how much the worse he thinks of others; a cheerful contented spirit under every dispensation of God's providence towards us: with several others, which I cannot now stand to treat of particularly. And thus I have dispatched the Doctrinal part of this subject: and shewn you, both what it is to adorn the doctrine of Christ; and, likewise, how a holy and pious life, that is conformable to the precepts of our religion, doth it in general, and in particular. III. All, that remains farther to be done, is to EXHORT you thus to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; that, as you have taken up the name and profession of the Christian Religion, so you would walk worthy of both, and of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Sensible I am, that the temptations, which lie against a strict and gospel-conversation, are many and discouraging. The careless examples of those, whom we yet think well of; the enmity of the world, which lies in wickedness, and will be sure to hate those, who, by being more severe and precise than themselves, upbraid their crimes; the reluctance of the flesh against a doctrine, which engageth us to subdue and mortify it; the rigour and difficulty of Christ's precepts, and vain hopes and presumptions of God's indulgence: are, all of them, such powerful orators, that he, who would carry it against all these, had need use very forcible motives; such as should not only persuade, but compel; and give such reasons, as should not only convince, but necessitate. But this not being in the power of man, I shall only shew you how reasonable this exhortation is, notwithstanding all the prejudices that lie against it; and doubt not, but I shall speak so much on the behalf of strict piety and godliness, that murmurings and repinings shall be the only objection left, which I must leave to the efficacious persuasions of the Holy Spirit to remove and answer. The grounds of all, I shall lay in Two particulars: That the profession of the doctrine of Christ, is most rational. That it is most rational we should live according to the profession we make. i. The FIRST I shall but briefly speak unto, because I take it as granted by all of us. Yea, even those lewd, profane wretches, who hate the professors of religion and godliness and make them their sport and scorn, yet have not the profligate impudence to avow that it is for their profession; but pretend it is for their hypocrisy, because they do not act suitably thereunto. Yea, the very Devil himself is forced to acknowledge, that this is the doctrine, which shews unto us the way of life and salvation: Acts xvi. 17. All other religions in the world are nothing else but a fardel of ridiculous fopperies; which the Devil could never have imposed on mankind, did he not love to make men fools, and to triumph over their reason as well as their souls. The excellency of this doctrine of Christ appears in these Three things: In the Sublimeness of the Mysteries which it teacheth. In the Transcendency of the Rewards which it pro- 1. Its Mysteries are most sublime and lofty. And, no wonder, for in them is contained the manifold wisdom of God. A Trinity in Unity; the incarnation of the Son of God; that the Immortal God should die, and that, by his death, he should give life to the world; that his blood and sufferings should satisfy divine justice, and expiate our offences; and, indeed, the whole method of redemption, are mysteries, which far surmount the highest flight of reason: and yet are therefore the more rational, and do the more oblige us to believe them, because the same reason tells us, that that cannot be the wisdom of God, which may be comprehended by the weakness and foolishness of man. 2. Its Precepts are most holy and pure. As for the idolatrous worship of the Heathens, it was barbarous, and commonly cruel or obscene; insomuch that Cato, though it was the only religion which he knew, was ashamed to be present at its solemnities. And, for the Jewish Religion, so much of it as is not incorporated into the Gospel, though there were nothing in it dishonest nor unlawful; yet it consisted in external observations, as circumcision, and sacrifices, and ablutions, which God in wisdom imposed upon them to amuse and busy them about the ceremonies of their own religion, who were so naturally prone to fall into the idolatry of others. But the doctrine of Christ teacheth us to worship Him, who is a Spirit, in spirit and in truth; to employ ourselves in those works, which have an innate and inseparable goodness in them: it requires us not to circumcise our flesh, but our hearts; not to offer up the blood of bulls and goats unto God, but even our own, if it be necessary, in bearing witness to the truth and for the glory of God; not to wash our garments or our cups, but to cleanse ourselves from all pollutions both of the flesh and spirit; not scrupulously to abstain from some kinds of meats, but temperately to abstain from excess in any kind of them. This is the doctrine, which commands us to trust God with all our affairs, to take his promises for security, to love and fear him who is infinitely good and infinitely great, as the whole of that service which he requires from us. This alone reacheth to our thoughts, and to our affections: and lays the axe to the very root of our vices; judging those secret motions of our souls, which are unaccountable to any but God alone; condemning rash anger for murder, and an unchaste glance for adultery; and, penetrating into the inmost recesses of the heart, ransacks and censures all the wickednesses that lie latent there. And this shews that it is excellent above all other doctrines in the world, and only divine. 3. Its Rewards are most transcendent. That, which neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, God hath prepared for those that love him. Other religions either speak doubtfully of a future reward, or else promise such an one as is mean and sordid; sensual rewards, fitted for brutish religions: but our Saviour Christ, after he hath commanded us to love God, promiseth us the eternal fruition of the God we love; promiseth no less for the reward of our love, than the object of it; assures us, that, after a short life spent here in his service, we shall be released from all the miseries and troubles of this life, and received up to a better; where all our hopes shall be crowned, our desires satisfied, all our past labours fully recompensed; where both soul and body, as they have been here partners together in serving God, so shall be partakers together of inconceivable happiness, our souls irradiated with the clear vision of God, our bodies irradiated with the brightness of our souls, and both for ever to remain in eternal joy and glory. This is the religion, and the doctrine of God our Saviour. And, judge now, whether it be not most rational to profess it. Were there any other, that were either so mysterious in its revelations, so pure in its precepts, or so excellent in its promises, the world were not much to be blamed if it should adhere unto that: but, when all others, so far forth as they differ from this doctrine of Christ, are but rude and beggarly elements, enjoining either what is impure or unnecessary; and promising rewards abject and sordid, some of which reason itself teacheth us to hate, and some to despise; then, certainly, it will follow, that, if it be not folly to embrace and profess any religion at all, it is folly not to embrace and profess this. But, there are some deep impressions and characters engraven upon natural conscience; of the notion of a deity and a supreme power, who ought to be feared and served by us; and that it is altogether as necessary for us to be religious, in some way or other, as to be men. Many practical atheists there are, even among Christians themselves, who live as without God in the world: many such fools, who say in their hearts, There is no God; who, by having loose and erroneous opinions of a deity, serve him not as he requires: but, for a contemplative atheist, that shall set it down as his deliberate and resolved judgment, that there is no God, I very much doubt whether any instance can be given of such an one. Now, then, if, to embrace some religion be so natural and rational, if all other religions in the world fall infinitely short of the excellency of the doctrine of Christ, it remains, that it is most rational for us to believe and profess this doctrine: to own it to all the world, that we are Christians; and that the Holy Scriptures, wherein are contained all the precepts of our religion, are the rule by which we are to walk. Let us not spare openly to profess this, and to make it our continual employment to discourse of the precepts and constitutions of our Saviour's doctrine, for fear of being scorned as professors or hated as hypocrites: for, certainly, if this doctrine be in itself most excellent, the possession of it must needs be most rational; and they are only weak or malicious fools, who speak either against the one or the other. ii. As the Profession of the doctrine of Christ is most rational, SO IT IS MOST RATIONÁL TO LIVE ANSWERABLY TO SUCH A PROFESSION. If it be most rational to profess it, then certainly it is most rational to practise it; unless we intend to be only wise in notion, and fools indeed. What excuse can such men plead for themselves, at the dreadful Day of Judgment? Must they not needs be self-condemned, condemned out of their own mouths and by their own profession, when those things, which they have owned to be most excellent, have been most neglected by them? and that God and that Saviour, whom they have professed with their lips, they have denied in their lives? Suffer me to lay before you these following considerations. 1. Consider, that the profession, without the practice of religion, is but mere hypocrisy; and hypocrisy is the greatest folly in the world. The hypocrite dallies and plays with God; and thinks to conceal himself from those eyes, before which all things are open and bare: which is infinitely more foolish, than if one should go hide himself in a net. Thou infinitely disparagest that God, whom thou pretendest to serve: for, whilst thou liftest up thine eyes or thy hands to him, whilst thou flatterest him with thy mouth and yet thy heart is far estranged from him, thou dost but cast a reflection upon thy God; as one, that is so weak, as to be pleased and put off with fair words and empty shews. What base and unworthy apprehensions of his Divine Majesty must needs lie lurking in thy heart, whilst thou thinkest to cover over an ungodly, unholy life, with pretences of piety and devotion! thou votest with those, Psal. xciv. 7. The Lord shall not see, neither shall the Holy One of Jacob regard it. A hypocrite must deny, either the omniscience of God, or his justice; and, at least tacitly, conclude, either that he takes no notice of his sins, or that he will not punish them: and, so, is worse than an atheist for, as Plutarch, though a Heathen, speaks well, That it would be a less injury done him, if any should absolutely deny that ever there was such a man as Plutarch, than if he should grant that indeed such an one there is, but that he is a fool, or unjust, or vicious, &c.; so, saith he, They speak not so ill of God, who deny there is such a being, as they do, who acknowledge him, but yet think him unwise or unholy. This, every hypocrite doth; who, while he professes there is a God, and gives this God some external homage and service, and yet will dare to be loose and vain in his conversation, unjust and oppressive in his dealings, must needs believe, either that this God doth not see him, or will not revenge. But, ye fools, when will ye be wise? He, that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he, that formed the eye, shall he not see? He, that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he, that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that |