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Secret, we may know both what we are, SER M.. and how we came to be, what we are, and IV. also what we may be, if we please; that we are indeed Creatures of the uppermoft Rank of Beings that are upon this Globe; but Oh! how fallen! how chang'd from human Nature in its State of Innocence! But then, tho' our Nature have got a different Stamp from what it received at its firft Formation, tho' the Characters are in a great measure obliterated, and the Divine Hand in fome fort defac'd, yet we know that the Divine Goodness has put us in a Method to recover the Impreffion, and revive the Image of God, in which we were first made, from the Injuries of Sin and Death; 10 good an Effect, we now find from that early Prophecy, which is now fulfill'd at the Coming of Chrift, the promis'd Seed, into the World. This will naturally lead us to avoid two Things equally prejudicial to every good Man, i. e. Not to think too highly, or two meanly of ourfelves; one leads to the high Road of Prefumption, the other to the dangerous Precipice of Defpair. As to the firft, There have not been wanting fome who haverais'd human Nature almoft to a Level with the divine, and have made Man self-sufficient, a Creature perfect and K inde

SERM independent, when at the fame time every
IV. fingle Man in the World is a Contradiction

to it. But whence fhould this Perfection
come? Not from Nature, for Man broke
that Law, and was condemn'd by it; nor
yet by any subsequent Law, for every thing
after the firft Tranfgreffion muft of courfe
be upon the Foot of Grace. "Tis monftrous
therefore to entertain fuch Notions of our-
felves, fo contrary to Fact and Experience,
and which tend fo manifeftly to exclude God
out of the Universe; for as far as we fet up
for Perfection in ourselves, fo far we deny
it to God. 'Tis a Perfection which we are
not to thank God for: What Sort of Perfec-
tion this is, I leave to every proud Man to
confider. Nor are there wanting others,
who, on the contrary, run down Mankind
to a Level with Brutes, as if, because there
is fomewhat wrong in Man, there is there-
fore nothing good in him.
The dwelling
too much upon the Confideration of Man in
his fallen State, without confidering enough
his Redemption again by Chrift, has thrown
many into a gloomy, melancholy Opinion of
human Nature; whereas, tho' Man is fallen,
yet he is not loft; tho' he is a Sinner, and
the Law allows no Pardon, yet the Gospel
does. Man is therefore upon a noble Footing

ftill;

ftill; for tho' he has Infirmities enough to SERM. pull down his Pride, yet, through the Gift, IV. of God, he is enabled to obtain eternal Life. In short, he has enough to blame himself and to thank God for, which is the true State of Man, confider'd as a Christian. Upon the whole, let us entertain fuch Notions of God and ourselves, that our Humility may entitle us to his Grace, and both together bring us to that Glory which by Sin we had juftly forfeited.

SERM.

V.

SERMON V.

ACTS ii. 27.

Because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, neither wilt thou fuffer thine Holy One to fee Corruption.

HE Refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the Dead is a Matter of fuch great Importance, that Chriftianity depends upon the Truth of it: For, as the Apoftle fays, If Chrift be not rifen, then is our Faith vain, we are yet in our Sins. And therefore we find the Apoftles, when they firft fet out to preach the Gospel, after they were endued with Power from on High, open'd their Commiffion with afferting this great Truth i which they maintain'd with a Courage fuitable to the Dignity and Importance of the Thing; and made it a Qualification for an A poftle

1

Apoftle which was to be chofen in the SERM, Room of Judas, That he fhould be one V. which had companied with them all the Time that the Lord Jefus was converfant among them, beginning from the Baptism of John unto the Day that he was taken up from them, that he might be a Witness with them of the Refurrection. And in this Chapter, St Peter, in his firft Sermon, addreffes himself to the Jews in this Manner; Te Men of Ifrael, hear thefe Words; Jefus of Nazareth, a Man approv'd of God among you by Miracles, Wonders and Signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; him being deliver'd by the determinate Counfel and Foreknowledge of God ye have taken, and by wicked Hands have crucified and flain; whom God hath raised up, having loofed the Pains of Death, because it was not poffible that he should be holden of it. And then takes a Quotation out of the 16th Pfalm, and applies it as a Prophecy of the Refurrection. For David, fays he, speaketh concerning him, I forefaw the Lord always before my Face, for he is on my Right Hand that I fhould not be moved. Therefore did my Heart rejoice, and my Tongue was glad, Morcover alfo my Flefh fhall reft in

Hope,