their Children for ever And thus he moves them to set their hearts unto Religion Because it is their Life Whence we have this DOCT. That Religion it is the Life of the Covenant-People of God Our Text and Doctrine deliver the great and universal Reason of the Profession and Practice of our Religion Viz Because it is our Life Religion in the most full and comprehensive notion of it It is that whereby Man is qualified and capacitated to live unto God to live with God to live upon God to see and to injoy God in Christ as the Only and All-sufficient Author of Life and Object of Blessedness and Happiness as his last End and chief Good Religion comprehends Man's Deliverance from all both moral and miserable Evil both Sin Death and Hell as also all both moral and beatifical Good Holiness Happiness Grace and Glory And it is consummated in a perfection of Beatifical Vision and Fruition by the Light and Life of Heaven In the Explication I am to shew 1. That Religion is Life 2. That it is the Life of the Covenant-people of God 1. Religion it is Life that is 1. The true and pure Religion It is originally and only from God the living God the God of all Life who is Life it self in the abstract and the Fountain of Life to all living Religion it ariseth from and is founded in the very Being and Nature of the blessed God If there were no such God there could be no such Religion Religion it is of God both in a way of divine Revelation and in a way of divine Operation It is purely of divine Revelation respecting both the Doctrine of it the spiritual supernatural and saving Knowledge of it It is that whereby God hath revealed himself unto man and whereby man hath that saving Knowledge of God and Jesus Christ his Son which is Life eternal Joh. 17.3 It is that whereby God hath commanded Light to shine out of Darkness and by the enlightening power of his Spirit shined into our hearts and given us the light of the knowledge of his Glory in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4.6 It his marveilous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 Religion it is also from God in a way of divine Operation It is the most powerful Effect of the quickening power and operation of the Spirit of God as a Spirit of Life upon the creature hence it is phrased the Life of God Eph. 4.8 Religion it is the most glorious created Emanation of spiritual heavenly and divine Light and Life from God as the fountain of both Psal 36.9 For with thee is the Fountain of Life in thy Light shall we see Light 2. Religion it is also from Christ the Mediator It is founded in the Person Office and Work of Christ The being of Religion the light life good blessedness and happiness of it it is all from the Merit Satisfaction and Intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ and from the power and operation of his Spirit Religion it consisteth in our Faith in Christ and Obedience unto Him and in our practical and experimental Union Communion with his Person and the Application of all his Benefits even eternal Life Thus Religion it is our Life because thereby we are made partakers of Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life Joh. 11.25 The Way the Truth and the Life Joh. 14.6 By having of whom we have Life 1 Joh. 5.12 who is our Life Colos 3.4 Christ is the great PATRON and PROFESSOR of our Religion He hath confirmed it by his own personal Profession and Practice when on earth and is himself the great Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Heb. 3.1 Whence it is most properly called the Christian Religion 3. Religion it is respecting the Principles of it Life The Principles of it are living Principles Principles of Life Religion it is wrought into the hearts of men by the quickening power of the Spirit in that saving work of Grace wherein we are raised from Death unto Life wherein we are passed from Death unto Life 1 Joh. 3.14 Religion it is our spiritual Resurrection and so it is our spiritual Life 4. Religion in the practice of it it is the only way of Life It is by the performance of Religious Duties that men walk in the way of Life Practical Religion it is the narrow way which leadeth to Life Mat. 7.14 It is that way of Life which is above to the wise to depart from Hell beneath Prov. 15.24 It is the Everlasting Way Psal 139.24 5. Religion in the visible external Forms of it in all the religious Institutions Constitutions and Administrations which are of divine Appointment so it is the only Means of Life that whereby God gives Life or works Life In which sence it is said Salvation is of the Jews Joh. 4.22 Religion it is the living Waters the Waters of Life the Tree of Life which gives Life to the Nations Ezek. 47.8 9. Zech. 14.8 Rev. 22.1 2. Where Religion is there are all the Means of Life and the saving Improvement of those Means Where Religion is not there is no Day of Grace no Means of Grace no Life no Salvation 6. Religion it is that wherein and whereby man is brought to God to Christ to God in Christ. It is that whereby we do know God acknowledge him fear him believe hope and trust in him love serve worship and glorifie God and whereby we come to God converse with God have Communion with God and receive all saving Communications from God through Jesus Christ It is that whereby men move and act towards and upon God in and by which God dwells with men on earth it is that whereby we do apprehend cleave unto and live upon God as our Life Deut. 30.20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God and cleave to him for He is thy Life Thus Religion in the Principles of it it is Life in the Practice of it is the Way of Life in the visible and external Forms and Institutions of it it is the Means of Life and respecting the original Object and Ends of it it comes from and leads and brings us up unto God in Christ who is our Life Thus it is demonstrated that Religion is Life Secondly That Religion is Life to the Covenant-People of God that is 1. It is their spiritual Life that whereby they live spiritually It is that whereby every single Saint lives the Life of Grace and Holiness the Life of Faith and New Obedience The spirit and power of Religion in the heart it is Life to the Soul and gives being to the New Creature Rom. 8.6 To be spiritually minded it is Life Hence Religion it is that which makes the People of God a Living People God's People must be a living People Whenever God takes a People to be his People He quickens them with spiritual Life and makes them a Living People Ezek. 37.6 And ye shall live ' and ye shall know that I am
the Lord. V. 14. And shall put my Spirit in you and ye shall live Hence Religion it is Life from the dead to any People Rom. 11.25 What shall the Receiving of them be but Life from the dead The Conversion of the Jews shall be Life from the dead to the World by a general and glorious resurrection of Religion 2. Religion it is the Life of the Covenant-People of God i. e. It gives them their spiritual Being and Constitution under Covenant-Relation unto God It gives a People their spiritual Standing before God as his People his Covenant-People It is the essence and substance of the Covenant Heb. 8.10 For this is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel after those days I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People taken from Jer. 31.33 Religion in this sence constitutes the Covenant and is the spiritual Constitution of the Covenant-People of God 1 Pet. 2.9 But ye are a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculior People It follows V. 10th Which in time past were not a People but now are the People of God Without Religion they were no People but Religion made them the People of God 3. Religion it is the Life of the Covenant-People of God as to their Political Constitution in visible Church-state and Order under the Administration of all Ordinances Religion gives a People their visible Standing under the visible Dispensation of God's Covenant and Administration of his Kingdom as in our Text. For it is your Life and by this thing ye shall prolong your days in the Land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it It was their Religion which gave them a Standing and Settlement in that Land the land of Promise in the full possession of their visible Covenant Interests and Enjoyments as the Covenant-people of God So that it remains a manifest plain Truth from the Word of God that Religion is the Life of the Covenant-people of God The Application follows VSE I. It is for our Information and Instruction in divers Particulars 1. That there is there can be but One only true real Religion and no more Religion hath been is and ever will be One the same unchangeably And because there is but One God but One Lord Jesus Christ One Spirit One work of Redemption One way of Application One Doctrine of Godliness One Faith One Obedience One and the same moral Worship One Covenant of Grace One Covenant-people of God One Family and Houshold of God One State both of Grace and Glory One Life One Heaven therefore consequently but One Religion All the sincere People of God in the World ever have been and ever shall be One in the Profession and Practice of this One Religion whereby all God's Elect are gathered together in One in Christ and perfected both in Grace and Glory unto the completion and perfection of the mystical Body of Christ which is the fullness of Him who filleth all in all Eph. 1.10 23. True it is the Apostle grants 1 Cor. 8.5 that there are which are called gods as there be gods many and lords many So there be that are called religions such religions many But as the Apostle concludes V. 6. but to us there is but One God and One Lord Jesus Christ So ought we to conclude that to us there is but One Religion which is the pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father Jam. 1.27 This is the Religion without which there is there can be no Life or Salvation 2. That this Religion it is the Supreme thing in this lower World viz. because it is in all respects our Life and that nothing else is so Religion in the full and whole nature and notion of it is the most glorious effect and product of divine Wisdom Power Grace Mercy Goodness Truth and Faithfullness yea of the whole divine Sufficiency and Efficiency in the accomplishment of all God's eternal Counsels concerning his own Glory in the Salvation of his Elect. Religion it comprehends all the whole Interest of God of Christ and of his Church and People in this World all that is heavenly spiritual and divine all that is of Heaven upon Earth respecting both State Interest and Enjoyment It gives a Being Standing to all Saints both in Grace and in Glory Oh! Religion it is a marvellous high and heavenly thing All the real worth and excellency that is in the World it is from Religion There would be nothing of God that is of the knowledge of God of the spiritual gracious and saving Presence of God were it not for Religion Those who are without Religion are without God in the World Eph. 2.12 We have no more of God than we have of Religion Again there could have been no Good or Goodness in the World had it not been for Religion The World would have been a meer Vacuum of all good nothing else but a receptacle of desperate Sinners a very Hell of Sin and Misery there could have been nothing of Light or Life or Grace Holiness or Happiness there would have been nothing but Darkness and Death and all kind of woe no news of Heaven no hope of Heaven yea there could have been no Heaven unto fallen Man without Religion Religion doth in a sence give being unto Heaven There had not been such Place or State of Blessedness unto Man neither had Man ever been capacitated to live in Heaven otherwise than by this Religion No wonder then that God by his Word doth extoll it and advance it as the most excellent inestimable invaluable incomparable thing Prov. 3.15 She is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her And it is advanced because it is our Life Prov. 4.13 Keep her for she is thy Life V. 21 22. Keep them in the midst of thy heart for they are thy Life It is Religion that doth make the poor despised Saints of God the Excellent Ones of the Earth Psal 16.3 Prov. 12.26 It is Religion that doth make the Church of God beautifull the perfection of Beauty the Joy of the whole Earth Psal 48.2 Lam. 2.15 Yea an Eternal Excellency Isa 60.15 3. That it is the Infinite Grace Mercy and Goodness of God to any People that He doth give them Religion The greatest part of the World and of the Nations of the World are most miserable without it all the Pagan and Popish World O that so great so much the greater part of Mankind should so ly buried in gross Ignorance and Atheisme without God and Religion 1 Joh. 5.19 The whole World lieth in Wickedness So much the more is the Mercy of God magnified to such People and Nations unto whom He hath granted Religion in the light life and power of it It is the happiness honour and glory of any Nation or People It
the dangerous state of this People and of these Churches thereby will admit of no further delay God is hastening in his way and work Zeph. 1.14 The day of the Lord is near it hasteth greatly Christ hath threatned to come against us quickly except we repent and do the first works quickly Rev 2.5 16. In such a case a People must be quick Numb 16.46 47. And Moses said unto Aaron take a Censer and go quickly to the Congregation and make an Attonement for them and Aaron took as Moses commanded him and ran O it was well for the poor People of Israel in that instant of their extream and distressing danger that Moses and Aaron who had the care and charge of their publick Weal were so quick in doing what was to be done for their publick safety and salvation Wherefore Let the general Exhortation be humbly proposed to the Servants of God in the Magistracy Much Honoured It doth in the Name of the Lord by the Word of the Lord in most solemn manner bespeak your utmost help and your very hearts and souls therein for the recovery and preservation of the life of dying Religion It is your greatest Honour that you are betrusted with so much of the care and charge of Religion in the civil concerns of it It will be both your and our Happiness if God shall make you instrumental Saviours of the life of Religion and so of the life of this People and these Churches It is your highest work and although the heaviest yet the happiest part thereof wherein you serve and subserve more directly to the honour and glory of God and highest good of his People and which being fully and faithfully performed will turn to your highest account in the day of Account and add much weight and splendor unto your Crown of glory The General Exhortation It is also proposed to the Servants of Christ in the Ministry the whole Order and Office work of the Ministry it is Religious Ordained by Christ as the great Ordinance for the Ministerial Exercise of his Power for the propagation and preservation of the life of Religion by the progress of the work of Conversion and Edification among men and that in a more direct subordinacy to himself and subserviency to his Name and Glory in the World who is himself the Shepherd and Bishop of Souls it is cause of deep Humiliation unto his Servants that they have been called forth to labour under the sinking discouragement of the decaying state of Religion that Religion should be dying under their hand and they lament lest they should be called to minister under that woful commission given to the Prophet Isai 6.10 Go tell this People hear ye indeed but understand not Make the heart of the People fat lest their Ministry should in just judgment be made penal and judicial and so become a savour of death unto death and so that they should Preach Religion to Death and Preach this People to death Hos 6.5 Therefore I have hewed them by the Prophets and slain them by the words of my mouth The fearful apprehensions of such a danger may move them to labour though lamenting as Gods Servants of old yet with so much the more care love zeal even unto the spending and consumption of their very souls by fervency instancy and constancy in all their prayers and soul-labours throughout their whole work more especially in travelling in birth with Souls until Christ be formed in them until they are born and brought forth to God in a saving work of Regeneration which will be the most certain way and means unto a general Resurrection of Religion in these Churches O how should they then make full proof of their Ministry and approve themselves throughly in their life in their labour in all their ministrations in their whole ministerial Conversations as those who are more than any other Order of Men in the World directly charged and betrusted yea set for the life of Religion and the salvation of Souls The Exhortation it is further proposed as in our Text and Context unto all Israel and Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel It was his final farewel Exhortation to all the whole Covenant People of God The People of these Churches both the passing standing and rising Generations are all the visible Covenant people of God and therefore Religion it is our life we ought generally to care labour pray cry to God for the recovery preservation and continuance of it as for our life You who are sincere Christians are here again moved by this Exhortation not only as before to keep Religion alive in your own hearts but also to discharge your selves fully and faithfully in whatsoever duty or service you may can or ought to labour for the general Resurrection of Religion in these Churches More especially wherein you may be any of you betrusted with any of the concerns of it either Civil or Ecclesiastical Truly Christians the great incumbency the burthen of the work it is upon you the work it is most properly yours Because Religion it is peculiarly yours you are under the most sacred and indispensible obligations both unto God and one unto another to uphold it it is the most general duty of that high holy and heavenly Calling wherewith you are called to be Saints and wherein you are to approve your selves eminently the Servants of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ for the defence and advancement of his Cause Interest Kingdome Name and Glory wherein we shall live and dye as Saints obtaining those glorious promises which Christ made to those who laboured faithfully for the recovery of Religion in those declining Churches of Asia Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God and ver 10. And I will give thee a Crown of life ver 17. To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new Name which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh the same shall be cloathed in white Raiment Ver. 12. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God Ver. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my Throne c. that is in Heaven O what exceeding great and precious Promises hath our Lord Jesus made for the incouragement of those who are his Sincere Servants to labour to uphold Religion in declining times and Churches we believe and are upon good grounds perswaded that there are many that there are enough Sincere Christians yet remaining in these Churches to do and perform whatsoever is necessary for the recovery and preservation of Religion and that if you would do what you might and ought Religion would not die but live and flourish with much spiritual prosperity Will it not then be a