3. Then alfo, the confequences of truth. and real virtue to ourselves. For, it is the proper employment of our intellectual faculties, to be converfant about God; to make enquiry after him, and to find him out in all his ways and works; to conceive aright of him, and then to resemble and imitate him, Religion is an obligation upon us to God. The first motion of religion is to understand what is true of God; and the second is, to exprefs it in our lives and to copy it out in our works: the former is our wisdom, and the latter is our goodness.. In these two confifts the health and pulchritude of our minds: for health to the body is not more than virtue is unto the mind. A depraved, vitious mind is as really the fickness and deformity thereof, as any foul and loathfome disease is unto the body. And as really as these tend to the death and diffolution of the body; fo the vices of the mind tend to the separation of God and the foul. If therefore it be our care to rid ourselves of bodily diseases; much more, it becomes us to look after the cure of our fouls. : 4. And lastly, the danger if we do not take care; for in this state of probation, exercise and trial there are many things that are matter of temptation to us, and are intended for the exercife of our virtue and in the course of providence God permits them, partly to awaken us to diligence and confideration; and partly to make us to betake ourselves to him for protection, guidance, and direction. And then gain or lofs is according as we approve ourselves unto. him. This we may obferve, that there are no effects in the course of nature, but the author of nature hath fecured them by vigorous and effectual caufes. And affure yourselves, God is not more wanting to the higher order of his creatures: but hath taken care to secure the intellectual world; that part which is invested with reafon and understanding, with liberty and freedom, and therein doth more partake of him; and he hath fecured the effects of thefe agents by exerting vigorous and effectual caufes. And what are they but the exercise of reason and virtue, together with divine affiftance, guidance and direction? For when God made a spirit finite and fallible, he did intend to direct, guide and govern it, by a spirit infinite and infallible. And if any one of us find it not fo, I dare fay such a person hath neglected and forfaken God firft, or elfe God would not have forfaken him. For this we take for granted, that God, in the first creation of man, did intend to govern his mind by the affiftance of the divine Spirit; and that there fhould never have been a fpirit finite and fallible, if it fhould not have had relation to, and communication from the divine Spirit. From what hath been faid, I fhall make two inferences. 1. Then you fee, we may not be careless, self-neglective or incogitant. Some men live fo carelefly, and upon fuch eafy terms in the world, as if there were no danger, nor any thing before them to gain or lofe; even as if they had nothing to do, and like Solomon's fluggard, their field is overgrown with briars and thorns. But we are greatly concerned in this ftate, and there is apparent hazard and danger of miscarriage for there is fome difficulty in what is to be done, and this difficulty encreaseth, the longer we neglect our duty; and it multiplies, by how much the more we have abused ourselves. For, a man hath himself as he useth himself. If a man hath alienated himself from God, by consenting to known iniquity, it is the great mercy of God, if ever he be restored; and when it is done, it must be by repentance and renovation. The first work of religion is to judge and perceive, and this is a work of skill; and therefore, for us to be unawakened and careless, not to employ our highest faculties in this work, is irrational and unaccountable, unworthy of an intelligent agent. In worldly affairs that are of any moment, we judge a perfon highly culpable that doth not use his reason and judgment. If a man miscarry for want of this, we can hardly pity a man in fo fhameful a cafe; we hardly think him an object of charity, that will not work for his living, and does not that which in him is, to make provifion for himself. For a man that is endued with reafon and understanding, to say, I did not think, I never took the matter into confideration, is no other than the account of a fool. Really I wonder how any man can fatisfy himself, to think that he is religious in any degree, and yet take no care to inform himself in neceffary truth who doth not make it his business, to set up a throne of judgment in his own foul. cannot go any farther. For, if he ftick here, he that that he calls religion, it is but fuperftition and blind devotion. But this, though it be what is firft in religion, yet it is not all a man hath to do: for when a man hath established a throne of judgment in his own foul, and is able to put a difference between good and evil, right and wrong; then, Secondly, he must reform himself according to fuch knowledge, and always hold himself to that, which his judgment tells him is the good and right. These two things, I declare to you, are folid and substantial in religion; neceffary and indispenfible, and a man doth but befool himself, to account himself religious if he fail in either of thefe: If he fail in the judgment of right and wrong; and if after his judgment he doth not answerably reform himself in his life and actions fuch a man's religion is fo cheap, that as it cofts him nothing, fo it is worth nothing. A man may pick and gather his religion in the wilderness of the world: fuch a man may be born among the heathen, and converfe with beafts, and never look after himself, and yet be religious upon fuch an account. If therefore you have fouls to fave, and bear true refpect to God, be fure you take care for right information, and then be fure to refine and reform your fpirits, and your lives, according to your judgments. For, if after this, a man should fail in particular practice, he will be felf-condemned; upon which doth follow the worm of confcience, and that fire which goeth not out. It is a vain thing for a man to call that an action of religion, which is not an act of the understanding: for that is not a religious act, which is not human. For we all fay, that that which doth not proceed from the judgment of the mind, and choice of the will, is not an human act, though the act of a man. And if it doth not arife to the degree of an human act, I am fure it cannot be a religious act. It is therefore indifpenfibly neceffary to religion, that every man, according to his capacity, condition, and opportunity, take care to inform his understanding, that fo he may have the judgment of truth; and after this, to comply with his judgment in practice. 2. I infer from what hath been faid, that we are not altogether to refer ourselves to others, but to employ our own faculties, and improve our own advantages and opportunities, and to fee with our own eyes; for, otherwife we do not answer our make for, without this, a man grows to be lefs, and goes backward the longer he lives, and the older he grows; unless he improves his rational faculties, which is the proper perfection of intellectual nature, We ought to look upon this judgment of truth, and difcerning, not only by way of priviledge, and as a fecurity against forgery, fuperftition and flavery; but also as a charge and duty. It is incumbent upon us to look after information, in order to reformation and amendment because without knowledge the heart cannot be good. But then the heart is not fanctified from knowledge alone: for there must be firft knowledge, and then virtue. I dare affure you no man can be religious by another man's knowledge, nor any thing of another's; no more than a man that is fick, can be well by his neighbour's health. In matters of this nature, 'tis every body for |