the Offers of of Grace when the Kingdom of Heaven is preach'd unto them as our Saviour assures us Luke 10.12 Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also loved us and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh saints neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks For this you know or may be sure of that no whoremonger uor unclean person nor covetous man which is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Ephes 5.1 c. Let us not therefore flatter our selves with a conceit of God's singular Favour whilst we are the very Children of Disobedience we must either renounce our Christianity and our Hopes of Heaven or renounce our Sins It is the most ridiculous thing in the Word to pretend to either of the former whilst we continue in the Practice of any evil thing The Lord alloweth the righteous but the ungodly and him that delighteth in wickedness doth his soul abhor Psal 11.6 Since therefore ther 's no other way to obtain God's Favour but in being righteous and forsaking all manner of Wickedness since the very Principles of our Religion oblige us to cease from all that is evil and learn all that is good let us be sure to avoid Sin as Men would the Plague and let us daily grow in grace according to St. Peter's Exhortation 2 Pet. 3.18 Let us be sure whatever Interests we have to serve whatever Dealings we may be ingaged in to be always strictly just and upright Let us never use any ill Tricks to serve our own ends but in all our Transactions with one another let us deal with that Simplicity and Integrity and good Conscience that becomes those who would be accounted the Disciples of the holy Jesus Sin is the Transgression of a known Law Now what a horrid thing is it what Impudence for mortal Men to do that they know is forbidden by the Almighty Governour of the World the righteous and impartial Judge of the Quick and the Dead But I cannot forbear saying it once more What piece of Madness is it for Men to do this and yet pretend to be God's Servants and the Disciples of the Son of his Love whom he has sent into the World a purpose to reform the World and shew the stray'd Race of Mankind the way to true Happiness and Bliss in teaching them to turn from their iniquities as it is Acts 3.26 We do infinitely mistake the Design of his Coming and the Nature of his Religion if we do not believe that it is to make Men much better and holier than they were before and indeed to make them as good and as holy as it is possible for Men to be Let us then study earnestly his whole Will and practice it accordingly least those who have never heard of him should be accounted better than we If we will be truly Christians let it be the earnest Endeavour of our Lives to render our selves as excellent and as exemplary for all sort of amiable Qualities as it is possible for Men to be in this World Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report If there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things Phil. 4.8 See what your Obligations are We that have such a glorious light vouchsafed unto us and such unvaluable Promises and such mighty Assistances made over to us by the Gospel of Christ must in reason imagine that in return of these great Advantages great things are expected from us It will not satisfie our Engagements that we do believe and profess the Gospel that we do no Wrong to our Neighbours that we are neither given to Lewdness nor Drunkenness though yet even these as the World goes are very great things and could all Men that profess Christianity truly say this of themselves we should soon see Heaven upon Earth but our Christianity obliges us to aspire after greater things we must get our selves possessed of the whole Circle of Vertues we must be kind and charitable as well as just and honest we must he modest and meek and humble as well as temperate and chast Then may I add to these excellent Words of an Excellent and most Reverend Prelate of our Church Then will Christ indeed own us for his Disciples for then we shall be true Subjects to God's Kingdom upon Earth and if we continue to be so unto the end we shall not fail at last to be admited into his most glorious Kingdom in Heaven where we shall enjoy the infinite Pleasure of Holiness to everlasting Ages A Morning and Evening PRAYER ALmighty God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Creator of Men and Angels and the supream Governour of the World in whom and by whom we move we live and have our Beings who shewest thy self to be perfectly Good and Bountiful infinitely wise and glorious and perfectly just and holy We thy poor Creatures prostrate our selves in the deepest Humility of our Souls before thy Divine Majesty to render unto thee the due Tribute of our Homage and Worship and offer the Morning * Evening if it be at Night Evening Sacrifice of our Prayers and Thanksgivings to beg Pardon for all our Sins and Failings and implore thy all-sufficient Grace that we may from henceforth serve thee better than we have done and may daily grow in Grace and in all Christian Vertues and finally to sue for thy Protection and thy most gracious Favour both for our selves and all Men. We confess O Lord we are not worthy to appear before thee to beg any thing at thy Hands For thou O God lovest Righteousness and hatest Iniquity Thou requirest Holiness and art perfect in all thy ways But we are miserable and wretched Creatures who have not minded our Duty as we ought to have done nor regarded thy Word thy Promises nor thy Threatings but have often been so unreasonable as to slight thy Commandments and prefer our Will to thine as if we had not believed that thou knowest what is best for us to do better than we our selves or as if we had not believed that thou searchest our ways and knowest all our Thoughts and wilt judge the World in Righteousness and reward every Man according to his Works at the great and last Day in the which we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ there to receive the things done in our Bodies according as we shall have done whether it be good or bad To us O Lord belongs Shame and
us the Aid and Assistance of his Holy Spirit Our Saviour affirms it Luke 11.13 He gives it to them that ask it viz. in devout and constant Prayers And sure his Grace is sufficient for us as God Almighty says it himself 2 Cor. 12.9 Whosoever therefore is buried with Christ in the Baptism of Repentance Sin shall have no dominion over him he is freed from it as we read Rom. 6. at the 7th and 14th Verses And whosoever is born of God overcometh the world 1 John 5.4 Those that walk in the spirit do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5.16 But like St. Paul they keep under their bodies and bring them into subjection lest they should be cast away 1 Cor. 9.27 They baffle Hell and the Devil they resist him till he begon from them Resist the devil says St. James and he will flee from you Jam. 4.7 In a word The weapons of their warfar are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of God as it is 2 Cor. 10.4 5. So that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present northings to come nor height nordepth nor any other Creature is able to separate them from the love of God Rom. 8.38 39. And if this be true if nothing hinders but they may then surely they are obliged ever to continue in his Love that is as I have proved from the 21st Verse of the 14th Chapter of the Gospel according to St. John in the constant Practice and Observance of his will For they and they only that endure unto the end shall be saved as it is Matt. 24 13. But no man we are told Luke 9.62 having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God Our blessed Saviour in Matt. 7.24.25 compares him that learns his will and doth it to a wise man who builds his house upon a rock which stands firm and will never fall tho' the rain descend and the flouds come and the winds blow and beat upon that house From all has been said we may draw the following Inferences I. No Doctrine can be more Antichristian than such as encourage Vice and a loose way of living For nothing can be more contrary to the Nature and Constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven Whatsoever doth so is directly opposite to the very design of Christianity tends to the Subversion of it and conspires the Ruine and Overthrow of the Kingdom of God among Men. Nothing then can be vainer or more ridiculous than to take that for a true Christian Doctrine which allows Men in or encourageth them to Sin Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God 1 John 3.10 So that though our Righteousness doth not reach unto God so as to add to his Happiness yet are we obliged to be righteous Though when we have done all we must say We are unprofitable servants yet we must do all Though we must not be proud and indeed we have no reason to boast for all our good works yet we are obliged to do all good works Though we can do nothing without the Grace of God yet we must believe he affords us sufficient Strength and we are to act upon that Supposition and do our Duty diligently otherwise our Neglect and Folly is inexcusable Though our Saviour died and made a full and sufficient Satisfaction for us yet it was in order to our Reconciliation to God and Holiness He has not purchased for us a Licence to sin but except we repent purifie our selves from all Iniquity and grow zealous of all good works we shall still perish we shall receive no Benefit by his Sacrifice For though the Ceremonial or Judaical Law be abolished yet the Natural Law the everlasting Law of Holiness of Reason and Equity or Conscience stands firm and can never be repealed Could you imagine that that Law was made void through Faith God forbid says the Apostle yea doth he add we establish the Law Rom. 3.31 And though we are justified freely and saved by Grace yet it is through Faith and that not a dead Faith such as the Devils may have but such an one as worketh by Love as we have seen Cal. 5.6 Let us not then object any thing against our Duty but set about it instantly knowing that we are to expect no Grace no Favour no Mercy at God's Hands upon the Account of our Faith if it doth not purifie us from all iniquity and that it will avail us nothing at all to have believed in Jesus Christ if we do not believe in him so as to forsake all our Sins and become pure and holy and fruitful in all good Works and frame our Lives perfectly according to his Will and the Precepts of his Gospel submitting our selves wholly to his Government and his most heavenly Kingdom and letting him rule us and reign over us Otherwise our Faith is a dead Faith no better than that of Devils who believe and tremble Jam. 2.19 We are therefore inexcusable if we are so impertinent after this as to wrest either through our Ignorance or Instability any Saying in the Bible to favour our Lusts and so flatter us in our own Destruction Some Men are very fond of these and the like places Be not righteous overmuch And What I would that I do not but what I hate that I do It is no more I then that do it but sin that dwelleth in me As if by these or the like they were discharged from the Duty and Necessity of Holiness But either these Words are capable of a good sence reconcâ—leable with our strictest Duty or else they are not the Dictates of the Spirit of God nor the Sence of the Holy inspired Men themselve but the Proverbs or Sayings of dissolute Men who are there personated which lie under the Dominion of sin and are brought into captivity to the law of sin We are little verst indeed in Scripture if we know not there are some things obscure in it Yet we must be blind if we do not plainly perceive that it doth indispensably exact of us a righteous and just and a vertuous and holy Life agreeable to the heavenly and everlasting Laws of the Kingdom of Heaven Our God has no pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with him Such as be foolish shall not stand in his sight for he hateth all them that work vanity He shall destroy them that speak leasing The Lord will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitful man as the Psalmist has it Psal 5.4 5 6. And God is not of another Mind under the Gospel but if the Christian Faith did indeed make void the Necessity of being truly righteous and holy and allowed its Professors the Liberty of living in Immorality and Sin it ought to be rejected of all sober
promises offered up his only begotten Son accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead By Faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward The time would fail to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Sampson and of Jephtha of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens Women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings they were stoned they were sawn asunder were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy All these obtained a good report through Faith But you see it was a lively and operative Faith that had such an influence upon all their Actions as to make 'em comply in every thing with the good and holy Will of God Those then have not Faith who do not lead good Lives or at least not such an one as is spoken of in this Chapter that is an active and saving Faith for that Faith is good for nothing which doth not effect a thorough Reformation and cause Men to live justly and vertuously But now what is it we mean by Morality If by it you understand a mere formal and outward conformity to the Laws of Holiness without inward Purity that is very far from the Kingdom of Heaven As for Example the Giving of Alms Praying Fasting and the like not from a Principle of Piety or a Religious Fear and Love of God but meerly to be seen and approved of Men and had in good repute or the like But this is not true Morality 't is Hypocrisie Or if you mean the Morality of the Heathen Philosophers that was imperfect and deficient weak and obscure And so was in some measure the Moral Law of Moses as is evident from many places of Scripture Yet it was a great Advantage to the People of the Jews and a peculiar Blessing being a very considerable Help to Natural Religion and an Introducement to Christianity But if you will know what true Morality is that is Christianity itself 'T is an exact and perfect conformity of our Lives and Actions of our Thoughts Words and Deeds to the eternal Laws of right Reason naturally that is by God himself imprinted upon our Consciences and as it were reprinted and that more deeply by the Gospel of his Son And whoever vilifies Morality taken in this sence vilifies and undervalues the Christian Religion and rejects the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ In the Sanction of the Second Covenant is fulfill'd the Divine Oracle of the 31st of Jeremy at the 33th Verse where God did promise That he would put his Laws in our inward parts and write them in our hearts that he would be our God and we should be his people Since most Men were so dull as not to perceive it and find it out themselves they are told That the kingdom of God is within them Luk. 17. â—1 That the true way to worship God is to worship him with the Mind and in sincerity of Heart John 4.23 That the Dictates of our Consciences are the very Laws of God which we ought to reverence and to observe religiously that to contradict them is an abominable guilt and that God hates Sin mortally that is whatsoever is against right Reason and Equity For the Gospel unfolds and proposes to us all the Precepts or Dictates of Conscience that is the everlasting Laws of right Reason and denounceth the Wrath of God against every Soul that will not submit to 'em and be ruled by 'em declaring that this is the Will of God that God delighteth in no other Service but this but if we do this we shall live as it is written Luke 10.28 And the holy Jesus the only begotten Son of God is come into the World not only to tell us of this but to give us a full assurance of it and present unto us all the helps and motives necessary thereby to recommend our Duty to us and imprint the everlasting Laws of God in our inward parts according to the Oracle in Jeremy He hath therefore undergone the bitter and ignominious Death of the Cross and has offer'd the Sacrifice of himself not only to make Satisfaction for our past Rebellions in order to a reconciliation and to make a publick reparation of the Divine Honour and Authority which was affronted by all our Actions that were contrary to his Laws and to right Reason but also to give us thereby an invincible Proof and a convincing Argument that God cannot love sin that he cannot away with it that he will never be Friends with sinners till they actually forsake their sins and learn righteousness Since as an excellent Man of our Church has it his Infinite Justice and Holiness would not permit him to propound Terms of Reconciliation with fallen Mankind without such a glorious and open manifestation of his just hatred and displeasure against sin and rebellion For no other consideration could prevail with God to be reconciled with us and to remit our Offences upon condition of amendment and newness of Life but the powerful interposition of his dear and only begotten Son and his suffering in our Nature the punishment due to sin when he took upon him to make satisfaction for it in our behalf to the injur'd Majesty of God that the Justice and indispensable Obligation of God's Laws might be thereby acknowledged and demonstrated and so a due reparation made to the Divine Honour and Authority Not but that as the same Reverend Author goes on God Almighty by the unlimited Goodness of his own Nature is infinitely inclin'd to all Acts of Favour and Pity and he might without wrong to any one if he had seen it fit absolutely have pardon'd the Sins of Mankind without any other Consideration than their repentance and amendment But he best knowing Mens Hearts did not think it sufficient barely to send his Son among us to declare his Will and demand our Obedience he was pleased also to print his Laws the eternal Laws of Holiness in our Minds and to make a deeper impression upon our Spirits he was pleased I say to make an Example of his own begotten Son when he took upon him to be the Advocate and the Pledge of Sinners thereby to convince us that since he spared not his own Son but
at by all God's Dispensations Let us always remember then to make it the end of our Faith Our Saviour tells us The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field the which when a man has found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he has and buyeth that field Matth. 13.44 That is they that will purchase the Kingdom of Heaven must part with all their darling Sins and all their beloved Lusts Christianity is not to be attain'd unto any otherwise O then how many dream of Divine Treasures and Kingdoms fancy they have found the Pearl of great Price and as we say Build Castles in the Air and are still errant Beggars as to the concerns of the everlasting Riches and in the sight of God How many are there in the World call themselves Christians and have nothing at all of it but just the Name They have nothing to shew for their Title to the Kingdom of Heaven but their own false and impudent Claim without any Grounds But we may as well call our selves Jews and Mahometans when we do not observe the Laws of Moses or of the Alcoran as call our selves Christians when we do not live according to the Precepts of the Gospel would you therefore know whether you are Christians Compare your Lives with the Laws of Christianity Our Saviour hath commanded us to let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our father which is in heaven Matt. 5.16 And in the following Verses he adds a warning very necessary to this present Generation Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the propbets I am not come to destroy but to fulfil Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment And whosoever shall say to his brother Racha shall be in danger of the Council but whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire Ye have heard that it was said Thou shalt not commit adultery but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart If thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and if thy right hand offend thee cut it off It is better for thee that one of thy members should perish than that thy whole body should be cast into Hell Swear not at all Love your enemies Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect All these we find in the 5th Chapter of St. Matt. and in the 11th of the same Gospel at the 29th Verse Take my yoke upon you says our blessed Saviour and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart We are infinitely unreasonable if we fancy that to be a Christian it is sufficient to own Christ by an outward Profession without actual Obedience to all his Commands He declares expressly Matt. 7.21 That 't is not every one that says unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of God Yet after all this we have but too much reason still to complain and cry out with the Psalmist Psal 82.5 They will not be learned nor understand but walk on still in darkness all the foundations of the earth are out of course Still Men will needs fancy themselves Christians that is members of the kingdom of Heaven when they are evidently the Subjects of the Kingdom of Darkness How many are there that commit Sin and yet pretend that they are born of God against the positive Declaration of the Apostle St. John 1 Joh. 3.9 But some will say If none were true Christians but those who keep the Commandments of God and do not commit sin who then can be a Christian I answer in the words of our blessed Saviour Matt. 7.14 Straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Few God knows few they are especially in these our days that are true Christians indeed tho' there be many that call themselves by that holy Name But the mischief is the greatest part of them who name the Name of Christ depart not from iniquity and therefore the greatest part of them that call themselves Christans shall find by a sad Experience at the great and terrible Day of the Lord that they have no share in Christ Jesus For either we must not believe the Scriptures or we must be sure that all Drunkards Swearers unjust or uncharitable Persons c. are far from being Christians and yet how many such do we find among the Professors of Christianity What more frequent now a days than Wrath Malice and Revenge Fraud Injustice Drunkenness Swearing and all sort of Sin And still if you believe it we are all Protestants that is the purer sort of Christians But how few notwithstanding all this pretended Purity how few are there among us that are truly humble meek and lowly in heart charitable patient and of long suffering How few are there that do not to others what they would not others should do unto them How few do we see that will bear an affront or an injury without resentment and revenge How few can find in their Hearts to forgive their Enemies How few then love their Neighbours that is all other Men as themselves And yet we may be sure that without all this our Pretentions to Christianity are groundless vain and insignificant But is it then impossible to be a Christian No such matter we read of many in the holy Scriptures that they were just in their Generations and perfect in the sight of the Lord as of Noah Gen. 6.9 Job Job 1.1 David 1 Kings 11.34 14.8 Asa 1 Kings 15.11 Josias 2 Kings 22.2 and Zacharias and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 Which shews that God doth not expect of us a perfect state of Impeccability but a perfect Sincerity I say a perfect Sincerity We must love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind Matt. 22.37 And therefore we must obey his Commandments and do his will with all the power of our Soul and all the sincerity of our Mind and sure that is not impossible But never flatter your selves that you have done all you can and that you are sincere as long as yon continue in a wicked course of Life Alas you are then worse then Heathens Don't you believe that God affords
but omitted at Night Give us Grace to do and undertake nothing but what we are sure is agreeable to thy Will and to thy Glory and the Salvation of our Souls and then let thy Blessing be upon all our Endeavours O may we so live that we may be always prepared for Death * This to be said at Night Grant us a comfortable Rest and Sleep that we may be the better fit for our Duty the next Day And give us Grace O Lord when we lie down in our Beds always to remember that the time will shortly come when we shall lie down in our Graves that by serious thoughts and a holy Life we may timely prepare for our Death So that whenever it comes we may not feel the Horrours and Torments of a guilty Mind but may be fit and content to leave this World and looking upon Death only as a Passage to a far better we may receive it with that Resolution and Constancy as becomes them that hope for Eternal Life Grant this O most merciful Father for the Blessed Jesus his sake who has taught us when we pray thus to say Our Father c. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen THE RECAPITULATION WITH A Prayer and an Exhortation TO ALL Who desire to lead Christian Lives to be constant in PRAYER REpentance is a change of Mind that shews it self to be read by all our Actions which then are contrary to our former Practices Nothing absolutely can be Repentance in religious Matters but an actual forsaking of Sin ceasing to do evil and learning to do well Isa 1.16.17 and contracting all the Habits of Vertue Christianity is a state of Purity and Holiness It is Repentance perfected and an entire Conformity to the Will of God The three general Heads of the Christian Religion are Piety towards God Justice towards all Men And Sobriety in respect of our selves That is the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven and that Heavenly Constitution and Government which is agreeable to the Nature of God and is as much unalterable as his Nature It is therefore impossible for a Man to be a Christian that is a faithful Subject of the kingdom of Heaven if he has not repented of all his Sins since to be a Christian is to live soberly righteously and godly Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. from a Principle of Faith in Jesus Christ in Obedience to his Commands and in Expectation of his Promises No Doctrine can be more antichristian more contrary to nor more destructive of the Design of the Gospel than such as encourage Vice or allow Men in a loofe way of living They are infinitely mistaken who fancy the Essence of Religion to consist in Speculation and not in Practice Saving Faith is an operative Faith a faith that worketh by charity Gal. 5.6 The end of Revelation is our Sanctification 1 Thess 4.1 2 3 c. The turning us away from our iniquities Acts 3.26 which otherwise would prove our ruine Ezek. 18.30 It is therefore a gross Error to think there 's any thing revealed that has no Influence upon Practice and is not designed and conducive to the Conversion of the World and the Amendment of our Manners Those then that undervalue and vilifie Morality vilifie and undervalue the Christian Faith and Religion We see plainly in Scripture that the end of Faith is Holiness it is required to no other end than that believing we might have life John 20.31 Which is not to be attained unto without holiness for without it no man shall see the Lord Heb. 11.14 and none but the just shall live by faith Hebr. 10.38 For that which is altogether just we must follow and we must seek good and do God's commandments that we may live Dent. 16.20 Amos 5.14 Matth. 19.17 Luk. 10.28 and true Morality is true Religion For true Morality is an enaxt Conformity of our Lives and Actions of our Thoughts Words and Deeds to the eternal Laws of right Reason naturally that is by God himself imprinted upon our Consciences and as it were reprinted and that more deeply by the Gospel of his Son Our grand Business therefore is to study from our Duty from a Principle of Faith to have it persect and to practise it accordingly As we have any serious Concern for our Souls we must neglect nothing that is necessary and conducive to that end to the purifying that is of our Spirits and making us holy We must prosecute the means of Grace with all the Earnestness and Diligence imaginable For it is but a folly to pretend to the Name of Christians if we do not live according to the Rules of Christianity and do not govern our selves according to the Laws of the kingdom of Heaven Repentance is but the Preparative to Christianity He that intends to live the Devil 's Subject as long as he can enjoy his Life and Health though he is loath to have his Portion with the Devil in the other World and designs to repent upon his Death bed is resolved not to be a Christian whilst he lives The Design of the Christian Religion is to make Men as Good and Holy as it is possible for Men to be And our blessed Saviour has taught us expresly that it is not the crying Lord Lord will serve to enter into the kingdom of Heaven but the doing of the will of God Matth. 7.21 As we desire then to be admitted one Day into Heaven Let us from this Moment conform to its Divine Laws and let us detest and abhor all those Antichristian Traditions which make the commandments of God of none effect Matth. 15.6 God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness 1 Thess 4.7 In particular let all that shall be willing to strive to enter into the Gates of Righteousness and shall be perswaded of the Obligation and Necessity of a good Life be constant in Prayer Prayer is not only a Duty of Religion which we cannot omit without a defiance of Christ's Precepts and Authority and a profest Contempt of that great salvation which was spoken by the Lord Hebr. 2.3 But it is also the best means in the World to become truly religious A Man is never entirely reformed till a new Principle governs his Thoughts and nothing makes that Principle so strong as frequent Addresses to God and serious and deep Meditations of his Nature and Will of all the Benefits we have received and do still receive daily from him the Engagements and Obligations we are in to serve and obey him the great Neglect we 've bin guilty of in a Business so vastly concerning and how much reason there is to set more earnestly about it than ever The Effects of such Addresses to God and of such Meditations besides the Grace of God we draw upon us thereby which is promised to our Prayers are very sensible they make very evidently