413 SERMON LIX. Knowledge and Pra&ice Neceiíàry in Religion. JOHN 13. 17. Ifye knob theft things, happy areye ifye do them. TWO Things make up Religion, theKnowledge, and the Practice (If it and theFirf is wholly in order to the Second ; and God hath not re- vealed to us the Knowledgeof himfelf and his Will, meerly for the im- provement of our Underftanding, but for the bettering of our Hearts and Lives; not to entertain our Minds with the fpeculations of Religion and Virtue, but to form and govern our A&ions. If ye know theft things happy are ye if do them. In which words, our bleffed Saviour does from a particular inftance take occa- fion to fettle a general Conclufion ; namely, that Religion doth mainly contift in Pra&ice, and that the knowledge of his Do&ritte, without the real effe&s of it upon our Lives, will bringnoMan to Heaven. In the beginning of this Chap- ter, our great Lord and Matter, to teftife his Love to his Difciples, and to give them a lively Inftance andExample of that great Virtue of Humility, is pleafed to condefcend to a very low and mean Office, fuch as was ufed to be performed byServants to their Matters, and not by the Matter to his Servants ; namely, to wafh their feet; and when he had done this he asks them if they did underftand the meaning of this Eirange A&ion. Knowye what I have done unto you? ye call me Mailer, and Lord, andye fay well, for fo I am ; If I then your Lord and Ma. f er have watbedyour feet, ye alto ought to wafh one anthers feet ; for I have given you an Example, that yeAuld do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I fay unto you the Servant is not greater than the Lord, neither he that is fent, greater than he that fent him; if ye know thefe things, happy areye ifye do them. As if he had laid, This which I have now done, is eafie tobe underftood, and fo likewife are all thole other ChriftianGraces and Virtues, which I have heretofore by my Do- drine and Example recommended to you ; but it is not enough to know thefe things, but ye mutt likewife do them. The End and the Life of all our Know- ledge in Religion, is to put in pra&ice what we know. It is neceffary indeed that we fhould know our Duty, but Knowledge alone will never bring us to that Happinefs, which Religion deigns to make us partakers of, if our Know- ledge have not its due and proper influence upon our Lives. Nay, fo far will ourKnowledge be from making us Happy, if it be feparated from the Virtues of a good Life, that it will prove one of the heavieft aggravations of our mife- ry ; and it is as if he had Paid, ifye know thefe things, wo be unto you, ifye do them not. From thefe words then, I (hall obferve thefe three things, which I that' fpeak but briefly to. Firf, That the Knowledge of God's Will, and our Duty, is neceffary to the pra&ice of it ; Ifye know theft things, which fuppofeth that we mutt know our Duty, before we can do it. .- Secondly, That the knowledge of our Duty, and the Pra&ice of it, may be, and too often are feparated. This likewife theText fuppofeth, that Men may
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