All; that faithful and affectionate Obedience,
which his Precepts claim, who hath bought
us to himself, with his Blood; that respectful
and ready Compliance to which His holy Mo-
tions are intitled, who graciously worketh in
us both to will and to do. In thefe Things
confifts the true Fear of the Lord! For as the
Text, though conceived in the most general
Terms, undoubtedly comprehended at first the
whole of Jewish Piety, we ought to understand
it now, as comprehending the Whole of
Christian. And that practising this, is the
true Wisdom of Man, I fhall proceed to fhew
you distinctly, by confidering its Influence
I. On the Conduct,

II. On the Enjoyment, of our Lives.
I. On our Conduct.

Some indeed, miftaking the Dictates of Senfuality and Vanity for those of Reason, prefume to speak of the Author of our Nature, as if, by giving us the feveral Inclinations belonging to it, he had warranted the unreftrained Indulgence of them all : and fo would make his Being of no Confequence to our Actions. But a little Reflection will easily ← Phil. ii. 13.

confute

confute fo wild an Imagination; and fhew us, with how great Propriety the wife King hath said, that the Knowledge of the Holy is Underftanding. He, who is perfectly holy and righteous himself, muft have regard to what is right and fit in others. He, who hath provided with fuch fatherly Care for the common Good of us all, can never have left us at Liberty to defeat his Purpose, by injuring and corrupting one another, and filling his World with Confufion and Misery at our Pleasure. He hath not planted in us Paffions, Affections, and Appetites, to grow up wild as Accident directs; but to be diligently fuperintended, weeded and pruned, and each confined to its proper Bounds. He hath not endued us with a Principle of Conscience, to be overborn by Refentments and Interests, drowned in fenfual Gratifications, led captive by Fashions and Fancies but to be cultivated and improved; and then obeyed, as the Guide of Life. Its Authority is derived from himself: and its Judgment upon us will be finally affirmed by his own. For it cannot be, that the Sovereign of all the Earth should either fail to reward fuch as dutifully promote his gracious Designs, or let any one be a Gainer by acting in Con

tradiction

tradiction to them. Thefe Things every Perfon's own Heart, if permitted, will tell him very plainly. But our Understandings are unhappily prejudiced in Favour of our bad Inclinations: and were they lefs fo, the unaffisted Reafon of fallen Man is able to trace out but a very imperfect Syftem of Religion. And therefore to complete the Affurance of its great Truths, exprefs Revelation from above hath given us undeniable Evidence, that univerfal Virtue is God's Law, and eternal Happiness or Mifery its Sanctions: adding at the fame Time whatever more particular Notices, Directions, and Encouragements our Condition wanted. Now what can poffibly influence Men, like fuch a Motive fo enforced? And how weakly muft they judge, or how ill must they mean, who would abandon fo folid a Foundation of right Behaviour, to lay the Stress of fo important a Building on any other!

It would both be.unjust and unwife to reject the fmalleft Inducement to any Part of Goodness: for we greatly need every one that we can have. But it is extremely requifite to observe, where our chief Security lies, and place our chief Truft there. The Reasonableness, the Dignity, the Beauty of Virtue,

are

are doubtless natural, and ought to be ftrong Recommendations of it. But how faint Impreffions do they make on the Ignorant and Slow of Apprehenfion, on Minds agitated with Paffions, or hardened in Sins! And indeed how foon do fuch Impreffions, if fingle and unfupported, fade away out of all Minds, or dwindle into mere Speculation, amidst the Temptations of a bad World, the Allurements of Senfe, and the Treacheries of a deceitful Heart! Again: the temporal Advantages of Virtue and bad Effects of Wickednefs, ordinarily fpeaking, are weighty Arguments. But ftill, how often doth that Weight fall on the wrong Side; or give little Help, if any, to the right! In fhort, many Incitements to think and act as we ought, are in general ufeful: but none is at all Times fufficient, excepting only the Fear of God taught as the Truth is in Jefus3.

This is one unchangeable Motive, level to the Apprehenfion of every Perfon, extending to the Practice of every Duty, including at once every moral Difpofition of Heart, and every prudent Regard to our own Good. There needs but a Thought to bring it with f Jer. xvii. 9. 8 Eph. iv. 21.

fuch

fuch Force to our Minds, as will check the ftrongest Paffions, curb the most extravagant Levity of Spirit, overbalance the greatest temporal Advantages; and make whatever is our Duty appear, in the ftrongeft Light, to be our Intereft. The Fear of God can pierce the inmoft Receffes of our Minds, and fearch the Rightness of our moft fecret Defires. Reflecting well what his Eye fees there, will make us fee it in a Point of View, that we never should elfe; and put us on approving our Souls to him by Simplicity and Truth: no longer attempting, as unhappily we are too prone, to cheat others and ourselves with falfe Appearances; but faithfully bewailing all our paft Faults, and watchfully guarding against all future ones. Particularly, the Consciousness of having fuch a Witness to each Action and Purpose, muft powerfully incline us to be very compofed and moderate in every Proceeding, very mild and reasonable towards every Perfon. Reverence of God's Authority will make us fear to injure the meaneft of our Fellow-creatures; fince even he is under the Protection of the Almighty. And hope of fharing in his Bounty, will teach us to imitate it by the tenderest Exercife of Humanity and

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