both strengthen them in ourselves, and set an useful Example to thofe around us. Indeed the Connection of religious Duties with moral is fo very close, that, as the Religion of those is always false, who think meanly of Virtue: fo the Virtue of thofe is never uniformly, if at all, true, who think meanly of Religion. For the Belief of a God, who obferves and will recompenfe, being in all Cafes the greatest, and in fome the only, Support of right Conduct : they, who either disbelieve or disregard him, must frequently fall into wrong Conduct, amidst the various Temptations of Life. And the Truth is, the Generality of those amongst them, who talk the most of Virtue, appear to concern themselves very little farther about it, than to oppose it, in their Talk, to Religion. Such indeed cannot be really, in any Degree, ferious. But many who, in some Respects, are fuch, and imagine they are in all, would af furedly find, on a careful Examination, that they are dangerously deficient in this Refpect: and that cultivating and exerting dutiful Affection to the Author of their Being, is not only in itself the first and great Commandment, but hath a most powerful Influence on the Practice of that 5 Second, fecond, which is like unto it d, and of every other human Obligation. II. We are bound to observe the Precepts of revealed Religion, as well as natural. That God can make known to us many Truths, of which we were ignorant, though greatly interested in them, will not furely be doubted: for we can make known fuch very often one to another. And that from these Truths corre-' fponding Rules of Behaviour may flow, is equally plain. Thofe Relations and Duties therefore to our Redeemer and to our Sanctifier, which the holy Scripture alone discovers to us, are not, on that Account, at all the less real, than those to our Creator, of which Reafon informs us. Further as God is the Sovereign of the World, there is no more Room for Question, whether, under the general Laws of his moral Kingdom, he may not establish, from Time to Time, particular and different Institutions and Forms of Religion; than whether, under the general Laws of human Society, earthly Sovereigns may not establish particular and different Institutions and Forms of Government. And lastly: As God knows. perfectly well, both the Nature of our Circumd Matth. xxii. 37, &c. 3 ftances, ftances, and the proper Method of treating us; that he may poffibly have very important Motives for fome of his Appointments, of which Motives we can difcern scarce any thing, is much more certain, than that a wife Man, well acquainted with any Affair, may perceive many Steps to be fitting in Relation to it, which a weak Man, uninstructed in it, doth not. Whatever Precepts then are contained in Revelation, fince none of them, rightly underftood, are contrary to Reason, it is our indifpensable Duty to observe them, though ever fo implicitly, walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless. We know not what we do, when we reject or flight any one of them: only this we know, that we disobey that Authority, which enjoins the Whole a Confideration, worthy of being laid seriously to Heart by all those, (for too many there are,) who, either prefumptuously, or thoughtlessly, neglect or depreciate some of the Inftitutions of Christianity, while they profess to reverence others; and, as any Shadow of Argument, or groundless Imagination leads them, determine with themselves, that This they will do, That they will not; This they e Luke i. 6. will look on as a Matter of Moment, That as a Trifle. It cannot be, that any of the Laws of Chrift, our Lord and Mafter, are to be treated thus. And yet some of them are treated thus by fuch Numbers, (who, notwithstanding, call themselves by his Name,) that they must be mentioned in particular. The Sacrament of Baptism, the leading Part of our Saviour's Commiffion in the Text, is not indeed thrown off, but frequently attended with scarce common Seriousness. The Obligation of Parents and Masters to bring up those under their Care in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord, is both cruelly and unwifely forgotten. The apoftolical and very useful Ordinance of Confirmation, is too often omitted, and still oftener confidered as an empty Form: private Devotion practised, it may be feared, by very few, at leaft with any Attention: pious Reading and Meditation by fewer still: Family Prayer almost intirely laid afide: and the public Service of God, by fome avowedly scorned, by others, both thought and spoken of with a contemptuous Indifference; as if it might well be left to Fancy and Chance, when and how often, or whether almoft at all, they should f Eph. vi. 4. conde condefcend to join in that Worship of him who made them, which himself hath prescribed. The Day, which he hath directed to be kept holy, is lamentably, and in many Places openly, profaned, not only by the Omiffion just mentioned, but by needlefs worldly Business, improper Diversions, and what is yet worfe, Intemperance and Debauchery. Nay, the far greater Part, even of such, as obferve other Institutions with no fmall Appearance of Conscientiousness, astonishingly overlook, in Spite of continual Admonitions, their Saviour's Injunction of commemorating, at the Holy Table, his dying Love, delivered nearly with his dying Breath. Experience hath proved to a shocking Degree, that in Proportion as Difregard to Duties, peculiarly Christian, increases, Disregard to all Duty increases too: and what the End of it will be (unless through God's Grace our timely Reformation put a happy End to it) I know not how we can better judge, than by our blessed Lord's own Words, which he hath verified fo dreadfully on those once fhining Lights, the Churches of Afia, to whom they were primarily directed. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the |
