our common and natural Notions of thofe SER M. Virtues; but were of a kind quite diffe- VIII. rent, and inconceivable to us; how then could Men be obliged to imitate they knew not what? or how could it become poffible in any fenfe to be holy as he is Holy, if it could not be understood by us, What Holinefs is? The Truth therefore plainly is; As Light is Light, where foever and in what degree foever it appears, and has no communion or fimilitude with Darkness: fo Goodnefs, in whomsoever and in what degree foever it be found, ftill always carries along with it the fame Idea of Goodness; and has no communion or Fellowship with Wickedness. 3dly and Laftly; FROM hence it appears, of how great importance it is to Men, to frame to themselves right and worthy Notions of God. For fuch as are the Conceptions Men have, of the Object of their Worship; fuch also will proportionably, be their own Behaviour and Practice. The Gentiles, who worshipped vile and impure. Deities, were themselves accordingly given up to work all Uncleannefs with Greediness. The Jews, when they fell from the Worship of the True God; SER M. God, to serve the Idols and Images of reVIII. ally or fictitiously cruel Dæmons; were themfelves accordingly devefted of humanity, and facrificed even their own Children to Moloch. And among Chriftians likewise, it is too fad and true an obfervation; that in proportion as they have departed from the Simplicity of the Gofpel, and feigned to themfelves either ridiculous or wicked notions of the infinitely wife and good God; fo has their religi on accordingly been changed either into a ridiculous, or into a barbarous and cruel Superftition. The only poffible remedy for which Evil, is to adhere ftedfastly and immoveably to the natural and unchangeable notions of righteousness and boliness in God, and the indifpenfable neceffity of true righteousness and holiness among Men. SERMON SERMON IX. Of the LOVE of GOD towards Sinners. St JOHN iii. 16. For God fo loved the World, that be gave his only-begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have everlafting Life. SER M. felves, are a brief Summary of that whole Learning and Authority among the Jews, himself to him as to a Man of Understanding, begins at the Foundation of the Whole; and represents to him the Neceffity of entring upon a religious Course of Life, according to the perfecter and more fpiritual Principles of the Chriftian inftitution: ver. 3. Except, fays he, a man be born again, he cannot fee the Kingdom of God. Which Expreffion, Nicodemus at first not understanding; our Saviour further explains it to him, ver. 5. Except, fays he, a Man be born of Water and of the IX. the Spirit, except he be baptized into the S ER M. Profeffion of the true Religion, and, fuitably to this external Obligation, be inwardly renewed and purified from all wicked Difpofitions in the Spirit of his Mind; he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. For, whatfoever is born of the Flefb, can be but Flesh; That which is born of the Spirit, That only is Spirit. By natural Birth, a Man can have no other Title, than only to the injoyments of this Natural and Mortal Life: To Immortality and a fhare in the Kingdom of God, he cannot be intitled, but by a New and Spiritual Birth, by being delivered from the Dominion of Fleshly Lufts, and living under the more perfect Law of Reafon and Religion. To make This ftill more intelligible, and to take off the Difficulty of apprehending the meaning of that Phrafe of being Born again, our Saviour proceeds to illuftrate it by an easy fimilitude, ver. 7; that, as in the Courfe of Nature fome of the greatest and most fenfible Effects are produced by fecret and imperceptible Caufes; fo it ought not to be wondred at, if fome of the greatest Moral Effects, and most important Chan ges |