he is not an unconcerned Spectator. For this Reason the Love of God is called the First and Great Commandment; and for this Reason it never can be inconfiftent with the Love of our Neighbour, which is the Second. In all Cafes therefore where your Duty to your Neighbour is plain and clear, depend upon it your Duty to God concurs with it. All Scruples to the contrary are wicked, perhaps wicked Hypocrify; for it is the greatest Indignity to God to use his Name, and pretend his Honour, to cover the Injuries you are doing to his Creatures, and your

own Brethren.

The fecond Obfervation I would make from the Text is, That, our Saviour having declared that on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets, 'tis certain that nothing is or ought to be esteemed Religion, that is not reducible to one or other of these Principles.

But what then, you will fay, must become of the Institutions of Religion, which, confidered in themselves, and according to their own Nature, are not properly to be referred either to the Love of God, or our Neighbour? For, if all that is Religion may be fo referred, it should seem that these Institutions, which cannot be fo referred, are no Part of Religion.

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Religion. It is certain that mere pofitive Institutions are not founded upon any moral Reason of the Actions themselves: If they were, they might eafily be drawn from these general Precepts without the Help of a pofitive Command: For the whole moral Reason of Religion is either the Love of God, or the Love of our Neighbour; and to make any Thing else to be Religion, strictly fpeaking, that does not partake of this moral Reason, is Ignorance and Superftition. But then there is a very manifest Difference between Religion and the Means of Religion: And whatever is Part of our Religion, and yet not fo upon the account of the moral Reason, can only be esteemed as a Means of Religion; not ordained for its own fake, but for the fake of that Religion which is founded upon moral Reason.

This Diftinction between Religion and the Means of Religion would be of use, if carefully attended to: It would teach Men where to point their best Endeavour, and where to place their Hopes and Expectations: For, if your Zeal and Fervor be spent only upon the Means of Religion, and goes no farther, ye are ftill in your Sins.

And from hence it is plain, that there can be no Competition between the Duties called Moral,

Moral, and those called Pofitive: For, if the pofitive Duties are the Means and Inftruments appointed by God for preferving true Religion and Morality, true Religion and Morality can never be at variance with the Means appointed to preserve them. And, as to the Obligation of observing these Duties, 'tis on all fides equal: For, fince we are bound to obey God by all the Ties of moral Duty, and fince the Institutions of Religion are of God's Appointment, whatever the Matter of the Inftitution be, the Obligation to obey is certainly a moral Obligation: Which, duly confidered, will fhew, that the Text extends to all Parts of Religion, and that on these two Commandments bang all the Law and the Prophets.

DISCOURSE XIV.

PART I.

HEBREWS iii. 12.

Take heed, Brethren, left there be in any of you an evil Heart of Unbelief in departing from the living God.

*HE Words of the Text contain an earnest Exhortation, as is evident upon the first View: And the Subject of the Exhortation is

T

Faith towards God; for Faith is

the Principle destroyed by an evil Heart of Unbelief. But Faith, as fome think, is no proper Subject for Exhortation: For, if Faith is a mere Act of the Mind judging upon Motives of Credibility, 'tis as reasonable to exhort a Man to fee with his Eyes, as to

judge