THOUGHTS

ON

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION.

IF the principles of the Christian religion were well rooted in the hearts of all mankind, what excellent fruit would they produce! The earth would put on another face, bearing some resemblance of heaven itself: idolatry, with all sorts of wickedness and vice, would be every where discountenanced and suppressed, for all would worship the one living and true God, and him only there would be no more wars nor rumours of wars; kingdom would not rise up against kingdom nor nation against nation, but all princes would be at peace with their neighbours, and their subjects at unity among themselves, striving about nothing but which should serve God best, and do most good in the world. Then piety, and justice, and charity,

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would revive and flourish again all the world over, and particularly in the church and kingdom to which we belong. Then the prayers would be read twice a day in every parish, as the law requires, and all people would heartily join together in offering them up to the almighty Creator of the world. Then all that are of riper years would, at least every Lord's-day, celebrate the memory of the death of Christ, by which their sins are expiated, and the most high God reconciled to them, and become their God and Father and as all sorts of people would thus continually worship God in his own house, so wheresoever they are, they would do all they could to serve and honour him. Whether they eat or drink, or whatsoever they do, they would do all to his glory. And as for their fellow-servants, they would all love as brethren, and every one seek another's good as well as their own. Whatsoever they would that men should do to them, they would do the same to all other men. In short, all would then deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, and so walk hand in hand together in the narrow way

that leadeth to everlasting life. This would be the happy state of all mankind, if they were but well grounded in that religion which the eternal Son of God hath planted upon earth.

But not to speak of other people, we of this nation rarely find any such effect of this religion among ourselves. Though it be as generally professed and as clearly taught among us, as ever it was in any nation, there are but few that are ever the better for it; the most being here also as bad, both in their principles and practices, as they which live in the darkest corners of the earth, where the light of the Gospel never yet shined. Though the kingdom in general be Christian, there are many heathens in it; people that were never christened; many that were once christened, and are now turned heathens again, living as without God in the world; many that would still be thought Christians, and yet have apostatized so far, as to lay aside both the sacraments which Christ ordained, and every thing else that can shew them to be so; many that privily bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and so bring upon them

selves swift destruction; many that follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth is evil spoken of, and through covetousness with feigned works made merchandize of men, as St. Peter foretold; many who will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts, heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and so fulfil the prophecy of St. Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 3. And of those who still continue in the communion of the Church and in the outward profession of the true Christian faith, there are many who although they profess to know God, yet in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Many, did I say? I wish I could not say almost all; but, alas! it is too plain to be denied.

For of that vast company of people that are called Christians in this kingdom, how few are there that live as becometh the Gospel of Christ; that finish the work which God hath given them to do, even glorify him in the world! How many that refuse or neglect to worship and serve him upon his own day! How few that do it upon any other day, when they have any thing else to