rity, and are Christians without the Spirit of Christianity.

LET them remember that Religion is to alter our Nature, that Chriftian Piety confifts in a Change of Heart, that it implies a new Turn of Spirit, a fpiritual Death, a fpiritual Life, a dying to the World, and a Living wholly unto God.

SECONDLY, This Doctrine may serve to instruct those who have liv'd Strangers to Religion, what they are to do to become true Chriftians.

SOME People who are afhamed of the Folly of their Lives, and begin to look towards Religion, think they have done enough, when they either alter the outward Course of their Lives, abate fome of their Extravagancies, or become careful of fome particular Virtue.

THUS a Man, whofe Life has been a Course of Folly, thinks he has made a fufficient Change, by becoming temperate. Another imagines he has fufficiently declar'd for Religion, by not neglecting the publick Worship as he used to do. A Lady fancies that the lives enough to God, because fhe has left off Plays and Paint, and lives more at home, than in the former Part of her Life.

BUT fuch People fhould confider, that Religion is no one particular Virtue; that F

it

it does not confift in the Fewness of our Vices, or in any particular Amendment of our Lives, but in fuch a thorough Change of Heart, as makes Piety and Holiness the Measure and Rule of all our Tempers.

IT is a miferable Error to be content with our felves, because we are less vain, or covetous, more fober, and decent in our Behaviour, than we used to be; yet this is the State of many People, who think they have fufficiently reform'd their Lives, because they are in fome Degree different from what they were. They think it enough to be changed from what they were, without confidering how thorough a Change Religion requires.

BUT let fuch People remember, that they who thus measure themselves by themfelves are not wife. Let them remember that they are not Disciples of Christ, till they have like him offered their whole Body and Soul as a reasonable and lively Sacrifice unto God; that they are not Members of Chrift's myftical Body, till they are united unto him by a new Spirit; that they have not enter'd into the Kingdom of God, till they have enter'd with an infant Simplicity of Heart, till they are so born again as not to commit Sin, fo full of an heavenly Spirit, as to have overcome the World.

NOTHING lefs than this great Change of Heart and Mind can give any one any

Affu

Affurance, that he is truly turn'd to God. There is but this one Term of Salvation, He that is in Chrift, is a new Creature. How infignificant all other Attainments are, is fufficiently fhewn in the following Words: Many will fay to me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy Name? And in thy Name have caft out Devils? And in thy Name have done many wonderful Works? And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work Iniquity (a).

So that there is no Religion that will ftand us in any ftead, but that which is the Converfion of the Heart to God; when all our Tempers are Tempers of Piety, fpringing from a Soul that is born again of the Spirit, that tends with one full Bent to a Perfection and Happiness in the Enjoyment of God.

LET us therefore look carefully to our felves, and confider what manner of Spirit we are of; let us not think our Condition fafe, because we are of this or that Church or Communion, or because we are ftrict Obfervers of the external Offices of Religion, for these are Marks that belong to more than belong to Chrift. All are

a) Matth. vii. 22.

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not

not his, that prophefy or even work Miracles in his Name, much less thofe, who with worldly Minds and corrupt Hearts are only baptiz'd in his Name.

IF Religion has rais'd us into a new World, if it has fill'd us with new Ends of Life, if it has taken Poffeffion of our Hearts, and alter'd the whole Turn of our Minds, if it has chang'd all our Ideas of Things, given us a new Set of Hopes and Fears, and taught us to live by the Realities of an invifible World, then may we humbly hope, that we are true Followers of the Holy Jefus, and fuch as may rejoyce in the Day of Chrift, that we have neither run in vain, nor labour'd in vain.

蛇

CHA P. III.

Christianity requireth a Renunciation of the World, and all worldly Tempers.

HE Christian Religion being to raise a new, spiritual, and as yet invifible World, and to place Man in a certain Order amongst Thrones, Principalities, and spiritual Beings, is at entire Enmity with this present, corrupt State of Flesh and Blood.

IT ranks the present World along with the Flesh and the Devil, as an equal Enemy to those glorious Ends, and that Perfection of human Nature, which our Redemption proposes.

IT pleafed the Wisdom of God to indulge the Jews in worldly Hopes and Fears.

IT was then faid, Therefore shall ye keep all the Commandments, which 1 command you this Day, that ye may be strong, and