the name of God, according to the fecondary explication here given of it.

Was it in our power to make any addition to the Holinefs of God's Nature, or to add to his effential Glory in any respect whatsoever, certainly in point of gratitude we ought to do it, nay should be exceeding glad that we are able to make fome return for the mercies we have received at his hands. As there is no pleasure which is more fincere, no virtue which conveys greater delight along with it than the returning of obligations, unless it is the conferring them, what a delightful piece. of fervice muft it be to a generous foul to indulge her gratitude to God, and in fome measure acquit herself of her obligations, by hallowing his name. The fatisfaction arifing herefrom would be cheaply bought, though the performance was. laborious

laborious and difficult; and the delight refulting from the action, when accomplished, would amply overpay all the labour undergone in the accomplishment of it.

Suppofing then, that to hallow God's name was a laborious task, whereas it is most easy and pleasant, and that it was profitable to God, but not in the least to ourfelves, gratitude should even then be fufficient to induce us to perform it. Our fincere hallowing of God's name doth not render him one whit more holy, who is in himfelf holy above all that is called holy; doth not render him in the leaft more glorious, who is in himself great above all glory; our becoming faithful subjects of his kingdom doth not at all encrease his dominion, who in the right of his own effential perfections ruleth over all; nor our zealous performance

performance of, and fubmiffion to, his will, make any addition to his authority who doeth whatfoever he will in Heaven and in earth. It is for our own fakes therefore that we are taught thus to pray, and required thus to act; that by fo doing we may render ourselves proper objects of God's goodness, and partake of the bleffed effects of his beneficence,

Notwithstanding all this, how few are there, if we look into the world, who are worthy repeaters of this petition, who hallow the name of God as they ought. Some, and those not a few in this right honourable age of infidelity, wholly deny the Being of a God; others allow him indeed a bare existence, but impiously strip him of his attributes, and deny his Providence; whilst many who profess the Christian faith, and call themselves the children

VOL. IV.

H

children of God, difhonour him by their wicked and profligate life, and bring into contempt, and caufe to be evil spoken of, that holy name whereby they are called.

Never did greater levity appear than in the prefent age. All things ferious, folemn, and facred are wantonly thrown by, or treated only as proper fubjects of ridicule; and the religion of Chrift, which ought to warm the hearts and influence the practice of its profeffors, is no more than skin-deep; it is made a plaufible pretence to serve a turn, and is put off and on as easily as our cloaths. How thin is the church, how almoft defolate is the altar of God? What wonder? fince a party of pleasure, the dropping in of a friend, a too luxurious meal, and indolence of difpofition, in a word, any thing or nothing, is deemed a fufficient excufe for our ftaying from

church,

church, and neglecting the publick worship of our Maker.

The Scriptures, thofe lively oracles of God, wherein is contained our title to eternal falvation, which it is every man's duty and happinefs to be acquainted with, how fhamefully, how foolishly, how impioufly, are they neglected? I doubt, though I am afraid it doth not admit of a doubt, whether any book is fo little known as that which deferves and demands our ftricteft attention. The Poor think themselves abfolved from confulting it because so much of their time is taken up by their neceffary labour; and the Rich no doubt must be excused, fome because they never read at all, and others because their meditations are turned another way, and they are better employed in perufing and raifing trophies to more modern Productions, where inde