whom he defigneth to teach the fear of the SER M. Lord, and to whom he prefcribeth the more IX. particular duties in which it confifteth, they are thus defcribed, ver. 12. they defire life, and love many days, that they may fee good; and to whom doth this fo properly belong as to them who are but coming into the world, and according to the ufual courfe of things, are the most likely to live long in it? Suffer me then, ye children, who are met on this occafion, to addrefs to you particularly the Pfalmift's inftructions which I have read, and I fhall do it in the plaineft manner I am able.

The great leffon to be taught you is, the fear of the Lord, a very important and comprehensive one; but be not difcouraged, it is not extremely difficult. I hope none of you are strangers to it altogether. From the earliest exercife of your understanding, this first principle of all religion hath been inculcated upon you, that there is a God; an infinitely powerful, wife, and good Being, the Creator and Preferver of all things; a being incomprehenfible indeed in excellence and glory; but reason, even in its firft effays, naturally leadeth us to acknowledge his existence. A child, efpecially when affifted by a fuperior understanding, will easily fall into fuch enVOL. IV. R quiries

SERM. quiries as these, Whence came I, and all IX. things in the world about me, of which there is no vifible caufe? These beautiful heavens, and this earth, with an infinite variety of beings in it, a vast multitude of living things, as well as other kinds, which are not produced by human art or power? And fuch enquiries will naturally result in the belief of one fupreme univerfal cause. By the bye, let me obferve, that the traditional way of teaching religion is the worst: If we would have any of mankind believe religious principles, it should not be merely upon human authority, parental, or any other, but we ought to fhew them the grounds of their belief, otherwise they cannot affent as becometh intelligent creatures; and fuch an affent as they give will operate as other prejudices do, producing only a tenacious obftinacy; in the prefent case, a vehement blind zeal or begottry, not real goodnefs. Now, if you rationally affent to the being of God, to whom that amiable character belongeth which hath been mentioned, the fear of him will naturally arise in your minds; and for it you are prepared by being accustomed from your very infancy to a reverence for parental authority; which is composed of the fear of fuperior power, and an affectionate efteem with gratitude for tender

tender compaffionate care. As foon as a SERM. child knoweth any thing, he knoweth that IX. his dependence is upon his parents for what he needeth, that he muft obey their orders, and use his utmost caution to avoid their anger. This parental is a low image of the fupreme divine authority, and the filial refpect may affift you in forming an idea of the fear of God, which is nothing but an awful and affectionate sense of the deity, producing the highest honour and efteem for his glorious perfections, an entire confidence in him, and defire to imitate him as far as you can, a most folicitous care to avoid his displeasure, with a disposition to submit to his will in all things, and to obey his commandments.

The fear of the Lord, in the fcripture ftile fignifieth the whole of religious virtue, as it is injoined by the divine authority, being a principle of the greatest influence to produce it univerfally. It is true the obliga tions of virtue may be otherwise deduced from the reafon of things, and from the human frame and conftitution; but as piety, in the strictest sense, is an important and effential part of the law of our nature, fo it is the greateft fecurity of our duty in every other part of it: Nothing can more effectually engage us always to think on, and to practise R 2

the

SERM. the things which are true, pure, juft, lovely, IX. and of good report. This is neceffary to

nature.

give you a juft notion of the fear of God; it is not to be confidered as an unactive principle in the mind, or as only to be applied to the purposes of devotion abstracting from all the affairs of ordinary life; but as of the greatest and most immediate ufe in directing our whole behaviour: Every thing which is morally excellent is enforced by it, whatever is generous and honourable, as well as prudent; in a word, whatever our own hearts upon the stricteft examination applaud as amiable and becoming the dignity of our There is nothing I fhould wish for you more than that your religion may fit easy upon your minds, that it may never appear the dull and heavy bufinefs of fome folemn. times, or a burdenfome task, which by hard neceffity you are forced to fubmit to, that you may escape punishment; but rather as the glory of your nature, and the joy of your hearts, the noblest and most sublime, as well as delightful entertainment of your fouls; as a relief against the uneafinefs, the disgusts, and troubles of life, rather than to be numbered amongst them. The yoke of Chrift is eafy, and his burden is light; none of bis commandments are grievous, It is a wretched

IX.

idea fome have got of religion, even from SERM. their youth, whereby they are prejudiced against it, that it is a moft ridged severe inftitution, laying hard restraints upon liberty, and forbidding all manner of pleasure: The confequence of which is either that they reject it altogether, or, being dragged into an unwilling fubmiffion to its rules, they pervert them, running into fuperftition, which is only an aukward external face of godliness, the true effect of fervile fear, always painful to the mind itself, and accompanied with fournefs and ill-nature. Whereas real religion hath quite a different afpect, the most lovely divine form that can prefent itself to the mind; fo far from being unnatural, and therefore burdenfome to man, it is the very thing he was made for, the higheft improvement of his intellectual powers, perfectly approving itself to his reafon; and when deeply impreffed on the heart, forming its temper, and governing the converfation, it yieldẹth the highest enjoyment he is capable of. I would therefore earnestly entreat you not to entertain this prejudice againft piety and virtue, which fo far from abridging you of any real fatisfaction or freedom, which is innocent and becoming the dignity of your nature, it will preferve the true relish of all thofe enjoyments,

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