor frail Man furrounded with all thefe Difficulties, but muft conclude that he must needs fink under them, and that it is impoffible for him to bear up? And so it would be, if he trufted to his own natural Strength; but Thanks be to God, who hath promised to furnish him with his Grace and Affiftance, through which he can do all Things.

I SHALL now only make two or three Inferences from what hath been said, and fo conclude. And,

(1.) THE