LV. hid this truest point of wisdom from their eyes, that SER M. bad men might not be upon equal terms with the juft and upright, and ferve their own wicked defigns by honest and lawful means. Indeed, if a man were only to deal in the world for a day, and fhould never have occasion to converse more with mankind, never more need their good opinion, or good word, it were then no great matter (speaking as to the concernments of the world) if a man spent his reputation all at once, and ventured it at one throw: but if he be to continue in the world, and would have the advantage of converfation whilft he is in it, let him make use of truth and fincerity in all his words and actions, for nothing but this will last and hold out to the end; all other arts will fail, but truth and integrity will carry a man through, and bear him out to the laft. 'Tis the obfervation of Solomon, Prov. xii. 19. "The lip of truth is established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment." And the wifer any man is, the more clearly will he difcern, how serviceable fincerity is to all the great ends and purposes of humane life; and that man hath made a good progrefs, and profited much in the school of wisdom, who valueth truth and, fincerity according to their worth. Every man will readily grant them to be great virtues, and arguments of a generous mind, but that there is fo much of true wifdom in them, and that they really serve to profit our interest in this world, feems a great paradox to the generality of men; and yet I doubt not but it is undoubtedly true, and generally found to be fo, in the experience of mankind. Laftly, LV: SERM. Laftly, Confider that it is not worth our while to diffemble, confidering the shortnefs and especially the uncertainty of our lives. To what purpose should we be fo cunning, when our abode in this world is so short and uncertain? why fhould any man by diffembling his judgment, or acting contrary to it, incur at once the difpleasure of GOD, and the difcontent of his own mind? especially if we confider, that all our diffimulation fhall one day be made manifeft and published on the open theatre of the world, before GOD, angels, and men, to our everlasting fhame and confusion; all disguise and vizards fhall then be pluckt off, and every man fhall appear in his true colours. "For then the fecrets of men fhall be judged, and God will bring every work into judg "ment, and every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Nothing is now covered, "which fhall not then be revealed, nor hid which "fhall not then be known." Let us then be now what we would be glad to be found in that day, when all pretences fhall be examined, and the closest hypocrify of men shall be laid open and dafht out of countenance; when the fecrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, and all the hidden works of darkness shall be revealed, and all our thoughts, words, and actions fhall be brought to a strict and severe trial, and be cenfured, by that impartial and infallible judgment of GOD, which is according to truth; "in the day when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by JESUS CHRIST.” To whom, with the FATHER and the HOLY SERMON SERMON LVI. The excellency of Abraham's faith and obedience. HEBREW S xi. 17, 18, 19. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Ifaac: and be that had received the promises offered up his only begotten fon: of whom it was faid, that in Ifaac fhall thy feed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence alfo be received him in a figure. TH hall, 1686, HE defign of this epiftle to the Hebrews is SER M. to recommend to them the chriftian religion, LVI. to which they were but newly converted, Preached and to encourage them to conftancy in the profef- at Whitefion of it, notwithstanding the fufferings which at- before the tended it. He fets before them in this chapter fe- princefs veral examples in the old teftament of those, who, tho' they were under a much more imperfect difpenfation, yet by a stedfast belief in God and his promifes, had performed fuch wonderful acts of obedience and felf-denial. He begins with the patriarchs before the flood; but infifts chiefly upon the examples of two eminent perfons of their own nation, as nearest to them, and most likely to prevail upon them, the examples of VOL. IV. Abraham 7X Anne. SERM. Abraham and Mofes, the one the father of their na LVI tion, the other their great lawgiver, and both of them the greateft patterns of faith, and obedience, and felf-denial, that the hiftory of all former ages, from the beginning of the world, had afforded. I fhall at this time, by God's affistance, treat of the first of these, the example of Abraham, the conftancy of whofe faith, and the chearfulness of whose obedience, even in the difficulteft cafes, is fo remarkable above all the other examples mentioned in this chapter. For, "at the command of God he "left his kindred and his country, not knowing "whither he should go;" by which eminent act of obedience he declared himself to be wholly at GOD'S disposal, and ready to follow him: but this was no trial in comparison of that here in my text, when GOD commanded him "to offer up his only fon:" but fuch was the immutable ftedfastness of his faith, and the perfect fubmiffion of his obedience, that it does not appear that he made the least check at it; but out of perfect reverence and obedience to the authority of the divine command, he went about it as readily and chearfully as if GOD had bid him do fome small thing: " by faith Abraham, when he was "tried, offered up Ifaac." For the explication of which words, it will be requifite to confider two things. First, the trial or temptation in general. Secondly, the excellency of Abraham's faith and obedience upon his trial. First, the trial or temptation in general: it is faid "that Abraham when he was tried, the word is LVI. 'Taegóμev, being tempted:" that is, GOD intend-S ER M. ing to make trial of his faith and obedience; and fo it is expreft, Gen. xxii. 1. where it is faid, " that "GOD did tempt Abraham, and faid unto him, "take now thy fon, thine only fon." Now there are two difficulties concerning this matter. It seems contrary to fcripture, that GOD should tempt any man; and contrary to reafon; because GOD, who knows what every man will do, needed not to make trial of any man's faith and obedience, First, it seems contrary to fcripture; which fays, "GOD tempts no man:" and 'tis most true, that GOD tempts no man, with a defign to draw him into fin; but this doth not hinder, but he may try their faith and obedience with great difficulties, to make them the more illuftrious. Thus GOD tempted Abraham; and he permitted Job, and even our bleffed SAVIOUR himself to be thus tempted. Secondly, it seems contrary to reason, that GOD, who knows what any man will do in any circumftances, fhould go to make trial of it. But GOD does not try men for his own information; but to give an illuftrious proof and example to others of faith and obedience: and tho' after this trial of Abraham, GOD fays to him, "now I know that "thou loveit me, because thou haft not withneld "thy fon, thine only fon from me;" yet we are to understand this as fpoken after the manner of men; as God elsewhere fpeaks to Abraham concerning Sodom; "I will go down now to fee "whether they have done altogether according to 7 X 2 "the |