under force and violence; and they that force things, often break themselves, but things return to their courfe. This hath been found true in cases of several forts: res nolunt male administrari. When the impediment is removed, things return to their natural courfe. If there be no rancour, no naughtinefs in our minds, to obey God's commandments will be connatural to us, not grievous.

but,

The world hath an ill opinion of religion if we will believe our Saviour, his yoke is eafy, and his burden is light, Matt. xi. 30. His commandments are not grievous, John v. 3. David found high content in them. Pf. cxix. And Solomon, it is the fum of all his experience, he found all else to be vanity, but the true motions of religion. It fometimes comes to pass, through the grace and goodness of God, that fome particular perfons, after a wild course run (if incorrigibleness, and invincible hardness, be not contracted, by unnatural practice,) upon self-reflection, and after confideration, come greatly to befool themselves, and challenge, and condemn themselves in what they have done; and return with firm refolution, and great courage to ways of sobriety, and religion; and hold better to it, because of former coftly experience. Such an instance is a great condemnation to licentious and exorbitant practices, and is a teftimony from perfons of double experience, of the better ways of virtue. And this we have had experience of, that none prove better men than thefe; and they make recompence by their good example, and justify the truth which they did tranfgrefs arbitrarily and licentiously before.

DISCOURSE LXVII.

Whatsoever things are true.

PHIL. iv. 8.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are Seemly, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on thefe things.

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Weightier fcripture, more fummary and comprehenfive of all perfection, more matter of greater weight I do not find contracted any where. This text fhews how complete and wellfurnished the man of God should be; one who profeffes himself a christian, and names Christ and pretends to the faith of the gofpel; whatfoever is good in its nature and quality, should be well known to him, fhould be his ornament and accomplishment, fhould be that which may endow his mind and qualify his fpirit; for fee how deeply the man of God, or a christian is here charged. There are no fewer than eight heads of which I fhall give you a full

account.

I. Whatsoever is right, fincere and true.
II. Whatsoever is comely, grave and venerable.
III. Whatsoever is fair, just and equal.

IV. Whatsoever is facred, pure and holy.

V. Whatsoever is generous, noble and lovely.

VI. Whatsoever is of credit, value or esteem, a. mong persons competent to judge, viz. persons of well informed understandings, and well refined morals; for other perfons are no more competent to judge what is of value or worth, than a blind man, of colours, or a deaf man, of founds.

VII. Whatsoever is of fingular use, or particular. virtue.

VIII. Whatfoever may recommend a man's perfon, or gain him advantage.

Whatsoever is fuch as this upon any of these accounts, it is to be the exercise, and employment of every man that calls himself a christian; and by thefe he is to make himself known to the world: in all these cases he ought to think it worthy of himself and becoming him, to discharge himself fully. Think on these things; that is, in the use of your reafon, mind and understanding; in the exercife of your rational faculties, charge yourselves with these things: It is not barely, have these things in your thoughts; but, in the use of your reafon recommend all these things to yourself; think that you do not acquit yourself, that you do not do that which becomes you, that you do not raise a connatural fuperftructure to the foundation of nature, that you do not do that which is suitable to a christian, that you have your reafon to little purpose; if you do not in the reafon of your mind think all these things worthy of you. This is the fum of the words; finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, VOL. III. A a

what

whatfoever things are honeft, &c. And this for the general; I now come to particulars.

I. Whatsoever things are true. And here we must take up Pilate's question, what is truth? John xviii. 38. I will chufe to give you an account only in things practical; but yet you must give me leave a little; and the better to give you an account of this particular, I shall digest what I have to fay into this following method.

First, Declare the difference of truth; for truth is first in things, then in our apprehenfions.

Secondly, The truth of things is confiderable either in foro naturæ, or genere morum; that is, upon a natural account, or as it is the concernment of an intelligent and voluntary agent.

Thirdly, I fhall fhew whence arifeth our obligation to truth.

Fourthly, By what rules we shall find out truth. -Fifthly, The evidences and affurances we have of truth.

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Sixthly, Clear all, by fhewing all this in particular inftances. i.

-Seventhly, and laftly, make certain inferences. 3: For the first the truth of things lies in this; that things do exift of their own principles; as a man is a true man, because he doth confist of such a body and an immortal foul. Things are true, as they do exift of their principles, and as they are anfwerable to the idea of them in the divine mind pre-exiftent to them for this is the manners of working of an intelligent agent, to do things according to a pre-conceived apprehenfion of his mind. Now this

truth

truth of things is no charge of ours; it is God's charge; it is the effect of God's creation; for he hath made all things true, and therefore things must be true for God cannot fail either through impotency, or want of power, or through error of judgment and if any thing be monftrous, it arifeth ei ther from fome grofs matter, or from impediment; if there be any redundant or defective matter, or ifthe effect be hindered, then the thing must be monftrous, but otherwise we are to take it for granted that things are true, because they are God's workmanship. This is truth, metaphyfically but then that which we are concerned in, is the truth of our apprehenfions; and our apprehenfions are then true, when they agree with the truth and existence of things; when we conceive of things as they are; and if we think otherwise, then there is a lie in our understandings. And here is the occafion of all the evil that breaks in upon mortals, that we do not conceive of things as they are, but that all men (except some few) either worship the idol of some particular imagination, or the idol of popular superstition; they either follow private imagination of their own, or general miftakes; and he is a man of a thousand, that can rise and quit himself of these two idols. By false imagination a man deprives himself of good; for it is a true rule, that imagination makes the cafe within, tho' not without; for as a man conceives, fo is the cafe within; and Solomon observes, that the fimple or the fool believes every thing that is reprefented: but the state of things is determined; this is fixed by God in the moment of creation, and our judg→

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