Secondly, Another Evil, I fear, there SERM. arifes from the fame Caufe, (and not un- 11. commonly) though of a Nature less apparent to Experience and outward Obfervation (but it is fatal) the Cafting off in Defpair all Endeavour of keeping the Commandments. When Men are poffefs'd with an Opinion, that they require or prohibit certain Things which they do not, it happens at fome Times, and to certain Persons, that thofe Things prove extremely difficult, and (it may be) impoffible for their Conftancy to perform or forbear. And for fupernatural Affiftance, Who can warrant that, for the Doing any Thing but what is indeed our Duty. I am fure History fhews us, that the Jews, in a like Cafe, found none, when on feveral Occafions they forbore, out of a mistaken Interpretation of the Fourth Commandment, to defend themselves against their Enemies on the Sabbath Days. Nevertheless, the Confcience of thofe Men being ill inform'd, is as much wounded and laid Waste by these fuppofed Breaches of its Rule, as by real ones; and is thereupon in the fame Danger of falling into Infenfibility

D 2

SERM. fibility, and deferting its Office altogeII. ther. And here enters that fullen, athew iftic Defperation, which quits at once all

Obligations; in a Conceit, that it is impoffible for our weak Nature to bear the Burden of Christianity.

But lafly, (for I muft only touch upon these Confiderations) if fuch a Mifapprehenfion work not its Mischief that Way; yet it is obvious that it may, and often does, another, (though very contrary) by inducing People to lay as much too little Weight upon fome Branches of Duty, as they do too great a one upon others; and fo putting them into an easy and satisfied State upon very ill Grounds. This Variety of Effects is owing to the different Natures and Difpofitions of Men. But the laft is very general; and we fee it in fecular as well as religious Affairs. He that is over-nice and exact in one Point; is commonly noted for a proportionable Negligence and Unconcernednefs in fome other, (perhaps) of ten Times the real Importance. At least fo it proves in Religion; and the Scripture hath given us an eminent Instance in

the

the Practice of the Pharifees. Nor has SERM. the expofing them there, prevented the II. Imitation of other Ages; but it is a continued Complaint down to ours, that the fame Men, who ftrain at Gnats, fwallow Camels. In the Leaders and Teachers indeed, we may well afcribe this Corruption rather to Artifice and Diffimulation, than the Power and Tendency of their false Doctrine: But of the Mafs of the People that follow them, we cannot reasonably pronounce in the fame Manner, and conclude them likewife under the Guilt of a known and felf-condemned Hypocrify. They rather appear to become cold in Affection to acknowledged Duties, because their Zeal has been mifdirected, and is quite spent upon contested and imaginary ones. For it follows naturally from the Narrowness of human Powers, that if they are exerted this Way to an Excess, they fall fhort on that: And fince the real Law of God is much adapted to our Capacity; he that refuses us the Liberties which it grants, thrufts us into the dangerous Way of taking fome that it denies.

1

SERM. Now having premifed fome Reasons for II. handling this Subject, I return to state the

Doctrine contained in the Text. It is, That God is pleafed, in Favour of human Neceffities, to difpenfe, when they require it, with his pofitive Laws; that is, all fuch as are not of a necessary and eternal Nature, but were appointed in Time, for the Method and Security of Divine Worship, and the orderly Government of his People. For thefe are denoted or defigned by that one Word Sacrifice, as was proved in my former Difcourse. Therefore, whereas, when the Question is of adhering to the Profeffion of true Religion, or a Matter of Justice, Charity, or any Virtue, we are to yield to no Terror or Suffering; in other Ordinances, (which were made for the Sake of them) a real and innocent Neceffity will' justify our Non-obfervance; as the Difciples Hunger, did their Breach of the Sabbath; and that of David and his Men, the Priests giving, and their eating, the

Shew-bread.

Το prove that this is the Senfe of the Text; we muft confider the Occafion of

the

the Words, exprefs'd in the foregoing Ver- SERM. fes, together with the Reafon fubjoined II, whereby the Application of them is justified, and the Light we may gain from the Account of the fame Thing in other Evangelifts. I must therefore read to you from the Beginning of the Chapter, the xiith of St. Matthew. At that Time Jefus went on the Sabbath-day through the Corn; and his Difciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the Ears of Corn, and to eat. But when the Pharifees faw it, they faid unto him, Behold thy Difciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath-day. But he faid unto them, Have ye not read what David did when he was an hungred, and they that were with him, How he entred into the House of God, and did eat the Shew-bread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the Priests? Or have ye not read in the Law, how that on the Sabbath-days the Priefts in the Temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I fay unto you, that in this Place is one greater than the Temple. But if ye bad known what this meaneth, I will have P 4 Mercy,