VOL. as I remember the Moralift ftiles it, "The FOUN

II.

DATION of foundations.". Hence, from fo noted and principal a part the denomination is put upon the whole.

To know GOD therefore, is to own him, to acknowledge him as our Go D; and thereupon to carry ourselves fuitably towards him. In the firft commandment, which establishes the relation betwixt GoD and us, it is intimated, that if we will have him to be our Go D, we must have no other Gods before him. And again, one of the Prophets expreffes it by knowing no other GOD but HIM. I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt; and thou shalt know no other God but me, for there is no Saviour befides me. The import then of the expreffion, is to own him as GOD, in relation to ourselves; and confequently to love and fear him, to hope and delight in him, and the like. All which refult from the relation betwixt him and us: according to that well known obfervation and rule among the Hebrews; that "Words of

knowledge import life and fenfe, as confequent; as words of life and fenfe fuppofe knowledge "antecedent."

SECONDLY, This phrafe imports not only natural religion, but alfo that which is revealed. Knowing GOD therefore is not to be taken fo abftractedly, as though it meant no more. than only to entertain the notion of the Deity, and the practice of thofe duties that we are led to by the light of nature; but more generally whatever duty he is pleated to injoin alfo by revelation.

We.

I.

We then know and acknowledge him as GOD, SE RM. with refpect to his fovereignty and dominion, when we are univerfally obfervant of his will; how or by what means foever it is made known to us: whether it be by natural light, or exprefs fuperadded revelation. And therefore we find this expreffion made use of to fignify religion among the Jews, while they were a peculiar people unto God. It is faid, Hezekiah, a good king, fpoke comforta bly to the Levites, to their hearts according to the Hebrew, who taught the good knowledge of the Lord, That is, inftructed the people in religion, according to the revelation of the mind and will of GoD, which was then afforded them.

THIRDLY, We find this phrase expresly used to fignify the Chriftian religion in particular. And thus the fame Apostle uses it in another place. Awake to righteousness and fin not; for some have not the knowledge of GOD, I speak this to your fhamed. As if he had faid, You do not know Go D, you do not demean and behave yourselves like thofe, who understand the principles of your own religion. And again, fays the Apostle, After you have known GOD, why turn ye back to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye defire again to be in bondage? That is, why do you follow the Gnoftics in mixing judaical and pagan rites with the religion of Chrift?

FOURTHLY, We are therefore further to collect, that the Apostle does here, in this place, par ticularly intend the Chriftian religion. They pro

A 2

$2 Chron. xxx. 22. 1 Cor xv.

34.

Gal. IV. 9.

fefs

II.

VOL. fefs they know GOD; that is, they profefs to be
Chriftians. For it is very evident he writes of
fuch, as profeffed the only true religion. The
teachers who feduced and corrupted them it is evi-
dent, were profeffed Chriftians, though very cor-
rupt and unfound ones: for they endeavoured
to deprave others; not indeed as avowed adver-
faries to the Christian name, but as deceivers and
gainfayers. It is true, the Apoftle faid, they
ought to be convinced; by which he implies
that there were fome common agreed principles
among them, which might be the ground of
fuch conviction. He calls them deceivers, who
by cunning infinuations laboured to pervert
the Chriftian doctrine, and to render it fa-
vourable to licentious and immoral practices.
And therefore thofe, whom they had perverted,
must be of the fame ftamp: not wholly of the
Jewish religion, for that their teachers were not;
but judaizing Chriftians. They who lived fo re-
mote from Judea, cannot be thought to have enter-
tained the principles of the Jewish religion intire-
ly; nor fo generally and in fuch numbers, as is
here implied, for many whole houses were fubvert
ed. Much lefs can we suppose the whole body
of the people to be naturally Jews; for the Apostle
does manifeftly describe them by the common na-
tional taint of that island, that is, as LIARS, EVIL
BEASTS, SLOW BELLIES, according to the cha-
racter given of them by one of their own poets *.
Thus are the people defcribed, whom the Apostle
fpeaks of, namely, the natives of Crete, who

f Tit. i. 10.

* Tit. 1. 12.

*

were

Epimenides.

I.

were converted from paganism to the profeffion SERM. of the Christian religion, with which they mingled many of the Judaical fentiments.

THIS therefore being premifed, our way is plain and clear to the things I intend to infift upon; which are especially these two.

THAT men may profefs the true religion, and yet lead very ill lives. And

THAT they who do fo, by juft interpretation may be faid to deny the religion they profess.

I propose to speak to thefe two observations jointly in this order.

FIRST, I fhall fhew what fort of profeffion that must be, which can be meant in such a

cafe.

SECONDLY, What the perfons who make it

may be notwithstanding, in the temper of

their spirits, and the course of their practice. THIRDLY, Ifhall fhew whence it is, that men fhould make profeffion of a religion, to which the temper of their spirits, and the course of their walking are fo repugnant. And

FOURTHLY, The vanity of fuch a profeffion, and how little it fignifies to intitle persons to the reputation, or proper rewards of fuch a religion.

FIRST, I fhall fhew what fort of profeffion that muft be, which can be meant in this cafe, or was made by fuch perfons as the Apostle speaks of.

VOL. I. Ir must be understood to be, in the main, II. but a nominal profeffion. These profeffors indeed own the Chriftian name, call themselves by it; and not only do fo, but also claim the privilege of being called Chriftians by others: like those who faid they were Jews, when they were not, but were of the fynagogue of Satan". And St. Paul in the fecond chapter of his epiftle to the Romans, fpeaking of these profeffors, uses the very fame style, alluding to thofe who called themselves Jews, or were commonly fo called by others; Thou art called a few, and refteft in the law, and makeft thy boast of GOD, &c. but fays he, in the close of that chapter, He is not a few that is one outwardly; neither is that circumcifion which is outward in the flesh: but he is a few, that is one inwardly whofe praife is not of men but of GOD.

II. THIS profeffion could be only formal; that is, wholly made up of the external form of that religion to which they pretended. So in like manner many now profess the Chriftian religion, and make a fhew or appearance of being religious by fre quenting Christian affemblies; by owning themfelves to be members of the catholick, or fome protestant church; and by wearing the badge and cognizance of fuch and fuch a party. The bare having a name, is all we can fuppofe to be in fuch a profeffion as this. And therefore to these profeffors may be applied what our Lord fays to the church in Sardis; Thou haft a name that thou art alive, when thou art dead. And fo it is, in like manner, with all others; who content them

felves

* Rev. 111. 1.

iRom. 11. 17, 29.

Rev. 11. 9.