with refpect to the Law which is to be obeyed, that it cannot be difputed. A truly virtuous Man endeavours to bend all his Paffions and Inclinations towards the Command, and to make them entirely fubmiffive to it. The Man who loves not his Duty is often uneafy and reftlefs under the Pain of Self-Condemnation; and, knowing that all -would be well, did but his Actions and the Law agree, he labours to bend the Law towards his Inclinations, that it may justify him in all his Doings, and yield him the Pleasure and Satisfaction of thinking himself righteous.

It is no great Wonder, when Men are fo deeply engaged in any Error either of Practice or Doctrine, that they should labour to reconcile themfelves as far as poffible with the Commands and Injunctions of God's Law; for, as great as the Pleasure of Sin is, as large as the Profit of Iniquity often is, they cannot of themselves fuftain the Spirit of a Man against the Girds and Lashes of a guilty Confcience. Whilft the Pleasure is new and in its full Vigour; whilst the Gain is counting over and treasuring up, the Mind, perhaps, loft in the present EnVOL. IV. joyment,

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joyment, may want no other Comfort: But the Pleasures of Vice have their Intermiffion, and are fucceeded by cold Damps, which feize the Spirits. The Gains of Iniquity are not always pouring themselves in: When the ill-gotten Wealth is bagged up, there will be fpare Time more than enough for a Man to ask himself how he got these mighty Riches. In these Seasons of Reflection, in these Intervals of Thought and Reason, the Soul wants other Comforts than fuch as can arife from Pleasures that are past, or from Treasures that are hidden in the Earth. A Man can never long like a Bargain which he really thinks he shall fuffer for hereafter; and therefore, to quiet and ease himself, he frames many Devices how to escape the Punishment he dreads: Being eafy to be perfuaded, he foon convinces himself, that the Laws of God have been too rigorously expounded, and pressed too far; that, in Truth, he has not offended against the Law of God, but only against the cruel Law of the Interpreters, whofe Pleasure it is to lay heavy Burdens upon other Shoulders, which themselves care not to touch with one of their Fingers. By these Means

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Means the eafy Cafuift comes to fuch a Temper with himself, that he can at once enjoy and justify his Iniquity.

When the young Man in the Gospel came to our Lord, inquiring upon what Terms he might inherit eternal Life; our Lord fet the Commands before him: Do not commit Adultery: Do not kill: Do not feal: Do not bear falfe Witness: Honour thy Father and thy Mother. Thus far all was well: These Terms he willingly accepted; for he had been virtuously bred, and had observed thefe Things from his Youth; and, having no Guilt to juftify, he had no Exceptions to make to the Commandments. Our Lord, delighted with his towardly Difpofition, would have led him on to greater Perfection: Yet lackeft thou, fays he, one Thing: Sell all that thou haft, and diftribute unto the Poor, and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven; and come and follow me. The young Man, who had not committed Adultery, nor been guilty of Theft, or Difobedience to his Parent, and therefore had no Fault to find with the former Laws, had, it seems, a great Estate, and therefore could by no Means digest this; but was exceeding forrowful, for be was very rich: Sorrowful, not because he

was rich, for then he might easily have complied, and eafed his Sorrow; but forrowful to find any thing in the Gofpel inconfiftent with his Riches: How gladly would he have liftened to any Softenings of this Precept? How would he have adored à Teacher who would have made him a confiftent Title to Heaven and his Estate? In this Inftance you fee the Difpofition which makes Men ftrive with the Law of God, and labour to render it of a Piece with their own Affections: In others we will fhew you the Practice.

The Jews had a Law, commanding that they should honour their Father and their Mother; which implied an Obligation upon Children to fupport and maintain their indigent Parents; a Precept in itself so just and reasonable, that it is one of the prime Laws of Nature: But the Jews, who were hard-hearted to their own Flesh and Blood, were uneafy under this Burden; and yet the Law was plain: And they could not be fatiffied till they had made the Law comply; and therefore they fet up Tradition against the express Law, and found a Way to diffolve the uneafy Obligations: For thus they taught, as our Saviour juftly reproves them,

If a Man fhall fay to his Father or Mother, It is a Gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he shall be free: And ye fuffer bim no more to do ought for his Father or Mother, making the Word of God of none Effect through your Tradition. The Law was to be supplanted, you fee, to justify the open Breach and Violation of it.

But, to come nearer our own Times, and to still plainer Inftances: You know in how many Places the Scripture expressly forbids us to pay any Worship or Service to any Creature; but that we should worship and ferve the Lord, and him only. In this Refpect God has declared himself to be a jealous God, and that he will not give his Honour to another. Of the Ten Commandments, two are spent in fecuring this fundamental Point of true Religion; and the Gospel has, not only in many, but in all its Parts, confirmed this great Article. Notwithstanding all this Care, it is well known, that no Point of Doctrine or Practice has been more controverted, even among Chriftians, than this very Article, Were the Cafe less notorous than it is, you would say, perhaps, How is this poffible? How could it enter into any Man's Head fo to mifunderM 3 ftand