Of the Form, and Vola II. of Religion and do only make a vainand empty Phew of it. St. lames inftanceth as one would think, in none of the groffeft and molt confiderable of thefe, the go- vernment of our tongue, and yet he peremptorily determins, that the want of this Virtue is enough to deitroy all a Man's otlier pretences to Religion, Chap. T. 26. Ifany Man anion you feem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceives his own heart ; this man's Religion is vain. So that by the pradice or negle l of thefe main Virtues of a good life, every Man may examine and judge himfelf. This is the Rule'which our Saviour gives to try the Religion of Men by, Matth. 7. t6, r7. re (hall know them by their fruits. Do mengather grapes of thorns, or figs of thifiles ? Even fo every good tree bring- ethforth good fruit: but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evilfruit. ll good tree can- not bring forthevil fruit; neither can acorrupt tree bring forthgood fruit. Where- fore by their fruits ye(hall know them. The force of which reafoning is this, that every tree bringeth forth fruit according to its nature, andby thekind and equali- tyof the fruit you may certainly know what the tree is. So by the good or bad ad ions of Mens lives, you may know by what principle they are govern'd, whe- ther the fear of God, or the love of fin bear foray in them ; the courfe of their lives will difcover the bent and inclination of their minds, whatever fhew and pro feffion they may make to the contrary. By their fruits ye (hall know them. Not every one that faithunto me, Lord, Lord, (there is fome profeffion of Religion) (hall enter into the Kingdomof Heaven : but he that doth the will of my Father which is inHeaven; (there is the power of it.) I would by no means encourage Men to be over cenforìous toward others, there is too much of that Spirit already in the world : but it is not amifs that Men fhould be arid and fevere toward themfelves. And I would to God Men would bring themfelves to this teft, and examine the truth and fincerity of their Religion, not by the Leaves of an outward profeflion, but by the Fruits it produceth in their lives. Every Man that will but take the pains to look into himfelf, and to obferve his own allions, may by comparing the temper of his mind, and the general courfe of his life and practice, with the Rules and Precepts of Religion, eafily difcern what power and efficacy Religion bath on him. AMan may as certainly know himfelf, and make as fure a judgment of his Rate and condition toward God this way, as a tree is known by its fruit. Therefore let us not flatter our felves : for if we indulge any tuft, or irregular paflion in our Souls, and do not endeavour to mortifie and fubdue it ; if we allow our felves in any vicious practice in our lives; we do but deceive our felves with an opinion of our Godlinefs, and whatever thew and appearance we may make of Religion, we are certainly deftitute of the power of it. True Religion and Godlinefs is an uniform Principle, which inclines a Man to all Holinefs and Goodnefs, and does biafs him againft all known fin and wickednefs. All the motives and arguments of Religion, and all confiderations of. Piety are levell'd againft all fin, and tend to engage Men to univerfal holinefs of life. Bonum conffat ex integris caufis : fed malumex quolibet defeau. The pralles of any one Vice is enough to render aMan a bad Man : but there muff be the con- currenceof all the parts of Religion andVirtue, to make á Man good. I proceed to the Fourth thing I propounded, which was to thew, that a Form of godlinefs without the Power of it, is infignificant to all the great ends and purpofes of Réligion. The great ends that Men can reafonably propound to themfelves in being religious, are thefe three. I. The pleatingof God. Il. The Peace and Tranquillity of our own Minds. III. The faving of our Souls. Now a Form of Godlinefs without the Power of it, is unavailable to all thefepurpofes. I. To the pleating of God. External Devotion, and exercifing our felves in the means and initrùments of Religion, and the profeflion ofa right Belief, or any otherForm of Religion whatfoever, do not recommendany Man to the divine fa- vour and acceptance, without the real effects of Religion in a good life: nay, fo far is it from this] that all Forms ofReligion, deftitute of the life and power of it, are 5
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