barely considered as in way of theory most perfective of our understanding, it being conversant on the noblest object of contemplation) is in itself very desirable; and on the same ground error in divine things is no small evil or defect; both these, such knowlege and such error respectively, are very considerable, as having a powerful influence on action; for according to men's conceptions about God is their practice, religious and moral, very much regulated; if men conceive well of God, they will be guided and moved thereby to render him a worship and an obedience worthy of him, and acceptable to him; if they are ignorant of him, or mistake about him, they will accordingly perform services to him, or pretences of service, which shall neither become him nor please him; (God by such misconceptions being transformed into an idol, their religion will become vile or vain superstition.) And since all men apprehend the example of God a perfect rule of action, that they cannot do better than to resemble and imitate him, such as they conceive God to be, such in good measure they will endeavor to be themselves, both in their disposition and demeanor; whence infallibly the virtues and defects which lie in their notion will exert and diffuse themselves into their life.

2. A second great excellency peculiar to the Christian institution is this, that it faithfully informeth us concerning ourselves, concerning our nature, our original, our end, all our state past, present, and final; points about which otherwise by no reason, no history, no experience, we could be well resolved or satisfied: it teacheth us that we consist of a frail mortal body, taken from the earth and fashioned by God's hand, and of an immortal spirit, derived from heaven, and breathed out of God's mouth; whereby we understand the dignity of our nature and nobleness of our descent, our near alliance and our great obligation to God; and consequently how it concerneth us to behave ourselves, both in regard to God and toward ourselves, in a manner answerable to such a relation, worthy of such a high birth and quality: it showeth us that we were originally designed by a voluntary obedience to glorify our Maker, and in so doing to partake of joy and felicity from him; that accordingly we were created in a state agreeable to those purposes, wherein we were fit to serve God, and capable

thereby ever to continue happy: but that by our unworthy dis trust and wilful disobedience we cast ourselves from thence, and lapsed into this wretched state of inward blindness, error, and disorder, of outward frailty, sorrow, and trouble: it acquainteth us farther how being thus estranged from God, and exposed to the effects of his just displeasure, we are yet again, by his exceeding mercy and favor, put into a capacity of recovering our selves, of being reinstated in a condition happy far beyond that from which we fell, by returning unto God and complying with his will declared unto us; as also how continuing obstinately in our degeneracy and disobedience we shall assuredly plunge our selves deeper into an abyss of endless misery: it fully represent eth unto us what shall be our future state and final doom, how it shall be suited to our demeanors and deserts in this life; what a strict trial, what a severe judgment, all our actions (even our passant words and our secret thoughts) must hereafter undergo; and how on the result, we shall become either exceedingly happy or extremely miserable for ever. It is indeed this doctrine only which fully resolveth us about this weighty inquiry, which hath so much perplexed all men, and with so much irresolution exercised philosophers, wherein the final end and happiness of man consisteth, and what is the way of attaining it; assuring us that it consisteth not in any of these transitory things, nor in a confluence of them all, but in the favor and the enjoyment of God, with the blessings flowing thence; that this happiness is only by a sincere and constant obedience to God's holy laws, or by the practice of such a piety and such a virtue which this doctrine prescribeth, to be obtained. These most important truths, so useful both for the satisfaction of our minds, and the direction of our lives, this doctrine unfoldeth: I call them truths, and that really they are such even their harmony and consistence between themselves, their consouancy with inferences from all sorts of principles, which we can apply for learning of truth, with what about these matters reason collecteth, tradition reporteth, experience doth imply, may well persuade us for that man was first made and constituted in a happy state; that he was for his misbehavior detruded thence ; that hence he is become so very prone to vice, and so much subject to pain; that our souls do abide after death; that after

this life there shall be a reckoning and judgment, according to which good men (who here are often much afflicted) shall be rewarded with joy, and bad men (who commonly prosper here) shall be requited with pain, the wisest men, on these grounds, always have surmised; and their rational conjectures our religion with a positive and express assertion doth establish. So great a light doth it afford (which is no small perfection thereof) to the knowlege of ourselves and our chief concernments, the objects, next to God and what concerneth him, best deserving our inquiry and information.

3. It is a peculiar excellency of our religion, that it prescribeth an accurate rule of life, most congruous to reason, and suitable to our nature; most conducible to our welfare and our content; most apt to procure each man's private good, and to promote the public benefit of all; by the strict observance whereof we shall do what is worthy of ourselves and most becoming us ; yea, shall advance our nature above itself into a resemblance of the divine nature; we shall do God right, and obtain his favor; we shall oblige and benefit men, acquiring withal goodwill and good respect from them; we shall purchase to ourselves all the conveniences of a sober life, and all the comforts of a good conscience. For if we first examine the precepts directive of our practice in relation to God, what can be more just, or comely, or pleasant, or beneficial to us, than are those duties of piety which our religion doth enjoin? What can be more fit than that we should most highly esteem and honor him who is most excellent? that we should bear most hearty affection to him who is in himself most good, and most beneficial to us? that we should have a most awful dread of him who is so infinitely powerful, holy, and just? that we should be very grateful unto him from whom we have received our being, with all the comforts and conveniences thereof? that we should intirely trust and hope in him who can do what he will, and will do whatever in reason we can expect from his goodness, and can never fail to perform what he hath promised? that we should render all obedience and observance to him whose children, whose servants, whose subjects we are born; by whose protec tion and provision we enjoy our life and livelihood? Can there be a higher privilege than liberty of access, with assurance of

being favorably received in our needs, to him who is thoroughly able to supply them? Can we desire on easier terms to receive benefits than by acknowleging our wants, and asking for them? Can there be required a more gentle satisfaction from us for our offences, than confession of them, accompanied with repentance and effectual resolution to amend? Is it not, in fine, most equal and fair that we should be obliged to promote his glory, who hath obliged himself to further our good? The practice of such a piety as it is apparently Xoyin λarpeía, 'a reasonable service,' so it cannot but produce excellent fruits of advantage to ourselves, a joyful peace of conscience, and a comfortable hope, a freedom from all superstitious terrors and scruples, from all tormenting cares and anxieties; it cannot but draw down from God's bountiful hands showers of blessings on our heads, and of joys into our hearts; whence our obligation to these duties is not only reasonable, but very desirable.

Consider we next the precepts by which our religion doth regulate our deportment toward our neighbors and brethren ; (so it styleth all men, intimating thence the duties it requireth us to perform toward them ;) and what directions in that kind can be imagined comparably so good, so useful, as those which the gospel affordeth? An honest Pagan historian saith of the Christian profession, that nil nisi justum suadet et lene; the which is a true, though not full character thereof. It enjoineth us that we should sincerely and tenderly love one another, should earnestly desire and delight in each other's good, should heartily sympathise with all the evils and sorrows of our brethren, should be ready to yield them all the help and comfort we are able, being willing to part with our substance, our ease, our pleasure, for their benefit or succor; not confining this our charity to any sorts of men, particularly related or affected toward us, but, in conformity to our heavenly Father's boundless goodness, extending it to all; that we should mutually bear one another's burdens, and bear with one another's infirmities, mildly resent and freely remit all injuries, all discourtesies done unto us; retaining no grudge in our hearts, ex

* Am. Marc. 1. 22.

ecuting no revenge, but requiting them with good wishes and good deeds. It chargeth us to be quiet and orderly in our stations, diligent in our callings, veracious in our words, upright in our dealings, observant of our relations, obedient and respectful toward our superiors, meek and gentle to our inferiors; modest and lowly, ingenuous and compliant in our conversation, candid and benign in our censures, innocent and inoffensive, yea courteous and obliging, in all our behavior toward all persons. It commandeth us to root out of our hearts all spite and rancor, all envy and malignity, all pride and haughtiness, all evil suspicion and jealousy; to restrain our tongue from all slander, all detraction, all reviling, all bitter and harsh language; to banish from our practice whatever may injure, may hurt, may needlessly vex or trouble our neighbor. It engageth us to prefer the public good before any private convenience, before our own opinion or humor, our credit or fame, our profit or advantage, our ease or pleasure; rather discarding a less good from ourselves, than depriving others of a greater. Now who can number or estimate the benefits that spring from the practice of these duties, either to the man that observeth them, or to all men in common? *O divinest Christian charity, what tongue can worthily describe thy most heavenly beauty, thy incomparable sweetness, thy more than royal clemency and bounty? how nobly dost thou enlarge our minds beyond the narrow sphere of self and private regard into an universal care and complacence, making every man ourself, and all concernments to be ours! how dost thou entitle us unto, how dost thou invest us in, all the goods imaginable; dost enrich us with the wealth, dost prefer us with the honor, dost adorn us with the wisdom and the virtue, dost bless us with all prosperity of the world, whilst all our neighbor's good, by our rejoicing therein, becometh our own! how dost thou raise a man above the reach of all mischiefs and disasters, of all troubles and griefs, since nothing can disturb or discompose that soul, wherein thou dost constantly reside, and absolutely reign! how easily dost thou, without pain or hazard, without drawing blood or striking stroke, render him that enjoyeth thee an absolute conqueror over

* Chrys. 'Avop. 19.