dethroned, and, as is the Cafe of moral as well as civil Rebellions, the Dominion is claim'd by infinite Ufurpers, every Passion strives for mastery, Faction prevails, the Bounds of Decency and Regularity are broken down, Violence and Disorder break in upon the Soul, and a Deluge of Mifery enfues: And is not this the Wretchedness of Slavery? Where Reason governs there can be no fuch thing as Slavery, because it is the true and abfolute Right of Reason to govern, and the more abfolute its Dominion is, the more of Liberty: But when the Reason is enslaved, then the Man is enflaved in the highest Degree, because in his top Principle: If the inferior Appetites are thought to have more of Liberty by this means; if he hath now a Power to wallow in Brutality, to furfeit upon fordid and naufeous Entertainments, a Power which he had not before, he may be faid indeed to have got the Liberty of a Swine, but he loft the Liberty of a Man; that confifts in keeping up his Prerogative, in rifing above the Baseness of a depray'd Nature, in enlarging the Soul

in Virtue and Fiety, and exalting him to fpiritual and divine Happiness; where all within is calm and ferene, where Reafon fuggefts ftrongly, and Paffions obey chearfully; where the Judgment is clear, and the Will pliant, where the Functions of Virtue are regular and unconftrain'd, and the Offices of Holiness and Devotion are intense and pleasurable, where the Happiness of Eternity is our deliberate Choice, and the Pursuit of it our Endeavour and Delight, there it is that we enjoy the Fullness of Liberty, in fuch Service there is perfect Freedom. But a State of Sin is the Reverse of all this ; there Tumult and Mutiny fill the Soul, Reason is weak in its Power, Paffions ftrong in their Rebellion ; there the Darkness of the Understanding and Stubbornness of the Will add to the Disorder; the proper Functions of the Soul are quite fufpended, and its Performances are forced and extravagant; the blissful Communications with the Divine Being are thrown up, and the unnatural Converfe with finful Objects debases the fuperior Faculties; Vanity is

the beloved Choice, Mifery is before him, and he purfues it with all his Might. I have treated on this Subject purely in a rational Way, but purpose in another Discourse to pursue it likewise in a Christian Way, by fhewing that the Gospel Difpenfation will inveft us with perfect Freedom: But even here let the Sinner fit down and count his Gains; he hath broken out from the Dominion of Reason, but hath fallen under the Dominion of Paffions; he hath not therefore made an entire Purchase of Liberty; he has only exchanged his Submission; but he lofes by that Change. Instead of one governing Principle, he hath now many; inftead of the mild and regular Management of a Divine Faculty, which Faculty is likewife under the Controul of the Divine Grace, He receives the imperious Impofitions of brutal and devilish Appetites. But the Exchange will appear infinitely worfe, when we confider, that by being the Servants of Sin, we must reap the Wages of it, Death and eternal Destructon; but by

being the Servants of Righteousness, we fhall bave our Fruit unto prefent Holiness, and the End everlasting Life, through Jefus Chrift.

SERMON

SERMON XI.

JOHN iii, 36.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye fhall be free indeed.

HE Offer of Freedom,

which our Bleffed Lord

T

made in a preceeding Verfe to those Jews who believ ed on him, implied Sla

very on their Part, and a Power of conferring Freedom on his. This Offer

was receiv'd with fome Indignation; they answered, We are Abraham's Seed, and were never in Bondage to any Man : How fayeft thou, Ye shall be made free?

But