defty, are Things perfectly reafonable; and Excefs, and Diffolutenefs, and Indecency, mifchievous and fhameful? Being focial Creatures, we are as evidently bound to whatever will make Society happy. And fince we are very fenfible, that others ought to treat us with Juftice and Kindnefs, peaceably mind their own Bufinefs, and diligently provide for their own Maintenance; we cannot but be fenfible, that we ought to do the fame Things. Then laftly, being Creatures capable of knowing our Creator, who is not far from every one of us; for in Him we live, and move, and have our Being: it follows very clearly, that we are not to forget Him, but worship and obey Him as the almighty, all-wife, and all-good Maker and Lord of the Universe; acknowledge our Dependance on Him, be thankful to Him for his Mercies, and refign ourselves to his Difpofal.

Thus much, one should have thought, all Men must have known, without fupernatural Teaching: and certainly they might; and therefore are juftly blameable and punishable, if they do not. But ftill it hath appeared in Fact, that wherever Men have been left to their own Reason, neither every one hath taught himself, nor the wiser Part of the World taught the rest, even these plain Things; fo as to produce any fteady Regard to them, as Duties, or even any fettled Conviction of them, as Truths. And for Want of it, Sin and Mifery have prevailed every where. Men have made others and themselves wretched in numberless Ways: and often doubly wretched by the Reflections of their own Hearts; knowing they had done ill, and not knowing how to be sure of Pardon.

Forefeeing from Eternity thefe dreadful Confequences of human Ignorance and Wickedness, God provided fuitable Remedies of Inftruction and Grace: which he notified to the World from Time to Time, as his own

d Acts xvii. 27, 28.

unfearchable

unfearchable Wisdom faw would be fitteft; increafing the Light gradually, till it fhone out in the full Day of Chriftianity. But Revelation, as well as Reafon, hath been given in vain to a great Part of Mankind. The Propagation of it through the Earth hath been ftrangely neglected in many Places, where it hath been received, it hath been loft again: and in too many,. where it is retained, it is grievously corrupted and obfcured. Without Queftion, we ought to judge as charitably as we can of all who are in any of these Conditions: but at the fame Time we ought, from the Bottom of our Hearts, to thank God that none of them is our own. Undoubtedly He is and will be gracious to all his Creatures, as far as they are fit Objects but it is the Riches of his Grace, that He hath bestowed on us and as, with Juftice, He might difpofe of his own free Gifts as He pleafed; fo, in Mercy, He hath conferred a large Proportion of them on this Nation and Age. Bleffings, that are common and familiar, though indeed much the greater for that, are ufually but little regarded. And thus, amongst other Things, the Opportunities that we enjoy of religious Knowledge, it may be feared, are often very lightly efteemed. But would we reflect, how much less Means of being acquainted with the Duties of this Life, and the Rewards of another, not only the unenlightened Heathen World, but the Jews, the People of God, had formerly; and much the greateft Part even of Chriftians have had for Numbers of fucceffive Generations, and have ftill, than We: it would make us feel, that our Saviour's Words belong to us alfo: Verily, 1 jay unto you, that many Prophets and righteous Men have defired to fee thofe Things which ye jee, and have not feen them: and to hear thofe Things which ye hear, and have not heard them. But bleed are your Eyes, for they fee; and your Ears, for they bears.

But then, and, for the Sake of God and our Souls,.

Eph. i. 7. ii. 7.

f Matth. xii, 16, 17.

let us obferve it; if feeing we fee not, and hearing we bear not, to the only good Purpofe of Life, that of becoming in Heart and in Practice, fuch as we ought; better had it been for us, not to have known the Way of Righteoufnefs, than, after we have known it, to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto us. For unto whomfoever much is given, of him fhall much be required. The Servant, that knew his Lord's Will, and prepared not himfelf, neither did according to his Will, fhall be beaten with many Stripes: he that knew it not, with few. But take Notice; he that, in Comparifon with others, may be faid not to know the Will of God, knows enough of it however to fubject him, if he fails of doing it, to future Punishment; to be beaten with Stripes. Not even a heathen Sinner therefore fhall efcape intirely by his Ignorance: much lefs will that Plea excufe a Christian: but leaft of all can thofe Chriftians hope for Mercy, who hear the Word of God preached to them weekly; have it in their Hands, and may read it daily and yet tranfgrefs it. Verily I jay unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the Day of Judgment,

than for fuch Perfons.

Let no one argue from hence, that Knowledge then is no Bleing. For the more we know of our Maker and our Duty, the better we are qualified to be good in this World, and happy in the next. And we can never be worfe for it, unlefs we will, by making either no Ufe or a bad Use of it. Nor let any one imagine, that, though we need not be the worfe for our Knowledge, yet fince we may, Ignorance is the fafer Choice; as what will excufe our Sins, if not intirely, yet in a great Measure. But let us all remember, it is not pretended, but real, Ignorance; nor even that, unless we could not help it, that will be any Plea in our Favour. Wilful, or even careless Ignorance, is a great Sin itself; and therefore can never procure us Pardon for the other Sins which it may

Matth. xiii. 13. Mark vi, 11.

1 2 Pet. ii. 21.

Luke xii. 47, 48.

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occafion,

occafion. What should any of us think of a Servant who kept out of the Way of receiving his Mafter's Orders, purpofely because he had no Mind to do them?: Nay, fuppofing him only through Negligence not to understand the Bufinefs that he was required to learn and follow would thus justify him? Would it not be faid, that what he might and ought to have known, it was his own Fault if he did not know? And what do we think of God, if we hope to impofe on Him with Pleas that will not pafs amongst ourselves?

Fix it in your Hearts then the firft indifpenfable Duty of Man is, to learn the Will of his Maker; the next, to do it: and Nothing can excufe you from either. Attend therefore diligently on all fuch Means of Inftruction as God's Providence gives you: efpecially the public Instruction of the Church, which, having exprefsly appointed for you, he will affuredly blefs to you; provided you obferve our Saviour's most important Di rection, Take heed how ye hear1. For on that it depends, whether the preaching of the Gospel fhall be Life or Death to you. One it muft be: and thefe very Lectures, amongst other Things, which have been truly intended for your eternal Good, will prove, if you apply them not to that End, what God forbid they should, a Means of increafing your future Condemnation. Be intreated therefore to confider very feriously what you are taught; for be there ever fo much of the Weakness of Man in it, there is the Power of God unto Salvation, unless you hinder it yourselves. Never defpife then the meanest of your Inftructors; and never think of admiring the ableft: but remember that your Bufinefs is, neither to applaud nor cenfure other Perfons Peformances; but to improve your own Hearts, and mend your own Lives. Barely coming and hearing is Nothing. Barely being pleafed and moved and affected is Nothing. It is only minding and doing the Whole of

your Duty, not fome Part of it alone, that is any Thing.

Knowing the Words of your Catechifin is of no other Ufe, than to preferve in your Memories the Things which thofe Words exprefs. Knowing the Meaning of your Catechifm ever fo well, in every Part, is of no other Ufe than to put you on the Performance of what it teaches. And performing fome Things ever fo conftantly or zealously, will not avail, without a faithful Endeavour to perform every Thing. Have it always in your Thoughts therefore, that Practice, uniform Practice, is the one Thing needful. Your Knowledge may be very low and imperfect, your Faith not very clear and diftinct: but however poorly you are capable of furnishing your Heads; if your Hearts and Lives be good, all is well.

But here, I pray you, obferve further, that as it is not in understanding and believing, fo it is not in Devotion merely, that Religion confifts. The common Duties of common Life make far the greatest Part of what our Maker expects of us. To be honest and fober, and modeft and humble, and good-tempered and mild, and induftrious and ufeful in our feveral Stations, are Things to which all Perfons are as much bound as they can be to any Thing: and when they proceed from a Principle of Confcience towards God, and are offered up to Him, as our bounden Duty, through Jefus Chrift, are as true and as acceptable a Service to Him, as either our Attendance at Church, or our Prayers in Retirement at Home. And they, who abound in thefe latter Duties, and neglect any of the former, only difgrace Religion, and deceive themfelves.

Yet understand me not, I beg you, to fpeak flightly of Devotion, either private or public. On the contrary, I recommend both to you most earnestly: for our immediate Duty to God is the higheft of all Duties, the first and great Commandment of natural Religion : Matth, xxii, 38.

n

and