From which Words a natural Occa-SERM.

fion will be given me of difcourfing to you of the ill Condition of that Man, who, like Reuben in the Text, being unftable as Water, is diftracted between two Courses of Life, a good and a bad one. The Unhappiness and Wretchedness of which State, after I have set out and proved to you at large, I fhall apply my self to perfuade the Man that is thus bewildered, to retrieve himself by ferious Confideration, as foon as he can, and to fix a fure Principle of Virtue in his Mind, that may guide and govern him throughout, and make him uniformly wife and holy.

Now the Condition of a Man who is divided between two contrary Ways of Life, between Virtue and Vice, God- liness and Irreligion, is certainly very wretched and deplorable. For he is in the meaneft State of Mind that human Nature is capable of. He is perpetually restless and uneafy; full of Anxiety and torment. He lofes all the Advantages of this World; and moft af

I

furedly

XI.

SERM. furedly forfeits all Pretences to any in XI. the next.

૪.

1. First, This doubtful, uncertain Way of Living and Thinking proceeds from a mean State of Mind, such as is beneath the Dignity of human Nature.

Man was made to discern and embrace Truth; And, for this Reafon, is Job. xxxii. there a Spirit in him; and the Inspiration of the Almighty has given him Understanding. He has Faculties whereby he may distinguish between true and false, right and wrong; and may fix to himself fure Principles of Action. When he does this, approves what is best, and sticks to what he approves, he does what he was defigned to do, and answers the End of his Being. When he does not, but fuffers himself to be swayed and bent different Ways by different Motives, and to float under Uncertainties, then he forfeits the great Prerogative, and the moft diftinguishing Advantage that belongs to the reafonable Nature. The Scripture therefore alloweth not to the Irrefolute and the

Inconftant the Name of Men: They SERM. are faid to be Children toffed to and fro XI. with every Wind of Doctrine. They are Eph. iv. in the Weakness and Nonage of their 4 Reason, which is as yet not improved and ripened into its due Strength and Maturity.

The Perfection of Man is to be like God; for in his own Image created he Gen. i. him; to be like God in all his Attri-27butes, particularly in that glorious one of his Immutability; whereby he is, as the Scripture speaks, without Variable- James i. nefs, or Shadow of turning; the fame Te-Heb. xiii. fterday, to Day, and for ever.

Now this Immutability of God is twofold, relating either to his Nature, or his Purposes. The Unchangeableness of his Nature we have no Room to imitate: For he defigned us for a changeable State, made us Creatures that were to purify our Natures, and exalt them by Degrees; till by his laft great and glorious Change he fhould tranflate us into an immortal and unalterable State, and make us eternally the fame in our

Natures,

8.

SERM. Natures, and eternally happy in theExerXI. cife of them. But his moral Immutability; the Steddinefs of his Counfels, Purposes and Actions, we may in fome Meafure, and therefore muft imitate, as far as human Frailty will fuffer us. We are like him in this Perfection, when we get to our felves, by Thought and Reflection, a firm Persuasion of the eternal Differences of Good and Evil, and of that infeparable Dependance which Reward and Punishment have upon them; them; and when we govern our Lives under the Sense of these Perfuafions, evenly and uniformly. This is truly Godlike! the great Improvement, the Honour, and the Excellence of our Natures! And this Perfection he robs himself of, who wavers between different Principles and Practices; and is fometimes good and fometimes bad, as it happens. He puts not his Faculties to that Ufe, for which they were given him; employs not his Reafon to those Purposes for which it was defigned, the establishing and ftrengthening of

his Mind in moral Principles; but lives SER M. as much at Random, and without Hold, XI. as if the Breath of the Almighty were not in him.

9.

Indeed, unless Reafon gives us a Firmness and Conftancy of acting, it is fo far from being the Glory, and the Privilege, that it is really the Reproach and Difgrace of our Natures; and makes us lower than even the Horfe Pf. xxxii. and Mule that have no Understanding." For they, without that, act always regularly and confonantly to themselves, under the never-erring Guidance of Inftinet; a blind, but fure Principle; whilst Man, with all his boafted Titles and Privileges, wanders about in Uncertainties, does and undoes; and contradicts himself throughout all the various Scenes of Thinking and Living.

2. But the Dignity of our Nature, is a Confideration capable of touching but few. Let us go on therefore to more plain and affecting Confiderations. For fuch an unfettled Temper of Mind as we have described, creates a great deal

of