the Apostle, I Cor. v. 6. And Behold how great a matter a little Fire kindles, faith St. James, Chap. III. 5. And doth not Experience tell us, (to use the Words of a certain Divine) how an unchaft Thought assented to, soon welcomes Delight Delight, Confent, Confent, Action; Action, Custom Custom, Habit; Habit, Perseverance; Perfeverance, an obduracy of Heart; which, (without God's miraculous Providence interposes) leads to final Impenitence.

A Man may avoid scandalous, great and clamarous Sins, such as Murther, Adultery, Curfing, Blafphemy, Theft, Extortion, Prophaness, &c. and yet all this while have not one grain of true Love to God; for all thishe may do meerly out of regard to his Ease, and temporal Interest; and if you consider what St. Paul protests, that if any Manlove not the Lord Jesus, let him be Anathema, Maranatha, Cursed, and for ever Cursed, 1 Cor. xvi. 22. What fatisfaction can that Man enjoy within, that notwithstanding his shunning some scandalous Sins, hath not any tolerable afssurance, that he loves God, and the Lord Jesus Christ? If you love him, you must keep his Commandments; and if Love obliges you to keep one, why not another? Do not they all come from the fame Law-giver ? Are not they all deliver'd with the same Seriousness, and by the same Authority? Who makes them to differ? Who told you, you may observe one, and not another? Where are the distinguishing Marks, to difcern, which is to be practised, and which is not? Doth not the fame Spirit

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run through all? In a word, if you love God to any purpose, you will not only dread cry. ing Sins, but even those which loofer Men make no great matter of; and its certain, that Soulis not yet truly converted, that doth not seriously watch against evil Thoughts, Defires, Passions, Affections, &c. (for these are usually counted lesser Sins,) as well as against greater Abominations. And therefore,

You may easily perceive, that we are not to break a Command of our dear Lord and Master, because it seems little, or because the World esteems it so. What hath the World todo with my Religion? Doth God govern himself by the Verdict of the World, and senfual Men? What if Men, who have no right Apprehehenfions of God, make nothing of corrupt Communications, muft I be guided by their Example? Can any Commandment, that proceeds out of the Mouth of God, be termed Tittle? Might not we as well say, that God spoke in jest ? If God commands me to follow Righteousness, Faith, Charity, and Peace, with all them that call on him out of a pure Heart, and to flee youthful Lufts, shall I neglect this Command, because the World makes a pish of it? Hath the Great God of Heaven and Earth thought fit to fend his Son into the World to tell me, that private Revenge is unlawful; and conforming to the World in their Vanities, and Fooleries, and Revellings, and Extravagancies, is displeasing to him; and my covetous Thoughts and Desires are offenfive to his Holiness, and have not I all the rea

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fon in the World to stand in awe of his Com mand, though a thousand wicked Men say, it's either needless, or impracticable ? How can a Divine Command be little, that concerns Mens Immortal Souls? Is there any thing greater in this World, than the good and welfare of their precious Souls? Doth God tell me such a Sin (though it feems never so small in the eyes of the World) will help to kill my Soul, and is Ingratitude to him, in whom I live, and move, and have my Being; and shall I venture upon it? God forbid. Yea, let God be True, but every a Lyar; as it is written, that thou mightest be justified thy saying, and be clear when thou judgest, Rom. iii. 4.

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II. Let none of you wonder at Christ's peremptory Determination here, Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach Men So, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. You'll say, What! break but one of these Commandments, and one of the least, and be damn'd! Where then is the Grace of the Gofpel! What becomes then of the vast Treasures of Mercy, which came in with Jesus Christ? At this rate our Yoak is heavier than that of the Jews. Marvel not thy Brethren, the greater the Grace is, the greater will be the Account; the greater the Mercy, the greater will be the Reckoning. And yet this ought to be no discouragement to any of us; for the meaning is, not that every furprize, or accidental Failing, or breaking one of these Commands against our Will, or before

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before we are aware, or after we have used all possible Watchfulness, excludes from the Kingdom of Heaven; for then no Flesh could be faved. But he that wilfully breaks one, and makes a Trade of it, knows, of hears God's Will in that particular, and yet will not be perswaded to do it; and teaches others too, either by his Discourse or Example; neglects fuch a Command, and feels no Remorse, knows the Judgment of God, that they which commit fuch things, are worthy of Death; and not only doth the Same, but hath pleasure in them that do them; as it is said, Rom. i. 32. That's the Man, who shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. And do not you think there is a great deal of Justice in all this? What! For a Man first to disregard an exprefs Command of Christ, and then, that he nay not think himself obliged to it, to call it little, and inconfiderable, and so to neglect it, and after all, prompt others to do so too; Is not this a manifest contempt of God's Sovreignty, and Mercy, and Love, and Charity, in Christ Jesus? Doth not this look like Enmity against God? Is not this a sign of a fecret Hatred and Indignation against the ways of God? Is not this an Argument of Obstinacy and Stubbornness? Doth not this infer want of Sense, and want of Fear? And would you have God save a Man that doth not fear him? Would you have him receive Men into the Kingdom of Heaven, that do not only not think it worth while to obey him in so small a matter, (fmall in their own account, and therefore surely the easier) but encourage others others to do the like? Doth not this argue a delight in a finful sensual Life? And what! Do you think God will let a Man or Woman in at the Gates of Glory, that looks upon the Prophet as mad, because he bid him do so small a thing, Wash in the River Jordan seven times, that he may be clean ?

God measures our Actions by our Hearts; and if the Heart be averse from him, or from the ways of Righteousness, Is such a Person fit to sing with Angels, to triumph with Martyrs, and to fit and rejoice with Souls, that loved God with all their Hearts, and with all their Minds ?

Ay, but to break one of these least Commandments, and to teach another to do so, What great matter is there in that? My Friends, He that breaks one, will break another, and is in a Disposition to offend against more: He will never stop there,one Sin engages him into the Practice of another; and if he propagates the Evil too, and like a rotten Sheep, infects others, doth not that one Folly discover a Heart, that hath no Defire, no Inclination to take Christ's Yoke upon him; and loth, un willing, backward to entertain Christ upon his own Terms; and is this following him in the Regeneration? And he that doth not follow him in the Regeneration, How shall he be able to fit with him in his Throne ? And this puts me in mind of another Observation.

III. That he that lives ill, teaches another

to live ill too. He that shall break one of these leaft

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