.

eft compaffe: who have confidered the consequences of virtue and vice, relating to this life who have compared the conduct of good and bad with the profperous or afflictive circumstances, they have been in: who have taken notice of the rules and maxims, the fucceffes and difappointments of the great and small, the high and low of mankind.

How frequent and copious upon this head is Solomon, who had himself enjoyed fo much power and grandeur, and had been very curious in his remarks upon men and

SERM.

X.

things! All things have I feen in the days of Ecc. vii. my vanity. There is a just man that perisheth 15. in his righteoufneffe: and there is a wicked man, that prolongeth his life in bis wickednesse. And, there is a vanity, which is done upon the viii. 14. earth, that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wick

ed. And there be wicked men, unto whom it ix. 1.
happeneth according to the work of the righte-
ous. No man knoweth love or hatred by all
that is before him. All things come alike to
all. There is one event to the righteous, and the
wicked... to him that facrificeth, and to
him that facrificeth not.
the finer.... This is an

P 2

As is the good, fo is evil among all things

that

SERM.
X.

Ver. 13.

15.

that are done under the fun. There is one event unto all.

And afterwards: This wisdom have I feen under the fun. And it feemed great unto me. There was a little city, and few men within it. And there came a great King against it, and befieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. Now there was found in it a poor wife man. And be by his wifdom delivered the city. Yet `no man remembred that fame poor man. If the place had been faved by some rich citizen, the performance would have been applauded and honour, and many diftinguishing advantages would have been heaped upon him. But the great and eminent wisdom of the poor man was defpifed and forgoten, because of his mean condition. Such is the partiality of men! such their refpect for outward appearances! So that fuitable recompenfes are not to be looked for from fellow-creatures, in proportion to virtue, or wisdom, from any confiderations whatever, either of gratitude, or intereft.

These and other things faid by Solomon, are not proposed, with a view to disparage the divine government. For, notwithstand

ing all these disorders and inequalities in the SERM. present scene of things, he is perfuaded of the X. righteousneffe, and of the remunerative, rewarding providence of God in due time. For which reason he shuts up his book with that important advice: Let us hear the conclufion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep his commandments. For this is the whole of man: his whole duty, or his whole interest and happineffe. For God will bring every work into judgement, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. And indeed, in the course of his obfervations, in that work, he more than once afferts the righteoufneffe of God, and his favorable respect to good men. Though a viii. 12. finer do evil an hundred times, and his days be

2

prolonged yet furely I know, well with them that fear God, fore him.

that it shall be

which fear be

I forbear to recite any paffages at length from any of the Pfalms: in which the profperity of bad men, and the afflictions and fufferings of the righteous, are taken notice of. See Pf. xvii, & lxxiii.

With regard then to this enquirie: Whether the reafon of men, or light of nature, teaches a future ftate of recompenfes: we may put

X.

SERM. the iffue upon this one queftion: Can we maintain the perfections of God, and the wifdom of his government, upon the fuppofition, that there is to be no future fate of recompenfe for good or bad? Would it be agreeable to his wifdom, his righteousneffe, and goodneffe, that all things fhould always come alike to all? and that there should be finally one and the fame event to the good and the bad? If it is not, then we may be affured, there is another state after this. For we are perfuaded of the perfection of the Deity. We have antecedent proof of this in the reason of things. God is as certainly wife, and holy, as he is knowing and powerful. It may be righteous and equitable, to permit virtue to be tried with afflictions and forrows for awhile: But it cannot be confiftent with the perfection and rectitude of the Divine Being, the creator and governour of the world, to fuffer good men to perifh finally in their righteousneffe.

It may be faid, that virtue has a reward in this world. For it is in itfelf an excellence and perfection and cannot but be chosen by every rational and confiderate perfon. And, if it be chosen and preferred, it must

be

be an advantage, and contain in itself it's own SERM, reward.

X.

And it must be owned, that virtue is excellent, and therefore is approved. But yet it is expofed to many difficulties in this world, where iniquity is frequent: Where there is abundance of partiality, and ingratitude, and perpetual emulation and contention: Where fucceffe and profperity are not annexed to any good difpofitions, nor to the moft valuable fervices. As Solomon fays: Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But Ecc. ix. one finer destroyeth much good.

Nor can it be allowed to be fit, that he who has a strict regard to the reason of things, who confcientiously endeavors to perform his duty to God and man, and laments all the neglects and tranfgreffions, which at any time he falls into, fhould upon the whole, and in the end, at the most, have only fome fmall degree of happineffe above thofe, who without reluctance break through all the obligations of reafon and religion. Would this be anfwerable to the descriptions of the divine perfection, fometimes given by wife and good men? Would it be fuitable to the instruction in the text, and the con

18.