ons to his creatures. It is that which God will give an account of himself by, to the understandings of his creatures. For this I will produce many fcriptures; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne, Pfal. xcvii. 2. Can any man understand this to be nothing but what is arbitrary ? Job. viii. 3. and xxxiv. 12. Will be by power pervert that which is right? Rom. iii. 3. Is there unrighteoufnefs with God? God forbid. How infignificant are all these expreffions, if all things be alike and arbitrary, if the difference of things be nothing elfe but fantastical and conceited? and yet this and much more muft the atheist say, or elfe his opinion is worth nothing. For if there be a difference in things, he will be felf-condemned. We have Abraham's queftion, Gen. xviii. 25. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? thefe were certainly prefumptuous, arrogant, and bold fpeeches to be faid to God, if my notion were not true; for these conclude will, and fhut it up, as having no rule in this law of right. So Acts xvii. 31. it is faid, God fhall judge the world in righteoufnefs. If there be not difference in things, and a rule of right, these words fignify nothíng. I could quote you hundreds of places for this; all the ways of God are ways of truth of righteousness and of judgment. Can any man imagine, that this fignifies no more, but that things are as will would have them. Therefore I tell you, (and it is that by which you and all the world fhall be judged) that thefe are not bare words and titles, not fhadows and imaginations. There is that which is decent and fitting to be done; or that which is equal; that

which is fair; that which is comely and feemly there is that which holds of itself, and is decent, comely and fitting. Truth and goodness are first in things, then in perfons; and 'tis our duty to obferve them, and our uprightnefs to comply with them. All things are not-arbitrary and pofitive constitution, but there is that which is lovely and comely in itself; and there is that which is impure and ugly in its own nature and quality; and if any man meddles with it, let him be fure it will disparage him, and render him contemptible, vile, and bafe. There is alfo that which is generous, noble and worthy, and will gain repute and credit to him that ufes it. 'Tis not all one for an intelligent and voluntary agent, to do one thing or another; for there are rules of right wherewith all intelligent agents must comply, and they do righteously when they do, and finfully when they do not. There is fuch a turpitude in fome things, that there is no priviledge or protection; nothing that can be alledged that will gain a man. liberty to do them, for they have an intrinsick ma lignity and impurity; and these things are a difparagement to any perfon whatfoever. And there are things that are just and righteous, worthy and generous, that will recompence the perfon that is exercifed in them.

And then God made man with a judgment of difcerning, and 'tis expected that man should judge and difcern, and reafon concerning things. And this is not so much our priviledge, as our charge and truft, to obferve the difference of things. The whole motion of the world below men, is nulled u

pon

pon a moral confideration; and no morality to be found in any agent below man: the motions of all elfe, are no better than mechanick. Now this is the foundation of fcripture, exhortation, and admonition: we are to examine by reason and by argument, because God applies to reason and judgment, and to understanding, which is inseparable to choice and refolution.

凿

In short, a man is accomplished by two things. ft. By being enlightned in his intellectual facul ties. 2dly. By being directed in his morals to refuse evil, and to do good; and to chuse and determine things according to the difference of them. The It..is the perfection of a man's understanding. The 2d. is the goodness of his mind, Phil. ii. 13. Work out your falvation with fear, for it is God that worketh in you, &c. This fuppofes a judgment of difcerning; and then confequently, that God does expect, that a man, according to his apprehenfion and judgment, should chufe, refolve, and determine. Now where we are called upon to work in the affair of falvation; fee how cautiously the fcripture fpeaks of it, Phil. ii. 12. Work out your own falvation, for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. From hence no body fhould be difcouraged from the sense of his own dif ability; nor arrogate to himself, or be prefumptuous; for God worketh in him to will and to do of his good pleasure. If this notion were but well obferved, a great part of fome controverfies, at this day, would be refolved; for fcripture doth attribute to us that which God doth with us; that which we do

is attributed to God; and that which God doth by us, is both afcribed to God, and to us; we work, and God works; we are awakened, directed, and affifted by him, fo that I think there is too much heat in many controverfies, and a right stating them would extinguifh them from being in the world.

We fee there is a direct and exact government in heavenly bodies. When did ever the fun fail? It were prodigious if it should: and why should not we,that are guided by principles of reafon and illumination, (which is a far greater communication from God) why should we be fo irregular and in. confiftent, fince the lower creation is fo regular and uniform? For there is nothing of conflagration in the heavenly motions, becaufe no oppofitions: and if we were uniform to principles of reafon and right understanding, all motions with us would be fo, and tend to mutual information and edification, but not at all to provocation, or exafperation, one of a nother.

Pray let me leave this notion with you, that there is a difference in things; there is that which is comely, that which is regular, decent, and directed according to rule, and the standing principle of God's creation. You see how much time I have spent in the notion, or that which is the force of the argument; we are to rejoice and give thanks, because it is comely. The reafon lies in the quality of the thing, which doth fuppofe, that there is a difference in things; by which the atheist is excluded out of the world, and mens liberties reftrained to that which is right. 'Tis no rule to a man's actions, to do that which

he

he may maintain by power and priviledge; but to do that which is fit to be done, juft and right to comply in all things with the reafon of things, and the rule of right, and in all things to be according to the nature, mind and will of God, the law of juftice, the rule of right, the reafon of things. Thefe are the laws, by which we are to act and govern our lives; and we are all born under the power of them and if this be not true, this argument of the pfalmift is infignificant, praife ye the Lord, for it is comely. The reason of things therefore, is our rule, both in religion and converfe, one with ano ther; and though these are different forms of speech, yet they are always in conjunction. The reafon of the mind is by these to be directed; and indeed, all principles of religion are founded upon the surest, most conftant, and higheft reafon in the world. There is nothing fo intrinfically rational as religion is nothing so self-evident, nothing that can so justify itself, or that hath fuch pure reafon to commend itfelf, as religion hath; for it gives an account of itfelf to our judgments and to our faculties; and this, God himself doth acknowledge, Ifa. v. 3. Judge, L pray you, between me and my vineyard. So, I Cor. xi. 13. Fudge in your felves, is it comely, &c. He brings that for an argument, the indecency of it. But fo much for the notion, That there is a difference in things; that good and evil are first in things; right and wrong first in things themselves. This is not arbitrary, nor imagined, nor determined by power and priviledge, but there is good and evil, comely and uncomely in things themfelves. A word of this particular cafe, and I have done.

Praife