426 `Pradlce ara Religion nece/ary, Vol, I. Nation, have fo many advantages, above a great part ofthe World, of coming to the knowledge ofour Duty. We enjoy the deareft and molt perfe& Revelation which God ever made of his Will to Mankind, and have the light of Divine Truth plentifully flied amongft us, by the free ufe of the holy Scriptures, which is not a fealed Book to us, but lies open to be read, and fiudied by us; this Spi- ritual Food is raineddown like Manna round about our Tents, and every one may gather fo much as is fufficient ; we are not filmed, nor have the Word of God given out tous in brokenpieces, or mixtand adulterated, here a leffen of Scrip- ture, and there a legend ; but whole and entire, fincere and uncorrupt. God hath not left us, as he did the Heathen for many Ages, to the imperfeff and uncertain dire&ion ofNatural Light ; nor path he revealed hisWill to us, as he did to theyews, in dark Types and Shadows : but bath made a clear difcovery of his Mind and Will to us. The Difpenfation which we areunder, hath no wail up- on it, the Darknefs is paff, and the true Light nomfhineth ; we are of the Day, and of the Light, and therefore it may juftly be expe&ed that we fhould put of the Works of Darknefs, and walk as Children of the Light. Every degree of know- ledge which we have, is an aggravation of the Sins committed againft it, and when our Lord comes to pals Sentenceupon us, will add to the number of our (tripes. Nay, if God fhould infli&no pofitive torment upon Sinners ; yet their own Minds would deal molt feverely with them upon this account, a:n:_+ no- thing will gall their Confciences more, than to remember againft what Light they did offend,. For herein lies the very nature and fling of all guilt to be confci- ous to our felves, that we knew what we ought to have done, anddid it not. The Vices and Corruptions which reigned in the World before, will be pardonable, in comparifon of ours. The times of that ignorance God winked at : but now he commands all Men every where to Repent. Mankind had Tome excufe for their Errors befo-e, and God was pleated in a great meafure to overlook them : but if we continuefull in ourfins, we have no cloak for them. All the degrees of Light which we enjoy, are fo many Talents committed to us by our Lord, for the im- proving whereof, he will call us to a ftrift account ; for untowhomfoever much is given, of himmuch ¡hall be required; and to whom he bath committed much, of biro be will askthe more. And nothing is more reafonable, than that Men fhould ac- count for all the advantages and opportunities they have had of knowing the Will of God ; and that as their knowledge was increafed, fo their forrow and punilhment fhould proportionably rife, if they fin againft ir. The ignorance of a great part of the World is defervedly pitied and lamented by us, but the Con- demnation of none is fo fad, as of thofe who having the knowledge of God's Will, negle&ed to do it ; how muchbetter had it beenfor them not to have known the way of righteoufnefs, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy Command- ment delivered unto them ! If we had been born, and brought up in igno- rance of the true God and his Will, we had had no fin, in comparifon of what now we have : but now that we fee, our fin remains. This will aggravate our Condemnation beyond meafure, that we had the knowledge of Salvation foclear- ly revealed to us. Our Duty lies plainly before us, we know what we ought to do, and what mannerofPerfons we ought to be, in all holy Converfation and Godlinefs. We believe the coming of our Lord to Judgment, and we know not how foon He may be revealed fromHeaven with his MightyAngels, not only to take vengeance on them that know not God, but on them that have knownhim, andyet obey not the Gofpel ofhis Son. And ifall thiswill not moveus toprepare ourfelves to doour Lord's Will, we deferve to haveour ftripes multiplied. NoCondemnation can be too heavy for thofe whooffend againft the clear knowledgeof God's Will, and their Duty. Let us then be perfwaded to let upon thepra&ice of what we know ; let the light which is in our Underftandings, defcend upon our Hearts and Lives ; let us not dare to continue any longer in the pra&ice of any known Sin, nor In the negle& of any thing whichweare convinced is our Duty, and ifour hearts con- demn us not, neither for the negle&of the means of Knowledge, nor for rebel- ling againft the light of God's Truth alining in our minds, and glaringupon our Confciences, then have we confidence towards God : but ifour hearts condemn us, God ís greater than our hearts, and knows all things. S E R-
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