will most evidently appear by taking a brief survey of them. And they may be all referred to these two general heads; 1. Such as tend to make men singly and personally good; and 2. Such as tend to the peace and happiness of society.

And, First, for those which tend to make men singly and personally good. The precepts of this kind may likewise be divided into two sorts; 1. Such as enjoin piety towards God; and, 2. Such as require the good government of ourselves, with respect to the enjoyments and pleasures of this life.

1. As to the precepts of Christianity enjoining piety towards God. The sum of natural religion, as it refers more immediately to God, is this, that we should inwardly reverence and love him, and that we should express that reverence and love by outward worship; that we should testify our dependence upon him, and our confidence of his goodness, by constant prayers and supplications to him for mer

су and help for ourselves and others; that we should acknowledge our obligations to him for the many favours and benefits which every day and every minute we receive from him, by continual praises and thanksgivings. And that, on the contrary, we should not entertain any unworthy thoughts of God, nor give to any other that honour and reverence which is due to him; that we should not worship him in any

manner that is either unsuitable to the perfection of his nature, or contrary to his revealed will; that we should carefully avoid the profane and irreverent use of his holy name, by cursing, or customary swearing; and beware of the contempt or neglect of his worship. This is the sum of the first part of natural religion, and all the duties of Christianity which respect God, are no other than what every man's natural reason thus prompts him to perform, the two sacraments excepted, (which are of great use and significancy in the church) and praying to the Father in the name and by the mediation of Jesus Christ.

2. To consider the precepts of our religion, which require the good government of ourselves in respect to the pleasures and enjoyments of this life. Christianity commands whatsoever things are pure and chaste, all manner of sobriety, temperance and moderation, in reference to our appetites and passions; requiring that we should not walk after the flesh, but after the spirit, Rom. viii. 1; that we should cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, 2 Cor. vii. 1; that we should be holy in all manner of conversation, 1 Peter i. 15. And it forbids whatever is unnatural, unreasonable, and unhealthful in the use of pleasures, and of any of God's creatures. St. John distributes the lusts and irregular appetites of men into three kinds, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the

eyes, and the pride of life, 1 John ii. 16; answerable to the three sorts of tempting objects that are in the world, pleasures, riches, and honours; and Christianity strictly forbids all these: Take heed and beware of covetousness (says our Saviour, and he adds this excellent reason), for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, Luke xii. 15. And as by it pride, ambition, and vain glory, are forbidden; so are humility, modesty, and condescension, commanded: Learn of me, says Christ, for I am meek and lowly in spirit, Matt. xi. 29.—Mind not high things, but condescend to them that are of low degree, Rom. xii. 16.-Let nothing be done through vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves, Phil. ii. 3. With reference to sensual pleasures- -we are enjoined to take heed lest we be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, Luke xxi. 36; we are commanded to walk decently, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, Romans xiii. 13; to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 1 Peter ii. 11. Now all these precepts not only tend to beget in us such virtues and dispositions as are reasonable and suitable to our nature, and every way for our temporal convenience and advantage; but such also as carry us to piety. and religion, by purifying our souls from sensual delights. For covetousness debases a man's

spirit; intemperance and lust cloud his understanding, and unfit it for the contemplation of things spiritual and divine. Thus you see how the precepts of Christianity tend to the perfection of human nature, considering men singly and personally.

Secondly, The other sort of precepts of the Christian religion, are such as tend to the peace and happiness of human society. And the reason of mankind can devise nothing more proper to this end than the laws of Christianity are; for they command all those virtues that are apt to sweeten the spirits and allay the passions and animosities of men; they require us to love our neighbour (that is, every man in the world, even our greatest enemies) as ourselves; and for this end, among others, was the sacrament of the Lord's Supper instituted, that by commemorating the love of our dying Saviour, who laid down his life for his enemies, we might be put in mind how we ought to love one another. In pursuance of this general precept we are to do good to all men, if it be possible, and as much as in us lies to live peaceably with all men-to be tender hearted and compassionate towards those that are in want or misery, and ready to supply and relieve them to mourn with those that mourn, and to rejoice with them that rejoice,—to bear one anothers burdens, and to forbear one another in love; to be easily reconciled to them that have of

fended us, and to be ready to forgive, from our hearts, the greatest injuries that can be done us.

The laws of Christianity do likewise secure both the private interests of men, and the public peace, by enforcing all the dictates of nature concerning justice and equity, and our doing to others as we would have them do to us; by commanding obedience to human laws, and submission to government under pain of damnation; and by forbidding violence and oppression, defrauding and over-reaching one another, perfidiousness and treachery, breach of trusts, oaths, or promises, undutifulness to superiors, sedition and rebellion against magistracy and authority. And if there be any thing else that is apt to disturb the peace of the world, and to alienate the affections of men from one another, as sowerness of disposition, rudeness of behaviour, censoriousness, and sinister interpretation of things, all cross and distasteful humours, and whatever else may render the conversation of men grievous and uneasy to one another; all these are either expressly, or by clear consequence, forbidden in the New Testament.

And now, what could any religion do more towards reforming the dispositions and manners of men? What laws can be devised more proper and effectual to advance the nature of man to its highest perfection, to procure the ease of men's minds, and the peace and hap