3. The outward forms of "worshiping the Deity" wanted a reformation: ftately buildings, coftly ornaments, peculiar and uncouth habits, and a numerous huddle of pompous, phantaftical, cumbersome ceremonies, every where attended divine worship. This, as it had the peculiar name, fo it was thought the principal part, if not the whole of religion'; nor could this poffibly be amended whilft the Jewish ritual stood, and there was fo much of it mixed with the worship of the true God. To this alfo our Saviour, with the knowledge of the infinite, invifible, fupreme fpirit, brought a remedy, in a plain, fpiritual, and fuitable worship. Jefus fays to the woman of Samaria," The hour cometh, when ye thall neither in "this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem, worship the Father: but "the true worshipers fhall worship the Father both in fpirit and in "truth; for the Father feeketh fuch to worship" To be worshiped in fpirit and in truth, with application of mind and fincerity of heart, was what God henceforth only required. Magnificent temples, and confinement to certain places, were now no longer neceffary for his worfhip, which by a pure heart might be performed any where. The fplendor and diftinction of habits, and pomp of ceremonies, and all outfide performances, might now be fpared. God, who was a spirit, and made known to be fo, required none of thofe, but the fpirit only; and that in public affemblies (where fome actions must lie open to the view of the world), all that could appear and be feen fhould be done decently, and in order, and to edification. Decency, order, and edification, were to regulate all their public acts of worship; and beyond what these required, the outward appearance (which was of little value in the eyes of God) was not to go. Having fhut out indecency and confufion out of their affemblies, they need not be folicitous about useless ceremonies : praises and prayer, humbly offered up to the Deity, was the worship he now demanded; and in thefe every one was to look after his own heart, and know that it was that alone which God had regard to, and accepted.

4. Another great advantage received by our Saviour, is the great encouragement he brought to a virtuous and pious life; great enough to furmount the difficulties and obftacles that lie in the way to it, and reward the pains and hardships of thofe who ftuck firm to their duties, and suffered for the teftimony of a good confcience. The portion of the righteous has been in all ages taken notice of to be pretty fcanty in this world: virtue and profperity do not often accompany one another, and therefore virtue feldom had many followers and it is no wonder the prevailed not much in a state, where the inconveniences that attended her were vifible, and at hand, and the rewards doubtful, and at a distance. Mankind, who are and must be allowed to pursue their happiness, nay, cannot be hindered, could not but think themselves excufed from a ftrict obfervation of rules, which appeared fo little to confift with their chief end, happiness, whilft they kept them from the enjoyments of this life; and they had little evidence and fecurity of another. It is

true, they might have argued the other way, and concluded, that, because the good were most of them ill-treated here, there was another place where they should meet with better ufage: but it is plain they did not. Their thoughts of another life were, at beft, obfcure; and their expectations uncertain. Of manes, and ghofts, and the fhades of departed men, there was fome talk; but little certain, and lefs minded. They had the names of Styx and Acheron; of Elyfian fields, and feats of the bleffed: but they had them generally from their poets, mixed with their fables, and fo they looked more like the inventions of wit, and ornaments of poetry, than the serious perfuafions of the grave and the fober. They came to them bundled up amongst their tales; and for tales they took them. And that which rendered them more fufpected, and lefs useful to virtue, was, that the philofophers feldom fet on their rules on men's minds and practices, by confideration of another life. The chief of their arguments were, from the excellency of virtue; and the higheft they generally went, was the exalting of human nature, whofe perfection lay in virtue. And if the priest at any time talked of the ghofts below, and a life after this, it was only to keep men to their fuperftitious and idolatrous rites, whereby the ufe of this doctrine was loft to the credulous multitude, and its belief to the quicker-fighted, who fufpected it prefently of prieftcraft. Before our Saviour's time, the doctrine of a future ftate, though it were not, wholly hid, yet it was not clearly known in the world. It was an imperfect view of reason; or, perhaps, the decayed remains of an antient tradition, which rather feemed to float on men's fancies, than fink deep into their hearts. It was fomething, they knew not what, between being and not being. Something in man they imagined might efcape the grave; but a perfect complete life of an eternal duration after this, was what entered little into their thoughts, and lefs into their perfuafions. And they were fo far from being clear herein, that we fee no nation of the world publicly profeffed it, and built upon it; no religion taught it; and it was no where made an article of faith, and principle of religion, till Jefus Chrift came: of whom it is truly faid, that he at his appearing" brought life and immortality to light." And that not only in the clear revelation of it, and in inftances fhewn of men raifed from the dead, but he has given us an unquestionable affirance and pledge of it, in his own refurrection and afcenfion into heaven. How hath this one truth changed the nature of things in the world! and given the advantage to piety over all that could tempt or deter men from it! The philofophers, indeed, thewed the beauty of virtue: they fet her off fo as drew men's eyes and approbation to her, but leaving her unendowed, very few were willing to elpoufe her. The generality could not refufe her their efteem and commendation, but ftill turned their backs on her, and forfook her, as a match not for their turn. But now there being put into the fcales, on her fide," an exceeding "and immortal weight of glory," intereft is come about to her; and virtue now is vifibly the moft enriching purchafe, and by much.

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the

the best bargain. That fhe is the perfection and excellency of our nature, that she is herself a reward, and will recommend our names to future ages, is not all that can now be faid for her. It is not ftrange that the learned Heathens fatisfied not many with fuch airy commendations. It has another relish and efficacy to perfuade men, that if they live well here, they shall be happy hereafter. Open their eyes upon the endless unfpeakable joys of another life; and their hearts will find fomething folid and powerful to move them. The view of heaven and hell will caft a flight upon the fhort pleasures and pains of this prefent ftate, and give attractions and encouragements to virtue, which reafon and intereft, and the care of ourselves, caonot but allow and prefer. Upon this foundation, and upon this only, morality stands firm, and may defy all competition. This makes it more than a name, a substantial good, worth all our aims and endeavours; and thus the gospel of Jefus Chrift hath delivered it to us.

5. To thefe I must add one advantage more we have by Jefus Christ, and that is, the promise of affiftance. If we do what we can, he will give us his fpirit to help us to do what, and how we fhould. It will be idle for us, who know not how our own fpirits move and act us, to ask in what manner the fpirit of God fhall work upon us. The wifdom that accompanies that fpirit knows better than we how we are made, and how to work upon us. If a wife man knows how to prevail on his child, to bring him to what he defires; can we fufpect, that the spirit and wisdom of God fhould fail in it, though we perceive or comprehend not the ways of his operation? Chrift has promised it, who is faithful and juft; and we cannot doubt of the performance. It is not requifite on this occafion, for the inhancing of this benefit, to enlarge on the frailty of minds, and weakness of our conftitutions; how liable to mistakes, how apt to go aftray, and how eafily to be turned out of the paths of virtue. If any one needs go beyond himself, and the teftimony of his own conscience in this point; if he feels not his own errors and paffions always tempting him, and often prevailing, against the ftrict rules of his duty; he need but look abroad into any age of the world, to be convinced. To a man under the difficulties of his nature, befet with temptations, and hedged in with prevailing cuftom, it is no fmall encouragement to fet himself serioufly on the courfes of virtue, and practice of true religion, that he is from a fure hand, and an almighty arm, promised affistance to fupport and carry him through.

;

There remains yet fomething to be faid to those who will be ready to object. If the belief of Jefus of Nazareth to be the Meffiah, together with thofe concomitant articles of his refurrection, rule, and coming again to judge the world, be all the faith required as neceffary to juftification, to what purpose were the epiftles written 1 fay, if the belief of thofe many doctrines contained in them, be not alfo neceflary to falvation? And if what is there delivered, a Chriftian may believe or difbelieve, and yet nevertheless be a member of Chrift's church, and one of the faithful?

To this I answer, That the epiftles were written upon feveral occafions; and he that will read them as he ought muft obferve what it is in them is principally aimed at; find what is the argument in hand, and how managed, if he will understand them right, and profit by them. The obferving of this will beft help us to the true meaning and mind of the writer; for that is the truth which is to be received and believed, and not fcattered fentences in a fcripturelanguage accommodated to our notions and prejudices. We must look into the drift of the difcourfe, obferve the coherence and connexion of the parts, and fee how it is confiftent with itself, and other parts of fcripture, if we will conceive it right. We must not cull out, as beft fuits our fyftem, here and there a period or a verfe, as if they were all diftinct and independent aphorifms; and make thefe the fundamental articles of the Chriftian faith, and neceffary tó falvation, unlefs God has made them fo. There be many truths in the Bible, which a good Chriftian may be wholly ignorant of, and fo not believe, which, perhaps, fome lay great ftrefs on, and call fundamental articles, because they are the diftinguishing points of their communion. The epiftles, most of them, carry on a thread of argument, which in the ftyle they are writ cannot every where be obferved without great attention. And to confider the texts, as they stand and bear a part in that, is to view them in their duc. light, and the way to get the true fenfe of them. They were writ to those who were in the faith, and true Chriftians already; and fo could not be defigned to teach them the fundamental articles and points neceffary to falvation: the epiftle to the Romans was writ to all that were at Rome, beloved of God, called to be the faints, whofe faith was fpoken of through the world," chap. i. 7, 8. To whom St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians was, he thews, chap. i. 2. 4. &c. "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are fan&tified in Chrift Jefus, called to be faints; "with all them that in every place call upon the name of Jefus "Chrift our Lord, both theirs and ours. I thank my God always "on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jefus "Chrift; that in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utter"ance, and in all knowledge: even as the teftimony of Chrift was

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confirmed in you. So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of the Lord Jefus Chrift." And fo likewife the fecond was, " To the church of God at Corinth, with all the faints "in Achaia," chap. i. 1. His next is to the "churches of Galatia.” That to the Ephefians was, "To the faints that were at Ephefus, "and to the faithful in Chrift Jefus." So likewife," To the faints and faithful brethren in Christ at Coloffe, who had faith in Chrift Jefus, and love to the faints. To the church of the "Theffalonians. To Timothy his fon in the faith. To Titus "his own fon after the common faith. To Philemon his dearly "beloved, and fellow-labourer." And the author to the Hebrews, calls thofe he writes to, "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly "calling," chap. iii. 1. From whence it is evident, that all thofe

whom

whomh St. Paul wrote to, were "brethren, faints, faithful in the "church," and fo "Chriftians" already, and therefore wanted not the fundamental articles of the Chriftian religion; without a belief of which they could not be faved: nor can it be fuppofed, that the fending of fuch fundamentals was the reafon of the apoftle's writing to any of them. To fuch alfo St. Peter writes, as is plain from the firft chapter of each of his epiftles. Nor is it hard to obferve the like in St. James and St. John's epiftles. And St. Jude directs his thus: "To them that are fanctified by God the Father, and preferv"ed in Jefus Chrift, and called." The epiftles therefore being all written to those who were already believers and Chriftians, the occafion and end of writing them could not be to inftruct them in that which was neceffary to make them Chriftians. This, it is plain, they knew and believed already; or elfe they could not have been Chriftians and believers. And they were writ upon particular occafions; and without thofe occafions had not been writ, and fo cannot be thought neceffary to falvation; though they, refolving doubts, and reforming mistakes, are of great advantage to our knowledge and practice. I do not deny, but the great doctrines of the Chriftian faith are dropt here and there, and scattered up and down in most of them. But it is not in the epiftles we are to learn what are the fundamental articles of faith, where they are promifcuously, and without diftinction, mixed with other truths in difcourfes that were (though for edification indeed, yet) only occafional. We fhall find and difcern thofe great and neceffary points beft in the preaching of our Saviour and the apoftles, to those who were yet ftrangers, and ignorant of the faith, to bring them in, and convert them to it. And what that was, we have feen already out of the hiftory of the Evangelifts, and the Acts; where they are plainly laid down, fo that nobody can mistake them. The epifties to particular churches, befides the main argument of each of them (which was fome prefent concernment of that particular church to which they feverally were addreffed) do in many places explain the fundamentals of the Chriftian religion; and that wifely, by proper accommodations to the apprehenfions of thofe they were writ to, the better to make them inibibe the Chriftian doctrine, and the more. cafily to comprehend the method, reafons, and grounds of the great work of falvation. Thus we fee in the epiftle to the Romans adoption (a custom well known amongit thofe of Rome) is much made ufe of, to explain to them the grace and favour of God, in giving them eternal life; to help them to conceive how they became the children of God, and to affure them of a fhare in the kingdom of heaven, as heirs to an inheritance. Whereas the fetting out, and confirming the Chriftian faith to the Hebrews, in the epiftle to them, is by allufions and arguments, from the ceremonies, facrifices, and oeconomy of the Jews, and reference to the records of the Old Teftament. And as for the general epiftles, they, we may fee, regard the ftate and exigences, and fome peculiarities of those times. Thefe holy writers, infpired from above,