Religion Is the Life of God's People

T. Cushing, Speaker.

p. 1AN Election SERMON.

—It is your Life.—

AS it was the sovereign Pleasure of the eternal God, to make of one Blood all Nations of Men for to dwell on all the Face of the Earth, [Act. 17. 26.] so it was his Pleasure to choose the Nation of the Jews from among all other Nations to be a special People unto himself, above all the People that were upon the Face of the Earth. [Deut. 7. 6.]

And having chosen them to be his peculiar People, he declared unto them his Covenant, which he commanded them to perform even ten Commandments, which he wrote on two Tables of Stone, [Deut. 4. 13.] and delivered unto Moses to transfer unto them.

This Moses he raised up from among them, to be their Prophet and King under him, and an eminent Instrument in his Hand of their Redemption and Deliverance p. 2out of their Egyptian Bondage; and he condescended to speak to him Face to Face, as a Man speaketh to his Friend. [Exod. 23. 11.]

And Moses having received the Law from the Mouth and Hand of God, together with many Promises to allure, and Threatnings to awaken the People to Obedience, read it in their Audience; and they upon hearing it, promised Obedience to it. [Exod. 24. 7.]

And he not shuning to declare unto them all the Counsel of God, approved himself faithful to God, and to his People, therefore God gave this Testimony concerning him; My Servant Moses is faithful in all my House, Numb. 12. 7.

In this Chapter we have a divine Song which Moses by the Help of God's Spirit composed for the Use and Benefit of the People of God who were then upon the Stage, and those that should arise after them; wherein he setteth forth the Mercy of God to allure them, and his Vengeance to awaken them to obey all his Commandments, Ver. 1. to 45.

And having made an End of speaking all the Words of this Song, (and almost all he had to say unto them in the Name of the Lord, for the Time of his Departure was now at Hand.) He in Ver. 46. exhorted them,

1. To set their Hearts unto all the Words which he had testified among them. He had shown them the Way of the Lord; the Religion they should choose, profess, practice and propagate in the World; and he would have them set their Hearts to it. Set your Hearts unto all the Words which I testify among you this Day. Let these Words reach and affect your Hearts, and engage them to the Duties of Religion, so that you may cheerfully and faithfully perform them.

p. 22. To teach their Children the Religion he had taught them, and to charge them to observe it. Ye p. 3shall teach your Children to observe to do all the Words of this Law, 'Twas not enough that they were religious themselves, but they should do what they could to make their Children so; that thereby Religion might be handed down to the latest Posterity.

And in this Verse of which my Text is a Part, he laboured to fasten these Words of Exhortation upon the People, with such Arguments as these; viz.

1. That which he had exhorted them unto was not a vain Thing for them to observe; For it is not a vain Thing for you. They might be ready to think (as some do now) that Religion is a vain Thing; that there is no Profit in it, and that they might prosper without it, as well as other Nations; but he would have them know and consider that it was no unprofitable Business, but of great Importance, and worthy of their most serious Care and Concern. For,

2. It was their Life; because it is your Life, i.e. it is as necessary as your Life; as precious and profitable, and rather to be chosen than your Life.

O that Men were fully possessed of this, that Religion is their Life, even the Life of their Souls!

[Henry in Loco.]

3. It was the Way to preserve and prolong their natural and temporal Life in this World; through this Thing ye shall prolong your Days in the Land whether ye go over Jorden to possess it, i.e. by this Means, namely, the Practice of Religion according to God's Law, you shall prolong your Days in this World.

Thus Moses the Man of God laboured to excite and stir up the People of God to study the Principles and perform the Duties of the holy Religion he had taught them, and to put their Children upon these Things.

It is your Life.

p. 4From the Words I shall observe to you, this

DOCT. That Religion is the Life of God's People.

In speaking to this I shall endeavour,

(1) To shew you what Religion is in general.

(2) What that Religion is, which is the Life of God's People. And,

(3) Why it is called their Life.

p. 4I. I am to show, What Religion is in general; or what we are to understand by it.

And here I shall say,

The Word Religion is derived from the Latin Word Religo, which signifieth to fasten or bind hard, and it is used for that Profession of Piety which a Man binds himself to observe, in the Practice of which he hopeth and expecteth to be saved. Salvation is that which all Men hope for who have any Sense of a future State of Weal and Wo; of Happiness and Misery; and every Man hopeth to be saved in the Religion he professeth. And therefore when a Man hath drank in any Religion, let it be never so false and vain, he is hardly brought off from it. Thus it was with the Athenians when the Apostle Paul preach'd Christ and the Resurrection unto them. Act. 17. Ver. 16, 17, &c.

II. I am to shew; What that Religion is, which is the Life of God's People.