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SERM. tween our prefent Troubles and our future XIII. Triumphs; let us bear in Mind the Examples of those bleffed Martyrs who fang in the Flames, triumphed on Wheels, and preached on the Crofs; confidering that our Faith and Hope is the fame, and that the Sufferings of this prefent Life are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which fhall be revealed hereafter.

Rom. viii.

18.

(4.) and Laftly, THOSE who are dead may be faid to dwell in the Duft, and this is the literal and most obvious Senfe of the Words. All those who are deceased, though never fo mangled and shattered; though their Members are difperfed into different Parts of the World, and converted into the Substance of Fowls, Fishes, or Birds; yet, at the Sound of the laft Trump, they fhall all be gathered together; their disjointed Particles, like Soldiers in a well difciplined Army, fhall meet together, unite and fall into their proper Ranks. They fhall all roufe themselves and awake from that deep Sleep which had feized them, and, if they lived and died in Christ, they fhall rejoice and fing alfo; what was before their Duty, fhall then prove their Reward. Their Saviour shall raise them up with Words of Comfort, faying, as here in the Text, Awake and

fag,

fing, ye that dwell in the Duft. Awake and SE RM. rife, ye bleffed Bodies, receive again your XIII. purified Souls with Welcome unspeakable; and enter together with me your Saviour into Joys and Jubilees everlasting. You fhall toil no more now, but only fing your own Joys and my Praises. Praifes. All Tears fhall be wiped away from your Eyes, your Labour shall be turned into Triumphs, and your Sighs and Groans into Hallelujabs. Wherefore, my beloved Brethren, (as the Apotle fpeaks) let us comfort one another with thefe Words.

SERMON

SERM.

XIV.

Ver. 17.

SERMON XIV.

The Sin and Danger of grieving the Holy Spirit.

EPHES. iv. 30.

Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the Day Redemption.

I

IN the Verfes before the Text, the Apoftle exhorts the Ephefians to an holy and unblameable Life, to bid adieu to all thofe Sins and vicious Courses in which they lived before they were converted to Christianity, and to practise all those Virtues which were recommended to them in the Holy Gospel, This I fay therefore, and teftify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the Vanity of their Mind,

baving the Understanding darkened, being SERM. alienated from the Life of God, through XIV. the Ignorance that is in them, because of the Blindness of their Heart: who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto Laf civiousness, to work all Uncleanness with Greediness. And then it follows, But ye Eph. iv, have not fo learned Chrift; if fo be that ye 20. have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the Truth is in Fefus: that ye put off, concerning the former Converfation, the old Man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lufts, and be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind; and that je put on the new Man, which is created in Righteoufness and true Holiness. And then he enumerates the Heads of those particular Sins, which they ought to avoid, Wherefore putting away lying, Ver. 25: Speak every Man Truth with his Neighbour; be ye angry and fin not: Let him that ftole Steal no more: Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth. And then he lays down the most prevalent Argument, why they should forfake all these Vices, and practife the contrary Virtues, because, by fuch heinous Sins as thefe, they grieved the Holy Spirit of God; that Holy Spirit, who had planted the Gospel amongst them, called them to the Hopes of Salvation, and gave them the Know

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ledge

SERM. ledge of the Truth: And grieve not the XIV. Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the Day of Redemption. For the better Understanding of these Words, I fhall endeavour to fhew,

15.

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I. WHAT is here meant by the Holy
Spirit of God.

II. IN what Senfe he is faid to be griev-
ed.

III. WHAT thofe Sins are, which are
moft grievous to him.
IV. I SHALL lay down the Reasons why
we ought to be fo careful, that, by the
Commiffion of any of these Sins, we
do not grieve God's Holy Spirit.

of

1. By the Holy Spirit of God is here meant, the third Perfon in the Holy Trinity, God bleffed for ever, who, as we Ifa. lvii. are told, takes up his Abode in the Heart every humble and well difpofed Perfon'; for he, whofe Name is Holy, dwells in the high and holy Place; and with him alfo that is of a contrite and bumble Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the humble, and to revive the Heart of the contrite Ones. His Throne is indeed in Heaven, he inhabitetb Eternity; but yet the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him, his Effence is diffufed

through

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