lettest Thou thy Servant depart in Peace, for mine Eyes have feen thy Salvation, which thou hast prepared before the Face of all People: A Light to enlighten the Gentiles; and to be the Glory of thy People Ifrael!

Then Anna the Prophètefs, coming into the Temple, gave Thanks likewife unto the Lord, and Spake of Chrift to all them that looked for Redemp tion in Ifrael.

And next we may obferve how the wife Gentiles behaved on this Occafion, when they came from the East to Jerufalem, twelve Days after the Birth of ont Lord: Thefe Men tho' they were Heathens, and confidered him as a temporal King (as well as a fpiritual Saviour) yet approach him with no loud and clamarous Acclamations of noify and frantick Joy; no Drums, Trumpets, or Fiddles; but when they came into the Houfe and faw him, proftrating themselves, they worshipped him.

And now I wou'd beg leave to afk the Profeffors of Chriftianity, if they, on thefe Occafions, act confiftently with themfelves, who tell us their Times called Holy-days are more especially fet apart for pious Purpofes: Are they then agreeable to this Defign employ'd in an Enquiry, whether you have any rational Ground to hope you have an Interest in the Saviour, whose Birth you profels to commemorate? Do you examine whether your Practice keeps Pace with your Profeffion? Do you live a Life of Humility and Holiness agreeable to the Example our holy Pattern recommends to our Imitation; who was holy, harmlefs, and undefiled, feparate from Sin, and Sinners? Or, on the contrary, are fiot thefe Times confider'd, by most People, no otherwife than Seafons of

Mirth

Mirth and Jollity? And, as fuch, are they not chiefly fpent, by Profeffors themselves, in Feafting, and Dancing, Gaming, Jefting and Wantonnefs not confidering the Work our Lord came to accomplish, neither do they regard the Hand of Power that would save them! And among the inferior Clafs of People, what but one contiued Scene of Drunkenness, Riot, Debauchery and Madness, appears to every common Obferver! "Twould be much more beneficial, That the Hufbandman fhould till bis Grounds, and the Artift following or working at his Trade, than that they should be thus idle, or, what is worfe, doing wickedly on thefe Occafions, when by Reafon of wicked Works they crucify afresh the Lord of Life and Glory, and put him to open Shame!

I would once more afk both Profeffors and Prophane, whether Men, &c. in thefe Circumstances, can poffibly have any juft Title to the facred Name of Chriftianity, while they act in direct Oppofition to the Nature of it? And whether this, and fuch like Converfations, becomes the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift? Examine I beseech you, these Things seriously, and folidly; and I dare venture to say, you will find, with me (who was once in the Obfervation of Times, &c.) that all fuch Rejoycing is Evil: And that the appointed Fafts and Feafts, in the Manner you obferve them, are an Abomination to the Lord, yea, his Soul loaths them!

I have before told you, that it was not my Intention to examine and confider every particular Trangreffion the Controverfy of God is againft, yet I shall briefly mention the Catalogue of Sins

the

the Apostle Paul gives us, and which he fays are the Fruits of the Flesh, and while People continue to produce fuch Fruit, they cannot poffibly have an Entrance adminifter'd to them into the Kingdom of God. Now, (says he) the Works of the Flesh are manifeft, which are thefe, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lafciviousness, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Varience, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Herefies, Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings, and fuch like. And in 1 Cor. vi. 10. he adds, Theft, Covetoufness, Revileings, Extortion, &c. of which (fays he) I have told you in Time past, that they which do fuch Things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And in the first of Romans, he describes fuch as did not like to retain God in their Knowledge, by thefe Marks or Characters, That they were filled with all Unrighteousness, as Fornication, Wickedness, Covetuousness, Maliciousness, Full of Envy, Murder, Debate, Deceit, Malignity; that they were Whisperers, Backbiters, Haters of God, Defpiteful, proud Boafters, Inventers of evil Things, Difobedient to Parents, without Understanding, Covenant Breakers, without natural Affection, implacable and unmerciful. And to make the Contraft or Oppofition of fuch Things to the Spirit of Christianity the more apparent and obvious, he immediately opposes the Works or Fruits, which the Spirit of Chrift produces in his People, who follow its Leadings and Directions: But the Fruit of the Spirit, is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance, Galatians v. 22. And the Wisdom which is from above, (or from God) is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, ealy to be entreated, full of Mercy, and

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good Fruits, without Partiality, and without Hypocrijy, James iii. 17. After the Apostle had been enumerating the Sins of the Gentiles, &c. which had been prevalent among them before their Converfion to the Christian Faith; Such (fays he) in time paft were fome of you; and he tells the Ephefians, you bath Chrift quicken'd, who were dead in Trefpaffes and Sins; wherein, in Time past, ye walked, according to the Courfe (or Cuftoms) of this World, according to the Power of the Prince of the Air; the Spirit that worketh now in (the Hearts of) the Children of Difobedience, among whom also we had our Converfation in the Lufts of our Flesh; fulfilling the Defires of the Flesh, and of the Mind: But God who is rich in Mercy, even when we were dead in Sin, &c bath quicken'd us together in Chrift Jefus, and made us fit together in heavenly Places.

And now it feems fit we fhould examine how this great and glorious Work was brought about and effected, viz. by a Refurrection from the Death of Sin to a Life of Righteousness; which this fame Apostle tells us, was (and is) done by the washing of Regeneration, and renewing (Power) of the Holy Ghost (in the Heart ;) But now are ye washed, but ye are fanctifyed, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Hence we may obferve, that these Believers, who were in Time paft Sinners, are now, by the fanctifying Power of Christ, and Obedience to the Faith deliver'd, become Saints; agreeable to what the Apostle Paul writes to the Christian Churches, Your Bodies (fays he) are the Temples of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you, 1 Cor. vi. 19. The Ephe

fans were Fellow-citizens with the Saints, and Houfbold of God. The Converfation of the Phillippians was in Heaven. The Colloffians were delivered from the Power of Darkness, and tranflated into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God. The Hebrews were come to the City of the living God; to the heavenly Jerufalem: And the Apostle Peter tells the Churches, that they were a chofen Generation, a royal Priesthood, and holy Nation, a peculiar People. 1 Pet. ii. 9.

But is this the State of Chriftians in our Age? Can we fay we are come to this heavenly Jerufalem, where the great God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth? Or are we Strangers to thofe Things that they experienced; and yet perfwade ourselves, that we are the People of God, and good Chriftians? The primitive Churches had the honourable Title of Saints; we can give ourselves no better Name than miferable Sinners. And what is the Reason, that we are fo much outdone by the Churches aforementioned? We can't conclude, that the Kingdom of Chrift, that then appear'd in Power, did, as the Sun in the Firmament fometimes doth, fhew itself in a Morning, and be no more seen all the Day; for the Kingdom of Chrift is an everlasting Kingdom, and his new Covenant an everlasting Covenant. Neither can we conclude, that God hath withdrawn himself from the Children of Men; for he never forfakes us, unless we forfake him; as the Clouds hinder, that we cannot at all Times of the Day fee the Brightness of the Sun, fo Iniquity hinders, that we do not remain fenfible of the Prefence of God. The Apoftle forefaw, that there would be a falling away from

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