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enjoy him hereafter? Let all fuch but tudy the Scriptures, and frequent the publick Ordinances; be conftant and fincere in Prayer and Meditation, neglecting no Opportunity of acquainting themselves with God, but make ufe of all means poffible, to get their Hearts poffeffed with a reverential Apprehenfion of God's Greatnefs and Glory, and with a due fenfe of his Goodnefs and Perfections, and their Work will foon be done for if they thus know God, they will ferve him too with a perfect Heart, and a willing Mind.

We have feen how we ought to know God; weare now to confider how we ought to ferve him; without which, indeed, our Knowledge of him will avail us nothing. For, as the Apostle argues, though I Speak with Tongues of Men and Angels, and have not Charity, I am become as founding Brafs, and a tinkling Cymbal, 1 Cor. 13. 12. So here: Though we hould have the higheft Notions and Speculations in Divinity, that Men or Angels ever had, though we fhould understand the higheft Myfteries in Religion, and dive into the profoundest Secrets of Chriftian Philofophy; though we should excel the greateft SchoolMen, and the most learned Doctors that

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ever lived and were able to baffle Herefies, difpute Error and Schifm out of the Chriftian Church, and evince the Truth of the Articles of our Faith, by. more than Mathematical Demon ftrations Yet, if after all this, our Knowledge be only Notional, not moving our Affections, nor putting us up on the Practice of what we know, it is but as founding Brafs, and a tinkling Cymbal, it may make a noife in the World, and get us Applaufe amongst Men, but it will ftand us in no ftead at all before the Eternal God; yea, it will rife up in judgment againft us another Day, and fink us lower into the A byfs of Torments. And therefore, tho Men may, God doth not look upon this as the true Knowledge of himfelf. Nei ther can any one be properly faid to know God that doth not ferve him with a perfect Heart, and a willing Mind. And therefore having difcourfed of that Knowledge which is neceffary to our ferving God, I fhall now endeavour to fhew, how we ought to ferve God ac cording to our Knowledge.

In fpeaking unto which, I muft beg the Reader's moft ferious and Chriftian at tention, as to a Matter which concerns our Lives; yea, our Eternal Lives in another

another World: I hope there is none of thofe that pretends to Inftruct, so Brutish and Atheistical, as not to defire to ferve God: None fo Proud and Self-conceited, as to think that they ferve him well enough already, or at leaft know how to do it. I write only to fuch as defire to be inftructed, and read Books of practical Religion with no other Defign but to serve God, and to learn how to ferve him better. And if this be our only Design, as I hope it is, let us manifeft it to the World, and to our Confciences, by attending to, and fixing what we read upon our own Hearts. For I may venture to say, that this is the noblest and most neceffary Subject that I can write, or any one can read of; and that which, if seriously weighed, rightly confidered, I and truly practifed, will moft certainly bring us to the highest Happiness which our Natures are capable of, or our Per fons were at firft defigned for.

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Now, for our clearer proceeding in a Matter of fo great Importance, we will firft confider, what it is to ferve God? A Queftion very neceffary to be treated of and refolved, because of the general Mistakes that are in the World about it: Many People fancying the Ser E 2

vice

vice of God to confift in fome few particular Acts; as in faying their Prayers, reading the Scriptures, going to Church, and giving an Alms now and then to the Poor, efpecially if they be but zealous and refolute in the Defence of the Party or Faction they are of, fo as to promote it to the highest of their Parts, Estates, or Power, then they think they do God good fervice, and that this is all he requires of them. Others think they ferve God by ferving of his Creatures, as in praying to Saints, bowing to Images, and falling down before the Eucharift, when it is carried in Proceflion: Nay, many there are, who think they ferve God when they difhopour him, wrefting his Scriptures, corrupting his Doctrines, oppofing his Vicegerents, feducing his People and Servants into Error, and all for the promoting of fome Temporal Interefts, or groundless Opinions. But we might know that the Service of God is a Thing of an higher Nature, and nobler Stamp than fuch would perfwade us it is: nothing less than,

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filly Mortals Confifting in

1. In devoting of our felves, and all we have, or are, or do unto the Honour of the Eternal God; refigning our

Hearts

Hearts wholly to him, and fubduing all our Paffions and Affections before him. For feeing we were wholly made by him, and wholly depend upon him, if we would ferve God at all, we muft ferve him with all we are; every Facul ty of our Souls, and Members of our Bodies employing themselves in those Services which he hath fet them, fo as to live as none of our own, but as wholly God's; his by Creation, it was he that made us; his by Prefervation, it is he that maintains us; and his by Redemption, it is he that hath purcha fed us with his own most precious Blood and therefore being thus bought with a price, we fhould glorify God both in our Souls and Bodies which are his, I Cor. 6. 20.

And as we are to ferve him with all we are, fo alfo with all we have, Honour the Lord with thy Subftance, and with the firft Fruits of all thine increase Prov. 3. 9. Whatfoever we have, we receive from his Bounty, and therefore whatsoever we have we should employ for his Glory: Our Parts, our Gifts, our Eftates, our Power, our Time; whatfoever we can call ours, is his in our Hands, and therefore to be im proved, not for our felves but him; as

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