SERM. tain and to relish worldly happiness, and

XX.

to arrive at that degree of worldly honour and wealth which his birth and education will admit.

Two things are affirmed in the text, one, that godliness has the promise of the life to come, i. e. that religion will procure for its followers everlasting joys in heaven; another, that it has the promise of this life, that it will obtain for them an abundant share of earthly good things.

As to the truth of the first, there is no dispute; almost all are agreed, that if a man is devout towards God, fearing, loving, and serving him as he ought, and if he behaves to his fellow-creatures as the scripture, God's word, enjoins (acting by them as he would expect they should act by him) and if he be temperate, sober, and chaste in his own personal behaviour, almost all are agreed, that if he conducts himself thus, when this life shall be ended, he will be rewarded in a state which is to follow.

How,

XX.

How, indeed, is it possible that a rea- SER M. sonable being should believe otherwise?

That we did not come into the world with out a maker, is very evident; that that maker is infinitely good, wise, and powerful, may easily be proved; whence it will follow, as he is good, that he delights in goodness, as he is wise, that he knows fully when it is practised and when neglected, and as he is powerful, that he is able to confer rewards on the obedient, and inflict punishment on the rebellious.

In the scriptures also, are contained, to the same effect, the words of this our Maker; in them, by means of holy and good men, and by his beloved Son, he speaks to us, and tells us of the happiness which he has prepared for the righteous, and the misery which is laid up for the wicked. God, who cannot lie, tells us this; let us, therefore, be sure that it will happen according to his word. These promises

U 4

SERM. mises and threats are addressed, without XX.

It is

exception, to all men, and, whether we
choose it or not, we are all equally con-
cerned in them; we can neither obtain the
former, nor escape the latter, if we re-
fuse to act as God has commanded.
necessary, perhaps, to mention this, be-
cause the opinion is not very unusual, that
religion was only meant for particular sets
of men; for the clergy for instance, for
the rich, for the old, for the sickly, in short,
for any but ourselves. The rich are fre-
quently for shifting it off to the
poor, and
the poor again to the rich; the healthy
would leave it to the sick, and the sick to
the healthy; and some of all descriptions
would gladly persuade themselves, that it
was intended for others, but not for them.
But yet no exception is found in the scrip-
tures in favour of any; all are commanded
to be devout towards God, and just and be-
nevolent towards men.

It

It is in vain, then, that we plead any par- SERM. ticular difficulties, arising from our particu

lar situation, rank, age, or profession, in excuse for disobeying this command; such pleas will not be admitted; there is certainly no impossibility, be our condition what it may, of serving God, and being just and kind to our fellow-creatures: and though some may practise these duties in a greater extent than others, all may do it in some degree; allowance will be made for what is impracticable, but not for what is only dif ficult; if we strive with difficulties, they will certainly yield to us; but if, from indolence and the desire of indulging our vicious passions, we ingloriously yield to them, and allege them as excuses for our depravity, let us not flatter ourselves with hopes that we shall either obtain the rewards which God has promised, or escape the condemnation which he has threatened. Godliness, by which is meant not only de

XX.

SERM. votion towards our Maker, but an obedience

XX.

to all his conumands, has the promise of the life to come; and though we may ima gine that we have ever so much to say for ourselves, in palliation of our irreligion and disobedience, on no other terms but religion and obedience can we go to heaven. But it is asserted in the text, that godliness has likewise the promise of this present life; that is, that men shall be happy and successful on earth, if they are pious to God and benevolent to men; the truth of which I now proceed to prove to you.

That the religious man is the most likely to be happy inwardly, let his outward condition be what it may, admits, I think, of no doubt; for he is certain that if he perseveres in his goodness, though he may endure many calamities here, he will soon arrive at a period when he shall be removed from them, and be recompensed with happiness which shall never end. This con

sideration,