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person has it not in his power to do good to both; in fuch a cafe, I think, unity of affent may very justly be admitted as a groundof preference, as there is a feeming relation arifing from fuch unity, or at least a mutual liking of those who are of the fame fentiments, when there is no higher relation or obligation fubfifting to fupplant or put it by, and as fuch preference must be given to one or the other; I fay, in fuch cafes, unity of affent, or being of the fame religious fociety, may, I think, very justly be admitted as a ground of preference, and which, 'tis hoped, was all the Apostle intended. But if, by espe cially unto them that are of the household of faith, St. Paul meant that, in our acts of kindness, we are to prefer those who fubfcribe the fame creed, join with the fame fociety, and use the same form of external religion, as ourselves, to others who, in other refpects, are much more the proper objects of our regard; then this is misleading us, or leading us to act improperly, by making that a ground of preference which, in such circumstances, ough not to be fo. Unity of affent, and being of the fame religious fociety, or, perhaps, VOL. II.

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unity in many other refpects, may be admitted as a ground of preference, under the circumftances before mentioned; but then, these are not to be admitted when greater or prior obligations will be cancelled thereby. Whatever St. Paul meant by especially unto them that are of the household of faith; it is plain that chriftians have made an improper ufe of his advice, as long and conftant experience hath fhewn: Each christian sect having been apt to be greatly and unreasonably partial to their own party, or to their own household of faith, in their acts of kindness, and in the diftribution of their bounty, and think they have St. Paul's injunction to juftify them in fo doing. Nevertheless, it may, perhaps, be a piece of juftice due to christianity (could it be clearly defined, and certainly de`termined what chriftianity is, and could it be Separated from every thing that hath been annexed and blended with it) to acknowledge that it yields a much clearer light, and is a more fafe guide to mankind, than any other traditionary religion, as being better adapted to improve and perfect human nature; and. as I have given the preference, or have, at Jeaft, admitted that christianity may

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ferable to any other traditionary religion, fo I beg my readers to obferve what it is which I make the ground of that preference. Religion, in the more general sense of that term, confidered as the offspring of nature, and as the ground of God's favour, is a conformity of affection and action to that eternal and invariable rule of right and wrong which results from, and is founded in the natural and effential differences in things; and which rule man, as an intelligent free being, ought, in reason, to govern his affections and behaviour by, with refpect to God, his neighbour, and himself: And all traditionary religion is more or less valuable, as it more or lefs leads men to a ftrict conformity to this rule; and therefore, when I give the preference to the chriftian religion, it fuppofes that this religion leads men to a clofer conformity to the forementioned rule than those other traditionary religions do, that are put in competition with it. And as the proper ufe of all traditionary religion, whether it be of a divine or human original, is to lead men to a close conformity to the aforefaid rule; fo, confequently, no traditionary religion, whether it be the chriftian or any other,

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can poffibly terminate in a man's good, except he be made wifer and better by it than otherwife he would be. If a man, who is not a christian, attains to equal goodness with a man who is, he will of courfe be equally approved of God; because he is equally the object of the divine approbation; or, perhaps, he will be more fo, if his advantages for, and his excitements to, goodness have fallen fhort of what the chriftian has enjoyed. Faith in Chrift, and believing the christian religion to be of God, cannot, therefore, terminate in a man's good, or be of any advantage to him, with regard to God's favour, except they become fubfervient to make him wiser and better, and thereby more the proper object of God's favour than otherwise he would be; and then it is not faith or believing, but it is the effect which that faith has upon our minds and lives, in making us good men, that, ftrictly speaking, renders us truly pleafing and acceptable to the deity. Let me therefore again befeech and intreat you to attend to and follow the wholesome counsel of the Apostle, be not deceived, either by impofing upon yourselves or by being misled by others; God will not be mocked; for it is not the believing in Je

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Jus Chrift, nor the profeffing to be his Dif ciple, nor bowing at the mention of hist name, nor calling him Lord, Lord, in acts of outward worship; but it is anfwering the true end of fuch belief and profeffion, in becoming good men, by denying all ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, and by living godlily, foberly, righteously, and benevolently, in this prefent world; I fay, it is this, and this only, which will render you truly pleasing and acceptable to God, for look whatfoever a man foweth, that shall be also reap.

THUS, Sirs, I have laid before you, in the plaineft manner I can, both in this difcourfe and in what I have before published to the world, those truths which, I think, are of the highest importance to you; and therefore, I greatly defire that they may be strongly impressed upon your minds, in order to engage you to be properly affected therewith, and to act accordingly, which I think ought to be the ultimate end of all our enquiries, But then, it must be left to your choice, whether you will make a good, or a bad ufe, or no use at all, of what I have offered to your confideration; the former of these

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