they blafpheme the Name of God, profane his Sabbaths, contemn his Word, defpife his Ordinances, and trample upon the Blood of his only Son? How many have we amongst ourselves that do these things as much as they?

BUT how comes this about, that they who are baptized into the Name of Chrift, and profefs the Religion which he established in the World, fhould be no better than other People, and in fome refpects far worse? Is it because though they profefs the Gofpel yet they do not understand it? Nor know what Sins are forbidden, nor what Duties are enjoyned in it? That none can plead, efpecially amongst us who have the Gofpel fo clearly revealed, fo fully interpreted, fo conftantly preach'd to us as we have. Infomuch that if there be any one Person amongst us, that underftands not what is neceffary to be known, in order to our everlasting Happiness, it is because we will not: wilfully fhutting our Eyes against the Light.

BUT what then fhall we impute this wonder to, that Chriftians are generally as bad as Heathens? Does Chrift in his Gospel difpence with their Impieties, and give them Indulgences for their Sins, and License to break the moral Law? It is true, his pretended Vicar at Rome doth fo, but far be it from

us

us to father our Sins upon him, who came into the World on purpose to fave us from them. Indeed if we repent and turn from Sin, he hath both purchased and promised Pardon and Forgiveness to us, but not till then: But hath exprefly told us the contrary, affuring us that except we repent we muft all perish, Luc. xiii. 3. I confefs there have been fuch blafphemous Hereticks amongst us, called Antinomians, who are altogether for Faith without good Works making as if Chrift by erecting his Gospel destroy'd the moral Law; but none can entertain fuch an horrible Opinion as that is, whofe finful Practices have not fo far depraved their Principles, that they believe it is so only because they would have it to be fo, directly contrary to our Saviour's own Words, Matth. v. 17. Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil. But I hope there is none of us but have better learned Chrift than to think that he came to patronize our Sins, who was fent to bless us, by turning away every one of us from our Iniquities, A&t. iii. 26. But how come Chriftians then to be as bad and finful as other Men? Is it because they are as deftitute as other Men of all Means whereby to become better? No, this cannot poffibly be the reason: For nothing can be more I 2 certain,

certain, than that we all have, or at least may, if we will, have whatsoever can any ways conduce to the making us either holy here or happy hereafter. We have the way that leads thereto revealed to us in the Word of God, we have that Word frequently expounded and applyed to us; we have all free Accefs not only to the Ordinances which God hath appointed for our Converfion, but even to the very Sacraments themselves, whereby our Faith may be confirmed, and our Souls nourished to eternal Life. And more than all this too, we have many gracious and faithful Promifes, that if we do but what we can, God for Chrift's fake will afford us fuch Affiftances of his Grace and Spirit, whereby we shall be enabled to perform univerfal Obedience to the moral Law, fuch as God for Chrift's fake will accept of, inftead of that Perfection which the Law requires. So that now, if we be not all as real and true Saints, as good and pious Chriftians as ever lived, it is certainly our own Faults: For we have all things neceffary to the making of us fuch, and if we were not wanting to our felves, it is impoffible we should fail of having all our Sins fubdued under us, and all true Grace and Vertue implanted in us. Infomuch that fince the Christian Religion was first

revealed

revealed to the World, there have been certainly Millions of Souls converted by it, who now are glorify'd Saints in Heaven, which once were as finful Creatures upon Earth as we now are. But it seems they found the Gofpel an effectual Means of Converfion and Salvation; and therefore it cannot be imputed to any Defect in the Gospel, or the Chriftian Religion, that we are not all as good Men as ever lived, and by confequence better than the Profeffors of all other Religions in the World.

BUT what then shall we fay to this wonder of wonders, that Chriftians themselves in our Age live fuch loofe and diffolute Lives, as generally they do? What fhould be the reafon that all manner of Sin and Evil should be both practifed and indulged amongst us, as much as in the darkest Corners of the World, upon which the Gospel never yet shined? Why when we have fearched into all the reafons that poffibly can be imagined, next to the Degeneracy and Corruption of our Nature, this muft needs be acknowledged as one of the chief and principal, that Men living upon Earth, and converfing ordinarily with nothing but fenfible and material Objects, they are fo much taken up with them, that those divine and spiritual Truths, which are reyealed in the Gofpel, make little or no Impref

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Impreffion at all upon them, though they hear what the Gospel faith and teacheth, yet they are no more affected with it, nor concerned about it, than as if they had ne ver heard of it, their Affections being all bent and enclined only to the things of this World. And therefore it is no wonder, that they run with fo full a Career into Sin and Wickednefs, notwithstanding their Profeffion of the Gofpel, feeing their natural Propenfity and Inclination to the things of this World, are fo ftrong and prevalent within them, that they will not fuffer them to think seriously upon, much lefs to concern themselves about any thing else.

THE Apostle, in his Epiftle to Timothy, Chap. vi. endeavouring to perfuade Men from the over eager Defire of earthly Enjoyments, preffes this Confideration upon us, that such an inordinate Defire of the things of this World betrays Men into many and great Temptations, Ver. 8, and 9. And then he gives this as the reafon of it, Ver. 10. For the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil, that is, in brief, The Love of Riches and temporal Enjoyments is the great reafon why Men are guilty of fuch great and atrocious Crimes as generally they are; there being no Evil but what fprings from this, as from its Root and Origine, which is fo plain a Truth, fo conftantly and uni

verfally

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