will be, doubtlefs, in the World of separate Spirits, who are defcribed as a Church, or religious Affembly. Heb. xii. 13. And fo in the World of the Refurrection, when the high Praises of God and the Lamb shall be for ever on their Tongues.

(2.) Man, in his fingle Capacity, is obliged to perform Acts of fecret Religion to God, because, in that Capacity, he wants many Favours from God; fuch as Health, Safety, Food, Raiment, &c. He is always receiving fome of these Favours, and always waiting for more. And fo alfo every Man, in his focial Capacity, for the fame Reason, is under Obligation to perform Acts of publick or focial Religion; (viz.) Prayer for publick Mercies wanted, fuch as good Governors, Peace, Plenty, Civil and Religious Liberty, &c. Praise for publick Mercies received, and a Profeffion of his Hope of publick Bleffings, which he expects at the Hands of God. If there were no other Reasons for focial Religion to be found, yet I think the Obligation of it would stand firm upon these two Pillars. But I add,

(3.) It is a neceffary and moft effectual Means of maintaining Religion in this our World. Several Perfons, with united Zeal, Counsel, and Strength, can do much toward the Encouragement and Affiftance of each other: The Elder, and more knowing, may B 2 inftruct

instruct the Ignorant; and all may strengthen each other's Hands in the Things of God and Godlinefs. They may defend each other against Injuries, Reproaches, and the Shame of Singularity, and join in all proper Practices to keep a Senfe of divine Things lively and warm at their own Hearts, and to excite others to the fame Practices of Piety and Goodnefs. Thus focial Religion appears with Evidence to be the Duty of Mankind.

II. There are but two Ways whereby God teaches us Religion; i. e. by the Light of Nature, which he has planted in Men, and by the Light of Revelation, which, in various Ways, and in different Ages of the World, he has communicated to Men. And accordingly, Religion is distinguished into natural and revealed. By each of these Methods of teaching, Men may be instructed in focial as well as perfonal Godliness, and learn to perform the feveral Parts and Duties of it, according to their different Extent of Inftruction.

As revealed Religion in general acknowleges natural Religion for its Foundation, so all the Parts of focial, as well as perfonal Religion, whether Doctrine or Duty, Worship or Order, fo far as they are revealed and prefcribed in the Word of God, are ftill founded on Principles of natural Light and Reason. Whatfoever therefore Revelation has added,

is but some positive or fupernatural Structure upon that Foundation, without the Oppofition or Contrariety to any Parts thereof; for it is God himself that teaches us by the Light of Nature and Reafon; and we can never fuppofe that, by Revelation, he will give us Inftructions which are contrary to the very Principles of Reason, and to those fundamental Leffons of Religion which he has written in our Natures.

Human Reafon is the firft Ground and Spring of all human Religion. Man is obliged to Religion because he is a reasonable Creature. Reafon directs and obliges us not only to fearch out and practise the Will of God, as far as natural Confcience will lead us, but also to examine, receive, and obey, all the Revelations which come from God, where we are placed within the Reach of their proper Evidences. Wherein foever Revelation gives us plain and certain Rules for our Conduct, Reafon itself obliges us to fubmit and follow them. Where the Rules of Duty are more obfcure, we are to use our Reafon to find them out, as far as we can, by comparing one Part of Revelation with another, and making just and reasonable Inferences from the various Circumftances and Connections of Things. In those Parts or Circumftances of Religion where Revelation is filent, there we are called to betake ourfelves to Reafon again, as our beft Guide

and Conductor. And let it be observed, that there are many Inftances alfo, wherein we are inftructed to pay the fame Honours to God, and fulfil the fame Duties to Men, in the Practice of publick as well as private Religion, both by the Light of Reason and the Light of Revelation: For God, who knows the Weakness of our intellectual Powers, has been graciously pleased to give us a fhorter, plainer, and eafier Discovery of ma

ny rational and moral Truths and Duties by Revelation, which would have been very tedious and tiresome, as well as much more difficult, for the Bulk of Mankind, to have ever found out and ascertained by their own Reasonings.

III. When we have received upon juft Evidence the New Testament, as a Revelation fent us from Heaven, then our own Reason and Conscience oblige us to search in these Writings, what new Doctrines God has there proposed to our Faith, and what new Duties to our Practice, And here, in our Search after the Things that relate to our perfonal Religion, we fhall find several fublime and glorious Truths to be believed concerning the bleffed Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and almost all the Oeconomy of our Salvation revealed to us, above and beyond what the Light of Reafon ever discover, or fo much as furmife,

We

We shall here find alfo the Duties of Faith, in the Name, and Blood, and Righteoufnefs, of the Son of God, for the Pardon of our Sins, and the Juftification of our Perfons; Hope in his Resurrection; Subjection to his Government; offering up our Addreffes of Prayer and Thanksgiving to God the Father, in his Name; feeking the Influences of the Bleffed Spirit, to fanctify our Souls; waiting for the Return of Chrift from Heaven, and for our own Refurrection to eternal Life. All these, I fay, we shall find revealed and prescribed, over and above the Duties discovered by Reafon. And befides thefe, we have the Inftitution of the two Sacraments, to be ever celebrated by Christians, as Memorials and Pledges of fome of thofe Duties and Bleffings,

And it is not at all to be wondered at, that the Gospel should require of us the additional Belief and Practice of fuch Doctrines and Duties in our perfonal Religion, as the Light of Nature knows nothing of; because the very Defign of the Gospel was to restore finful Man to the Favour and Likeness of God, which the Light of Nature, or the Law of natural Religion, could not do: The Nations of the Earth, and the Men of the brightest Reafon among them, in long Succeffions of Ages, had made füfficient Experiments of the practical Infufficiency of human Reafon for that divine Purpose,