sonable creature continueth such, the obligation of the law of nature will unalterably lie upon it.

You are therefore to consider; Was there no sin or duty in the world, before the Scriptures were written, for two thousand years together? when we are told, that before the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed, when there is no law. Rom. 5. 13. And therefore there was this law of nature, in respect whereof men are a law unto themselves. Rom. 2. 14. That is, if they will look impartially and faithfully into their own souls, and not wilfully overlook their natural dictates and sentiments; if they will commune with themselves. And the very writing of the Scriptures doth suppose this, and all preaching according to the Scriptures supposeth it. Otherwise what means the apostle's saying in that text, 2 Cor. 4. 2. Recommending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God? That, which upon an impartial appeal to the conscience of a man in the sight of God he shall be obliged to judge is just and equal, binds his practice, and hath its ground in Scripture too, though every circumstance relating hereunto be not found there.

Scriptural revelation doth graft upon nature, that is, it supposeth us men. Otherwise to what purpose were it to put such a book into our hands; if we were not with dependance, with subordination, to apply our own understandings to consider what is contained there; still expecting and looking up to the Father of lights, from whom this collection of truths doth come to us, that he would irradiate or direct our minds, and enable us to discern his mind, as it is signified to us the one or the other way? All appeals unto the judgments and consciences of men were in vain and to no purpose, if what I now say were not to be admitted. I speak to wise men; says the apostle, judge ye what I say, 1 Cor. 10. 15. God's own expostulations with men suppose it. "Are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?" Ezek. 18. 29. All this doth suppose, that there is an understanding and a conscience, that is capable of judging. And whatsoever shall appear just and requisite and necessary unto that principle, must be understood to oblige by the authority of the Supreme Legislator, whose law this is. For he, that has made us and made our natures, has made this law that is written there.

Therefore this law is an inviolable law, and most deeply fundamental to all that we have contained in the Bible; which is but a superadded light. Inasmuch as it is most true, that this law of nature doth not declare, what is to be done by apostate and lost creatures in order to their recovery; therefore a supervening light is needful. The law of nature was impressed

upon the mind of innocent man, and respected his innocent state. But then, those that were obligations of duty laid upon him in that state, are incessant obligations. What! will God say, "Because my creature has made a defection from me, shall he by his own fault excuse himself from duty, and nullify the obligation of my law?" If that did oblige men to worship God, and oblige societies to worship him, lesser societies, supposing there had been such, while the state of innocency lasted; do we think, that that obligation is taken off by sin, by men's having offended and made a defection from God? As if men could nullify God's laws by disobeying them. And therefore,

I say, what doth by the law of nature appear to be necessary, will equally oblige our practice, as if it were in so many express words in Scripture. And in the last place, I propose this to be considered too,

6. That it is a master-piece of the devil's artifice, to oppose the means of our direction in matters of practice to one another, and to their common end. And they are most stupid creatures, who will suffer themselves to be befooled by him in this matter. A great artifice of the devil! first to go about to oppose the light of nature, that is simply and truly such, (and there are characters, by which that may be discerned, though that is not the business of this hour,) unto Scripture-light; and then to oppose one piece of Scripture to another; and then to make it be thought, that all together is insufficient to the true end: or else to set the means against the end. This is a great design that he hath been driving, ever since there was a church in the world; and to engage men in broils and disputes upon such seeming oppositions; but all to divert the practice of what was really most necessary unto men's serving of God in this world, and their being happy with him in the other: and then to represent the means as insufficient to the end, and by consequence as opposite; as if all together would not serve, because one alone will not. As indeed this is plain, that the light of nature alone will not serve to enable a man to glorify God as God, and to conduct a man to a final felicity in him. Therefore, says the devil, "It is of no use at all;" and so men are to be given up to enthusiasm. Thus he imposeth upon one sort of men. Again, if such and such things be found not to be contained expressly in the Scripture-revelation, then Scripture-revelation alone is represented as insufficient; and thereupon there must be I know not how many traditions and inventions of men pitched upon, to supply or make up the defects of Scripture; or otherwise, upon pretence of this insufficiency, the end, that should be served by it, is represented as impossible to be served; and the Scripture shall be pretended to

throw religion out of the world, because it is no sufficient means to serve it and at last men shall be left to live irreligiously, according to the disinclination and bent of a disaffected heart.

God hath not left us altogether "ignorant of Satan's devices ;" and "in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird." When he would so grossly impose upon us in so plain cases, we are very foolish creatures, sillier than the silliest bird, if we will suffer ourselves to be beguiled and imposed upon; especially as to such parts and pieces of our religion, as upon which all our present comfort and welfare, and our future and eternal hopes do so immediately depend. It would be great folly in so plain

a case.

Do but consider a little, wherein this doth appear most plain, so that every one may understand it if he will. Take the most unquestionable and indisputable things, that lie within the compass of natural revelation, and that cannot be understood to serve any ill purpose, or to gratify any corrupt inclination in the heart of a man, but directly the contrary; take these natural sentiments, and take the whole compass of Scripture together with them; and here is that, which in point of rule both for faith and practice is every way sufficient to serve its end. When we say, the Scripture is a complete rule, we do not mean as severed and cut off from the law of nature, or in opposition to that, or as excluding that; but as including it; and as excluding only the unnecessary and arbitrary inventions of men, and the additions that they think fit to subnect to it. Take the Scripture, in conjunction with the frame of most unquestionably natural dictates and sentiments; and here we have an entire discovery of all that is requisite to our acceptable walking with God. And indeed all those more essential necessary dictates of the law of nature are contained in the Scripture. But there are many things, that are still to be borrowed from thence, which may respect the matter of undetermined circumstances; and circumstances of that kind, that they are necessary to actions to be done. Not merely unnecessary circumstances. For if any would take their advantage and occasion from thence, to devise what circumstances they please; that is a groundless and injurious pretence. There can be no action done but with circumstances; and the determination of some circumstances is necessary: as, it is impossible for an assembly ever to meet together, if they do not agree upon a time there can be no such thing as social worship, if the persons that are to associate do not agree. Such a circumstance as this is necessary, because there cannot be worship without it. But for unnecessary circumstances, which signify nothing

to the work, and without which it may be, and may be as well and perhaps better; these cannot be fetched from the law of nature. But from the law of nature I can fetch this circumstance; if I be obliged to worship God, then I must find some time for it. And if persons be obliged to worship God together, then they must find some time to come together. And therefore all that is substantial in religion, though a great deal of it be in the law of nature, you have it over again in Scripture. And for whatsoever of circumstance is necessary unto such exercises of religion, if you have not all those circumstances in the Scripture, yet the law of nature compared with Scripture will oblige you to find out fit circumstances; such as by which it shall be possible for the enjoined duty to be done, and such as without which it cannot be done.

And so in this sense the Scripture is a perfect rule, in oppo sition to unnecessary inventions; but not in opposition to the necessary parts of the law of nature, or whatsoever that is necessarily to be directive to us in. As, if Scripture say, "Worship God;" the law of nature saith the same thing; but it over and above obligeth me to circumstance it duly, and so as that the thing designed may be possible to be done. And if both together do lay me under an obligation to this or that part or kind of religion and duty, my obligation will be indisputable and indispensible hereupon.

These preparations being laid, we shall (God willing,) go on hereafter to evince to you the obligation that is upon us to family-worship; on the governors of families to take care, that it be set up; and to oblige those under their charge to concur; and their obligation spontaneously and willingly to concur.

SERMON II*.

BECAUSE I lay a great stress in the argument before us upon the law of nature, as you may see by what hath been already offered; it may be requisite, before I proceed upon the forelaid grounds to the proofs, that I should obviate some things which may arise in the minds of some or other concerning this law.

Objection. It may be said; "To lay a weight in this matter upon the law of nature, is to lay it upon the most uncertain thing in all the world. Who can tell, what the law of nature is? How obscure and dark, how dubious and mutable a thing doth it seem to be; depending with one man upon this or that apprehension or fancy or inclination, and with others upon another?" To this I would say as follows,

1. The law of nature, as it lies in the minds of men, is a mightily shattered thing. But,

2. It is not equally obscure in all things.

3. In reference to what I design to appeal to it in, it is most clear and indisputable and I shall lay a weight and stress it no where else, but where it is so.

upon

4. As to what relates to this matter, religion and the wor

* Preached December 17th. 1693.