in matters of doctrine, provided that he be peaceable, and his practice good, and that he neither attempts nor teaches any thing which tends to the disturbing of the flate, or to the debauching of the morals of the people.

They who without any just cause are public enemies to the ftate, (whether they are foreign foes or domestic rebels) may be refifted, and under the commiffion of lawful authority, fubdued by force of arms.

If a private enemy unlawfully assaults, or any way endeavours to injure a man in his perfon, goods, or good name, it is lawful for the person, who is thus affaulted or injured, to ftand up in his own defence, as far as the juftice and exigence of his cafe requires. But when we have thus done all that is necessary, or that we are able honeftly to do, for the prefervation of ourselves or the public, we must not proceed farther out of hatred or malice, to do any thing merely to vex, or grieve, or hurt, even the greatest and most implacable enemies: but on the contrary, having fo fecured ourselves, as that they can do us no hurt, we must always be ready to do them all manner of good that is confiftent with our neceffary fafety, and with that duty which we owe to the reft of mankind.

Hufbands fhould love their wives with a most tender affection; of which they must give all the

proof

proof they can in all their actions and wives must in like manner love, and also be obedient to their husbands, and each of them must be ftrictly just and faithful to the other in all things.

Parents must honeftly endeavour to provide for their children, and to teach and breed them up in fuch a manner as may be best, both for their fouls and bodies, diligently and tenderly watching over them, to keep them from all harm, countenancing and encouraging them in every thing that is good; and reproving, and sometimes correctTM ing them, but without bitterness or paffion, when they find them given to any thing that is evil.

Mafters and mistresses must be just and merciful to their fervants; and fervants must behave themselves not only with faithfulness and diligence, but alfo with obedience and respect towards their mafters and miftreffes.

The pastors and minifters of God's church must be exemplary in their lives, diligent and industrious in their teaching and preaching of wholesome and useful doctrine, and adminiftring and difpenfing of all the ardinances of God, that they may, as much as in them lies, promote the falvation of the fouls of thofe that are committed to their charge:

And the people, on the other hand, must pay a refpect to their pastors and minifters for their work and function's fake giving as conftant and reve

rend attendance as they can upon all boly offices, and carefully hearkening to, and putting in practice, all fuch wholesome directions and inftructions, as they do or fhall receive from them.

And lastly, all magistrates and rulers, in their feveral stations, must govern the people that are under them, according to the laws and constitutions« of the land, adminiftring juftice with diligence and difpatch, and without fear, favor or affection, of, or to any man; always tempering (as much as in them lies the rigor and feverity of human laws, with that quity, moderation, and mercy, that the law of God requires, and is confiftent with the public good.

And the people, on the other hand, must behave themselves towards their rulers with honor and re

verence to their persons, and fubmiffion and obedience to their lawful authority, making confcience of performing whatever the law of the land requires, except it should so fall out, that fomething is thereby commanded, which is evidently contrary to God's law there being nothing else that can excufe a fubject from giving obedience to the laws and conflitutions of that government under which he lives, except he can make it appear, that God himself requires the contrary from him.

And thus I have done with the second thing which God requires from us, which is, obedience to thofe

laws

laws or rules that he has given us. I come now to the third and last thing that God requires from us, and that is, repentance; which, although it may be reckoned as a part of our obedience, becaufe it is a thing commanded by God, yet fince it has an equal relation to every one of the divine laws, of which I have been giving an account, I thought it might not be improper to referve it to be fpoken of in the last place.

Now, when a man has tranfgreffed any of the laws of God, and thereby made himself liable to his wrath and eternal damnation; the first step that he must take, in order to repentance and reconciliation with him, is to be truly forrowful for his fins, whereby he has provoked fo good and gracious, so just and powerful a God, and run himfelf into fo great danger. But the truth of this forrow is not to be judged of by the violence or passionateness of it; but that man who has fuch a due sense of his fins, as to be effectually moved thereby to forfake and amend them; he, and he only, can be faid to be truly and acceptably forrowful for them.

Now this forrow for fin muft, in the next place, move him to make an humble acknowledgment and confeffion of them to God: and that he may the better perform this, it is neceffary that he often examine

examine his own confcience, and endeavour to bring his fins to his remembrance.

At the fame time when he confeffes his fins, he must also humbly beg God's pardon for them for the fake of Jefus Chrift, who died for us; and must put on ferious and stedfast resolutions, that he will amend them, and lead a better life for the time to come and that if he has done any wrong in word or deed to any other man whatsoever, he will make reparation and reflitution to him, to the best of his

power.

And to conclude all, he muft ftrictly keep and fulfil these refolutions when he has made them; or elfe all that has gone before will fignify nothing, For indeed, reformation or amendment of life, is the only thing that completes and makes up the true nature of repentance.

And thus I have endeavoured to give a brief and plain account of all that God requires as necessary to falvation. And God of his mercy direct us to believe and practise accordingly, and grant that in the end we may enjoy the reward of all, even eternal happiness, through Jefus Christ our Lord..

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