Evil. Whoever therefore makes way for this Corruption of Manners, fo prejudicial to the Welfare and Happiness of Mankind, is liable to Punishment even as an Enemy to the State; and the Conceffion made the Magiftrate to punish Offences against the Public, will entitle him to inflict Vengeance upon those who openly affront the Majesty of God, either by denying his Being, or his Government of the World.

But, fecondly, it is want of the Knowledge. of human Nature, which leads Men to make this Objection: For though it is very true, that the Sinner, who abftains from Vice or Immorality merely out of the Fear of temporal Punishment, cannot be faid to act upon a religious Principle in fo doing, or to render an acceptable Service to God; yet we must confider not only the immediate Influence which Punishments have, but the Confequence which they are naturally apt to produce. If you keep a Sinner from Vice through Fear at firft, it will by degrees grow habitual to him to do well; his Relish for Vice will abate, and by the Length of Practice he will come to take Pleasure in Virtue, how uneafy foever it might fit upon him at firft; and whenever this Change is

effected,

effected, the Man is truly religious: For what is a religious Difpofition, unless this, to take Pleasure in doing well? This happy Change often proceeds from lefs happy Beginnings. We fee in Children every Day, that their Propenfity to fome Vices is by degrees wholly removed by the watchful Eye and Hand of a good Parent; and we may obferve the fame Effect in Men from like Caufes. And will you fay, that when a Man is grown to be habitually virtuous, that he has no true Religion in him, becaufe he was was at first reclaimed from Vice by temporal Fears? If not, you must allow that thefe Fears are not deftructive of Religion.

2

But I have said enough to fhew, and alfo to justify the Means neceffary to be used in discharging the Duty recommended in the Text. And I fhall apply myfelf, in what remains, to exhort every Man to do his Part, and to make all, as far as his Influence reaches, keep the Way of the Lord, and do Justice and Judgment.

The Magiftrate is, in the first place, concerned to be watchful over the Manners of the People, and to be jealous for the Honour of God. In this confifts the Stability of Nations; for, Righteoufnefs exalteth a Nation,

but Sin is the Reproach of the People. This Cafe defcends from the fupreme Head of Justice to every Officer of the Kingdom, in Proportion to the Power communicated to him; and every Magiftrate, who connives at open Impiety, is falfe both to God and the King. But I fhall prefs this Part of the Exhortation no farther, which may perhaps concern but very few in this Place. But give me leave to add under this Head, that private Men, who are vefted with no Part of the public Authority, are capable of doing great Service even by fhewing themfelves pleased that others fhould do their Duty. It is a great Difcouragement to Magiftrates, when they have not only the Violence of Sinners to contend with, but also the Refentments and Indignation of the Innocent. A Confideration that ought to be maturely weighed, in an Age that is not, I am fure, too good to ftand in need of Reformation.

Next to the Magiftrate, the chief Care of Virtue and Religion lies upon Fathers and Masters of Families. The Kingdom is one great Family, and it is made up of the small ones; and if due Care be taken in private Families for the Government and Inftruction

of

of Youth, the Public will foon fee and feel the happy Effects of it. Permit me therefore to remind all Parents of the Duty they owe to God, their Country, and their Children, to take care that thofe, who are by the Laws of God and Man committed to their Government, be virtuously educated, and inftructed in the Way of the Lord. This God requires of you; his Creatures they are, whom you call your Children: they owe Obedience to him in the first place, and it is his Authority which you exercise over them; and if they perish for want of timely Inftruction and Correction, he will require their Souls at your Hands.

Parents have a Truft likewife reposed in them by their Country. There is nothing of greater Confequence to the Public, than that the Youth of the Nation should be trained

up to Virtue and Induftry; that the Seeds of Religion fhould be fown betimes in their Hearts, and cherished by proper Encouragement. These are the only Methods from which we can have any Hopes to see our Country supplied with honest and worthy Men, It is but reasonable to expect from Parents, that they should out of natural Affection feek to promote the Happiness of

their Children; and fince the fame Čare, which is neceffary to form them to be good Subjects, is alfo neceffary to lay the Foundation of their own Happinefs and Profperity in the World, this Care is wholly entrusted to Parents; who ought to look upon *themfelves as refponfible to their Country for the future Behaviour of their Children.

But farther: If Parents would but confider the Condition of thofe Children whom they have brought into the World, they would find themselves obliged, by the ftrongeft Ties of natural Affection, to guard them against the certain Miseries of this Life, and of the next, by feafoning their Minds with Principles of Virtue and Religion. How wretched, do you think, are thofe Parents, who live to fee their Children made miferable by Vice? And what an Addition must it be to their Misfortune, if it is attended with this Reflection, that it was want of early Care in them, which led the Way to this Ruin and Mifery? How often is it, that Men remember with Deteftation the Negligence and Indulgence of their Parents, when either they find themfelves ufelefs to the World and themselves, for want of that early Care which should have been bestowed on

them;