the glory of it. But if this fhould be too fevere an interpretation of the phrafe; yet, at leaft, it must fignify thus much, that fuch a perfon, if he is at all admitted into that kingdom, shall yet make but a very mean and inconfiderable figure there, and enjoy a very low degree of the happiness thereof. Therefore whofoever is ambitious of obtaining the reward of a future ftate, and is by that principle stirred up to the practice of any particular virtue or virtues, he will by the fame principle be led to the practice of all, because without this he will moft probably lose that reward entirely, or however receive fmall part of it.

but a very

Inasmuch then as the reafons for univerfal obedience are so strong and cogent; a perfon who is fincere in his refolutions of being religious, will not content himself with a partial reformation, but will entirely abftain from every thing which God hath forbidden, and practife every thing which he hath commanded.

Having thus confider'd the nature and properties of religious refolution, I proceed

II. To exhort you to it. This I might do from various arguments: but I chufe to confine myself to that one which my text fuggefts, viz. the righte ousness, that is, the reasonableness or equity of the divine commands. I have fworn, faith the pfalmift, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments; in the Hebrew it is, the judgments of thy righteousness; i. e. the judgments which thou haft righteously commanded. Let us therefore examine them with this view, to fee whether they are righteous or not. And,

1. We will confider thofe precepts which more especially regard our conduct towards God himself.

He hath commanded us to love him with all our heart, and with all our foul, and with all our frength: which certainly is a moft righteous precept, because there cannot be an object more worthy of our strongest affections. He is moft excellent in his own nature. perfection dwells in him. He poffeffes happiness himself, and takes delight in communicating it to his creatures. Can any thing be more reasonable, than to love him, in whom we live and move and

All

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have our being; who provides for us thofe things which are neceffary for our fupport, and defends us from innumerable dangers to which we are expofed? Whom should we love, if not our creator, who hath made us after his own image, and endowed us with rational powers and faculties, whereby we are enabled to arrive at much useful knowledge, and particularly the knowledge of himself, the best and most perfect being? Whom should we love, if not God, who is our best friend and most bountiful benefactor; who forgiveth all our iniquities, who bealeth all our difeafes, who redeemeth our lives from deftruction, who crowneth us with loving kindness and tender mercies? Whom fhould we love, if not God, who not only provides for our comfortable fubfiftence in this world, but also designs us for a much greater happiness in the world to come, and in order to our obtaining it, hath fent his own Son from heaven to procure it for us by the merits of his fufferings and death, and to direct us in the way which leads to it, by his doctrine and example? Again: (2.) those precepts join the fear of God, and humility in

which en

our

our deportment towards him, are righteous precepts.

Whom should we fear, if not him who is the greatest of all beings? Can there be an object more worthy of our veneration, than he who is the bleffed and only potentate, the king of kings and lord of lords; who only bath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man bath feen or can fee? Doth it not become us to demean ourselves humbly before the high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity, whofe name is boly, who dwelleth in the high and holy place; in comparison of whom the inhabitants of the earth are as grafhoppers; who is wonderful in counfel, and excellent in working whofe judgments are unfearchable, and his ways paft finding out? Is it not fit that we should ftand in awe of him, who fearcheth the bearts, and trieth the reins of men, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings? Nothing more clearly demonftrates the reasonableness of fearing God, than the affurance which he hath given us, that he will bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil: efpecially if we confider the extent of his power; which

reacheth

reacheth to the foul as well as body. For whereas men can kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul, he is able to deftroy both foul and body in bell.

Again: (3.) thofe precepts which enjoin truft in God, and reliance upon him in times of trouble and danger, are righteous precepts.

God is poffeffed of all those perfections which are requifite to render him a fit object of our trust and confidence. He hath a perfect knowledge of the wants of his creatures, and of the moft proper means of helping them. Men are often deficient in acts of kindness to their fellow creatures; either for want of knowing the difficulties they labour under, or the means of deliverance from them: but there can be no defect of goodness in God upon either of thefe accounts, because his understanding is infinite. And as he hath a perfect knowledge of the condition of his creatures, and of those things which are neceffary for their relief; fo he hath a tender and compaffionate regard for them: like as a father pitieth his children, fo the Lord pitieth them who fear him; for be knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are duft. Tho it fometimes hap

pens