performed, this is the beft means that Parents can ufe, whereby to breed up their Children for Heaven, to make them Fellow-Citizens with the Saints, and of the Houfhold of God, both in this World, and for ever.,

upon

Wherefore, if we have any regard either to our own, or to our Childrens Eternal Welfare, let us fet this Duty in good earneft; let us bring up our Children fo long in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord, till they fully know him, and all that he would have them believe and do, that they may be faved: but we must be fure to teach them by our Example as well as Inftructions; we must not tell them one thing and do another our felves; but fhew them how to keep the Faith and the Laws of God, by keeping them our felvés before their Eyes, all the while we live together upon Earth: That when ye are all got, one after another, out of this troublesome and naughty World, we and our Children may at laft meet together in Heaven, and there praise and glorify Almighty God, we for them, and they for us, and all for his Grace and Truth in Jefus Christ our Lord.

After

After this general Inftruction in the Principles of our Holy Religion, it will be neceffary, as foon as our young Chriftian is capable of it, to inform him more particularly in the Nature of God, and the great Mystery of the Trinity, into which we are all Baptiz'd which therefore fhall be my next Subjest.

UPON

THOUGHTS

UPON THE

Knowledge of GOD.

T

3

Hough Religion in general be a thing that all Men naturally agree in, yet there is nothing, I think, that Men differ fo much about, as about the particular Acts and Exercise of it: For all Nations in the World have fome Religion; but there is fcarce two amongst them all that have the fame yea, in one and the fame Nation too, there are divers Modes of Religion profeffed and practifed. No Nation or Country in the World but will afford us Inftances of this; and our own, I think, as many as any other whatsoever: For could we but caft our Eyes into the several Corners of this Land, at this very Moment, what variety might we obferve in these Acts which the several Parties amongst us account to be Religious! Some we fhould fee fitting filently for a while together, without either fpeaking, or hearing of a

Word

Word fpoken, until at length up ftarts a Man or a Woman,or fome fuch thing, and entertains them with a Difcourse made up of Cenfures and Malice, Blafphemy and Nonsense; and this is all the Religion they pretend to. Others we should find crowded together in feveral Corners, fometimes praying, fometimes difcourfing, it were, fometimes arguing the Cafe ith Almighty God, and acquainting him with what happens in the World, and that with as much Confidence and Malapertnefs, as if he was their Fellow-Creature, and then very gravely walk home and please themselves with a vain conceit that they are moreReligious than their Neighbours. Another fort of People there are amongst us, who are as Superftitious as the former were flovenly and irreverent in their Devotions: For thefe having been fprinkled with a little Holy Water, and performed their Obeifance to a Crucifix or Picture, presently fall a pattering over Ave Maria's and Pater Nofters to themfelves,as faft as they can,whilft the Prieft, in the mean while, fays fomething too, but the People generally know not what it is, nor indeed what themselves fay, it being all in an unknown Tongue. But how foever, though they know not what they fay, they think that God doth, and

therefore

therefore fatisfy themfelves, that they have faid fomething, though they know not what, and think that God is well pleased with what they have done, because themselves are fo.

Others there are, and by the Bleffing of God, far more than all the reft, in this Nation, who prefenting themselves before the great Creator and Poffeffor of the World, in that folemn and reverent manner as the Conftitutions of our Church directs, humbly confeffing their manifold Sins against God, begging Mercy and Pardon from him, imploring his Favour, and praifing his Name for all the expreffions of his undeferved Love to Mankind: And all this in our vulgar Tongue, that we all understand, and fo perform a reafonable Service unto God.

And, verily, if we confider the Inftitution itself, of that religious Worship which we thus perform, it is certainly the best that ever was prescribed by any Church, as being moft confonant to the general Rules of Devotion laid down in Scripture; as alfo moft conformable to the Discipline and Practice of the Primitive Church. But we must not think that we ferve God aright, because we be prefent with them that do fo. I do not doubt but that there are many amongst us, who fincerely enD deavour