ind out such imaginary ways
of appeasing God's Anger, and expiating for their Sins, as did more or
less supersede their indeavours after Obedience to the Law.

Whence it appears that the assurance of future Existence, with the
knowledge of eternal Rewards and Punishments annex'd to Mens
Observance, or not observance of the Law of Reason had Men had it,
without the Revelation of the Gospel, would not have been so universal
or powerful an inforcement of Obedience to them as it is to us; to
whom together with this, is preach'd also the Doctrine of forgiveness
of Sins, through Faith in Jesus Christ. For the consciousness of
transgression against this Law, which, under such a Penalty exacted
their Obedience, must either have driven Men into despair of being
accepted by God, whence they would have given over the indeavours of
obeying him as a fruitless Labour; or else if they believ'd that God
would accept of some Compensation for their defective Righteousness,
they would have been induc'd no less, but even more strongly from
their knowledge of a future Life, than they were without it, to seek
to attone the Divine Wrath by such ways as would inevitably draw on a
neglect of conformity to his Law. Whereas Christianity doth provide
against both these Mistakes, in that it assures us that God will
accept of our imperfect Obedience for the sake of his Son, if we
believe in him, and withal sincerely indeavour to obey him; whereby
Faith does plainly _not make void, but establish the Law_, it laying
the highest Obligation as well as Encouragement that is possible upon
Men to do their utmost to live up to the Prescriptions of it.

And thus the Christian Religion, we find, is every way admirably
adapted by the Divine Wisdom, to the end of inforcing the eternal Law
of Reason or Nature; which evidently needed this inforcement. From
whence it is manifest, that whoso directly or indirectly teaches Men
to look upon Christianity as separable from Morality, does the most
that is possible misrepresent it; and therein (as effectually as they
can do so) undermine both Natural and Reveal'd Religion; the latter of
which dispences not with any breach of the former; and exempts us only
from the burthen of such outward performances as have no Efficacy to
the making Men better, but often do make them very much worse; they
conceiving that they are able, thereby, to expiate or attone for their
Sins; whence they become less careful in regard of their Dut