The third objection, that those who are religious are many times very disconsolate and full of trouble, I should confess a material one indeed, if religion were the cause of this trouble; but there are other plain causes of it, in which religion, rightly understood, is no way accessary; such are,

1. False and mistaken principles of religion; as this for one, That God has from all eternity effectually barred a great part of mankind from all possibility of attaining the happiness which he offers to them; and every one hath cause to fear that he may be in that number. A melancholy consideration this, if it were true; but there is no ground either from reason or Scripture to entertain any such thought of God. Our destruction is of ourselves, and no man who does not ruin himself by his own fault, shall be ruined by any decree of God.

2. Another cause of the trouble expressed by religious persons, is, the imperfection of their religion and obedience to God. Some perhaps are very devout in serving God, but not so kind and charitable, so just and honest in their dealings with men. No wonder if such persons be disquieted; the consciences of men being apt to disquiet them for nothing more, than the neglect of those moral duties which natural light teacheth them. Peace of conscience is the effect of an impartial and uni

versal obedience to the laws of God; and no body, I hope, will blame religion for that which plainly proceeds from the want of it.

3. A third cause of the disquiet sometimes seen in religious persons, is, a melancholy temper and disposition; which is not from religion, but from our nature and constitution; and therefore religion ought not to be charged with it.

And thus I have endeavoured to represent to you what peace and pleasure, what comfort and satisfaction, religion, rightly understood and sincerely practised, is sure to bring to the minds of men. And I know not by what sort of argument it can be more effectually recommended; for in persuading men to be religious, I do not go about to rob them of any true pleasure; but to direct them to the very best, nay indeed the only way of attaining and securing

it.

I speak this in pity and compassion to those who make it their great design to please themselves, but grievously mistake the way to it. The direct way is that which I have set before you, a holy and virtuous life, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the world. A good man, says Solomon, is satisfied from himself. He has the pleasure of being wise, and acting reasonably, of being justified to himself in what he does, and of being acquitted by the sentence

of his own mind. There is a great pleasure in being innocent, because it prevents guilt and trouble: it is pleasant to be virtuous and good, because that is to excel many others: and it is pleasant to grow better, because that is to excel ourselves. It is naturally pleasant to rule over others, but he is the great and the absolute prince who commands himself: this is the kingdom of God within us; a dominion infinitely to be preferred before all the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them: it is the kingdom of God described by the apostle, which consists in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. In a word, the pleasure of being good and doing good is the chief happiness of God himself.

The wicked man deprives himself of all this pleasure, and creates perpetual discontent to his own mind. O the torments of a guilty conscience! which the sinner feels more or less all his life. But alas! thou dost not yet know the worst of it, no, not in this world! What wilt thou do when thou comest to die? What comfort wilt thou then be able to give thyself? Or what comfort can any one else give thee, when thy conscience is miserably rent and torn by those waking furies which will then rage in thy breast, and thou knowest not which way to turn thyself for ease?

Therefore whatever temptation there may be in sin at a distance, whatever pleasure in the

commission of it, yet remember that it always goes off with trouble, and will be bitterness in the end. Those words of Solomon have a terrible sting in the conclusion of them, Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

This one thought, which will very often unavoidably break into our minds (that God will bring us into judgment) is enough to spoil all the pleasure of a sinful life. Never expect to be quiet in thine own mind, and to have the true enjoyment of thyself, till thou livest a virtuous and religious life.

And if this discourse be true (as I am confident I have every man's conscience on my side) I say, if this be true, let us venture to be wise and happy; that is, to be religious. Let us resolve to break off our sins by repentance, to fear God and keep his commandments, as we desire to avoid the unspeakable torments of a guilty mind, and would not be perpetually uneasy to ourselves.

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we may every one of us know and do in this our day the things that belong to our peace, before they be hid from our eyes. And the God of peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the

sheep, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in us always that which is well pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON IX.

THE NATURE AND BENEFIT OF CONSIDERATION.

PSALM CXIX. 39.

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

In these words two things are considerable: I. The course which Davis here took for reforming his life; I thought on my ways.

II. The success of this course: it produced actual and speedy reformation; I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies; I made haste and delayed not to keep thy com-mandments.

I. We will consider the course which David here took for reforming his life; I thought on my ways: and this may either signify a general examination of his life, respecting indifferently the good or bad actions of it; or else, which is more probable, it may particularly refer to