itself, and afterwards proceed freely in a SERM. Course of Righteousness, and offer to God II. a liberal and manly Service of Love and Affection.

Rom. i

4. As the Belief of a Deity, and a future State, is of fo great Confequence to the Support and Establishment of Virtue; and as Christianity has laid down the most rational and confiftent Scheme with refpect to the Deity, concerning whom the greatest Part of Men have ufually fallen into vain Imaginations; and as it has confirmed all 21. the natural Proofs of a future Life, and given such a strong additional Affurance of it, as must take away from the Mind all Doubts and Sufpicions of its Reality, we may from hence fee the great Ufe and Importance of this Religion. This, indeed, is by no means, the only Advantage which the Caufe of Virtue receives from the Revelation of the Gospel; but this alone is of fo great Moment, as must make all who with well to the Interests of Virtue and of Mankind, greatly to value the Religion of our Saviour, and determine them, upon obtaining a rational Conviction of its Truth, heartily to embrace it, and to hold faft the Heb. x. Profeffion of it, without wavering.

23

5. Lastly,

SERM.

II.

5. Laftly, we may obferve the Neceffity of confirming and enlivening our Faith in God, and raifing and animating our Expectations of a future State. As the Strength of our Virtue, and our Perfeverance in Integrity, depend exceedingly upon our doing this, we should apply Ourselves to it with great Zeal and Care. And to this Purpose, we should always have a clear View of the folid Proofs or Arguments which convince us of the Being of God, and his wife and just Providence over the World, and of the Certainty of another Life. The implicit and lazy Affent which we usually give to these great Principles of Religion, has but little Force for operating on our Affections, and governing our Conduct, and is easily borne down by Temptations: Whereas, if we acquired a strong and habitual Conviction of the Truth of Them, by a Serious Examination of the Evidences which fupport Them, and by reviving and revolving thefe frequently in our Minds; and, if withal, we raised our Apprehenfions of the Deity, by reprefenting him often to Ourselves in the most lively Characters of Beauty and Majesty, and dwelt on the delightful Contemplation of the fublime Glories and Felicities of

Futurity,

Futurity, we should certainly find our Per-SER M fuafion of the Existence of God, and of II. the Truth of a future State, a most fruitful Principle of all Virtue in us; would raise us above the Power of Temp

which

John v.

tations, and give us a Victory over the World, and make us to continue ftedfast Cor. xv. and unmovcable in the Work of the Lord, 58. and always to abound in it.

SERM.
III.

SERMON III.

The true Happiness of Mankind.

ISAIAH III. x.

Say ye to the Righteous, that it shall be

O

well with him.

F all our Perceptions Those of Virtue and Happinefs, are the most important and interesting, and excite Defires and Affections in us, which are plainly the strongest and most active Principles in our Nature. Nothing, therefore, can be of greater Confequence to the good Order, and true Enjoyment of Life, than the Harmony of thefe Perceptions and Affections, and their co-operating to the fame End and Purpose. It has been always the Bufinefs of the Adverfaries of the Cause of Virtue, to fet them at Variance, and to make a Separation between them, alledging that our natural Appetite and Defire of Happiness,

Happiness, leads us into a Courfe quite SER M. contrary to that, to which the Law of Vir- III. tue, or of our Duty, directs us. If this was really the Cafe, the Condition of Mankind would indeed be very miferable; as they would find themselves to be perpetually in a State of violent Struggle and Conflict, the Confequences of which would neceffarily be great Inconfiftency and Confufion in their Conduct, together with the moft grievous Distraction, Uneafiness, and Remorfe of Mind. But this Pretence is without all Foundation; for however the private Affections of the Men who mistake their true Interest, and have corrupted their Hearts, may prompt them to Actions, which can never be reconciled with their natural Senfe of their Duty, yet in those who judge truly of their Happiness, and pursue it according to the Intention of Nature, there are no Defires of private Good, which interfere in the leaft with their Approbation and Love of Virtue: On the contrary, fuch Perfons purfue Virtue, not only as an Object of their highest Esteem, but as the Source of all Good to them, as yielding them Pleasures the moft fatisfying and felicitating that can be.