I eafily foresee this general Account of Serm. 3. the Duty in my Text will be encountred with two Objections: First, How fhall we find out Truth and Right, when the Cunning and the Learned have raised fuch a Mift about it, when the Lufts and Intereft of Men have perplexed and entangled it with so many endless fubtilties and diftinctions? Where fhall we find a certain Rule, when Divinity and Law, how constant and inflexible foever they may be in themfelves, are accommodated to every Design, forc'd to yield Patronage and Countenance to every Caufe; and in a word, feem to speak no Language but fuch as Power and Interest inspire? Without examining the Juftice of this Objection, whether it be a Calumny or a Truth, the Product of Spite, Atheism, and Prophaneness, or of an humble Confcience, of Human Infirmity, and the real difficulty of finding out Truth and Right in fome Cafes. I Anfwer, Be it fo, yet have we a Clew that will eafily wind us out of this Labyrinth, and that is Sincerity, by which I mean an honeft and humble Endeavour to know our Duty, and a steady Refolution to perform it; this will either prevent our Error, or elfe prevent the mifchief and malignity of it; the upright

Man

Vol. I. Man fhall never want light to guide him into truth and Right, or Goodness and Charity to extinguifh like a Sovereign Antidote the Venom and Poyfon of false Principles and Error, for that of Solomon, He that walks uprightly, walks fafely, Prov. 10. 9. And the Gospel promifes of Spiritual Affiftance and Illumination, can import no lefs. And thus I am got clear of the first Difficulty.

A Second Objection I am to expect is this: But alas when we know our Duty, how hard a Task is it to do it? If nothing less than acting and living up to the Dictates of Confcience, can gain us a Confcience void of Offence, alas, who then can have it! Is it not Pelagianifm, Popery, or fomething worse to affert the poffibility of keeping the Commandments of God? Is it fo? What means then that place of our Saviour, If a man love me he will keep my Commandments, John 14. 23. and many other to the fame 14.23. purpofe? But without entring into this Controverfie, I anfwer, When I tell you, that a Confcience void of Offence is fuch a one as doth not reproach us with any wilful violations of our Duty, I neither exclude Sin in the past life, nor defects in the prefent: But first, J exclude a deliberate continuance in any

known

known fin: And in the next place, I Serm. 3. make a difference, as the Scriptures and the Fathers have taught me, between Defects and Crimes, between Infirmity and Wickedness; for fuch is the frailty of Humane Nature, that it unavoidably fubjects us to the one, and fuch the Power and Excellency of our Religion, that it raises us above the other.

It is now high time to proceed from this general to a more particular and diftinct Survey of this Duty in my Text: This by St. Paul is divided into two branches, our Duty towards God, and our Duty towards Man; and each of these may again be fub-divided into two, for our Duty towards God may regard either his Publick or Private Worship; and our Duty towards Man may regard either his Publick or Private Rights.

First, Of our Obligation to the Publick Worship or Service of God. I need not tell you furely how much the Honour of Religion, and the fafety of the Nation depends upon the due performance of this. The Honour of our Religion; 'tis not the Service of the Clofet, but of the Temple which falls under Publick Notice and Obfervation; and therefore 'tis the Unity and Order, the Comeliness and Devoutnefs of this that creates a Veneration

Vol. I. neration for Religion, and raises the Reputation of a Church; and how far the fafety of the Nation is intereffed in this, not only Scripture and Reason too, but our own Experience can inform us. Scripture and Reason tell us, That a House divided against it felf cannot stand, Matt. 12. 25. And Experience, fad, fad Experience teaches us, that we no fooner divide in our Opinions and Worship, but we divide in our Affections too; and fuch is the Folly of fome, and the Cunning and Malice of others, that 'tis impoffible, or next to impoffible, but that these Cantons and Divisions should be presently formed into Combinations and Factions, which first sharpned their Tongues and Pens, and then their Swords against one another.

But to mention other obligations to the Publick Worfhip of God, this is the best and most effectual means of promoting the Glory of God, and the Happiness and Edification of Man, Publick and Solemn Adorations are the most Illuftrious Teftimonies we can render God of our Homage and Dependance: United Prayers do most powerfully prevail either to engage the Favour, or appeafe the dif pleasure of God: And Publick Inftruction, which ought always to be a part of

the

the Publick Service of God, is fo necef- Serm. 3. fary, that I doubt the World would grow Atheistical and Barbarous without it; fince 'tis to be feared that not only the far greater part of the Common-People, but fome alfo of better Quality, owe all the Divinity they have to Holy-days and Sundays.

Now this being fo, the Glory of God, and good of Man, the Honour of Religion, and the Safety of our Nation depending fo much upon the Publick Worfhip of God, it is eafie for us to infer what Obligation every Man lies under to advance and support the Solemnity and Credit of it, and what guilt they contract, who either caufelefly abfent, or, which is worse, divide from it; And how much more they who either by a careless, rude, and contemptuous carriage at Church, or by their open and notorious Immoralities at other times, are a fcandal to it; Or they, laftly, who by ftudied and malicious Calumnies and Aspersions beget in Men a dif-esteem and contempt of it.

But though it be the Duty of every Christian not only to Worship God publickly, but also as much as in him lies to advance Unity and Order in the Publick Worship, and to fupport and raise the

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