whether it be a Calumny or a Truth, the Product of Spite, Atheism, and Prophaneness, or of an humble Confcience of Humane Infirmity, and the real difficulty of finding out Truth and Right in fome Cafes. I Anfwer, Beit fo, yet have we a Clew that will eafily wind us out of this Labyrinth, and that is Sincerity, by which I mean an honest and humble Endeavour to know our Duty, and a steady Refolution to perform it; this will either prevent our Error, or else prevent the mischief and malignity of it; the upright Man shall never want light to guide him into truth and Right, or Goodness and Charity to extinguish like a Soveraign Antidote the Venom and Poyfon of falle Principles and Error, for that of Solomon, He that walks uprightly, walks fafely, Prov. 10. 9. And the Gospel promifes of Spiritual Affiftance and Illumination, can import no lels. And thus I am got clear of the first Difficulty.

A Second Objection I am to expect is this, But alas when we know our Duty, how hard a Task is it to do it? If nothing less than acting and living up to the Dictates of Confcience, can gain' usa Confcience void of Offence, alas,

who

who then can have it! Is it not Pelagianifm, Popery, or fomething worse to affert the poffibility of keeping the Commandments of God? Is it fo? What means then that place of our Saviour, If a man love me he will keep my Commandments, John 14. 23. and many other to the fame purpofe? But without entring into this Controversie, I answer, When I tell you, that a Conscience void of Offence is fuch a one as doth not reproach us with any wilful violations of our Duty, I neither exclude Sin in the past life, nor defects in the present: But first, I exclude a deliberate continuance in any known fin And in the next place, I make a difference, as the Scriptures and the Fathers have taught me, between Defects and Crimes, between Infirmity and Wickedneß; for fuch is the frailty of Humane Nature, that it unavoidably. fubjects us to the one, and fuch the Power and Excellency of our Religion, that it raises us above the other.

It is now high time to proceed from this general to a more particular and diftinct Survey of this Duty in my Text: This by St. Paul is divided into two branches, our Duty towards God,

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God, and our Duty towards Man; and each of these may again be fub-divided into two, for our Duty towards God may regard either his Publick or Private Worship; and our Duty towards Man may regard either his Publick or Private Rights.

First, Of our Obligation to the Publick Worship or Service of God. I need not tell you surely how much the Honour of Religion, and the fafety of the Nation depends upon the due performance of this. The Honour of our Religion; 'tis not the Service of the Closet, but of the Temple which falls under Publick Notice and Obfervation; and therefore 'tis the Unity and Order, the Comeliness and Devoutness of this that creates a Veneration for Religion, and raises the Reputation of a Church; and how far the fafety of the Nation is intereffed in this, not only Scripture and Reason too, but our own Experience can inform us. Scripture and Reafon tell us, That a Houfe divided against it self cannot ftand, Mat. 12. 25. And experience, fad, fad Experience teaches us, that we no fooner divide in our Opinions and Worship, but we divide in our Affections too; and fuch is the Folly of fome,

fome, and the Cunning and Malice of others, that 'tis impoffible, or next to impoffible, but that these Cantons and Divifions fhould be presently formed into Combinations and Factions, which first fharpned their Tongues and Pens, and then their Swords against one another.

But to mention other Obligations to the Publick Worship of God, this is the best and most effectual means of promoting the Glory of God, and the Happineß and Edification of Man, Publick and So. lemn Adorations are the most Illustrious Teftimonies we can render God of our Homage and Dependance: United Prayers do most powerfully prevail either to engage the Favour, or appeafe the difpleasure of God: And Publick Inftruction, which ought always to be a part of the Publick Service of God, is fo neceffary, that I doubt the World would grow Atheistical and Barbarous without it; fince 'tis to be feared that not only the far greater part of the Common-People, but fome also of better Quality, owe all the Divinity they have to Holy-days and Sundays.

Now this being fo, the Glory of God, and Good of Man, the Honour of Re

ligion,

ligion, and the Safety of our Nation depending fo much upon the Publick Worfhip of God, it is eafie for us to infer what Obligation every Man lies under to advance and fupport the Solemnity and Credit of it, and what guilt they contract, who either caufelefly abfent, or, which is worse, divide from it; And how much more they who either by a careless, rude, and contemptuous carriage at Church, or by their open and notorious Immoralities at other times, are a scandal to it: Or they, laftly, who by ftudied and malicious Calumnies and Afperfions beget in Men a dif-esteem and contempt of it.

But though it be the Duty of every Chriftian not only to Worship God publickly, but also as much as in him lies to advance Unity and Order in the Publick Worship, and to fupport and raise the Efteem of it; yet furely none can be more obliged to this than the Magistracy, Nobility, and Gentry of a Nation; Men's Gratitude to God ought to be proportioned to their Obligations, and those whom God has diftinguished from the reft of Mankind by his particular Fayours, ought to diftinguish themselves by a more particular and eminent Zeal

for