we are so prone to indulge. By the GospelLaws, our Thoughts and Cares are not to be centred folely in our Selves; but a Share of both to be allow'd to our Neighbour, whom we are oblig'd to love as our Selves; and therefore to rejoice in his Good, to confult and promote his Intereft; and help either to deliver him from his Burdens, or put our own Shoulders to the bearing of them.

Nor is it lefs to live above the prefent World, as the Gospel obliges us, and to be equally unfhaken by the Terrors and Allurements of it: To ftand intrepid in the midst of Dangers, and defpife the lofs of all things, even the most near and dear to us; when Fidelity to our Lord, and a good Confcience, can't be preferv'd together with the Enjoyment of them. On the other hand, to guard our Affections from the pernicious Influences of thofe enticing Objects that furround us, and pass through all the Scenes of worldly Pomp and Pleasure here prefented to our View, with the Unconcerned nefs of Strangers and Pilgrims, whofe Defires are towards another Country. In fhort, how fublime a thing is it, to live by Faith, and not by Senfe? To depend upon a Promise of things unfeen, under a thoufand Difcouragements and Temptations to Infidelity? To fubmit our Understandings with a becoming Humility, to Mysteries that are intirely above them; our Wills to the Divine Pleasure and Difpofal; and make it our Delight to do, and to be in all Cafes, just what infinite Wisdom shall think fit to determine.

And tho there's no Man that comes up to fo ftrict an Obfervance of thefe Evangelical Precepts, as he ought to do; yet every Man is

oblig'd

oblig'd (under the feverest Penalties) to do his utmoft; and with an undiffembled Zeal and Refolution, to prefs towards Perfection, as far as the unavoidable Infirmities of Human Nature will permit. Not that Men are hereby oblig'd to endeavour to diveft themselves of the Paffions and Inclinations of Human Nature; or to run into a fullen Contempt of the ufeful and innocent Enjoyments of Life; affecting fuch Severities, as would render Religion frightful to Mankind: But to make all their Pleasures, for Kind and Degree, fuch as the Rules of the Gofpel allow of; to chufe Objects with religious Judgment and Prudence, and give no more loose to the Paffions when employ'd about them, than what is truly confiftent with the great End of all earthly Comforts; which is only to refresh us, while we are in pursuit of better.

Bes

to, the

SECT. IX.

UT now as all thefe fublime abstracted Duties are plainly calculated for, and adapted great End of preparing us for a future Happiness, such as the Gospel reveals; fo if the Gofpel be an Imposture, and all the Rewards it promises come to nothing, then these Duties themselves (lofing their main End and Ufe) become burdenfom Impofitions on Mankind.

'Tis true indeed, the Chriftian Religion (be it a Truth or a Fiction) is fo contriv'd, as to be in all respects admirably ferviceable to the Ends and Purposes of a temporal Felicity. For thofe Principles of generous Love and Charity,

that

1

that fuperiour Temper of Mind, that devout and awful Regard to God, and a future Life, which it tends to infpire Mankind withal; these are contrary, in the highest degree, to all thofe mean and bafe Affections, which are the fole Disturbers of the Peace and good Order of the World. If Pride and Envy, if Covetoufness and Ambition, if Malice and Revenge, if Falfhood and Deceit; if fuch Paffions as thefe are the true Causes of all thofe Calamities and Miffortunes which Men make fuch heavy Complaints of: then the Gospel, which strikes fo directly at all thefe, even in Mens Hearts and Tempers, as well as Conversation and outward Behaviour, does undoubtedly lay the fureft Foundations poffible for a quiet and comfortable Life in the prefent World.

Add to this: That the Gospel of Christ strengthens the Obligations of the Law of Nature.

It furnishes Men with far nobler Motives, to perform all the Duties of that Law; and threatens feverer Punishments, for the Breach of it: and thus it highly conduces to the Welfare of Society and Government, and difpofes Men of all Ranks and Stations, to be duly observant of, and beneficial to one another.

But when all is faid and done, what fhall we fay to thofe fublime and retir'd Duties, of abfolute Refignation to the Divine Will, of crucifying the Flesh, and living by Faith; if Christianity be a Cheat, and there be no future State of Rewards? This is the Point I am enquiring into. Of what Significancy would these be, upon the prefent Hypothefis? I do not think a Man is the lefs qualify'd for publick Business and Employment, or for the private Offices of Life, by being intimately converfant in these

Duties.

Duties. But what I infift on, is, That if Christianity be an Impofture, the Advantage redounding from thefe Duties, will not answer the Coft and Pains Men must be at, before they acquire an Habit of performing them, in that manner, which the Gofpel obliges the Christians to. For there must be a great deal of Application, Care and Watchfulness, and a Man must make it the commanding Bufinefs of his Life, or he will be able to do but very little good at it. And when all is done, 'tis certain, it is what is abfolutely unnecessary with refpect to any mere temporal Felicity or Advantage.

An exact and punctual difcharge of Moral Duties, will be fufficient to preferve all Societies in a happy and flourishing Eftate; and to establish a Man's own private Peace and Repofe in the World. If you fuppofe the Gospel to be true, and fuch a fort of Happiness as it reveals, to be certain hereafter; then indeed all this Difcipline of Chriftianity, presently becomes necessary in the highest Degree; and at the fame time, appears to be the most wife and excellent Contrivance, that can poffibly be imagin'd. Upon the Suppofition of a glorious Life in the World to come, 'tis plain, why Faith and Mortification and Self-denial, should be so strictly enjoin'd in the prefent Life; namely, because by the Practice of thefe Duties, Mens Minds are difingag'd from the bafe and fordid Objects of this World, and brought to a Relish fuitable to the Nature of the heavenly State, where all their Joys and Delights will be pure, and no Objeas will ever be prefented to entertain them, but what are truly noble and fublime. But if you make the Gospel a vile Cheat and a Fiction, and take away the Hopes of that blessed

Life, to prepare Men for which, thefe inward and abftracted Duties of Chriftianity are (in their very Nature) plainly calculated; then they are all of them apparently useless and infignificant, as to any valuable End or Purpose: And therefore (being fo very difficult to perform) they are a heavy Load, and a mighty Difadvantage on the fide of those Perfons, who believe themselves bound to live in the conftant Practice of them. Nor is this at all inconfiftent with what I afferted before, viz. That Chriftianity (whether true or falfe) does exceedingly conduce to the temporal Welfare and Felicity of Mankind. For the Principles which this Religion puts into Men, may be, and ('tis plain) actually are fuch as tend to make all the World eafy and fecure and yet at the fame time, the Difcipline and the Duties of it, may be very hard upon thofe, who have given themselves up to the Practice thereof.

To conclude then: Who are the happy Men, (upon the prefent Hypothefts) Those who live free from the fevere Labours and Toils of a multitude of very coftly Duties, giving their Paffions and Appetites all the Scope that the Law of Nature will fairly allow; or those who are thus bridled and confin'd, and fpend precious Time in the Duties of a rigorous Service, which will never be of any Advantage to them? Surely Eafe and Freedom, in conjunction with Safety, are enough to make Mens Lives truly happy. And (upon the prefent Hypothefis) thefe Gentlemen are as fecure, as they are free; provided they do but keep within the Bounds, prefcrib'd by the eternal Law of Nature and Reafon. Because, how much foever they tranfgrefs the Rules of the Gospel, yet they have.

no