than leading of armies, facking of towns, pillaging of cities, drenching of fields with blood, and barbarously conquering the world! What is that to the taking of the kingdom of heaven? and taking it with fuch violence, ardour and arms as the laws of military difcipline, in the chriftian œconomy, do require? We must fight our way to that kingdom, and feize the crown. Hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown. Here's a kingdom, that cannot be moved or fhaken. A throne, that can never be undermin'd. A crown that brings no cares or fears, no forrows or difquietment to the wearer. A crown of life and joy ! Here's employment for mind and thought, for heart and affection, throughout the time of life, to study and fecure the kingdom of heaven and glory.

III. He must affure himself of his title to this kingdom. He muft know himself to be heir thereof and in the way to poffeffion. What good will it do me, that there are riches in the world, as long as I have no right to them? What will it fignify, that there is such a kingdom, while we have no intereft in it! This is work for our time; to make our calling and election fure, to that kingdom and the glories of it. This will include a study of the divine covenant, by which the kingdom is fecured: Of the terms and capitulations, on which it is offer'd to us: Of the graces and qualifications, that are prescribed: The nature of that repentance towards God, and that faith in the Lord Jefus, upon which we fhall be entituled to that kingdom: A fearch and view of our fpirits, that we may there find the prescribed qualifications and endowments: An af furance of our integrity towards God in all those graces and spiritual actions, that carry the promise of the eternal kingdom; that we may be able to rejoyce in God, and rejoyce in hopes of the glory of God; and to rejoyce with fuch an hope, as will not make us afhamed at the day of our account and expected entrance into the kingdom.

IV. He must be useful in that orb of life in which divine providence has placed him. Every one has fome relation or other to those about him. It is not in our power to choose the sphere, in which we first appear in the world. It may not be in our power, fairly and honestly to

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But good-
Whether

rife much above the fphere in which we firft appear'd. If any can do so, they should proportionably fhine according to their elevation. nefs and usefulness in the world, must be the chriftian's care. high or low, fomething may be done for God and man. The rich have many ways wherewith to benefit all about them. The poor may be rich in grace; and may instruct, advise, direct those about them; may glorify God by their faith, humility and patience; may be exemplary in virtue, and by prayer, obtain mercy for themselves and others. The removal of a serious, praying perfon is a greater lofs, than the world is aware of. But here's work for life! to be ferviceable and fignificant in the world.

V. He must prepare for, and be ready to be difmiffed from the world, at his Lord's call and pleasure. He must be ripening for heaven, and willing to go at the fummons. We may wonder what the Antediluvian inhabitants of the earth found themselves to do for feven or eight hundred years together. If, like Enoch, they walked with God, and were preparing for a bleffed eternity, they had good work, and work cnough for their time. But fince very few did fo, or look'd after a better world, they might (one fhould think) be weary of this. Weary of cating and drinking and building, and planting, and running the same round, for so many hundred years together. The chriftian's life is much shorter. But as short as it is, there is (usually) time to lay hold on eternal life; and having so laid hold on it, to be willing to go it. This we have to do, to be mad nect for the inheritance of the faints in light; and then to be content (or even defirous) to be dismist hence, and go to the inheritance of the luminous faints therein. To be willing to leave the world, and pass off cheerfully from the stage of it, as being well assured, that when the earthly tabernacle is diffolved, we shall have a building of God (and with God); an houfe not made with hands (and incomparably more excellent than all that are) eternal in the heavens.

Here's employment for our fleeting days! Here's work, for which it might be worth while to be born! This will anfwer the dignity of hu man nature, and all the extent of its powers! Pity, that any fhould be un acquainted with this bufinefs, which is fo neceffary and noble! Sad, that any fhould have time hanging upon their hands, and vacant days, they know

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know not how to employ; while an endless life, an eternal kingdom, and a blessed eternity is to be obtained and fecured.

SECT. XVI.

The Christian Inftitution infpires the most noble Principles and Ends of Action and Conduct of Life ; the most pure and generous Aims that Human converse can admit of.

T

HE spirit of man is capable of great refinement, and an exaltati

on above animal and earthly principles. Men naturally live to themselves, and look but little beyond themselves and some selfish_intereft. They work and labour, attend their shops and mind their eftates for themselves and their own fenfual benefit. They covet an offspring, and support their families and live reputably, for their own private satisfaction and pleasure. They atchieve publick, laudable works for their own honour and fame; found hofpitals and schools for their own glory, or for quieting an accufing confcience, or in honour to, and to procure the interceffion of, fome angel or faint in heaven; or for fatisfaction to heaven for fome heinous offences. Very evil ends are apt to mix themselves with the most coftly and (outwardly) charitable benefactions. Not that we would judge of particulars. But fometimes the fprings of action are o pened, and then they appear to be ill and immoral enough. And where. history informs us, that the men themfelves were naught, the principles of their fine exploits cou'd not be very good.

The moralift looks to and upon the (intended) end of actions. From thence arifes much of their morality (or goodness) or immorality; their rewardablenels or demerit. No man thinks himself obliged to another for an act or work, that was never defigned for him. Religious morality

carries

carries the intention to God, and fets him up as the ultimate end of all. The first cause and foveraign author of all ought to be acknowledged as fuch; that is, fhould have the honour and glory of all. In whom we live, to him we ought to live and devote (or defign to his glory) all the moral actions of life. Herein, the morality of the heathen world muft be extremely debased or even enervated. The multitude of their Gods would confound the mind and intention. One might take it ill, that he is more honoured than another. Or if one must be ultimately intended (which yet is not distinctly taught) the intention will be diffipated and scatter'd between a multitude of fubordinate deities. Then the deities they imagined, were not very excellent, venerable Beings in their own nature. They were not only finite, but small, diminutive Beings (comparatively to what a deity muft be). Nor were their excellencies mightily transcendent. They had their humours and paffions, their intrigues and contentions, and could fcarce be worthy, in themselves, of all the honour and devotion of the world. Befides, there fhould be fome connection between the caufality and finality of things. He that is the intended end of all things fhould be (fome way or other) the chief caufe of all things. Then, things will have their dependence on him, and owe their original chiefly to him. So far then as the heathens denyed the caufality of their Gods, fo far, it should feem, they cut off from them that regard and ho nour, that makes them the end of all. Thereupon the Epicurean Gods would foon fink from that regard and honour. They are fuppofed neither to have made the world, nor to govern it, or be much concerned about it. The God of the Peripatetics, fo far as it is fuppofed, that he could. not help what he did, that he made all things by neceflity of nature, or that all things neceffarily fprung from the neceffary energy of his life and effence, will be debarr'd the honour of a voluntary caufe and the dues (or duties) that are fuitable thereto. Indeed all the effects (as being abfolutely neceffary) will be deprived of any voluntary intention and ability for: moral fervice. And the other fages among them did much abridge the caufality of God. But where the divine caufality was, in fome measureacknowledged, the divine finality (or the intending God, as ultimate end) was egregiously neglected. How little do we read fuch morality (or morality fo crown'd) among them? Rcafon (or right reafon, as it is called);

is, therein almoft deified among them; whence a grave author obferves, Ufquè adeò ut in libris illis, quos tanti faciendos effe fuprà diximus, Ariftotelis ad Nicomachum, et Marci Tullii de officiis, de religione deque pietate adverfus Deum, (quod mirum fanè videri debet) nihil planè traditum fit aut conftitutum. Amyrald. Calv. Def. p. 200. So that their morality may be faid to be a rational, not a religious, morality. The great end of morality, God and his glory, is, (as it were, facrilegiously) overlook'd and omitted. Which fadly intimates that the fupreme love of God (or love to God), as the governing principle is alfo wanting.

But the chriftian inftitution advances the most noble and facred principles and ends. The moft facred principles ;

I. Supreme love to God muft govern all. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy Strength (all the ardour of our spirit must be exerted in his love) and with thy mind (thy mind must be employed in the knowledge of him, to inflame the love) This is the first and great command

II. There must be a love to mankind, for God's fakes as his workmanship, as bearing some natural image of him, as capable of serving and honouring God, and of being happy in him for ever. This is a moft generous, difinterested, or un selfish love.

III. There must be a strong love to the church of God; as the house of God; his tabernacle among men; to the members of the church, as the members of Chrift, the redeemed of the Lord, the justified and fanctified in Chrift Jefus, the candidates of heaven, and heirs of the eternal Inheritance.

IV. Love to felf is here fanctified; the foul is to be preferr❜d to the body; we love ourselves for God's fake; and ftudy the eternal falvation, that we may love admire and glorify him in perfection, in the heavenly fociety.

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