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Juftice; for, can any one deny, that Mark Anthony, who for the Sake of Cleopatra, that is, of a base Jilt, and Strumpet, facrificed his Country, Wife, Children, Honour, every Thing, nay, even his own Life; made her his God, and became thereby, vifibly, a Tranfgreffor of the First Commandment. In his fatal Catastrophe, therefore, the Senfualift may evidently fee, the End of fuch a Conduct, and Violation of the divine Law.

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Again, Can any one doubt, that the wicked Haman, who, though poffeffed of the highest Honours under Abafuerus, could not reft fatisfied, nor contented therewith, as long as the fingle Mordecai refufed to bow and reverence him; and whofe Wrath was fo implacable, on to flight a Provocation, that, not thinking his Death alone a fufficient Atonement, he could not be appealed, till he had contrived to extirpate the whole Race of the Jews? Can any one, we fay, doubt, whether this impious Wretch, in thefe Inftances, was guilty, or not, of the Breach of the Fift Command? Did he not, thereby, plainly, pay more Regard to his offended Pride, and Revenge, than to GOD? And is not this, evidently, aViolation of that Law? From this Example, then, every fuch Criminal may learn the fatal Confequences of that Sin.

In the like Manner, every Mifer, who fordidly worships his Bags, regardless of any other Thing, either in Earth or Heaven, will find in this Treatise, that he thereby not only incurs the Guilt of Theft, and frequently of Murder, but also of infringing this Law; fo that by one and the fame fhameful Vice, he at once is guilty of the Breach of the Firft, Sixth, and Eighth Commandments: He will likewife fee therein, the difmai Confequences and Punishment of that groveling Sin; happy, if he thereby takes Warning, and renounces it for the future. Neither

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is the afpiring after more Power than is lawful, that inordinate Defire, which is in a Manner interwover, more or less, into the Conftitution of moft Men, lefs heinous in the Sight of Heaven, than any of the Sins before mentioned, being equally a Tranfgreffion of the fame Firft Commandment; as all may be convinced, by the woful End of Marius, Sylla, Pompey, Julius Cafar, Mark Anthony, Craffus, and divers others: But, what need we go fo far, for Examples, how odious this Vice is in God's Eye; when our own History will fo amply furnish us with them, fince the Reformation; and efpecially, in the mournful Cataftrophes of most of the Princes, of the unfortunate Houfe of Stuart?

To pafs on, from the Breach of the First, to that of the Second Commandment, though, perhaps, very few of our Countrymen, the Roman Catholicks excepted, may be guilty of the Violation thereof; yet, it will be far from needlefs, for us to expatiate a little thereon, as the best Preservative against the artful Delufions of the Papifts, who are Tranfgref fors of it to a Man; and that, in as grofs a Manner, as ever the Jews were of old: This will be the more needful, as the Emiffaries of Rome, are the most indefatigable People under the Sun, in endeavouring to gain over Profelytes, to their falfe Religion; and we are credibly informed, to our Shame be it spoken, with no fmall Success.

In this little Treatife, then, all they, who are any wife wavering in their Minds, and inclining that Way, may fee, as it were, at one Glance, how feverely that antient Nation, whom God honoured with the Title, of his own peculiar People, fmarted for their Impiety in this Point; they will find him verily to have been a jealous God, as he calls himfelf; and that he continually watch'd over them, for Evil, and not for Good; until, by their hearty Repentance,

pentance, and Amendment, they were reconciled to him; and, as he is unchangeable, as well as almighty; as he is the fame Yefterday, To-day, and for ever; let them confider ferioufly, before they embrace that Religion, whether he is likely to wink at that Sin, in them, which drew down fuch heavy Judgments upon his own People: And, if this Confideration will not prevail on them, to continue fted faft in the Religion, wherein they were educated, they are to be given over as abfolutely incorrigible.

To go on to the Third Commandment, for the continual Breach of which, the British Nation are fo infamously noted; in this little Treatife, all they, who are given thereto, and are not altogether hardened in Iniquity, will fee the dreadful Judgments, that, in all Ages, have fallen upon thofe, who have been greatly addicted to it; and, if this will not wean them from a Vice, which is, of all others, moft inexcufable, as no Temptation can be pleaded in Mitigation of it, they must be ftrangely befotted to it indeed.

To proceed from hence to the Fourth, which is the laft Precept, of the firft Table, and which is now, almost as openly, and commonly broken, and with as little Shame or Remorse, as the Third; in this little Treatise, all those Prophaners of the Lord's Day, now fet a-part, by Chriftians, to be observed, inftead of the antient Sabbath, will fee the fatal Confequences, of fuch an impious Course of Life; and, when they find, not only that they cannot reafonably expect any Bleffing, as long as they perfift therein; but, that it is the conftant Inlet to all other Vices, as too many Hundreds have grievously lamented at the Gallows, it is to be hoped, it will work a Reformation in them; for, if it does not, it is much to be feared, that Nothing will.

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As the next Precept that follows, namely, the Fifth, is the only Commandment with a Promise; and as moft Folks are defirous of a long Life, it is greatly to be wondered at, if natural Affection itfelf were not fufficient to bind them, that this Confideration alone does not prevent fo many from being guilty thereof; but, fince woful Experience daily fhews, it does not, let fuch Offenders know, they will find, in this little Treatife, that our heavenly Father watches, with a jealous Eye, over Offences against this Law; and that, as, on one Hand, he hath promifed long Life to the Obfervers of it, fo, on the other Hand, it is tacitly to be understood, in the fame Promife, that he who fails thereof, and neglects this Duty, fhall be foon cut off; and, accordingly, it has frequently been remarked, as may be feen in this Treatife, that they, who have been notorious Of fenders in this Point, have come not only to un timely, but generally alfo to fhameful Ends.

Of the Three next Commandments, namely, the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth, as it is admitted on all Hands, that the Crimes therein prohibited, viz. Murther, Adultery, and Theft, are most heinous Sins, and that they daily cry to Heaven for Vengeance; as, likewife, it cannot be denied, notwithstanding this is generally granted; nay, notwithstanding the Law has made them all highly penal, that they reign greatly in this finful Nation; it will farely be allowed, equally, that too much cannot be faid, to fhew the Enormity of them; nor too many Arguments used, or Examples quoted, of Judgments befalling the Offenders against each, in order to deter others, from treading in the fame wicked Steps. But this is not all, that will be done in this little Treatise; for many, who may look therein, and who never fufpected themfelves, to have been guilty of either of thefe horrid Crimes, will find themfelves condemn'd, equally, with the actual and open Tranfgreffors,

Tranfgreflors; and equally liable to the divine Wrath, unless they prevent it, by a hearty and fin cere Repentance.

But, notwithflanding the acknowledg'd Enormity of the Vices forbidden by the three foregoing Commandments, which is greatly heightened, by their being the most detrimental to, and deftructive of Society, we very much question, whether that which is prohibited, by the next Precept, namely, Lying, Bearing falfe Witness, and especially Perjury, which is an Offence equally against the Ninth and Third Commandments, and confequently a complicated Crime, is not rather more heinous, more deftructive of Society, and has not cry'd more loudly to Heaven for Vengeance, efpecially of late Years, fince the paffing of the Act against Corruption, and the great Increase of the penal Laws. In this little Treatife, therefore, our Readers will find, the Enormity and Hatefulness, of that deteftable and abominable Sin, fully difplay'd, in it's proper Colours; with the fevere Judgments, which it hath pleafed Providence itself, to inflict upon fuch odious Mifcreants, amply fet forth, and properly remarked upon; and this, in order to deter all, who are not quite harden'd in Iniquity, from committing that hellish and execrable Vice.

Come we now to the laft Commandment, which is rather a Summary, or Abridgment of all thofe of the Second Table, that is, all thofe relating to our Neighbour, than a fingle Precept: What we are to collect, in genera', from thence, is, that we are thereby forbidden to do any Thing, which may be an Injury, or Detriment, to our Neighbour, that is, any Man living. For Inftance, Were a Man ftrongly to covet his Neighbour's Houfe, it might put him upon contriving fome Way, to get it from him; which, in any Cafe, would be a great Injury, though he were but a yearly Tenant; and in fome

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