dained to be the Judge of all the World! Let us hold fast this Hope; let this Hope be our conftant Encouragement in doing the Work of the Lord; let us do his Work chearfully and heartily, knowing for certain that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

DISCOURSE

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DISCOURSE V.

PROVERBS ix. 10.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom; and the Knowledge of the Holy is Underftanding.

T

288HE Advantages which we may expect to reap from Religion are many and great, but not all equally certain: Some are exposed to the Chances and Cafualties of human Life, and depend upon Circumstances that are not under our own Conduct and Government: Hence it is that the best Men are fometimes exposed to the fevereft Trials and sharpest Afflictions. But there are two Things which fincere Religion can never fail of attaining; one of which is the greatest Ingredient, nay, the very Foundation

Foundation of all Happiness in this World; the other is the Happiness and Immortality which wait for us in the World to come : This Bleffing we can only enjoy now through Faith and Hope; but the other is prefent with us, the certain Confequence and neceffary Attendant upon a Mind truly virtuous and religious; I mean, the Peace and Tranquillity, the Eafe and Satisfaction of Mind, which flow not fo much from a Senfe of our having punctually and exactly discharged our Duty in all Refpects, which is more than ever we may hope for, but from a due Sense of God and Religion, and the Uprightness of our Defires and Intentions to ferve him. This Advantage is not, pro perly speaking, a Reward given or bestowed upon the Virtuous; but it arifes from the Nature of Things, from the Frame and Contexture of our Souls: It is Virtue's own Child, her natural Offspring, and can never leave or forfake her: For as long as Men have a Senfe of Virtue and Vice, Good and Evil, fo long will they condemn and punish themfelves for tranfgreffing their Obligations; so long will they find Peace and Satisfaction in their Obedience.

Since then Nature has given us Notice of the Being of the Almighty, and shewn as the Relation we ftand in towards him, and confequently the Duty and Service which we owe him; it neceffarily follows, that this Senfe, rightly adjusted, and duly pursued, in a regular and honest Discharge of our Duty towards God, must breed in our Minds true Peace and Comfort; and, confequently, that true Religion must be the Source and Spring even of our temporal Happiness and Enjoyments. But yet look into the World, and the Face of Things has quite a different Appearance: Religion is fearful, fufpicious, full of Doubts and Mifgivings of Heart, never fatisfied with itself, always feeking, but feldom finding where to fix itself in Reft and Tranquillity: Hence it comes to pass, that fome, not rightly confidering the Nature and Caufes of Things, mifconceive concerning Religion itself, and think it better to lay afide all Pretences to it, than perpetually to fluctuate in the troubled Ocean of Doubts and Uncertainties, that encompaffes it round about. And thus Superftition, by making many miferable in the Pursuit of Religion, makes others, to avoid being loft in that Gulph, throw themselves VOL. IV.

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