"an intelligent Agent. He is invested both with Judgment and Freedom. He can distinguish "both the Reason and Fitnefs of Things; and he "can govern his Actions accordingly. This "Knowledge and Liberty infer his Duty; a Duty "as evident and certain as the Knowledge and 66 66 Liberty from whence it fprings. From the De"pendency of our Being and Happiness upon God, "in Conjunction with the Nature of thofe Facul"ties with which he has endowed us, there refults "an abfolute Fitness of Behaviour towards him; "and in the Fitnefs of this Behaviour is the Obligation of it, and which therefore is abfolute and indifpenfable. This Behaviour is everlastingly "our Duty to God. Again; as Men are all "equally God's Creation, all equally under his "Government, and all equally capable of his Cor"rection, or Favour; and as they are all framed "with the fame original Paffions and Appetites, "and need each other's Affiftance; fo from hence "likewise proceeds a certain Fitness of Behaviour "amongst Men. And this Fitness, whatever it be, we are bound in all Cafes to obferve: This " is our Duty to one another. Laftly, because all "our Faculties depend upon God, and are a Trust "which he has committed to us; and because the 66 greatest Part both of that Happiness or Misery "which we feel ourselves, and of that which we "occafion to our Neighbours, has Reference to "these; therefore it appears, that there is an ef "fential Fitnefs alfo in the Exercise of our Faculties, and which we are conftantly obliged to purfue: This is our Duty to ourselves. 66 66 "This threefold Duty, which comprehends all "Religion, is fixed in the Conftitution of Things. "It concerns all Men, in all Places, and at all "Times: It is the Religion of Nature; the Religion which reasonable Creatures of our Frame " and "and Faculties are fitted to practise, and for that Reafon is indifpenfable. And all who obferve "this Religion, anfwer the proper End of their "Being, and are acceptable to the fupreme Author of it. It matters not by what Names they are "diftinguished amongst Men. This is the Doc "trine of St. Paul, Rom. ii. 10. and of St. Peter, " Acts x. 34. "And this Religion of Nature, which is the "Duty and Happiness of all Men, is fo frequently "and particularly defcribed in the Scriptures, efpe 66 cially of the New Teftainent, that it cannot be "mistaken by any who seriously, and without culpable Prejudices, endeavour to understand it. "See Matt, xxii. 37. Matt. vii. 21. Phil. iv. 8. 66 "Jefus Chrift did not pretend to preach a Doc"trine, which, in any Respect whatsoever, tended "to draw Men from the Law of univerfal Righ"teoufnefs, to which they were originally and indifpenfably fubject. But as he always pro"claimed himself to be a Teacher fent from God; "fo he very frequently, and in fuch manner, as if "he was particularly folicitous not to be misunder"ftood, declares, that all, which he taught, camé "from God alfo. And this was, That our Light "fhould fhine before Men. That he came not to detroy the Law or the Prophets, that is, the Infti"tution and Meffengers of God, but to fulfill. That whofoever shall break one of the leaft Commandments, and fhall teach Men fo, fhall be called the leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven; that is, fhall "never be admitted thither: * But that whoever "fhall do and teach them, fhall be called great in "the Kingdom of Heaven. And that we should be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. .. 60 66 66 * This may be true; yet I much question whether the Words imply it, unless the Import of them be very different from what our Translation exp effes. F "Thus "Thus it appears, that Christianity, in Point of "Practice, is the Religion of Nature. Jefus Chrift "was fent into the World by God, to instruct, and "perfuade, and affift Men to return to their origi"nal Duty.*-It is, properly speaking, the Reli"gion of God; the Religion which our Maker "has impofed upon his Creatures, and our heavenly "Father requires to be obferved by his Children; "that Religion which, fuitable to our Conftitution, "renders us as far as can be like to God, and is "the fure Ground of all our real and lafting Hap"piness. And this Religion confifts chiefly in "Practice, in the Regulation of our Morals, in the "Obfervation of univerfal Juftice, Truth, Charity, "Temperance, Purity, and Holinefs. Points of "Belief, and Matters of Ceremony, are valuable, "not in their own Right, but only fo far as they "are ferviceable to a virtuous Behaviour. In the fourth Sermon, of doing Good, from thofe Words of the Apostle, Gal. vi. 10. As we have therefore an Opportunity, let us do Good unto all Men, &c. our Author introduces his Subject, by faying, "The "highest Perfection of all rational Beings is fixed "in the nearest poffible Conformity of their moral Difpofitions and Actions to the Divine Pattern; "and the chief Part of this Conformity confifts of "univerfal Love and Beneficence. The moft "amiable Qualities of God himself, who is the "Fountain and Sum of all that is excellent and "adorable, are his everlafting and uninterrupted "Willingness to give fuitable Shares of Happiness "to all his Creatures capable of enjoying it, and "his never-ceafing Providence in furnishing Means "proper to that End.-So that none of all the Qua lifications which are esteemed noble, furprifing, "or lovely amongst Men, can raise our Character * See Matt. ix. 13. Acts xxvi. 20. Ephef. iv. 22. and v. 1. "fo high, or render us fo peculiarly both like, and "acceptable to God, as a thorough Defire and Ap"plication to do the utmoft Good we are able to "one another. The first thing he does in the Prosecution of his Subject, is to confider the Matter of the Precept in the Text, Let us do Good. "To do Good, fays he, is to endeavour after the "Comfort and Pleasure of others. It is to em"brace all reasonable Opportunities of making them wifer, and better, and happier; to lend them all fitting Affiftance to procure and improve eve"ry equitable Advantage of Body, Mind, and "Condition. It is to advise and excite them to "all laudable Undertakings; to convince them of "their Mistakes and Faults, and diffuade them "from an obftinate Adherence to them. It is to "extricate the Perplexed, raise the Depreffed, com"fort the Afflicted, eafe the Tormented, relieve the "Neceffitous, congratulate the Profperous, and be "pleased with every fair Occafion, either of miti"gating the Sufferings, or increafing the Delight "of our Fellow-Creatures. Every Man knows, in a most affecting Manner, "what is good to himself, what he wishes should "be done to him; or in what kind he defires to "be treated by others; according to the different Circumstances, either of Joy or Grief, Prosperity or Adverfity, which he at different Times expe"riences: Whatever therefore he is fenfible would "be grateful to himself, in various Conditions, "that should he, confiftently with his whole Duty, "always do to others. This would be the Perfec"tion of Goodness, as it would be governed by a "Model, that could not be defective, Ephef. v. 29. "For no Man ever yet hated his own Flesh. No one "can wish for less Happiness, than it is fit that hẹ "should poffefs; and therefore no one who metes F 2 66 by by the fame Measure in his Practice to his Neighbours, as he defires fhould be ufed towards himfelf, can be either lefs benevolent or bountiful, "than he ought to be. — "Have not all Perfons the fame Defires of Happiness as we have? And ought not we therefore "to fhew the fame Goodness to them, as the "Ground of their Happiness, which we wish to be favoured with from them, as the Cause of our << own? ? Do we not conceive, with the greatest "Quickness and Emotion, upon fpecial Occafions, "what particular Service, Bounty, or Courtefy, "from others, would highly add to our Felicity? "And can we be at a lofs to know, whether a 66 like Behaviour to them, on like Occafions, would "affect them in the fame Manner? So that to look into, and carefully examine the Motions and "Sentiments within our own Breafts, upon Occafi"ons where we want, or have received a particu"lar Benefit or Favour, will afford us a more exact and affecting Idea of Goodness, than the most perfect or pathetic Defcription whatsoever from "others. .. Under the second Propofition, that relates to the Extent, in which Goodnefs is to be exercised, our Author fhews it fhould be univerfal. "Our Benevolence, fays he, fhould be as diffu"five as Light, and comprehend the whole rational "Creation of GOD. We fhould confider every "Man throughout the Universe as vefted with the "fame Wants, Appetites and Affections as we are; "and from thence be excited to wifh him at leaft "every Benefit and Enjoyment which are fit for "him; and whofe tender Senfe of which we can "well conceive from what we ourfelves feel in like "Circumstances.- - If we confider Men, as being "All the Workmanship of GOD; All framed with "the fame Defires and Relifh of Happinefs; All "fitted |