to acquire this, we fhould be diligent in reading them ourselves, and attentive to fuch expofitions as are delivered by others, for the more full and clearer illuftration of them. Half the time which many of us bestow upon reading Novels and Romances, would make us mafters of thofe books wherein is contained our title to eternal falvation.

One would imagine that a church like our's, wherein the Scriptures are publickly read in the vulgar tongue, and the duty of private reading and meditating on them is recommended, would abound with knowledge and understanding, even amongst her poorer members; whereas on the contrary, many, even in confiderable ftations, are fo grofsly ignorant of them as can scarce. be credited. For the knowledge of God's laws is not only eafy to be acquired, but

it

it is abfolutely neceffary for us to be acquainted with them, as without knowing we cannot obey them, without obeying them we cannot obtain everlasting falvation. Let every perfon therefore make it his business to fearch the Scriptures, to breed up his children in the knowledge of them, and to let their ftudies of things divine go hand in hand with their pursuits after human knowledge; fo that we may every one of us attentively hear, conftantly. read, seriously mark, piously learn, and profitably digeft thofe laws which God hath given us for the direction of our lives. The next thing to which is, that we act agreeably to that knowledge; if we know the will of God, happy are we if we do it.

The Obedience of the Angels is proposed to us by Christ as a pattern for our own,

thy

thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Not that our bleffed Lord, who knew the difparity between them and us, and the many disadvantages which we labour under, that they are totally exempted from, demands from us that perfect performance of his will which they pay to him, and which we in our prefent ftate are incapable of discharging. Great is the difproportion between a glorified Spirit, free from the clog of flesh, free from all temptations, bleft with an unfullied clearness and rectitude of will, and a poor mortal creature, incumbered with a load of matter, furrounded with temptations, corrupt in his very nature, weak in his understanding, and in his will perverfe.. Great therefore muft be the difproportion in the fervices which they pay to their Creator, in the purity and perfection of their obedience. But though we cannot equal thefe celeftial

beings,

beings, we may imitate them; though we cannot arrive at the excellency of their natures, we may by aiming at it arrive at the fummit of our own. Sincerity and Univerfality, Zeal and Alacrity, Diligence and Perfeverance, confpicuous and inseparable qualifications of their Obedience, may become ingredients of our own, though not in the fame perfect degree; and every virtue which they in the excellency of the Angelick nature poffefs unfullied, we in the infirmities of the human may imperfectly imitate; and imitation is the thing proposed here, a practising of the fame virtues, though not in the fame degree. A perfect and unfinning Obedience is not required of us, but a fincere and univerfal one is; which if we perform, the many acts of difobedience which we commit through furprize, ignorance, and infirmity, nay, through wilfulness itself, will upon a

fincere

fincere repentance be graciously pardoned by God, for his fake who died for all men, and lives to make interceffion for all thofe who do their beft to approve themselves his disciples.

.

Having thus feen in what latitude our Obedience is expected, and in what manner God's will may be done in earth as it is in Heaven, I fhall now endeavour to enforce the practice of this Obedience to God's laws by fome fuitable confiderations. The firft of which is,

That, He, who made and delivered them to us, is a Being who has an indif putable authority to appoint laws, and infinite power to punish those who violate them. The best rules of action, unless enacted and enforced by proper authority, are weak and useless, infufficient to reprefs VOL. IV. vice,

K