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could be worthy of an all-perfect and infinitely good Being, in this Exertion of his Power, in giving us Life? And what is the regular and uninterrupted Pursuit of all this, but, in other Words, to be truly religious? To believe in, obey, and glorify the God who made and redeemed us; to improve and perfect the Soul that animates us, and to love, comfort, and do Good to all about us, this, and this only, is true Religion; and a due Senfe and Confideration of this is that Understanding which the Pfalmift fo devoutly implores at the Hands of God. Give me Understanding to confider what I am, and for what Purposes I was made; Give me Understanding to dif cern, and Wisdom attentively to weigh and confider, what are the most noble and fublime Pursuits, in which the Mind of Man can be employed; and the Confequence will be, that I fhall keep thy Law. The Laws of God are the only Means to attain thefe glorious Ends, the feveral Steps by which we must advance to this final Perfection; and to obey them is therefore to know Wisdom and Inftruction, and to perceive the Words of Understanding. Which Wisdom does farther appear in this, that the End it proposes is not only thus noble, but it is likewise,

II. Attainable by us. If it be Wisdom to purfue the most noble Ends, it is only fo, on condition that they be within our Reach. To employ

employ our Labour and Application in the Search of any abfent Good, how excellent foever in itself, which we can never attain, were vain and unprofitable, and therefore foolish. And yet this Mark of Folly evidently appears

in most of thofe Views which the World calls great and noble. We fet our Affections on Things out of our Power; propose Attainments not only difficult and uncertain, but abfolutely out of our Reach, which muft therefore end in certain Sorrow and Difappointment. Riches neither are nor can be every Man's Portion; and Power and Distinction are the Allotments only of a few; and of the many therefore who place their Happiness in them, the greatest part must neceffarily confume their Days in Vanity, and their Years in fruitless Trouble. But the religious Man has this Advantage, that he cannot be disappointed. The excellent End he pursues he is fure to compass. It is in every Man's Power to believe the Truths of Religion, and to be just and benevolent, and confequently to improve his own Faculties, and promote the Honour of his Maker. Every Advance in Christian Graces is a Step to Perfection; and whoever does most Good to others, is fure to do moft Service to himself. He is fure to improve his own Mind, and to please his God; is fure to draw down upon him the Bleffings of Heaven, and to procure the Affiftance of God's holy Spirit; he is fure to meet with no B 4

Difficulty

Difficulty in his Way which will be too hard for him to conquer, and to bestow no Labour which fhall not meet with its Reward. And therefore to labour after a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Man, is every Man's true Wisdom; because it is pursuing an End, not only great, but within his Reach. It is in his own Power, through the Grace of his bleffed Redeemer, to improve daily in it; and, by fo doing, fecure that Happiness hereafter, which will exceed his Expectation, and is beyond Expreffion. Which leads me to obferve,

IIIdly, That the Wisdom of Religion does yet more fully appear in this, that the End it propofes is not only the most noble and moft eafily attainable; but when attained will fully answer all our Expectations and Defires. Earthly Attainments and Delights have univerfally this Defect, that though they fatiate, they cannot fatisfy. If they gratify one Appetite, they leave others craving. If they could indulge all the inferior Faculties in the highest Degree, the Mind would still be reftlefs, and as anxioufly afpire after fuperior Gratifications. And if they could at once fill every Appetite, both fenfitive and rational, they would still be wanting in Duration, tho' not in Degree; and the Man would in the midit of all be in Pain and Difquietude, for fear of daily lofing what he knew to depend

on

But

on fo precarious a Tenure as human Life. But the Rewards of Religion are allowed to be as pure and perfect, as they are certain. This is readily granted by all who admit there will be any; the Glimmerings of Reason difcover fomething of it, the Teftimonies of Revelation ascertain it. If they are wanting in Degree or Duration, it must proceed either from the Inability of the Donor to give better, or the Unfuitableness of the Object to the Faculty; or the perishable Nature of the Perfon enjoying, or the Thing enjoyed. neither of thefe Cafes can happen in the future Manfions of Blifs. The God of Nature can want no Power; what he proposes for the Gratification of every Appetite, must be correfpondent and equal to it, and every thing of a perishable Nature will be done away. This we may probably infer by the Deductions of Reason; this we know by the Declarations of God himself; and this is all we fhall or can know of future Glory, till our present Imperfections are removed, and this Mortality is fwallowed up of Life. All the Images we can now form of future Happiness are but very feint and imperfect Reprefentations of what shall be hereafter. Nothing that we know or converfe with on Earth can convey to us equal Sentiments of heavenly Objects; we now see all celeftial Joys as through a Glass, darkly. But this we know, that the Happinefs of Heaven will be the Happiness of the whole

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whole Man, and that we then shall know, as we ourselves are known. And it matters not of what Kind these Enjoyments are, or how conveyed to or received by the Soul; all we want and defire is perfect Faculties, and perfect Blifs; and fince these are afcertained to the good Man, the Wisdom of his Choice is very apparent, though he can neither describe nor comprehend the Nature of them. But to this it may be objected, that these Joys, how perfect and how certain foever, muft yet be allowed to be at a Distance; and that therefore great Abatement ought to be made on that Account, with refpect to the Prudence of preferring them, when weighed in the Balance with those which are as certain and nearer at hand. And therefore I add, as a farther Proof of the Wisdom of Religion, that the good Man not only chooses such an End as is most noble, most attainable, and moft fatisfactory and blissful, but also fuch a one as will,

IVthly, Have the most happy Influences on him in all his other Purfuits, till fuch time as he arrives at the Enjoyment of it: Or in other Words, that the Belief and Practice of true Religion will not only procure a Man eternal Felicity hereafter, but likewise be of the greatest Advantage to him here in the mean while; and will have the most happy Effects on his Mind, however fituated in Life,

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