178 SERMONS upol Serm:2o; boateth of hi, Heart's defire, and blefeth the Covetous, whom the Lord abharreth. Senfua lit), bath more of the Beaft, Covétoufnef teems to have more of the Man. Oh but think of it, hére was the Rife; Covefbufnefs beginneth with inordinate Delire, and ends in Injuffice, that (with Hypocrify to vail it) brings Hardning 5 this Hardnefs brings at length to Defpair, and fo you are made Sons of Perdition by degrees. A Man may infenlibly grow a perfea Judas, to betray Chrift, and ruin his own Soul. Cherifh but this one Sin, follow it, and obey it, and it will not leave you, till it bath brought you, in lagieum Diaboli, into the Snare of the Devil. r Tim. 6. 9. They that will be flich, fall into Temptation, and a Snare, and into many foolifband hurtful Lufs, which drown Men in Deftrutuion and Perdition. Beware of that Covetoufnefs, which is pro- per to Judas, begrudging what is fpent upon God : If thou thinkeft thy time is lofi,that is (pent in Holy Services, or thy Mony loft, that is laid out upon God, or good ufes, thou haft much of his Spirit, and it is a ftep to it. Seneca faid of the Jews, That they Were a foolìfli People, becar fe they loll a foil feventh part of their Lives, meaning the Sab- bath. Oh there are more of his mind, that think all is loft that is not laid out upon their Callings, and upon their Sports and Pleaftres, and upon their temporal Provif- Cans 5 that look upon the Sabbath as a melancholy Interruption : that fay, as /Imps 8. g. When will the New Moon be gone, that we may fill Corn ? and the Sabbath, that we may fit forth Wheat ? 2. Beware of Hypocrify, or of taking ùp the Profeffion of Chriftianity for Carnal Ends. O, look to your Grounds and Motives, when you take up with the ftriaer Ways of Chrift. A found beginning will have an happy End; but if you take up this Profeffion upon Carnal Keafons, one time or other you will fall off, and all will end in fhame and horror. Therefore take heed of following Chrifi for the Loaves, John 6. 26. It was an old Complaint, Non diligent Iefitm propter Ief m. Men have their Carnal Ends in Religion, as to make it a Step to Promotion, a Cloak to Injuflice, a Means to get Rich Matches. Whatever thou doll in Religion, do it upon Reafons of Religión. Efpecially take heed of negleaing Warnings, Reproofs, and Checks of Confcience ; (tiring of Conviaions, makes way for Hardnefs. When you are con- winced of any Sin, or neglea of Duty; O do not hold the Truth in 2lnrighteonfiefc, R01;1. 1. i 8. Truths many times are imprifoned in the Confcience ; there they are, but they cannot get a fair Hearing, till God give them a Gaol-delivery, and hying them out of the Houle of Bondage. The Devil holds you Prifoners ; when you hold the Truth in Prifon, when you are convinced of any Sin, or of the neglea of any Duty, do not choak Confcience, but humble thy felf, till the Heart be gained to praaife the Duty, and the difpofition of Heart towards Sin be in Come meafure abated. 3. Beware of Treafon againft Chrifi. God forbid (you will fay) any of us fhould be treacherous to Chrift ; Many are Co, that feem to defy it. Judas did put a great affront upon Chrill, when he fold him for thirty Pieces, a cheap and vile price. You will find in the Law, that thirty Pieces was the price of a Slave. Escod. 2 t. 32. If an Ox fhall pufh a Man-Servant, or Maid- Servant, he fliall give unto their Mafier thirty Shekels, and the Ox pall be f oned. They proffered no more than was wont to be given for the bafeft of Men : pofiibly there may be fomething of Myftery in it, that Chrift Mould be fold for the price of a Servant or Slave ; however, it aggravated his Treafon and Treachery. There are many fuch yudas's alive, that do but wait for a Chapman, that are ready to fell Heaven, and Happinefs, and Religion, and all their Profeffion, for a Penny matter. God tries us, as Confiantiim did them in his Army, having fome fence of the Chriftian Religion, he made this Proclamation, Whoever would not renounce their Profd son, they fbauld no longer have their Military Places : And this he did to prove them, faid he, For if they be not fdthfül to their God, they will not be faith fill to me. So the Lord in his Providence, feems to put us upon fuch a Trial, whether we will re- nounce our Profeffion : tho we cannot fell Chrill in Perron, and there be no Priefts to deal with us, yet Satan is (till alive ; and therefore when for worldly Eafe and Peace, and handfuls of Barley, and pieces of Silver, we part with the Promife, and Comfort, and Hopes of it ; and hazard the Favour of God, and Peace of Confci- ence, for the trifling Matters of the World, we are guilty of this Treafon of Judas. Tho you hate the memory of Judas, you love his Sin. I obferve, that the Hiftorical Pallages of Chrift's Sufferings,areoften morally verified: The Jews preferring Barabbas, by the Senfualiff preferring his Pleaftres, and brutifh and Cwinifh Delights, before the Delights of Communion with Chrifi; Judas his felling ChriR,by the antmonift, that yïeldeth againffConfcience, for a little worldly Gain, and Sufentation of himfelf hére in this prefent World. 4. Take
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