If it is our glory and happiness to have a _rational nature_, that is endued with wisdom and reason, that is capable of imitating the divine nature; then it must be our glory and happiness, to improve our reason and wisdom, to act up to the excellency of our rational nature, and to imitate God in all our actions. They, therefore, who confine their religion to _times_ and _places_, and some little rules of _retirement_, who think that it is being too strict to introduce religion into _common life_, and make it give laws to all their actions and ways of living; they who think thus, not only mistake, but they mistake the _whole nature_ of religion, who can think any part of their life is more easy, for being free from it. They may well be said to mistake the _whole nature_ of wisdom, who don’t think it desirable to be _always_ wise. He has not learned the _nature_ of piety, who thinks it too much to be pious in all his actions. He does not sufficiently understand what _reason_ is, who does not earnestly desire to live in every thing according to it. If we had a religion that consisted in absurd superstitions, that had no regard to the perfection of our nature, people might well be glad to have some part of their life excused from it: but as the religion of the gospel is only the refinement of our best faculties, as it only requires a life of the highest reason, as it only requires us to use this world, as in reason it ought to be used, to live in such _tempers_ as are the glory of intelligent beings, to walk in such wisdom as exalts our nature, and to practise such piety as will raise us to God; who can think it grievous, to live _always_ in the _spirit_ of such a religion, to have _every part_ of his life full of it, but he that would think it much more grievous, to be as the angels of God in heaven? 7. Farther, as God is one and the same being, always acting like himself, and suitable to his own nature; so it is the duty of every being that he has created, to live according to the nature that he has given it, and _always_ to act like itself. It is therefore an immutable law of God, that all rational beings should act _reasonably_ in _all_ their actions; not at this _time_, or in that _place_, or upon this occasion, or in the use of some particular thing; but at _all_ times, in _all_ places, at _all_ occasions, and in the use of _all_ things. When, therefore, any being that is endued with reason, does an _unreasonable_ thing at any time, or in any place, or in the use of any thing, it sins against the _great law_ of its nature, and against God the author of that nature. They, therefore, who plead for any _foolish_ fashions, _customs_ and _humours_, for the misuse of our _time_ or _money_, plead for a rebellion against our nature, for a rebellion against God, who has given us reason for no other end, than to make it the _rule_ and _measure_ of all our ways of life.