348 Of the Neceffity ofgood Works. Vtt.II: on is to no purpofe, neither acceptable to God, nor ufeful and beneficial to our felves. God would not have imprinted the notion of himfelf upon our Nature, he would not have difcovered himfelf to us, nor have required of us the belief of his Being and Providence, merely that we might know there is fuch a Being as Gód in the World, who made us and governs us; but that this belief might have its proper influence upon us, to oblige us to the obedience of his Laws, which are the proper caufes and means of our Happinefs. It will not avail us at all, nor is it in the leali acceptable to God, for Men to profefr that they knowhim, when in evorks they deny him, being abominable and difobedient, and to every good stork reprobate, as theApofile deféribes fome, Chap. r. 16. And therefore, 2. Thegreat end and defign of Religion is, that our minds being poffefi and pre- pared by the principles ofReligion, the belief of thefe fhould have itsproper influ- ence upon us, which is"effeduaily to oblige us to the obedience and pra&ice of God's Laws. Now the Laws which God hath given us to live by, as they are the rule and meafure of our Duty, by the performance whereof only we can hope to gaih the favour of God, fo they are the proper direftions and means in order to Mar Happinefs ; they teach us both the conditions ofourHappinefs, and the proper qualification and difpofiiion for it. Obedience to the Laws of God is the condition of our Happinefs, both temporal and eternal, both in this world and the other. The promifes which God hath made of temporal Felicity andBleffings, are upon condition of our obedience to his Laws; it is Godlinefs only that loath the promife of this life, as well asof the o- ther, Y Tim. 4.8. A truth fo certain and evident, that the Apofile thought fit tò add that folemh feal to it, which he prefaceth to the faying in the Text, This is a faithful faying. And tho' God be ',leafed, out of his exceflive goodnefs to be- flow many temporal Bleflìngs and Favours upon very bad Men, that by this good- nefs of his he might lead them to Repentance; yet God never made any promife of temporal Bleflings to wicked Men, but on the contrary, bath threatned them with great temporal Evilsand Calamities; but all the promifes even of temporal good things, are made to the obeying of God's laws; to them that keep his Covenant, and remember his commandments to do them. And this is not only the condition upon which the promifes of temporal Blef- ftugs are fufpended, but generally, and for the moft part, the natural caufe and Means of thofe Blefíìngs : for there is no moral Duty enjoined by God, noVirtue the praftice whereof he requires from us, which does not naturally tend to our temporal Felicity in this world; asTemperance and Chaftity to that invaluable bleffingof Health, and to the prefervationof our Eftate, which is waftedby lewd and riotous living; Humility and Meeknefs to our quiet and fafety; Juftice and Integrity to our reputation and honour, one of the chief inftruments of temporal profperity and fuccéfs. Kindnefs and Charity, and a readinefs to do good toall even as we have opportunity, are in their natureapt to recommend us exceedingly to the love and efteeth of all Men, and to their favourable regard and affiftance, when we 'hand in need of it. And fo I might inftance in all otherVirtues, the fincere praftice whereof; tho' it be not in all cafes certain and infallible, yet it is the beft and wifeft courfe that any Mancan take, to attain the greateft happinefs which this World can afford, and to avoid the greateft miferies and calamities of it: as on the contrary, there is no vice, no wickedpraftice, but is naturally produftive of tome great temporal mifchief and inconvenience. And then the praftice of Virtue and Goodnefs, as it is the abfolute and indifpen- fable condition of our future Happinefs in another World, fo is it the neceflïfry and only ,-roper qualification for it, and the certain and infallible means ofattain- ing it. It is an abfolute and indifpenfable conditionof attaining it; andwithout this, it is in vain to hope for it. As God will certainly punifh the tranfgreffors of his Laws, fo nothing but obedience to them can pretend to his rewards. This God hath rnoft exprefly declared, that without purity and holinefs no man 'hall fee him; that Chr f is the anther of eternal falvation only to them that obey him. And if God 4
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