on. light in him; these are the very acts of religion, as to God. Now the other are acts towards religiThis is a great miftake in fome men, they think that the discharge of several offices and obfervances about religion, that these are religion : but they are mistaken; for these things are but to work them into a religious frame. For religion is a holy and devout frame of mind, and a good life. And all those things that have place in order to other things, if thofe other things are not attained by them, they fignify little. Here is a plain discovery whether men be indeed made better by the inftrumental part of religion. of religion. When men come not by the means to be fettled in a state of real religion, become not really humble, modeft, fober, temperate, chafte, &c. and brought to live in the true reverence, fear and regard and awe of God, and to delight in him, to put their truft and affiance in him. I fay, if men in the ufe of the inftrumental part of religion, be not brought to these things; if they be fruftrated, and attain not these effects, they are all vain, and no ways confiderable with God. Now to conclude all in a word. You fee what the chriftian religion doth confift of; an internal frame and temper of mind, which is productive of a holy life, and true motion towards God, in all the actions of religion. It doth alfo import a divine fpirit for our enlivening, acting and guiding of us. We are therefore to charge ourselves with a due preparation and qualification of mind, that we may be fit to receive and entertain fuch an inhabitant. If we are to be an habitation of God through the spirit, then then we are to purify our fpirits, that we may be fit to entertain fuch an inhabitant. 'Tis expreft by Mofes, that the children of Ifrael should take care that no unclean thing should be found in the camp because God would walk thro' it, Deut. xxiii. 14. There ought to be no unclean luft found in us, nor naughty difpofition, as pride, envy, malice, hatred, ill-will, or any malignity of mind; because we are to entertain fo glorious an inhabitant as the holy fpirit. For that God, who is the high and lofty one, he dwells also here below in qualified and prepared fouls, viz. in fouls that are purified, and difcharged from envy, malice, pride, ill-will, and fuch like naughty difpofitions. Religion, as it doth denote an obligation on our parts to God, fo it doth denote a difpofition and preparation on our part for God. So that by religion we come to be in fellowship with God; and by irreligion and profaneness men come to be poffeft and hurried on by the devil. By delight in, and by continuance in evil, men work themselves into a devilish state and temper : juft as the apostle, Acts xiii. 10. faith unto Simon Magus, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, why hath fatan filled thine heart? So that I may conclude with the obfervation, that I have often quoted; every one of us in refpect of his mind and foul, will be a place of refidence, either for the good spirit of God, or for the evil spirit; every foul is either the spouse of Chrift, or elfe adulterated by the devil. Therefore consent not to iniquity, but always live in the ob fervance 395 fervance of the difference of good and evil; That fo we may invite the divine spirit to dwell with us, and take up his abode in us. For if we live in fin, and give confent to iniquity, we give occafion to the divine fpirit to withdraw; and as he doth withdraw, the evil fpirit will approach. DISCOURSE XLIX. The DECENCY of Life récommended by RELIGIO N. I ROM. xiii. 13. Ευχημόνως περιπατήσωμεν. Mention the original, because I have taken the liberty to vary from the tranflation, which faith let us walk honeftly. Which word honestly, though it be included, yet it is not exact according to the Greek. Let us walk gracefully; as for the credit of the gospel, beautifully, comely, venerably, suitable and proportionable to the principles of chriftianity. Let us walk with a grace, fo as to be above the contempt of any, to command reverence and esteem. This is the import of the words; and I find it thus ufed by other authors. What is comely, what is orderly. So that if you do fulfil this text, you are as beautiful and as orderly in your motion, as the fun, moon and stars, which are known by their ex act act order. This is the account of the words: and according to this account I fhall give you fome few obfervations. Only in the first place, I cannot but give my text a great advantage, by telling you, that it was the caufe of the converfion of that famous inftrument of God to the church of God, St. Auguftine; who as he was in error, fo he was debauched, till by providence he took up the bible, and fell upon this place of scripture. This to recommend the words. I fhall now give you fome parallel fcriptures that go upon the fame notion. Whatsoever things are venerable, Phil. iv. 8. Follow that which is honeft, 2 Cor. xiii. 7. 1 Cor. vii. 35. 1 Cor. xi. 13. which is the apoftles compass whereby he guides himself, that that men ought to aim at; that that is comely; that that is fit, that that a man ought to aim at, even in matter of liberty. Let all things be done decently, and in order. 1 Cor. xiv. 40. This is the rule whereby to govern, that all things be done decently. If you go to the old testament; he hath made every thing beautiful in his time; Eccl. iii. 11. speaking how a man fhould use providences in this life. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; for praife is comely for the upright, Pfalm. xxxiii. 1. Praise ye the Lord; for it is good to fing praises unto our God: for it is pleafant; and praife is comely, Pfal. cxlvii. 1. And now, that I may lead you to understand the notion, I will lay before you the rule whereby you are to estimate and judge of this decency, comelinefs, and order and to this rule you are to comply. The rule is in things: there is the reason of things; and and this is an undoubted, infallible, unquestionable rule; and a rule that is as fure as the nature of God, as fure as the verity and truth of God's creation. For you are to understand, that the reafon of things is a law to the reafon of the mind. Truth and goodnefs are first in things, and then in the mind and understanding. My mind is true, when I do underftand as the truth of things is; my mind is good, when I do comply with things that are good, and abhor things that are evil. For it is not all one for a voluntary and intelligent agent to do either one thing or another : for there are fixt rules of right; and whofoever doth comply with thefe, doth righteousness; and whofoever doth vary from them, doth finfully. To know and difcern this, is a man's understanding and wifdom; and to comply with it is his goodness, integrity, and uprightness. Therefore of the difference of things; there are fome that are comely, beautiful, handfome, graceful, and becoming a perfon of ingenuity to do them; and others that are ugly, irregular, and abfurd, which bring fhame and guilt upon the perfon fo employed. Now by the help of their reafon and understanding, men have power to judge; and by their freedom have liberty to do according to their judgment. Therefore man alone is able to do that that is moral: the understanding doth judge and difcern what it ought to do (according as things are ;) and then the will fhould follow. For how monftrous were it, that the blind fhould lead the way ? There is that in God himself that is more beautiful than will. It is not majefty and glory divid ed |