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I.

Saviour to Himself, Luk. iv. 18. He hasSERM. anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor, to preach deliverance to the captives, to fet at Liberty them that are bruised. Lastly, of such a Person, who thus delights to do the Will of God, it may be declared, though he be a Servant, that yet he is the Lord's free Man, 1 Cor. vii. 22; that because the Son has made him free, therefore he is free indeed, Joh. viii. 36; or (as it is in the Words of the Text,) that he knows the Truth, and the Truth doth make him Free.

SERMON

SERMON

II.

A Virtuous Mind the best Help to understand True Religion.

DAN. xii. 10. latter part. And none of the Wicked shall understand; But the Wise shall understand.

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O seek a man's true and final SERM. Interest, by parting with some II. present and inconfiderable Advantages for the fake of more and much greater ones to come, is the proper Act of Wisdom; and the general Character of Folly, is the purchafing some trivial present Benefit, at the

hazard

SERM.hazard of much better and more valuable II. things in reverfion. For This reafon, in Scripture-phrafe, Religion and Virtue are almost always signified under the denomination of Wisdom; and Folly, is but another Name for Sin. The Sinner and the Fool, are always reciprocal Terms; and no man is stiled Wife by the Spirit of God, upon any other account than that of being Religious. For unto man he said; The Fear of the Lord, That is Wisdom; and to depart from Evil, is Understanding, Job xxviii. 28. And This is so much the known language of Scripture, that I need in this place but just mention it. Thus Ecclef. ii. 13. Then I fare, says Solomon, that Wisdom excelleth Folly, as far as Light excelleth Darkness; the Meaning is, that Religion and Virtue is as much more, excellent and more profitable to men than Wickedness, as one thing can be preferable to another. And in the Words of the Text; None of the Wicked shall understand: But the Wife, (those who are such in opposition to the Folly of Wickedness, that is, the Righteous) shall underStand.

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To Understand, may be taken in twoSERM. Senses; Either to fignify the understand- II. ing of these particular Prophecies; or the understanding the true nature of Religion in general. In Both these Senses, the Words are very proper and emphatical; and in Both, they are very remarkably fulfilled. If we take them in the former Sense; None of the Wicked shall understand; i. e. none of them shall apprehend the true meaning and intent of these Prophecies; But the Wife, viz. the righteous and well-disposed, the careful and diligent inquirers, shall understand them : If we take them, I say, in This Sense, then They were very remarkably fulfilled upon the Jews in our Saviour's time; who, notwithstanding that this Prophecy of Daniel contained as clear a Prædiction as could be defired, of the Time and Manner of our Saviour's appearing in the Flesh; yet through their obstinate prejudices against Him and his doctrine, they resolved not to fee it: And because there were other passages in the Prophecy, more obscure, and difficult to be interpreted; therefore they would by no means be perswaded to

understand what was plain. The like to

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