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between, and fhalt know him, even as thou also art known by him.

To which happy place God, of his infinite mercy, bring us all, for the fake of his dear Son Jefus Chrift.

Serm. 8.

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Serm. 9.

SERMON IX.

Preach'd at St. JAMES's in
Lent, 1698.

Worldly Men wiser, in their way, than Christians, in theirs.

St. Luke 16. 8. the latter part of the verse.

For the children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light.

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T the beginning of this Chapter, from the first verfe to the ninth, we have the Parable of the unjust Steward briefly represented to us, in the following manner. "A cer"tain rich Man, finding his Steward "guilty of wafting his goods, com

"mands

Serm.

9.

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"mands him to bring in his Ac- M counts, that fo he might reckon "with him, and dismiss him his Ser"vice. Whereupon, the Steward "prefently begins to forecast within "himself, what was likely to become "of him, and by what means he "might be beft able to provide, for "his future fubfiftence and well being. "Labour, it seems, was not for his "purpose, dig he could not: and to "get a Lively-hood by begging, was "beneath him, to beg he was afham"ed. When therefore, after much "thinking, he could fix upon no o"ther way, he at last refolves upon "this, to try to make himself Friends "of his Lord's Debtours, that so, "when he should be turn'd out of his "Service, they might receive him in"to their houles. And accordingly, "he immediately calls them unto him, "and makes up his Lord's Accounts "with them: but, in so easy and fa"vourable a manner as, he knew, "would very much incline and oblige "them, to be kind and helpful to him "afterwards. For, inftead of exact"ing the utmost of their Debts, he "abates one a fifth part, another a

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"full

"full half, and the like proportion,

Serm. 9. in all probability, to all the reft. "Which when his Lord difcover'd: "altho' he could not but be angry "with him, for dealing fo ungratefully and unjustly by him, yet, at "the fame time, he could not forbear "commending him, for taking fuch "good care, and making fuch wife "provifion, for himself. And the Lord commended the unjust steward, not for his injuftice, but because he had done wifely, ogovimas, like one that had his thoughts or wits about him.

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From this whole Parable, thus related, our bleffed Saviour takes occafion to make this Inference in my Text, That the children of this world, thofe, who chiefly give themfelves up to this World and the things of it, are wifer in, or for, their generation, act more prudently in their way, or in relation to their worldly Concerns, than the children of light, than thofe who, by the light of the Gofpel, have been taught much better things, have been inftructed in a fenfe of Religion, and an eternal future State of Happiness or Mifery, and

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in theirs. profess that they believe the truth of, obligations to, and neceffity of providing for, them, do, in relation to their affairs, and the great and momentous business of their Profeffion.

Accordingly, I fhall confider thefe words at present, only as they depend upon theParable,and,in fo doing,

First, I fhall enquire what extraordinary inftances of prudence our Saviour might probably obferve, in the unjuft Steward's conduct of himself, which are rarely to be found, among the children of light, in the management of their Affairs, and are there. fore a fufficient ground for, and justification of, this his observation.

Secondly, I fhall examine from what Caufes it can poffibly come to pafs, that the children of this world should act more prudently, in relation to the things of this World, than the children of light do, in relation to those of the other.

Thirdly, I fhall fhew that, altho' the children of this world are wifer, in their generation, than the children

Serm. 9.

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