Serm. LIX. Knowledge and `PraFlice nece¡fary in Religion, 419 heart, this Man's Religion is vain. Pure Religion, and undefiled before Godand the Father is this ; to vift the Fatherlefs and Widow in their af¡liktion, and to keep him- felf unfpotted from the "World. Men talkof Religion, and keep a great flir about it 5 but nothing will pafs for true Religion before Gad, but the Virtuous and Cha- ritable A&ions of a good Life; and God will accept no Man to Eternal Life up- on any other Condition. So the Apoltle tells us moft exprefly, Heb. 12. 14. Follow peacewith all Men, and holineft, without which no Mass ¡hallfee the Lord. Secondly, As God hath made the Prallise of Religion a neceffary Condition of our Happinefs, fo the very Nature and. Reafot of the thing makes it a neceffary Qualification for it. It is neceffary that we become like to God, in order to the enjoyment ofhim 5 and nothingmakesus like toGod, but the Prallice of Holi- nefs and Goodnefs. Knowledge indeed ix.a DivinePerfeçáion 5 but that alone, as it doth not render a Man like God; fo neither doth it difpofe him for the enjoy- ment of him. Ifa Man had the underflanding of an Angel, he might for all that be aDevil 5 he that committeth fin is of the Devil, and whatever Knowledge fuch, ä Man mayhave, he is of a devilith temper and difpofition : but every one that doth righteoufnefs is born of God. By this we are like God, and only by our likenefs to him, do we become capable of the fight and enjoyment of him ; there- fore every Man that hopes to be happy by the bleffed fight of God in the next Life, mutt endeavour after Holinefs in thisLife. So the fame Apoftle tells us, Y John 3. 3. Every Man that bath this hope inhim, puriij eth himfelf, even as he is pure. Awicked temper and difpofition of Mind is, in the very Nature of the thing, utterly inconfiftent with all reafonáble hopes of Heaven. Thus I have (hewn that the PraElice of Religion, and the doing of what we know to be our Duty, is the onlyway to Happinefs. And now the proper Inference from all this is, to put Men upon the careful Prahlice of Religion. Let no Man content himfelf with the Knowledge of his Duty, unlefs he do it 5 and to this purpofe I fhall briefly urge thefe three Confi- derarions. Firfl, This is the great End of all our Knowledge in Religion, to prahlice what we know. The Knowledgeof God and of our Duty bath fo effential a re- fpett to Practice, that the Scripture will hardly allow it to be properly called Knowledge, unlefs it have an influence upon our Lives, r John 2. 3, 4. Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments. He that faith I !¿now him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a Lyar, and the truth is not in him. Secondly, Prallice is the bell way to encreafe andperfe& our Knowledge. Know- ledge dire&s us inour Praflice, but Pra&iceconfirms and increafeth our Knowledge, John 7. 17. If any Man will do the will ofGod, he ¡ball know of the Dolirine. The belt way to know God, is to be like him our (elves, and to have the lively image ofhis Perfe &ions imprinted upon our Souls 5 and the belt way to underftand the Chriftian Religion, is ferioufly to let about the Pra&ice of it 5 this will give a Man a better Notion of Chriftianity, than any Speculation can. Thirdly, without the Praííice of Religion, our Knowledge will be fo far from being any furtherance and advantage to ourHappinefs, that it will be one of the unhappiefl aggravations of our mifery. Hethat is ignorant of his Duty, bath fome excufe to pretend for himfelf : but he that underftands the Chrillian Religi- on, and does not live according to it, bath no cloak for his fn. The defects of our Knowledge unlefs they be grofs and wilful, will find an eafie Pardon with God : but the faults of our Lives (hall be feverely punifht, when we knew our Duty and would not do it. I will conclude with that ofour Saviour, Luke i 2. 47, 48. That Servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himfelf, neither did according to his will Jhall be beaten with many flripes 5 for unto whomfoever much is given, of him much¡ballbe required. When we come into the other World, no Confìderation will fling us more, and add more to the rage of our Torments than this, that we did wickedly, when weunderftood to have done better; and chofe tomake our (elves Miferable, when we knew fo well the way to have been Happy. Hhh 2 SER
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