Discourses of the Great Duties of Natural Religion, Sermon 12
SERMON XII.
Knowledge and Practice Neceſſary in Religion.
JOHN XIII. 17.
If ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them.
TWO Things make up Religion, the Knowledge, and the Practice of it; and the Firſt is wholly in order to the Second; and God hath not revealed to us the Knowledge of Himſelf and his Will, meerly for the improvement of our Underſtanding, but for the bettering of our Hearts and Lives; not to entertain our Minds with the ſpeculations of Religion and Virtue, but to form and govern our Actions. If ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them.
In which words, our bleſſed Saviour does from a particular inſtance take occaſion to ſettle a general Concluſion, namely, that Religion doth mainly conſiſt in Practice, and that the knowledge of his Doctrine, without the real effects of it upon our Lives, will bring no Man to Heaven. In the beginning of this Chapter, our great Lord and Maſter, to teſtifie his Love to his Diſciples, and to give them a lively Inſtance and Example of that great Virtue of Humility, is pleaſed to condeſcend to a very low and mean Office, ſuch as was uſed to be performed by Servants to their Maſters, and not by the Maſter to his Servants; namely, to waſh their feet; and when he had done this, he asks them if they did underſtand the meaning of this ſtrange Action. Know ye what I have done unto you? ye call me Maſter, and Lord, and ye ſay well, for ſo I am; if I then your Lord and Maſter have waſhed your feet, ye alſo ought to waſh one anothers feet; for I have given you an Example, that ye ſhould do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, the Servant is not greater than the Lord, neither he that is ſent, greater than he that ſent him; if ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them. As if he had ſaid, This which I have now done, is eaſie to be underſtood, and ſo likewiſe are all thoſe other Chriſtian Graces and Virtues, which I have heretofore by my Doctrine and Example recommended to you; but it is not enough to know theſe things, but ye muſt likewiſe do them. The End and the Life of all our Knowledge in Religion, is to put in practice what we know. It is neceſſary indeed that we ſhould know our Duty, but Knowledge alone will never bring us to that Happineſs, which Religion deſigns to make us partakers of, if our Knowledge have not its due and proper influence upon our Lives. Nay, ſo far will our Knowledge be from making us Happy, if it be ſeparated from the Virtues of a good Life, that it will prove one of the heavieſt aggravations of our miſery; and it is as if he had ſaid, if ye know theſe things, wo be unto you, if ye do them not.
From theſe words then, I ſhall obſerve theſe three things, which I ſhall ſpeak but briefly to.
Firſt, That the Knowledge of God's Will, and our Duty, is neceſſary to the practice of it; If ye know theſe things, which ſuppoſeth that we muſt know our Duty, before we can do it.
Secondly, That the Knowledge of our Duty, and the Practice of it, may be, and too often are ſeparated. This likewiſe the Text ſuppoſeth, that Men may know their Duty, and yet not do it, and that this is very frequent, which is the Reaſon why our Saviour gives this Caution.
Thirdly, That the Practice of Religion, and the doing of what we know to be our Duty, is the only way to Happineſs; If ye know theſe things, happy …re ye if ye do them. I begin with the
Firſt of theſe, namely, That the Knowledge of God's Will and our Duty, is neceſſary in order to the Practice of it. The truth of this Propoſition is ſo clear and evident at firſt view, that nothing can obſcure it, and bring it in queſtion, but to endeavour to prove it; and therefore inſtead of ſpending time in that, I ſhall take occaſion from it, juſtly to reprove that prepoſterous Courſe which is taken, and openly avowed and juſtified by ſome, as the ſafeſt and beſt way to make Men Religious, and to bring them to Happineſs; namely, by taking away from them the Means of Knowledge; as if the beſt way to bring Men to do the Will of God, were to keep them from knowing it. For what elſe can be the meaning of that Maxim ſo currant in the Church of Rome, that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion? or of that ſtrange and injurious practice of theirs, of Locking up from the People that great Storehouſe and Treaſury of Divine Knowledge, the Holy Scriptures, in an unknown Tongue.
I know very well, that in juſtification of this hard uſage of their People, it is pretended that Knowledge is apt to puff Men up, to make them Proud and Contentious, Refractory and Diſobedient, and Heretical, and what not? and particularly, that the free and familiar uſe of the Holy Scriptures permitted to the People, hath miniſtred occaſion to the People, of falling into great and dangerous Errors, and of making great diſturbance and diviſions among Chriſtians. For anſwer to this pretence, I deſire theſe four or five things may be Conſidered.
Firſt, That unleſs this be the Natural and Neceſſary effect of Knowledge in Religion, and of the free uſe of the Holy Scriptures, there is no force in this Reaſon; and if this be the proper and natural effect of this Knowledge, then this Reaſon will reach a great way farther, than thoſe who make uſe of it are willing it ſhould.
Secondly, That this is not the natural and neceſſary effect of Knowledge in Religion, but only accidental, and proceeding from Men's abuſe of it; for which the thing it ſelf is not to be taken away.
Thirdly, That the proper and natural Effects and Conſequences of Ignorance, are equally pernicious, and much more certain and unavoidable, than thoſe which are accidentally occaſioned by Knowledge.
Fourthly, That if this Reaſon be good, it is much ſtronger for withholding the Scriptures from the Prieſts and the Learned, than from the People.
Fifthly, That this danger was as great, and as well known in the Apoſtles times, and yet they took a quite contrary Courſe.
Firſt, I deſire it may be conſider'd, that unleſs this be the natural and neceſſary effect of Knowledge in Religion, and of the free uſe of the Holy Scriptures, there is no force in this Reaſon; for that which is neceſſary, or highly uſeful, ought not to be taken away, becauſe it is liable to be perverted, and abuſed to ill purpoſes. If it ought, then not only Knowledge in Religion, but all other Knowledge ought to be reſtrained and ſuppreſt; for all Knowledge is apt to puff up, and liable to be abuſed to many ill purpoſes. At this rate, Light, and Liberty, and Reaſon, yea and Life it ſelf, ought all to be taken away, becauſe they are all greatly abuſed by many Men, to ſome ill purpoſes or other; ſo that unleſs theſe ill effects do naturally and neceſſarily ſpring from Knowledge in Religion, the Objection from them is of no force; and if they do neceſſarily flow from it, then this Reaſon will reach a great way further than thoſe that make uſe of it are willing it ſhould; for if this be true, that the Knowledge of Religion, as it is Revealed in the Holy Scriptures, is of its own Nature ſo pernicious, as to make Men proud and Contentious, and Heretical, and Diſobedient to Authority, then the blame of all this would fall upon our bleſſed Saviour, for revealing ſo pernicious a Doctrine, and upon his Apoſtles, for publiſhing this Doctrine in a known Tongue to all Mankind, and thereby laying the Foundation of perpetual Schiſms and Hereſies in the Church.
Secondly… But this is not the natural and neceſſary effect of Knowledge in Religion, but only accidental, and proceeding from Mens abuſe of it, for which the thing it ſelf ought not to be taken away. And thus much certainly they will grant, becauſe it cannot with any face be denied; and if ſo, then the Means of Knowledge are not to be denied, but only Men are to be cautioned not to prevert and abuſe them. And if any Man abuſe the Holy Scriptures to the Patronizing of Error or Hereſie, or to any other bad purpoſe, he does it at his peril, and muſt give an account to God for it, but ought not to be deprived of the means of Knowledge, for fear he ſhould make an ill uſe of them. We muſt not hinder Men from being Chriſtians, to preſerve them from being Hereticks; and put out Mens Eyes, for fear they ſhould ſome time or other take upon them to diſpute their way with their Guides.
I remember that St. Paul, 1 Cor. 8. 1. takes notice of this accidental inconvenience of Knowledge, that it puffeth up, and that this Pride occaſioned great Contentions and Diviſions among them: but the Remedy which he preſcribes againſt this miſchief of Knowledge, is not to with-hold from Men the Means of it, and to Celebrate the Service of God, the Prayers of the Church, and the Reading of the Scriptures in an unknown Tongue, but quite contrary, Chap. 14. of that Epiſtle, he ſtrictly enjoyns that the Service of God in the Church be ſo performed, as may be for the edification of the People, which he ſays cannot be, if it be Celebrated in an unknown Tongue; and the Remedy he preſcribes againſt the accidental miſchief and inconvenience of Knowledge, is not Ignorance; but Charity, to govern their Knowledge, and to help them to make a right uſe of it; ver. 20. of that Chapt. after he had declared that the Service of God ought to be performed in a known Tongue, he immediately adds, Brethren be not Children in underſtanding; howbe-it in malice be ye Children, but in underſtanding be ye Men. He commends Knowledge, he encourageth it, he requires it of all Chriſtians; ſo far is he from checking the purſuit of it, and depriving the People of the Means of it. And indeed there is nothing in the Chriſtian Religion, but what is fit for every Man to know, becauſe there is nothing in it, but what is deſigned to promote Holineſs, and a good Life; and if Men make any other uſe of their Knowledge, it is their own fault, for it certainly tends to make Men good; and being ſo uſeful and neceſſary to ſo good a purpoſe, Men ought not to be debarr'd of it.
Thirdly, Let it be Conſider'd, that the proper and natural Effects and Conſequences of ignorance are equally pernicious, and much more certain and unavoidable, than thoſe which are accidentally occaſioned by Knowledge; for ſo far as a Man is ignorant of his Duty, it is impoſſible he ſhould do it. He that hath the Knowledge of Religion, may be a bad Chriſtian, but he that is deſtitute of it, can be none at all. Or if ignorance do beget and promote ſome kind of Devotion in Men, it is ſuch a Devotion as is not properly Religion, but Superſtition; the ignorant Man may be zealouſly ſuperſtitious, but without ſome meaſure of Knowledge, no Man can be truly Religious. That the Soul be without Knowledge it is not good, ſays Solomon, Prov. 19. 2. becauſe good practices depends upon our Knowledge, and muſt be directed by it; when as a Man that is trained up only to the outward performance of ſome things in Religion, as to the ſaying over ſo many Prayers in an unknown Tongue, this Man cannot be truly Religious, becauſe nothing is Religious, that is not a Reaſonable Service; and no Service can be Reaſonable, that is not directed by our Underſtandings. Indeed, if the end of Prayer were only to give God to underſtand what we want, it were all one what Language we Prayed in, and whether we underſtood what we asked of him or not: but ſo long as the end of Prayer is to teſtifie the ſenſe of our own wants, and of our dependance upon God for the ſupply of them, it is impoſſible that any Man ſhould in any tolerable propriety of Speech be ſaid to Pray, who does not underſtand what he asks; and the ſaying over ſo many Pater Noſters by one that does not underſtand the meaning of them, is no more a Prayer, than the repeating over ſo many Verſes in Virgil. And if this were good Reaſoning, that Men muſt not be permitted to know ſo much as they can in Religion, for fear they ſhould grow troubleſome with their Knowledge, then certainly the beſt way in the World to maintain Peace in the Chriſtian Church, would be to let the People know nothing at all in Religion; and the beſt way to ſecure the ignorance of the People would be to keep the Prieſts as ignorant as the People, and then to be ſure they could teach them nothing: but then the miſchief would be, that out of a fondneſs to maintain Peace in the Chriſtian Church, there would be no Church, nor no Chriſtianity; which would be the ſame wiſe Contrivance, as if a Prince ſhould deſtroy his Subjects, to keep his Kingdom quiet.
Fourthly, Let us likewiſe Conſider, that if this Reaſon be good, it is much ſtronger for withholding the Scriptures from the Prieſts, and the Learned, than from the People; becauſe the danger of ſtarting Errors and Hereſies, and Countenancing them from Scripture, and managing them plauſibly and with advantage, is much more to be feared from the Learned, than from the Common People; and the Experience of all Ages hath ſhewn, that the great Broachers and Abettors of Hereſie in the Chriſtian Church, have been Men of Learning and Wit; and moſt of the famous Hereſies, that are Recorded in Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory, have their Names from ſome Learned Man or other; ſo that it is a great miſtake to think that the way to prevent Error and Hereſie in the Church, is to take the Bible out of the hands of the People, ſo long as the free uſe of it is permitted to Men of Learning and Skill, in whoſe hands the danger of perverting it is much greater. The Ancient Fathers, I am ſure, do frequently preſcribe to the People the conſtant and careful reading of the Holy Scriptures, as the ſureſt Antidote againſt the Poiſon of dangerous Errors, and damnable Hereſies; and if there be ſo much danger of ſeduction into Error from the Oracles of Truth, by what other or better Means can we hope to be ſec…red againſt this danger? If the word of God be ſo croſs and improper a Means to this End, one would think that the teachings of Men ſhould be much leſs effectual; ſo that Men muſt either be left in their ignorance, or they muſt be permitted to learn from the word of truth; and whatever force this Reaſon of the danger of Hereſie hath in it, to deprive the Common People of the uſe of the Scriptures, I am ſure it is much ſtronger to wreſt them out of the hands of the Prieſts and the Learned, becauſe they are much more capable of perverting them to ſo bad a purpoſe.
Fifthly, and laſtly, this danger was as great and viſible in the Age of the Apoſtles, as it is now; and yet they took a quite contrary Courſe; there were Hereſies then, as well as now, and either the Scriptures were not thought by being in the hands of the People to be the Cauſe of them, or they did not think the taking of them out of their hands a proper Remedy. The Apoſtles in all their Epiſtles, do earneſtly Exhort the People to grow in Knowledge, and commend them for ſearching the Scriptures, and charge them that the word of God ſhould dwell richly in them. And St. Peter takes particular notice of ſome Men wreſting ſome difficult paſſages in St. Paul's Epiſtles, as likewiſe in the other Scriptures, to their own deſtruction, 2 Pet. 3. 16. where ſpeaking of St Paul's Epiſtles, he ſays there are ſome things hard to be underſtood, which they that are unlearned and unſtable wreſt, as they do alſo the other Scriptures, to their own deſtruction. Here the Danger Objected is taken notice of; but the Remedy preſcribed by St. Peter, is not to take …om the People the uſe of the Scrip…ures, and to keep them in ignorance; …ut after he had cautioned againſt the like weakneſs and errors, he exhorts them to grow in Knowledge, ver. 17, 18. Ye therefore, Beloved, ſeeing ye know theſe things before (that is, ſeeing ye are ſo plainly told and warned of this danger) beware leſt ye alſo being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own ſtedfaſtneſs; but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, (that is of the Chriſtian Religion;) believing, it ſeems, that the more knowledge they had in Religion, the leſs they would be in danger of falling into damnable Errors. I proceed to the
Second Obſervation, viz. That the Knowledge of our Duty, and the Practice of it, may and often are ſeparated. This likewiſe is ſuppoſed in the Text, that Men may, and often do know the Will of God, and their Duty, and yet fail in the Practice of it. Our Saviour elſewhere ſuppoſeth, that many know their Maſter's Will, who do not do it; and he compares thoſe that hear his Sayings, and do them not, to a fooliſh Man that built his houſe upon the ſand. And St. James ſpeaks of ſome, who are hearers of the word only, but not doers of it, and for that Reaſon fall ſhort of Happineſs. And this is no wonder, becauſe the attaining to that knowledge of Religion which is neceſſary to Salvation is no difficult task. A great part of it is written in our hearts, and we cannot be ignorant of it if we would; as that there is a God, and a Providence, and another State after this Life, wherein we ſhall be Rewarded, or Puniſhed, according as we have lived here in this World; that God is to be Worſhipped, to be Prayed to for what we want, and to be Praiſed for what we enjoy. Thus far Nature inſtructs Men in Religion, and in the great Duties of Morality, as Juſtice, and Temperance, and the like. And as for Revealed Religion, as that Jeſus Chriſt the Son of God came in our Nature to ſave us, by revealing our Duty more clearly and fully to us, by giving us a more perfect Example of Holineſs and Obedience in his own Life and Converſation, and by dying for our Sins, and riſing again for our Juſtification; theſe are things which Men may eaſily underſtand; and yet for all that, they are difficulty brought to the Practice of Religion.
I ſhall inſtance in three ſorts of Perſons, in whom the knowledge of Religion is more remarkably ſeparated from the Practice of it; and for diſtinction ſake, I may call them by theſe three Names; the Spe…ulative, the Formal, and the Hypocritical Chriſtian. The firſt of theſe makes Religion only a Science, the ſecond takes it up for a Faſhion, the third makes ſome Worldly advantage of it, and ſerves ſome ſecular Intereſt and Deſign by it. All theſe are upon ſeveral accounts concerned to underſtand ſomething of Religion; but yet will not be brought to the Practice of it.
The firſt of theſe whom I call the Specul…tive Chriſtian, is he who makes Religion only a Science, and ſtudies it as a piece of Learning, and part of that general knowledge in which he affects the reputation of being a Maſter; he hath no deſign to practice it, but he is loth to be ignorant of it, becauſe the knowledge of it is a good Ornament of Converſation, and will ſerve for Diſcourſe and Entertainment among thoſe who are diſpoſed to be grave and ſerious; and becauſe he does not intend to practice it, he paſſeth over thoſe things which are plain and eaſie to be underſtood, and applies himſelf chiefly to the Conſideration of thoſe things which are more abſtruſe, and will afford Matter of Controverſie and ſubtle Diſpute, as the Doctrine of the Trinity, Predeſtination, Free-will, and the like. Of this temper ſeem many of the School-Men of old to have been, who made it their great ſtudy and buſineſs to puzzle Religion, and to make every thing in it intricate, by ſtarting infinite queſtions and difficulties about the plaineſt truths; and of the ſame rank uſually are the Heads and Leaders of Parties and Factions in Religion, who by needleſs Controverſies, and endleſs Diſputes about ſome thing or other, commonly of no great moment in Religion, hinder themſelves and others from minding the Practice of the great and ſubſtantial Duties of a good Life.
Secondly, There is the Formal Ch…iſtian, who takes up Religion for a Faſhion. He is born and bred in a Nation where Chriſtianity is profeſt, and Countenanced, and therefore thinks it convenient for him to know ſomething of it. Of this ſort there are, I fear, a great many, who read the Scriptures ſometimes as others do, to know the Hiſtory of it; and go to Church, and hear the Goſpel preached, and by this means come in ſome meaſure to underſtand the Hiſtory of our Saviour, and the Chriſtian Doctrine; but do not at all bend themſelves to comply with the great End and Deſign of it; they do not heartily endeavour to form and faſhion their Lives according to the Laws and Precepts of it; they think they are very good Chriſtians, if they can give an account of the Articles of their Faith, profeſs their Belief in God and Chriſt, and declare that they hope to be Saved by him, tho' they take no care to keep his Commandments. Theſe are they of whom our Saviour ſpeaks, Luke 6. 46. who call him, Lord, Lord; but do not the things which he ſaid.
Thirdly, Hypocritical Chriſtians, who make an intereſt of Religion, and ſerve ſome worldly deſign by it. Theſe are concerned to underſtand Religion more than ordinary, that they may counterfeit it handſomly, and may not be at a loſs when they have occaſion to put on the garb of it. And this is one part of the Character which the Apoſtle gives of thoſe Perſons, who he foretels would appear in the laſt days, 2 Tim. 3. 2. he ſays they ſhould be Lovers of their own ſelves, Covetous, Heady, High-Minded, Lovers of Pleaſure more than Lovers of God, having a form of Godlineſs, but denying the Power of it.
Now theſe Men do not love Religion, but they have occaſion to make uſe of it; and therefore they will have no more of it than will juſt ſerve their Purpoſe and Deſign. And indeed he that hath any other Deſign in Religion than to pleaſe God, and ſave his Soul, needs no more than ſo much knowledge of it, as will ſerve him to act a part in it upon occaſion. I come to the
Third and laſt Obſervation, viz. That the Practice of Religion, and the doing of what we know to be our Duty, is the only way to Happineſs; If ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them; not if ye know theſe things happy are ye; but if ye know and do them. Now to convince Men of ſo important a Truth, I ſhall endeavour to make out theſe two things.
Firſt, That the Goſpel makes the Practice of Religion a neceſſary Condition of our Happineſs.
Secondly, That the Nature and Reaſon of the thing makes it a neceſſary Qualification for it.
Firſt, The Goſpel makes the Practice of Religion a neceſſary Condition of our Happineſs. Our Saviour in his firſt Sermon, where he repeats the Promiſe of Bleſſedneſs ſo often, he makes no promiſe of it to the meer knowledge of Religion, but to the Habit and Practice of Chriſtian Graces and Virtues, of Meekneſs, and Humility, and Mercifuln…ſ…, and Righteouſneſs, and Peaceableneſs, and P…r…ty, and Patience under Suff…rings and Perſecutions for Righteouſneſs ſake. And Matth. 7. 2. our Saviour doth moſt fully declare, that the happineſ… which he promiſes, did not belong to thoſe who made profeſſion of his Name, and were ſo well acquainted with his Doctrine, as to be able to inſtruct others, if themſelves in the mean time did not practiſe it; Not every one that …aith unto me Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will ſay unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not Propheſied in thy Name, and in thy Name caſt out Devils, and done many wondrous works; and then will I profeſs unto them, I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of Iniquity. Tho' they profeſs to know him, yet becauſe their Lives were not anſwerable to the Knowledge which they had of him, and his Doctrine, he declares that he will not know them, but bid them depart from him. And then he goes on to ſhew, that tho' a Man attend to the Doctrine of Chriſt, and gain the knowledge of it; yet if it do not deſcend into his Life, and govern his Actions, all that Man's hopes of Heaven are fond and groundleſs; and only that Man's hopes of Heaven are well grounded, who knows the Doctrine of Chriſt, and does it, Ver. 24. whoſoever heareth theſe Sayings of mine, and doth them, I will liken him to a Wiſe Man, who built his houſe upon a rock, and the rain deſcended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that houſe, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a roc…; and every one that heareth theſe ſayings of mine, and doth them not, ſhall be liken'd to a fooliſh Man, who built his houſe upon the ſand, and the rain deſcended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that houſe, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. Tho' a Man had a knowledge of Religion as great and perfect as that which Solomon had of Natural Things, large as the ſand upon the ſea ſhore; yet all th…s Knowledge ſeparated from Practice, would be like the ſand alſo in another reſpect, a weak Foundation for any Man to build his hopes …f Happineſs upon.
To the ſame purpoſe St. Paul ſpeaks, Rom. 2. 13. Not the hearers of the Law are juſt before God; but the d…ers of the Law ſhall be juſtified. So likewiſe St. James, Chap. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own ſelves; and ver. 25. Whoſ looketh into the perfect Law of Libert (that is the Law or Doctrine of the Goſpel,) and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this Man ſhall be bleſſed in his deed; and therefore he adds, that the truth and reality of Religion is to be meaſured by the effects of it, in the government of our words, and ordering of our Lives, Ver. 26. If any Man among you ſeem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this Man's Religion is vain. Pure Religion, and undefiled before God and the Father is this; to viſit the Fatherleſs and Widow in their aff…iction, and to keep himſelf unſpotted from the World. Men talk of Religion, and keep a great ſtir about it; but nothing will paſs for true Religion before God, but the Virtuous and Charitable Actions of a good Life; and God will accept no Man to Eternal Life upon any other Condition. So the Apoſtle tells us moſt expreſly, Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all Men, and holineſs, without which no Man ſhall ſee the Lord.
Secondly, As God hath made the Practice of Religion a neceſſary Condition of our Happineſs, ſo the very Nature and Reaſon of the thing makes it a neceſſary Qualification for it. It is neceſſary that we become like to God, in order to the enjoyment of him; and nothing makes us like to God, but the Practice of Holineſs and Goodneſs. Knowledge indeed is a Divine Perfection; but that alone, as it doth not render a Man like God, ſo neither doth it diſpoſe him for the enjoyment of him. If a Man had the underſtanding of an Angel, he might for all that be a Devil; he that committeth ſin is of the Devil, and whatever Knowledge ſuch a Man may have, he is of a deviliſh temper and diſpoſition: but every one that doth righteouſneſs is born of God. By this we are like God, and only by our likeneſs to him, do we become capable of the …ight and enjoyment of him; therefore every Man that hopes to be Happy by the bleſſed …ight of God in the next Life, muſt endeavour after Holineſs in this Life. So the ſame Apoſtle tells us, 1 John 3. 3. Every Man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf, even as he is pure. A wicked temper and diſpoſition of Mind is, in the very Nature of the thing, utterly inconſiſtent with all reaſonable hopes of Heaven.
Thus I have ſhewn that the Practice of Religion, and the doing of what we know to be our Duty, is the only way to Happineſs.
And now the proper Inference from all this is, to put Men upon the careful Practice of Religion. Let no Man content himſelf with the Knowledge of his Duty, unleſs he do it; and to this purpoſe I ſhall briefly urge theſe three Conſiderations.
Firſt, This is the great End of all our Knowledge in Religion, to practiſe what we know. The knowledge of God and of our Duty hath ſo eſſential a reſpect to Practice, that the Scripture will hardly allow it to be properly called Knowledge, unleſs it have an influence upon our Lives. 1 John 2. 3, 4. Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his Commandment…. He that ſaith I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a Lyar, and the truth is not in him.
Secondly, Practice is the beſt way to increaſe and perfect our Knowledge. Knowledge directs us in our Practice, but Practice confirms and increaſeth our Knowledge, John 7. 17. If any Man will do the will of God, he ſhall know of the Doctrine. The beſt way to know God, is to be like him our ſelves, and to have the lively image of his Perfections imprinted upon our Souls; and the beſt way to underſtand the Chriſtian Religion, is ſeriouſly to ſet about the Practice of it; this will give a Man a better Notion of Chriſtianity, than any Speculation can.
Thirdly, without the Practice of Religion, our Knowledge will be ſo far from being any furtherance and advantage to our Happineſs, that it will be one of the unhappieſt aggravations of our miſery. He that is ignorant of his Duty, hath ſome excuſe to pretend for himſelf: but he that underſtands the Chriſtian Religion, and does not live according to it, hath no cloak for his ſin. The defects of our Knowledge, unleſs they be groſs and wilful, will find an eaſie Pardon with God: but the faults of our Lives ſhall be ſeverely puniſht, when we knew our Duty and would not do it. I will conclude with that of our Saviour, Luke 12. 47, 48. That Servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himſelf, neither did according to his will, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes; for unto whomſoever much is given, of him much ſhall be required. When we come into the other World, no Conſideration will ſting us more, and add more to the rage of our Torments than this, that we did wickedly, when we underſtood to have done better; and choſe to make our ſelves Miſerable, when we knew ſo well the way to have been Happy.