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the Duty of Man by the Light of Nature, and Scripture: His Duty to God, Himself, and his Neigh∣bour. His Duty to God; of Faith, the Promises, of Hope, of Love, of Fear, of Trust.
THE Incarnation of our Blessed Lord, is with∣out doubt a sufficient warrant for the Salva∣〈…〉〈…〉n of our Souls, if we perform the
Conditions annext to it; which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in general to use our honest endea〈…〉〈…〉∣vours to obey the whole Will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God, according as we have it co〈…〉〈…〉∣vey'd to us, by the Light of Na∣ture, and the Light of the Hol•• Scriptures.
The Light of Na∣ture in the first pla〈…〉〈…〉 is a Light which Go•• has stampt upon o〈…〉〈…〉 very Souls, by the guidance 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which, without the help of Scri〈…〉〈…〉∣ture mere Natural Conscience wou〈…〉〈…〉 direct us in the performance 〈◊〉〈◊〉 several Duties. Such as are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Worship a God, to be Just one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 another, and to Honour our P〈…〉〈…〉∣rents, and the like.
The Light of Scri〈…〉〈…〉∣tures is a far mo〈…〉〈…〉 Divine Light, whe•• in God hath laid b〈…〉〈…〉∣fore us both his Commands, a•• Precepts, to be the general Rul•• and Grounds of our Duty.
The general Rules of the Du〈…〉〈…〉 of every Christian are brie〈…〉〈…〉
comprehended under these three Heads; our Duty to God, our Selves, and our Neighbours, and those three I intend for the Subject of the following Dis∣course.
The Foundation of our Duty to God, is grounded chiefly up∣on our acknowledging him to be God, and then admitting of no o∣ther.
And first by ac∣knowledging him to be a God, we are to believe him to be an Infinite Glorious Being, without either beginning or end, both Fa∣ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, God blessed for ever.
We are likewise to believe him in his Attributes; to be a God of Mercy, Ju∣stice, and Power, that he sees and knows all things, and disposes eve∣ry
Event, according to his Will, and that he can never cease to be other than perfectly Good, Merci∣ful and Just.
The believing him to be our God signifies yet more, it means by Faith we should believe the Ho∣ly Scriptures to be his Word, and that all that he speaks to us by them, are most true; that all that he affirms is Indubi∣table, that his Com∣mands are Just, and Equal, his Threat∣nings and Punish∣ments certain and un∣avoidable, and that all his Promises are Yea and Amen, and will most cer∣tainly be made good to all those that faithfully depend upon him.
This is the summ of our Faith, or Belief of those things God has been pleased to reveal to us in the Holy Scriptures.
The next Duty to God is Hope, which is a comfortable Expectation of his Promises, and should be al∣ways
preserv'd from the dangerous ex∣tream of Presumpti∣on or Despair; We should neither de∣pend to much, nor too little upon his. Mercies, but rely upon his Ju∣stice, and Integrity for our Re∣wards and Punishments.
A Third Duty we owe to God is Love, a Duty which with∣out doubt he has the the greatest right to, both upon the account of his Goodness and Compassion to us, his Innate Excellence, and his particular Kindness to all Man∣kind.
God is most Good, Just and Ex∣cellent, he is perfectly Holy, Kind, and Compassionate, and cannot be charg'd with any Impurity, or the least mixture of any thing that is evil; his Goodness and Kindness are Immence and Infinite, and have been so abundantly demonstrated
both to our Bodies and Souls, that we cannot refuse him our Love without the greatest Injustice.
The Scripture abound with Holy Invitations, endearing Promises and affectionate Offers, by which he endeavours, as it were, to woo us into good Lives, and to entreat us to accept of Happiness here and E∣ternal Happiness hereafter.
The two great To∣kens of our true Love to God are First, An earnest de∣sire to please him 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Secondly, To enjoy him. This is the common Indication of true Love in all ordi∣nary Cases; and above all othe•• things doth best approve us to thos•• we have a real value for.
The reality of ou•• Affections to Go•• are best declar'd, b•• a steady Conformit•• to the Divine Will, a readiness t•• obey his Commandments, and a•• awful regard to his Precepts; the••
are indeed Arguments of our real Love, and Affection, and the only way we can make use of, either to please him, or to shew the sinceri∣ty of our Hearts.
Next to pleasing God, a desire to en∣joy him is consistent with our Love; if we love God in earnest we shall covet to be always in his Company, conversing with him in Prayers and Meditations, hearing his Word and receiving his Sacraments, which is the only means of enjoying God in this World.
Our enjoyment of God in the next is far more permanent and compleat; there we shall be conti∣nually with him in eternal fruition of Joy and Happiness, in compari∣son of which all our advantages in ••his Life are but empty Baubles and Trifles.
A Fourth Duty to God is Fear, which ••rises from the consideration of his Power and Justice; and those in Conjunction, do both enable, and
oblige him to punish the Wicked an awful regard and belief of which is the only means that can restr〈…〉〈…〉 us from offending him.
God is the chiefes•• Object of Fear, and therefore we ough•• not to fear Man mor•• than God. I will no•• fear, says the Psal••∣mist, what Man can do unto me. Me•• have no Power to do us hurt unles•• by God's Permission, and then the•• Malice can reach no further neithe•• than our Goods, Names, Liberties or our Lives; the Destruction o•• Soul and Body together is Gods Pre••∣rogative only.
'Tis God alone that knows a•• our secret Thoughts and Transact••∣ons, all our Sins though committe•• with never so much Privacy, lie al••∣ways open before him, and he'll b•• sure to find us out, and punish 〈◊〉〈◊〉 unless we repent, which indeed i•• the greatest Argument that can b•• to awaken our Fears and engage ou•• Apprehensions.
A Fifth Duty to God is Trust, that is, a depending and rest∣ing upon him in all our Dangers. Wants and Extremities, whether Spiritual or Temporal.
In our Spiritual Dangers, we are to throw our selves up∣on God's Assistance, and to implore him to strengthen us with the Grace of his Holy Spi∣rit, that we may be able to with∣stand, or at least to remove the Temptation.
In our Temporal Dangers we are to rest and depend up∣on him, to commit our selves to the shadow of his Wings, under the Royal Prophets Assurance, Psalm ••4. 22. That the Lord delivereth the Souls of the Saints, and all that put their trust in him shall not be destitute.
In all our Dangers and Distresses, with Prayers and Tears we are to implore his aid, and not attempt to deliver our selves by any wicked
Act; we must never use sinful means, not even the Preservati∣on of our Lives and Liberties can make any the least pre∣tence for the doing an unjust thing; Christ himself has told us, that if we gain the whole World and loose our own Souls, we are great loosers by the Bargain; if therefore things should ever come to that unhappy Issue, that we must part with our Estates, perhaps our Lives, or else commit Sin, we should then re∣member that that's the proper sea∣son to fight under the Banner of the great Captain of our Salvation, the Crucify'd JESƲS.
In our spiritual Necessities we are to fly to God with Tears in our Eyes and in∣voke his Assistance, we are to pour out our Souls before him, and then we may depend upon it, that as he has commanded us nothing that he has not given us Power to perform,
so he will suffer us to want nothing that we ask of him with a holy and devout Integrity of mind.
We are likewise to rely upon him in all our Temporal and Bodily Wants; he has oblig'd himself to take care of all his faithful Servants, his Eye is upon them that fear him, and them that hope in his Mercy, to deliver their Souls from Death, and to feed them in the time of Famine.
If we do our Duty honestly and religi∣ously in our several Places and Callings, then as the Apostle adviseth we may cast all our Care upon God who careth for us, and he who is subject to no sort of De∣ceit or Impoverishment, that best knows our wants, and is best able to supply 'em, will be sure in the proper season, to relieve us against all Dangers and Necessities whether Spiritual or Temporal.
I conclude this with the words of
the Apostle, Phil. 4. 6. Be careful in nothing, but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication, with thanks∣giving, let your Request be made known to God.
Of the Light of Nature.
Of the Light of Scripture.
The three great Bran∣ches of Mans Duty.
Duty to God
Acknowledg∣ing him to be God.
To believe him in his Attributes.
Of Faith, of God's Affir∣mations, Commands, Threatnings, and Promises
Of Hope, Presumption, and Despair.
Of Love and the Motives, i. e. Gods Goodness, Excellence, and his kind∣ness to Men.
The Fruits of Love, a de∣sire to please•• and enjoy him.
Of pleasing God.
Of enjoying him.
Fear.
We ought not to fear Man more than God.
Trust.
Spiritual Dangers.
Temporal Dangers.
We must not seek to deli∣ver our selves by Sin.
Spiritual wants.
Temporal wants.
The Benefits of trusting in God.