SERM. thine Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with III. all thy Might, i. e. Thou shalt not only yield up thy Affections to him, it is not fufficient that thy Heart be filled with the Love and Admiration of his tranfcendent Excellencies, unless thy Will be conformed unto his Divine Will, and thou yieldest a fteady and uniform Obedience unto his Laws. It is true, if there were more Gods than one, we could not love them

all with all our Heart; for either our Affections would be divided between them, Matth. vi. Or we fhould hate the one and love the other, as our Saviour tells us. But, fince there is but one only true God, we ought to render unto him the Glory due unto his Name.

24.

2. HENCE We may learn, whither we ought to flee for Safety and Protection, in a Time of Danger and Distress. For, fince there is but one fupreme Lord and Governor of the World, fince he has permitted, nay, commanded us, to approach his Throne with Boldness, and Affurance of obtaining his Affiftance, and Deliverance out of all Calamities, it is from him. alone that we ought to feek for Succour and it is to the Shadow of his Wings that we ought to flee for Refuge. This Confideration ought to comfort every good

Man

Man in a Time of Trouble, and fupport SERM. him under all the Afflictions which can III. poffibly befal him: That the fame God, who lays thefe Afflictions on him, can remove them, when he fees good fo to do; that it is the great Governor of the World has made this his Lot and Por tion, because he knows it is beft for him and that the fame God, who punishes him in this World, will reward him in the

next.

3. HENCE we may infer, how great a Crime thofe of the Church of Rome are guilty of, who endeavour to wreft the Government of the World out of God's Hands, and transfer that Worship to Saints and Angels, which is due to God alone, For, if there is but one Lord and Governor of the World, then all Power and Dominion is due to him; and he that affumes to himself any Power, which is not derived from him, intrenches upon his Prerogative, and places himself in his Throne. Such a Dominion as this have thofe of the Church of Rome bestowed upon Saints and Angels, and especially upon the bleffed Virgin; they pray to them, they worship them, they adore them, without fhewing fo much as the least Command or Warrant in Scripture fo to do. F 2 And

SERM. And though they pretend, that they on III. ly pray to the Saints to pray to God for them, yet it is evident, that they make fuch Addreffes to them, efpecially to the Virgin Mary, as are only proper to be made to God himself. For they devote themselves to her Service and Honour, refign themselves to her Will and Pleasure, and commit themselves and all their Affairs to her Guidance and Protection. They make Vows to her in their Diftrefs, offer Thanks and Praise to her for their Deliverance, beg her Affiftance in all Difficulties and Dangers, and particularly at the Hour of Death; and all this without the leaft Mention of her interceding for them, as may be plainly seen in our Lady's Pfalter; nay, fome of them have placed her in a Throne above God himself; and it is common to pray unto her, to command her Son to answer their Requests. These Things are so notorious, that they want no Proof, fince they are found in their own Miffals; and yet so evident and shameful a Violation of God's Power and Authority, that even thofe, who practise them, endeavour, what in them lies, to conceal and excuse them.

4. AND, Lastly, hence we may infer, SERM. that all those, who agree in the Worship III. of one God, ought to maintain brotherly Love and Charity one for another; for, fince we are the Servants of one Mafter, the Subjects of one King and Governor, nay, the Children of one common Parent, it is certainly our Duty to keep Peace and Friendship, and brotherly Love one with another. For, fince there is but one Cause of all Things, we may be affured, that he is a Principle of Order, and Harmony, and Agreement; fince there is but one fupreme King and Governor of the World, we may be affured that he requires his Subjects fhould live in Love and Peace, and will punish all fuch as harbour any Hatred, Envy, Malice, Variance, Emulation, Wrath, Strife. And, therefore, the Apoftle, exhorting the Ephefians to Love and Unanimity, doth it from this Topic; because there is one God and Father of Ephef. iv. all; with whofe Words I fhall conclude. 6. Verse 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

I therefore, the Prisoner of the Lord, befeech you, that ye walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called, with all Lowlinefs and Meekness, with long Suffering, forbearing one another in Love, endeavouring to keep the Unity of the SpiF 3

rit

SERM. rit in the Bond of Peace, because there is III. one Body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one Hope of your Calling; one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. To whose moft bleffed Name let us afcribe, as is most due, all Honour, Glory, Praise, Power, and Dominion, now and for

ever,

SERMON