II.

are fure the Means which Religion affords SERM. will never fail of obtaining the End we all defire, because a God of Truth hath faid it.--The Scripture abounds with Promifes of eternal Life and Happiness to those that fear God and keep his Commandments, but it no where promises either upon any other Conditions; for 'tis not the Rich, the Mighty, or the Learned, who are entitled to Happinefs, but they who are religious and good. Riches, for Example, are of themselves of no Ufe to make a Man happy, unless Happinefs were to be bought, whereas it is to be purchased no otherwife than by being rich in good Works; nor is it to be obtained by Power and Might, by Conquefts and great Atchievements, but by Meeknefs and Humility, by conquering a Man's Self, and fubduing his rebellious Paffions: For he that is flow to Anger is better than the Mighty, and he that ruleth his Spirit, than be that taketh a City. And what will even the Wisdom of Learning and Knowledge fignify, unless a Man is wife unto Salvation? The Knowledge of Sciences, however ufeful in its Way, has but little Tendency to a good Life. He who profeffes Religion, and makes it his Bufinefs to be a good Christian, must be skill'd in Knowledge of

another

SERM. another Kind; he must know the Love of
II. Chrift, which paffeth all Knowledge, he

must be skill'd in that Knowledge which
will enable him to provide for his eternal
Happiness, which is no otherwise to be ob
tained but by fearing God, and keeping his
Commandments; for a Man may go to Hea-
ven without Philofophy, tho' he can never
expect to go there without Religion. But
what then is Learning a Thing of no Con-
fequence? Is human Wisdom and Know-
ledge of no Value? Is it no Advantage to
be a Scholar? Yes certainly, neuch every
Way; it is of great Ufe, not only in im-
proving our Understandings, but also in
obtaining many great and noble Ends in
Life, which we could never obtain without
it; and 'tis then only of little Use when 'tis
confider'd apart from Religion; for when
'tis feparated from That, 'tis Science falfely
fo called, and is not true Wisdom, but only
the Appearance of it; 'tis not that Wisdom
which makes Men better, but that which
fets Men even below their Inferiors; fo
true is that Saying of the Son of Syrach,
He that hath fmall Understanding, and
feareth God, is better than one that hath
much Wisdom, and tranfgreffeth the Law
of the Moft High.------Solomon, after all his
diligent

II..

diligent and thorough Search after Wisdom, SERM. and his utmoft Enquiry into every thing that had even the Appearance of it, finding that nothing here below could fatisfy the Mind of Man, pronounces Vanity and Vexation upon all his Experiments, and being at last affured that Religion afforded the only Means of obtaining Happiness, makes that the Sum of all our Duty; and thus concludes his whole Enquiry: Fear God, and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole Duty of Man.-----When the young Man asked our Saviour what he fhould do to inherit eternal Life, he did not turn him over to Arts and Sciences, and the Wisdom of this World, or bid him do what. was not in his Power; but faid, If thou wilt enter intoLife, keep the Commandments. And when a certain Lawyer asked him the fame, Question, either to try his Knowledge, or improve his own, or to fee whether he would. teach any thing contrary to the Law of Mofes, he enjoins nothing contrary to That, but refers him to his own Rule; What is written in the Law? How readeft thou? And he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Strength, and. with all thy Mind, and thy Neighbour as E thyfelf

II.

SERM. thyfelf. Upon which our Saviour did not fay this was not sufficient, or that Matters of a speculative Nature were more necessary to Salvation, but faid, Thou haft answered right; this do, and thou shalt live. And indeed 'tis very confiftent with the Nature of an all-wife and good Being, who would that all Men should be faved, to make the Way to Happiness plain and eafy; and fince eternal Happiness is a Matter of infinite Concernment, and not confined to a few who have more Learning, and greater A bilities than others, but that the Learned and Unlearned, Bond and Free, are all to be faved through the Mediation of Jefus Chrift, if they will make use of proper Means, 'tis but reasonable to fuppofe that thofe Means fhould bc fuch as are fuitable to every Man's Capacity, and fuch likewife as will never fail of obtaining their End.--

4

Since then the Fear of the Lord, or a religious Life, is the only true Wifdom, what remains but that we endeavour to obtain it by a fuitable Behaviour and Conversation in every Action of our Lives? And indeed there feems to be lefs Need of any great Perfuafion in this Matter, becaufe there are few but are willing and forward enough to be thought wife, even at the Expence of

II.

their Modefty; and therefore to be really SERM fo one would think should be much more defirable, especially if we confider, that this is not the Wisdom that makes us wife only for a Day or a Year, but for ever; and tho' it be true that Tongues fhall ceafe, Prophecies fail, and Knowledge be done away, yet the Wisdom of Religion fhall never fail us, because it leads us to a Place where nothing fhall ceafe or be done away.----When a Man gains his End by proper Means, however trifling that End is when obtained, he is esteemed wife; how much wiser then muft he be, who has obtained an End of the greatest Concernment in the World, even the Salvation of his Soul. And fince People generally fpare no Pains to obtain what, after all, is little elfe but Vanity and Sorrow, and hardly worth the Labour that is bestowed upon it; if they would but act in an equitable Manner, as in other Cafes, they would use the greatest Pains and Induftry about that which is of the greatest Moment: That, upon which a whole Eter nity depends, certainly requires our utmost Care and Concern: And they have no Right to make use of any Argument with relation to the Difficulty of the Task, who have not at least taken the fame Pains about it as