Firft, This fhews why there is fo Volume little of true Religion in the World XII. 'tis for want of Faith, without which

it is impoffible for men to be Reli gious. Men are not firmly perfwaded that there is a God; that there is a Being above them that is Omnifcient, and knows every thing that they do, and takes notice of every word, and thought, and action; that is fo Good, and fo Powerful, as to make those happy that love and obey him; and fo Juft and Powerful, as to make thofe miferable who hate him, and rebel against him. Men are not perfwaded that their Souls are immortal; and that there is another life after this, in which men fhall be happy or miferable to all Eternity, according as they demean themselves in this World. Men are not firmly perfwaded that the Scriptures are the Word of God, and that the Precepts and Prohibitions of the Bible are the Laws of a great King, who will amply reward the obfervance of his Laws, and feverely vindicate the breach and violation of them. Men do not believe that the Promifes and Threatnings of God's

God's word are true, and that every jot and tittle of them fhall be accom- Sermon plifh'd. For did men believe these VI. things, they would be Religious; they would not dare to live in any known fin or impiety of life: unless we can prefume that a Man can be feriously unwilling to be happy, and have a longing defire to be miferable; and undone for ever. For whoever believes the Principles of Religion, and the Precepts and Promifes; and Threatnings that are contained in this Holy Book, and yet after all this can continue in fin, he must not only put off the Principles of a reasonable Creature, but muft quit the very inclinations of his Nature; that is, he must knowingly refuse that which he naturally defires, which is happiness; and muit embrace that; which of all things that can be imagined he most abhors, and that is mifery.

So that if men were verily per fwaded, that the Great, and Holy, and Juft God looks continually upon them, and that 'tis impoffible to hide from him any thing that we do, ተ they

they would not dare to commit any Volume fin in his fight, and under the Eye XII. of him who is their Father and Ma

fter, their Sovereign and their Judge, their Friend and Benefactour, who is invested with all these Titles, and ftands to us in all thefe Relations, which may challenge reverence and respect. Did men believe the Holinefs and Justice of God, that he hates fin and will not let it go unpunish'd, would they venture to make him a Witness of their Wickedness, who they believe will be the Avenger of it? Did men believe that they fhall live for ever, and that after this fhort life is ended, they muft enter upon Eternity; that when they leave the World, there are but two ways which all men must go, either into life everlafting, or into eternal and intolerable torments; did men believe this, would they not with all poffible care and diligence endeavour to attain the one, and avoid the other? Were men poffeft with a belief of Eternity, how would they defpife temporal and tranfitory things? how would they neglect the Concernments of this Life, and overlook the little impertinencies

of

of time, and refer all their thoughts and cares and endeavours to Eterni- Sermon ty? This great and important intereft VI.. would fo fill their minds, and take up their thoughts, and employ their utmost cares and endeavours and diligence, that they would fcarce regard, or fpeak, or think of any thing elfe; they would be reitlefs and impatient, till they had fecured this grand affair and concernment; they would fubordinate all the Interests of this World to that of the other, and make all the concernments of time to ftoop to the grand concernment of Eternity. Thus men would do, were they but firmly perfwaded that there is another life after this, to which this bears no proportion.

Did men believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God, and to contain matters of the highest importance to our everlasting Happiness; would they neglect it and lay it afide, and ftudy it no more than a Man would do an Almanack out of date, or than a Man, who believes the attaining a Philofopher's Stone to be impoffible, would study thofe Books that treat M

of

of it? If men did believe that it conVolume tains plain and eafie directions for the XII. attaining of Eternal happiness, and escaping Eternal mifery; they would converse much with it, make it their Companion and their Counsellor, meditate in it day and night, read it with all diligence, and put in praEtice the directions of it.

So that whatever men pretend, it is plain, that those who neglect God and Religion, and contradict the Precepts of his Word by their lives, they do not firmly believe there is a God, nor that this Book is the Word of God. If this Faith and Perfwafion were firmly rooted in men, they could not live wickedly. For a Man that defires Happiness, can no more neglect those means which he is convinced are neceffary for the obtaining of it, than a Man that defires life can neglect the means which he knows to be neceffary for the preservation of it.

Secondly, If Faith have fo great an influence upon Religion, then the next ufe fhall be to perfwade men to be

lieve