true, or to gain adventitious Honour to the Deity, who wants not the Applause of poor mortal Men; for fuch Belief could fignify nothing: But it was required of us to obtain Obedience to his Commands, and direct our Practice, to promote virtuous Actions, and the Principles which produce them. John, chap. v. ver. 24. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, He that heareth my Word, and believeth on him that fent me, hath everlasting Life. And chap. viii. ver. 31. Jefus faid to thofe Jews which believed in him, if ye continue in my Word, then are ye my Difciples indeed. So that Faith in Chrift is not enough, unless we obey his Word; or rather, we cannot be truly faid to believe in him, whilft we reject his Commandments. ift Epistle General of St. John, chap. ii. ver. 3, 4. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments: He that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a Lyar, and the Truth is not in him. But whofo keepeth his Word, in him verily is the Love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

Let us therefore fee what are thofe Commands, in the Obfervance of which Chriftianity confifts. It does not confift in the Obfervance of Days, nor Months, nor Time, nor Tears, Gal. iv. and 9. And Rom. xiv. 5. One Man efteemeth one Day above another, another Man efteemeth every Day alike: Let every Man be fully perfuaded in his own Mind.

It does not confift in pofitive Inftitutions, in Forms and Ceremonies. I Cor. chap. vii. ver.19. Circumcifion is nothing, and Uncircumcifion is nothing, but keeping the Commandments of Chrift. And Gal. vi. ver. 15. In Chrift Fefus, neither Circumcifion availeth any Thing, nor Uncircumfion, but a new Creature. Gal. v. ver 6. to the fame Purpose.

It does not confift in Meats nor Drinks, in Fish nor in Flesh. I Cor. chap. viii. ver. 8. Meat commendeth us not to God; for neither if we eat, are we the better; nor if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed left this Liberty of yours become a Stumbling Block to them that are weak. And Rom. xiv. 17. The Kingdom of God is not Meat nor Drink but Righteousness, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft,

;

It confifts not in long Prayers, nor in many Prayers. Mat. vi. 7. When ye pray, ufe not vain Repetitions, as the Heathens do; for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be ye not therefore like them; for the Father knoweth what Thing ye have need of before ye ask. Indeed it feems plain to me from this Text, as well as from the Reafon of the Thing, that Prayer it felf becomes chiefly a Duty, as it raises our Minds, by a Contemplation of the Divine Wisdom, Power and Goodness, to an Acknowledgment of his repeated Bounties to Mankind; and as it difpofes us to an Imitation of thofe high Perfections, Ff 2

and

and to be merciful and beneficent to one another. For it is abfurd to fuppofe, that we can direct the All-wife Being in the Difpenfations of his Providence; or can flatter or perfuade him out of his eternal Decrees. If therefore any Texts in Scripture feem to carry a contrary Implication, I conceive they ought to be understood with the fame Allowances as those are, which fpeak of God's Hands and Feet, and of his being fubject to human Paffions.

It does not confift in Sacrifices performed in pompous Churches and magnificent Buildings, or in confecrated Trinkets. Acts xvii. 24, 25. God, that made the World, and all Things therein, feeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, dwelleth not in Temples made with Hands, neither is worshipped with Mens Hands, as though he wanted any thing; Seeing he giveth to all Life and Breath, and every Thing. Acts vii. 48, 49, 50. The most High dwelleth not in Temples made with Hands. Heaven is his Throne, and Earth is his Footftool; what Houfe will ye build to me, faith the Lord; or where is the Place of my Reft? Hath not my Hand made all Things?

His Being is univerfal, not confined to Churches, Chappels, Choirs, nor Altars; but his Presence is every where alike, and not more immediately in one Place than another. Acts xvii. 27, 28, 29. He is not far from every one of us; for in him we

live, and move, and have our Being, as certain alfo of your own Poets have faid, for we are his Offspring. For as much therefore as we are the Offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto Gold or Silver, or Stone graven by Art or Man's Device.

The Almighty has no favourite Opinions, Sects and Nations. Acts x. 34, 35. And Peter opened his Mouth and faid, Of a Truth, I perceive that God is no Refpecter of Perfons; but in every Nation, he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness, is accepted of him. Rom. ii. 11. There is no Refpect of PerSons with God. Colof. iii. 11. There is neither Greek, nor Jew, Circumcifion, nor Uncircumcifion, Barbarian, Scythian, Bond nor Free, but Chrift is all, and in all. Gal. iii. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither Bond nor Free, there is neither Male nor Female, for ye are all one in Jefus Christ.

How therefore fhall we worship him? how know his Will? St. John tells us, Chap. vii. 16, 17. If any Man will do God's Will, be will know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God or not: That is as much as to say, "Make use of the Judgment which God has "given you; and fee whether the Doctrine "taught you, be worthy of an Omnipotent "Author; fee whether it teaches Peace and "Love to your Neighbour, Compaffion to Ff3

" all

"all in Distress, Forbearance of Injuries, "Humanity and Indulgence to all who dif"fer from you, Duty to Parents, Submif"fion and Obedience to the Laws of your "Country, and Charitablenefs and Benevo"lence to all Mankind, and even to the "Brute Creation; then you may be fure "fuch Doctrine comes from God. But if it "breaths forth Revenge, and implacable "Hatred; if it raifes Mobs, Civil Wars, "and Perfecutions, for trifling Opinions; if "it has for its End Ambition and worldly "Pride, and overturns every thing Sacred "and Civil, which ftands in its Way; if it

encourages the worst Men, and oppreffes "the beft; if it difcourages Industry, and depopulates Nations; then there are plain "Traces of Satan's, or the Popish Priest's "Foot in it, and fuch a Religion can never 66 come from God.

When you have made this your best Use of the Faculties God has given you, your Endeavours will certainly be accepted by him; and you will meet all the Reward which attends the judging right, fince you have done all in your Power to do fo: For God puts upon no Man the Egyptian Task of making Bricks without Straw; nor requires any thing which you cannot perform. Rom. chap. ii. ver. 10, 11. Glory, Honour, and Peace, to every Man who worketh Good to the Jew firft, and then to the Gentile; for

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