after he had folemnly rejected the Counsel of God, and followed his own Will in oppofition to that of his Maker declared in the heavenly Vision? As bad as this fuppofed Case of Cornelius would have been, it is the very Cafe of those who, having been betimes instructed in the Knowledge of the Gospel, and called to the Faith and Obedience of Christ Jefus, do defpife and reject that Faith under the Colour of Preserving the Purity of Natural Religion, and living according to the Dictates of Reason and Morality. It makes no Difference in the Cafe, that their Call has been through the ordinary Administrations of the Church, and that Cornelius's was by a Vision directed to himself: The Voice of God is the fame, whether he speaks by his Apoftles, or by his Angels: Whoever acts by the Appointment of God,- fpeaks with his Authority: And, the regular Powers of the Church being ordained by him, when the Church speaks to her Children conformably to the Commiffion received, 'tis the Voice of God calling Men to Repentance unto Life through Chrift Jefus. And, whatever the Condition of those may be who have never heard of the Lord who bought them, ours is certainly very bad, if, having heard of

him, we reject and defpife him. "Tis one Thing not to believe in Chrift, because we know him not; 'tis another to know him and to disbelieve him. Though fuch Ignorance may be an Excufe, yet fuch Knowledge must be Condemnation.

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE XIII.

MATTHEW Xxii. 40.

On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

T

HE two Commandments here refered to are fet down in the

Verfesdiately preceding

the Words of the Text. At Verse 37 we read, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the first and great Commandment, Verse 38. At Verse 39 follows, And the fecond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyfelf. Then come the Words of the Text, On thefe two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets: The Meaning of which Saying is plainly this, That the whole Reason of Religion

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Religion lies in these two general Commandments; That in thefe all particular Duties. and Precepts are founded; That nothing can be of any Obligation in Religion, but as it relates either to the Love we owe to God, or the Love we owe to our Neighbour. In speaking to these Words, I fhall,

First, Shew you the true Meaning and Import of them; and,

Secondly, Make some useful Remarks on the whole.

In St. Mark's Gospel the fame Thing is faid in different Words, though to the fame Effect. The Words parallel to the Text are these There is none other Commandment greater than thefe, Mark xii. 31: That is, There is nothing in Religion of an higher Obligation than these two Precepts: All the Duties of Religion must be governed by these two Principles: Beyond them there is nothing greater, nothing to limit or restrain them; but by them muft every thing else be limited and reftrained. The Reason of this is plain: For, the Relation between God and Man being once known, the first Conclufion is, That we ought to love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Minds; that is, to the utmost of our Power: And, until this general Principle

be

Alate

be established, the particular Duties owing to God cannot fall under our Confideration. There is no Room to inquire after the proper Inftances of expreffing our Love to God, till the general Obligation of loving God, be known and admitted. The fame Reason holds likewife as to the other general Head of Religion, the Love of our Neighbour: For, the Relation between Man and Man, and the common Relation of all to one great Master, being supposed, the Result is, That we ought to love our Neighbour as ourself; that is, to do all we can to promote the Happiness of each other: And, unless we have this general Senfe, we cannot be concerned to know in any particular Cafe what is the proper Inftance of Love which we ought to fhew towards our Neighbour.

But, these general Principles being once established, the particular Duties flow from them naturally. The Love of God, and the Love of our Neighbour, if carefully attended to, will eafily grow into a complete Syftem of Religion. The Duties of Religion are all relative, regarding either God or Man; and there is no relative Duty that Love does not readily transform itself into upon the mere View of the different Circumstances of the Perfons concerned. Love, with regard to a Superior,

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