the Thoughtlessness of Men to confound Matters, which should be diftinguished: so, in our Times, most unhappily, Multitudes have run from one Extreme to another; and, not difcerning the Difference between two of the unlikest Things in the World, when well compared, false Religion and true, have, in a great Measure, if not absolutely, rejected both together. Declaring in general the highest Honour for Virtue, they flight and even ridicule Piety : the inward Feeling of it, under the Name of Enthusiasm; the outward Marks of it, under that of Superftition. Yet plainly, if Sentiments of Duty and Affection to our FellowCreatures be necessary Ingredients in a good Character: Want of them towards our Creator, must (where Means of Instruction are afforded) be a certain Argument of a bad one. And, if our Regards to our Fellow-Creatures ought to be shewn by visible Tokens, not only that they may be sensible of our proper Dispositions, but that by exercising them we may improve in them, and others be excited to Imitation: then our Reverence to our Creator ought likewife to be manifested openly; because, though he fees the devout Thoughts, that lie hid in our Hearts, yet, by expreffing them, we shall both

both strengthen them in ourselves, and set an useful Example to those 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: so the Virtue of those is never uniformly, if at all, true, who think meanly of Religion. For the Belief of a God, who observes and will recompense, being in all Cafes the greatest, and in some 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, serious. But many who, in some Respects, are such, and imagine they are in all, would af suredly find, on a careful Examination, that they are dangerously deficient in this Respect: 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 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 surely be doubted : for we can make known such very often one to another. And that from these Truths corresponding Rules of Behaviour may flow, is equally plain. Those 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 Reason 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 Circum

d Matth. xxii. 37, &c.

3

stances,

stances, and the proper Method of treating us ; that he may possibly 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 wise 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 understood, 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 ferioufly to Heart by all those, (for too many there are,) who, either presumptuously, or thoughtlessly, neglect or depreciate some of the Institutions 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

• Luke i. 6.

will look on as a Matter of Moment, That as a Trifle. It cannot be, that any of the Laws of Christ, our Lord and Master, are to be treated thus. And yet some of them are treated thus by such 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 Commission 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 unwisely forgotten. The apoftolical and very useful Ordinance of Confirmation, is too often omitted, and still oftener considered as an empty Form: private Devotion practised, it may be feared, by very few, at least 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 almost at all, they should * Eph. vi. 4.