Sermons preached on several occasionsSermons preach'd on several occasions

1. 'Tis God's Call, to which present Obedience is due. Carnal Sense is apt to object, Is it not a Man I see and hear? 'Tis true, but the Message is the King's, not the Ambassador's that brings it. A spiritual Eye looks beyond the Object of Carnal Sight, and sees Christ in the Minister by the Light of Faith. Were this believed, how would it fasten our Minds and Senses in the most serious Attention to the preaching of the Gospel!

1. 'Tis God's Call, to which present Obedience is due. Carnal Sense is apt to object, Is it not a Man I see and hear? 'Tis true, but the Message is the King's, not the Embassador's that brings it. A spiritual Eye looks beyond the Object of Carnal Sight, and sees Christ in the Minister by the Light of Faith. Were this believed, how would it fasten our Minds and Senses in the most serious Attention to the preaching of the Gospel!

2. Make judicious Comparisons between this World and the next. ⟨p. 372⟩As in the Light of the Sun there is an Influence that cherishes the vital Heat, and a Power that extinguishes the Kitchen Fire; so the Light of God's Word has a double Efficacy, it kindles Heavenly, and quenches Earthly Affections. Indeed there wants neither Glory nor Joy, nothing of complete Happiness in the World to come, to raise our Affections and fasten them upon it: and in this World all is Vanity and Vexation to alienate our Affections from it. What infinite Distance and Disproportion is there between the Objects of our Choice? Who would think it possible, but that 'tis visible every day, that they who have Mortal Souls should be careless of Eternal Things, and spend all their Pains and Passions about Things that expire with the Flux of Time? That they should neglect solid Happiness, and pursue shining Bubbles? ⟨p. 373⟩But the present World fascinates their Understandings, inspires their Fancy with Dreams of Happiness here: Sensuality charms them into Stupidity: they are unwilling to be disenchanted; they enjoy their Error, and are entertained with pleasant Delusions, till awakened by eternal Flames.