CHAP. Member of Society; and immutably connected XVI. the Means to the Ends. And as God governs

by the Truth and Righteoufnefs of that Rule, and by the Improvements made to it by his reveal'd Will; that Rule, with the Improvements, where difcover'd, is a fix'd Law both to God, and Man. And confequently Righteouf nefs, Truth, Love of Virtue, and Hatred of Sin, &c. in the Proceedings of Men, will be of the fame kind in the Proceedings of God, but of a larger Compass.

COMMANDS therefore refulting from his Will being always fo laid in the Nature and Relations of Things, as to confult the best, i. e. Happiness of the moral Agent, he governs according to his free Choice of Happiness; it is much the fame Thing to fay, the Thing commanded is finally holy, juft, and good to that Creature, because he commands it, as to fay because it is holy, just and good in its own Nature to that Creature, therefore he commands it. Since the Fitness of Things does not exist before the Will of God, to difpute whether the Fitness of Things, or the Will of God obliges, is a Difpute only of Words. The Goodness of

Things confifts in their Fitness for answering the Ends they were appointed to; the Goodness and Virtue of Agents in this World appear in regulating their Actions in Conformity to the Will of God, which has chofen and fitted fuch and fuch Actions to the final Happiness he has conftituted Man to; and to confult that in his moral Conduct, is the fame Thing as to confult the Glory of God, or the Glory of fuch an Appointment. Such a moral Fitnefs of the Means relative to his own Happiness, the End accord

ing to the Will of God, is the Rule or Law CHAP. of his Action, and of his Obligation. And fo XVI. every Sin against God and our Neighbour is a Sin also against a Man's felf, being a Tranfgreffion of that Law, which is a Direction to his own Happiness. In the laft Place,

III. SUPPOSE the Motive drawn from the Command of God. But he knows our Nature too well to give forth Laws and Commandments without annexing Sanctions to them. He knows he has no Authority over the free Choice and elective Faculty of Man in Comparison of what thofe Sanctions give him. Had he ordain'd us for Mifery, we could have no Respect or Obligation at all to him: But as he propounds Happiness, as well as Mifery, to our Choice, at the Option of our own Behaviour; and has done fo very much to fecure and increase Man's Happinefs, when he first prevaricated with it, that obliges us indeed to him.

AND as our Happiness is complex with refpect to both Parts of our Constitution, and in both Stages of its Duration; what it miffes in one, to be compensated in another; he only can lay the compleat Motive, and the lafting Obligation before us, to induce us paramount to all others, at all Times, and in all Places, to obferve his Will. In doing that, we fecure the divine Favour, which includes a Security of our Happiness in both Parts of our Nature, and in all its Faculties. And as the Commands of God are Directions and Qualifications for our Happiness, by connecting that Means to that End, what can poffibly be wifer, or more prevailing upon a free Agent, than to affix that VOL. II. G

Sanc

CHA P. Sanction to the Command, as a Reward of the XVI. Action, which is the ultimate End of it; and

fo bringing the End of the Action before the Agent, direct his Choice, and oblige, and induce him more powerfully to it?

THE trueft Method of inveftigating any Law whatsoever is, firft to enquire the End of the Law, and then the Means of performing and fulfilling it. What can animate Man more to be chearful in doing all the Good he can to his Fellow-Creatures, than the Confideration of the greater Good he fhall lay up and receive for fo doing? And that the very Means of attaining Happiness above, is the communicating Happinefs here below? Or what can better reduce all the felfish Affections, the Authors of fo many fublunary Mischiefs, into due Order and Subordination to the general Good, than the Certainty of lofing a greater Interest hereafter for the fake of attaining a lefs, and fo much the lefs as being a repented, molested, or envied Good here? Univerfal Happiness is God's End and View in the Creation and Redemption of the World, and as that Whole confifts of fo many Individuals, when every one pursues future Felicity by the Means in his own Power, which are fo many providential Directions to every Man (that of contributing to the Happiness of others, being one amongst the reft) he concurs with God's Defign, and not only prays, but contributes to his Kingdom coming daily to Perfection, coming where it has not yet enter'd; and where it has, coming daily to greater Perfection of Rule over us.

AND as he never reaps but where he has sown, and according to what he has fown; and has

made

made Virtue natural to our Reason, to our Affec- CHAP. tion to Society, and alfo to our Defires of Hap- XVI. piness in this World, and the next: In exciting to the Practice of it, he makes ufe of Motives fometimes from one, fometimes from the other, but all terminating in the Intereft and Advantage of the Agent here, and hereafter.

WHEN he addreffes to Reafon, he expoftulates with, and adjures that, to confider our Ways, ponder the Path of our Feet, whither they are tending, and what will be the Confequence of our Doings. Confideration being the actual opening the Eye of the Mind within us; earnestly directing its Thoughts, which are its mental Sight of the Invifible, yet incomparably more importing Man, than all the vifible Things that furround him. Thus the Faith of Abraham in his Life of religious Confideration faw the Day of Chrift, and was glad. He appeals to the Sentiments of Equity, Juftice, Right and Wrong, Good and Evil, which immediately and intimately fpring up in our Reason, upon the leaft Confideration of Society and its feveral Relations, as an innate Law, as fo many conscious. Maxims and known Truths previous to his Revelation, to try the Equity of his reveal'd Will, and to compare and measure their own Ways by the fame. And as the End is intentionally known before the Means, that gives Confcience the Province of approving, or difapproving; as the Action has a Tendency to advance, or obftruct our Happiness. We have a Conscience or Perception likewife wrought in us for publick Good; that Total, of which we make one, and whose Intereft, in moft Refpects, is one with ours; that gives the Senfe of Honour or Praise, G 2 Shame

CHA P. Shame or Reproach, as our 'Actions have beneXVI. fitted or prejudic'd, help'd or harm'd that.

THAT Love to Society implanted in us, the great Patron and Protector of it would not have withdrawn, but ftill continued to our perfonal Enemies, becaufe they are yet ftill of the fame Society with us; leaving the Vengeance or Redrefs of every tolerable Wrong, confiftent with the Being of Society, to himself: That we ought to imitate the great Father of it, being in that like Children to their Father; and, co-operating with his Providence, according to our Sphere, bestow our general Good, Kindnefs, and Benevolence, and not limit it, nor pafs over the Opportunity he has given us, because the Object has been once an Enemy, left a cancelled Obligation return upon us; confidering ourfelves how much we receive from, and yet how often we offend God. And why are we commanded to imitate him, the Head of the Society, in that Particular, but because our Happiness in Society confifts in, and is improved by it? Thus the Love of Enemies, being one Branch and Particular of the univerfal Law of Benevolence, is the Law of our Nature, and the neceffary redintigration of Society; and therefore is fo ftrictly enjoin'd, enforc'd, and inferted into daily Prayer by Chri ftianity, which is the Perfecer of every thing that is good in this World, and the next. And therefore the Deiftical Ridicule of this Duty is a standing Monument against them, as well of the Shallowness of their Heads, as of the Badness of their Hearts, with respect to Society, and Human Nature. And why is that Publick good, the Converfion of a Sinner, fuch great Sinners against God and the Publick, from

the