fcience, As unto the Lord, and not unto Men, knowing, that of the Lord we shall receive our Reward.

This naturally arifeth from the Belief of a wife and good God, watching over the Persons and Affairs of Men, and it will engage us to discharge all thofe Relative Duties we owe to our Superiors, Equals, and Inferiors, with Faithfulness and chearful Obedience.

1. This reverential Fear of God, will derive a Religious Stay upon our Minds, and keep us in the strictest Obedience to those he hath placed in Power and Superiority over

us;

it will teach us to obey Rulers and Magiftrates, to revere their Authority, to honour their Perfons, to pray for their Welfare, and to discharge all our Obligations to them not fo much out of Fear of their Power, as of Confcience towards God. From the fame Principle it will reftrain our Hearts, and our Hands from meditating fecret Treafons against them in our Bed-chamber, or giving any Difturbance to their Government, knowing that they are God's Minifters, attending continually upon this very Thing. That they are appointed by him for the Punishment of EvilDoers, and for the Praife of them that do well, that we may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honefty. Again, This will engage us to Truth, and Juftice, and Charity to all with whom we have any private Conversation or Dealings, whether

Equals

Equals or Inferiors, of what Rank and Quality foever they be. Not only not to take Advantage of their Ignorance or Poverty, not to do them any Wrong by Violence and Force, by Injuftice and Oppreffion, by Cheating and Over-reaching, by Detraction and Slander, but to give them whatfoeyer by any kind of Right becomes their due. For this is the Will of God, and this Commandment we have received from him, that he who loveth God, love his Brother alfo.

2. This ingenuous Fear and Awe of God in all our Actions, will engage us to fet a strict Guard over our felves, that our own Hearts and Affections be not alienated from the Love of God, that they be not enfnared by the Temptations, and infatuated by the Cares and Covetoufnefs, or by the Pleafures and Lufts of this World. For indeed the Allurements and Flatteries of it are the most dangerous Competitors of God, and the Gospel every where reprefents them as the greateft Enemies and Supplanters of the Love of him. Love not the World, faith St. John, neither 1 Ep. St. the Things in the World, if any Man love the Johnchap. World, the Love of the Father is not in him. They that will be rich, faith St. Paul, fall in- 1 Tim.ch. to Temptation and a Snare, and into many foolib and burtful Lufts, which drown Men in Deftru&tion and Perdition. And our Saviour fays, St. Matth. No Man can ferve two Mafters, for either be 6. 26. will hate the one and love the other ; or elle

be

2. V. IS.

6. v. 9.

A

be will bold to the one, and defpife the other. Te can't ferve God and Mammon.

From thefe and fuch like Texts of Scripture, fome lefs cautious and inconfiderate Divines have advanced an Opinion, That God is fo wholly to be the Object of our Love, that it is a defrauding him, to place the leaft Degree of our Love upon the Creatures of this World, and that they can't, as fuch, be defired by us, without Sin. Now if none of these were allowed to be defirable by us, why fhou'd our Saviour (as he plainly does in that very Chapter) fuppofe the Conveniency, the Ufefulness, the Neceffity, of them. In

deed he there gives abundant Caution against the Immoderate Love of Things of this World, and the Sinfulness of diftrufting Divine Providence; but not the leaft Hint of the Sinfulness, either of defiring or ufing them.

In that 6th Chapter of St. Matthew, our Saviour in a most familiar, lively, and affecting Eloquence, fets forth the Love and Care of God in providing for all Inferiour Nature. For the Fouls of the Air, for the Lillies of the Field, for the Grafs upon the Mountains, for the Sparrows that are fold in the Market, and the very Hairs of our Head. And then concludes the Difcourfe with this Application against the Diftruft of Divine Providence. Are ye not much better than they? Shall be not much more cloath you, Oye of little Faith! Which of you by taking Care can add one Cubit to his Sta

ture ?

ture? Take no Thought therefore, your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have Need of thefe Things. But firft feek ye the Kingdom of God and bis Righteousness, and all thefe Things fhall be added unto you.

All these Things; What Things does he mean? The Superfluity of this World, the Riches and Honours, the Pomps and Grandeurs, the Pleafures and Prodigalities of Hu man Life? No, thefe are not needful; these are the Excrefcences and Luxuriant Branches of too much Fulnefs. But he means Meat and Drink, and Raiment: A decent Mediocrity, a competent Sufficiency of the Conveniencies and Accommodations of this Life? Whatever may be needful to secure them from Want, or Danger, or Contempt. These Things the Providence of God will moft certainly adminifter to Religious Men; and with this happy Advantage even above the Rich and Honourable, that the lefs they have received, the fewer Temptations they have been expofed unto, and the fhorter will their Account be in the great Day of God.

I am very well fatisfied, that Riches and Honours, Pofts of Truft and Dignity, are very often the Gifts and Bleffings of Heaven in confideration of Men's faithful Services to God, Religion, and their Country; that where thefe meet with an honeft and well-difpofed Mind they are not only confiftent with a very ftrict and exemplary Piety, but that fuch in all Ages have been the publick Inftru

meuts,

ments and Promoters of it; yet I am apt to believe, that even thofe Men, when they come to die, cou'd wifh they had been lefs intangled in the Affairs of this World, that they had spent more Time in attending upon Religion, and their Hours of Retirement had been more frequent and lefs interrupted; there being at least fome Danger that multiplicity of Business may have betrayed them into many Omiffions and Neglects; fo that though a great Eftate, and Publick Character, may furnish out fairer Opportunities of doing Good in this World; yet an ordinary Fortune, and quiet Station afford better Security for a Regular and clofe Devotion. And upon this Reafon, is that pious Prayer of Agur grounded, Prov. 30. 8. Remove from me Vanity and Lies, give me neither Riches nor Poverty, Feed me with Food convenient.

Thus I have endeavoured to make good that general Head of Difcourfe I advanced from thefe Words, by refolving it into the feveral Particulars which feemed naturally to arife from it, and neceffary for the Explication of this great Commandment. By which I hope it fufficiently appears what the juft Meaning and Importance of it is, how we may be faid to love the Lord our God with all our Heart, with all our Soul, and with all our Mind: That it is fairly practicable in it felf, and very confiftent with the moderate Love, Defire, and Enjoyment of all the good Things of this World.

So