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SERM. I. thing out of the ufual Road, he overleaps thofe Bounds, which confine meaner Mortals, and precipitates himself into an endlefs Train of Inconveniencies.

But let us fuppofe, what is not a very common Cafe, that a Brightness of Imagination, and a well-poifed Judgment, are happily united in the fame Perfon; yet the ablest Writer, the brightest Genius, the greatest Man that ever lived; nay, an Archangel of the highest Class may fay, "O my God! "that I live and that I please, if ever I

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please, is owing to thee. May it be then my uppermoft View to do thy Pleasure, From whom I have the Ability to please!"

How vain and uncertain all Things are here below, appears from this, that we hold even Reason itself, that ennobling Quality, that boafted Prerogative, and diftinguishing Perfection of human Nature, upon a very precarious Tenure; and fomething, as one expreffeth it, with a human Shape and Voice, has often furvived every thing human befides. The Brain, by too great Quickness and Stretch of Thought, like a Chariot Wheel, by the Rapidity of it's Motion, takes Fire; the thin Partitions, which divided Wit from Madness,

are

are broken down. The most penetrating SERM. I. and fparkling Geniuses border upon, and fometimes more than border upon, downright Frenzy. They fhew us even then, in their lucid Intervals, the Monuments and Traces of what they have been, like the Monuments of old Rome, majestick even in it's Ruins. Their fudden Starts of Senfe, though foon broken off, give us more Pleafure, than the fober uniform Thoughts of Men of flower Apprehenfion: Just as the maimed Statues, the broken Pillars, and imperfect triumphal Arches of old Rome, delight us more, than the entire Performances of lefs able and lefs masterly Hands.

If then Reason itself, which diftinguisheth us from Brutes, be fo very precarious, and depends upon fuch a fine and fubtle Contexture of the Brain, as is liable to be disordered by feveral Accidents; the Observation I would draw from hence is very material, and worth our Confideration: If Mankind were to be vain of nothing, but what is their lafting Property, of which they cannot be ftripped; they would be vain of nothing at all; there would be no fuch thing as Vanity.

Art

SERM. I.

Art thou then proud of Knowledge? Alas! the dim Light of human Reason looks feeble and languid at the first Thought and Contemplation of that Father of Lights, in whom there is no Darkness at all. Doft thou pride thyself upon thy Power? All the little Grandeur we can boast, is loft in the Confideration of that only Potentate, who dwelleth in Light which no one can approach to. Art thou elate upon the Account of an ample Fortune? Confider him to whom the whole World belongs, and all that is therein; who wanting nothing himfelf, fupplies the Wants of every other Being. All human Pride shrinks into nothing, when we contemplate that great Being, who is All in All. And the Man, who is poffeft with juft Notions of an all-perfect God, will never make a God of any thing else, much less of himself.

Doft thou value thyself upon popular Applaufe, and a great Name? Think how many that have made a distinguished Figure in the World, are dead and unregarded, as if they never had been; their Deaths unlamented, their Vacancy filled up, and their Perfons miffed no more, than a Drop of Water, when taken from the whole

whole Ocean. And is it worth our while SERM. L to strive to please a vain fantastic World, which will foon difregard us, and think itself full as well without us; inftead of laying out our Endeavours to please that Almighty Being, whofe inexhaustible Power and Goodnefs will make his Servants happy to all Eternity? How ridiculous are all our Aims; except this be the grand Aim, in which all the reft center! A Man, for Inftance, makes it his Bufinefs to enfure to himself a Name after Death; that is, to fave four or five Letters (for what is a Name befides?) from Oblivion: And yet shall be neglectful of fecuring immortal Happiness: He fhall be fond of an imaginary Life after Death: and yet make no Provifion for that real Life, which is to laft for ever and ever; folicitous to have his Name written and preferved in any Book, but in that Book, where it will only be of Service to him, the Book of Life. O Virtue! when this folemn Pageantry of earthly Grandeur fhall be no more, when all Diftinctions, but oral and religious, fhall vanish; when this Earth fhall be diffolved, when the Moon fhall be no more a Light by Night, nor the Sun by Day;

thou

SERM. I. thou fhalt still survive thy Votary's immortal Friend, thou shalt appear, like thy great Author, in perfect Beauty; thy Lustre undiminished, and thy Glory unperishable.

Let him therefore that glorieth, glory in the Lord. He alone, who gave and upholds all the Powers of Soul and Body, he alone deferveth the Glory of them. As we are Creatures, the Work of God's Hands, we have nothing to glory of: But as we are Sinners, and, in that Refpect, the Work of our own Hands, we have much to be ashamed of. We then give the greatest Proof to God of our Worthiness, when we have a deep Senfe, and make an humble Confeffion, of our own Unworthiness.

To God therefore, and to Him only, be afcribed, as is most due, all Might, &c.

SERMON

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