110 36 AN HUMBLE ATTEMPT, &C. you profess to walk. You are called by providence to give double diligence, and walk more circumspectly in every sta- tion of life, since so many watch'ul eyes are ever upon you : it 'behoves you to keep a holy jealousy over yourselves, lest at any time you yield to temptation, that the whole body of the dissenters may not receive a wound and infamy through your misbehas lour. SECT. IV. -Of the Obligations of Protestant Dissenters to greater Degrees of Holiness. Thus I have finished the first general head of this part of my discourse, which relates to the, real or supposed advantages that the protestant dissenters enjoy for their improvement in religion and virtue, above their brethren, their neighbours of the establishedchuch : 1 proceed now to thesecond general head, and that is to set before you, What special obligations you lie under to practise higher degrees of piety and morality by the very profession of religion which you make in this way of nonconformity, and to enquire iuta the language of our Saviour, What doyou more than others, you who have all the following bonds and engagements lying upon you fromyour own profession ? I. The most considerable and most universal reason why you profess to'dissent from the established church, and to sepa- rate from them, is, that you may make better improvements in religion than if you continued to their communion. Most of you who spend any thoughts about the grounds of your separa- tion, profess this to be your most general motive, that you may serve and worship God in a way more pleasing and acceptable to him, because you think it more agreeable to his own word ; you hope to obtain greater communications of grace from him by waiting on him in a more exact conformity to his own ap- pointments ; you walk in this separate path, that you may make swifter advances in the christian life, and speed your course in the way to heaven. And indeed if you divide yourselves from an established and national christian church without this design, I fear you will but deceiveand disappoint your own souls in your separation. But on the other hand, if a holy care and solicitude to serve God more agreeably to his will, and a desire after higher attain- ments in your religion, be your real and sincere intention ; see then, that you make this appear by your growing piety, and your advancement in every grace ? and let the world see and be convinced by theholiness of your practice, that you have chosen the right way to-obtain your end, and that your pious purposes are not disappointed. See that you lay aside every weight; and the sin that easily besets you ; and since youchuse a different
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