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V.

Laftly, CONCERNING the Honour SER M. peculiarly due to the perfon of the Spirit, that which the Scripture declares, is; that we acknowledge him to be the divine Infpirer of the Prophets, both of the old and new Teftament; and the immediate Worker of all thofe Signs and Wonders in proof of the Chriftian Difpenfation, which are properly stiled the Witness and Teftimony, the Power and Demonftration of the Spirit; that he is alfo the Sanctifier of all Hearts, and the immediate Distributer of all the Gifts of God, for the Edification of his Church; that therefore we re- Eph: v. 9. ceive and believe his Teftimony, as delivered in the infpired Writings; obey his Joh. ii. good Motions; be follicitous to obtain his gifts and graces; and infinitely careful not to grieve and quench and drive him from us, left we be found to do despite unto the Spirit of grace; which is in Scripture reprefented as a more unpardonable fault, than offending against the Perfon even of our Saviour himself. But the Time allows me only to hint these things barely, and propose them to your Meditations; the inlarging upon which, would be to VOL. VI.

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Gal.v. 22.

v. 16.

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Eph.iv.30.

1Th.v.19. Heb.x 29.

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SER M. lay down the whole Syftem of Divinity.

V.

God grant that every one of Us, may fo give Honour to the Father of all things, through the Mediation and Interceffion of his Son our Saviour, and by the Affistance and Operation of his Holy Spirit; that by the communion and fellowship of the fame Holy Spirit, and through the Merits and Death of the Son of God making our Repentance available, we may be prefented faultlefs before the Throne of the Father of inacceffible Majefty, in the great Day.

SERMON

XXXXXXX

SERMON VI

Of the Defire of Knowledge.

[Preached on Trinity-Sunday.]

DEUT. XXIX. 29.

The Secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but thofe things which are revealed, belong unto us and to our chil dren, for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law.

HE Book of Deuteronomy SER M.
contains a brief Summary, or VI.
Recapitulation of the Law;
To which are added by Mofes,

feveral earnest and most affectionate Ex-
hortations to the people of Ifrael, to per-

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SER M. fwade them to the Obedience and ObferVI. vation of that Law. He tells them that he bath fet before them Life and Death, Bleffing and Curfing, Good and Evil; and he perfwades them to chuse their Duty, and cleave to it as their Life, and to refufe the Evil and flee from it as from Death. He invites them to Obedience by the most affectionate promises of the love, and favour, and protection of God; and he deters them from Difobedience by the most severe threatnings of utter deftruction. He proposes to them the Law of God, as the proper fubject of their constant Meditation; exhorting them to bind it for a Sign upon their hand, and as frontlets between their eyes; to write it upon the pofts of their houfes, and upon their gates; to teach it diligently unto their children, and to talk of it when they fit in their boufes, and when they walk by the way, and when they lie down, and when they rife up; Deut. vi. 7 8. He tells them that the commandments of God are the things revealed to them, to be studied by them and by their children for ever; that the knowledge of other things, is in

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comparison either unneceffary, or difficult at least, and less needful to be attained; and that therefore nothing could be more unreasonable, than to pursue the knowledge of those things which were either wholly unneceffary, or at least far less needful to be known; by neglecting the study and the knowledge of that, in which alone confifted their Happiness and their Life. The Secret things belong unto the Lord our Gad; but those things which are revealed, belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. The ultimate defign and defire of Man, is Happiness; and as the only way to this Happiness is Religion, fo the Knowledge of that Religion ought to be at least our principal and first study. Religion is the doing all the Words of the Law, i. e. the obeying of the Commandments of God; the Knowledge therefore of Religion, is the knowing particularly what are the Commands of God, and the knowing our obligation to obey those Commands. He that hath gained fo much Knowledge, as to understand the Commandments of God; and to convince him

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VI.

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