inconsiderableness of this short dying life, and of all the concerns of it, in comparison of that eternal state which remains for us in another world; to these, I say, the consideration of a future happiness, and of those unspeakable and everlasting rewards which shall then be given to holiness and virtue, is certainly the most powerful motive, and the most likely to prevail upon them: for they who are persuaded of their own immortality can never be satisfied with any thing less than the hopes of an endless felicity. And these hopes the Christian religion only can render firm and unshaken. But because I more particularly designed from this text to speak of the temporal advantages which redound to men from religion, therefore I shall content myself to show very briefly how a religious life conduces to our future happiness; and that upon two accounts:

1. From the promise of God. Godliness, says the apostle, hath the promise of the life that is to come, 1 Tim. iv. 8. God has all along in the Scripture suspended the promise of eternal life upon this condition. He has positively declared, that without obedience and holiness of life no man shall see the Lord. And this might be argument enough, if there was no other, to convince us of the necessity of obeying the laws of God in order to our happiness. Eternal life is his gift; he may bestow it upon what condition he pleases; and,

surely, what he has made the condition of obtaining it, cannot justly be thought an hard one. If religion brought no advantage in this world, yet the happiness of heaven is so great, as will abundantly recompence all our pains and endeavours. There is encouragement enough in the reward to engage us in the work. Had God thought fit to have imposed the most grievous and difficult things upon us, ought we not to have submitted to them; and to have undertaken them with cheerfulness, upon such great and glorious promises? As NAAMAN's servants said to him in another case, Had he bid thee to do some great thing wouldst thou not have done it? 2 Kings v. 13. So if God had said, that without poverty and actual martyrdom no man shall see the Lord, would not any man that believes heaven and hell, and understands what it is to escape extreme and eternal misery, and to enjoy unspeakable and endless glory, have been willing to accept these conditions? How much more when he hath only said, wash and be clean; and, let every man that hath this hope in him purify himself as he is pure?

2. From the very nature and reason of the thing, a religious and holy life conduces to our future happiness, as it disposes and prepares us for it. We cannot be otherwise happy, but by our conformity to God; without this we cannot possibly love him, nor find any plea

sure or happiness in communion with him; for we cannot love a nature contrary to our own, nor delight to converse with it. Therefore religion, in order to fit us for the happiness of heaven, restrains us from the inordinate love of the sensual delights of this world; calls off our minds from these inferior things, and seeks to raise them to higher and spiritual objects: for should we set our hearts only upon these things, and be able to taste no pleasure but what is sensual and earthly, we must be extremely miserable when we come into that world, where we shall meet with no employment suitable to our disposition, no pleasure that will agree with our depraved appetites and vicious inclinations.

From what has been said it clearly appears, that religion tends directly to the happiness of men, and is upon all accounts calculated for our benefit. Let but all things be considered, and it will be found, that there is no advantage from an irreligious and vicious course of life. Let the sinner declare what he has found by experience. Hath lewdness and intemperance been more for his health than if he had lived chastly and soberly? Hath falsehood and injustice proved at the long-run more for the advancement and security of his estate, than truth and honesty would have done? Hath any vice that he has lived in made him more true friends, and gained him a better reputa

tion in the world, than the practice of holiness and virtue would have done? Has he found that peace and satisfaction of mind in an evil course, and that quiet enjoyment of himself, and comfortable assurance of God's favour, and good hope of his future condition, which a religious and virtuous life would have given him? Nay, on the contrary, have not some of his vices weakened his body and broken his health? Have not others wasted his estate, and reduced him to want? What notorious vice is there that does not blemish a man's reputation, and make him either hated or despised; and that not only by the wise and virtuous, but even by the generality of men? Was ever any wicked man free from the stings of a guilty conscience, and the torment of a restless and uneasy mind;from the secret dread of divine displeasure, and of the vengeance of another world? Let the sinner freely speak the inward sense of his soul in this matter; and I doubt not but that he will acknowledge all this to be true, and is able to confirm it from his own sad experience.

What then can excuse in any a disregard to religion, when it is so apparently for the benefit of mankind? When there is no real interest in this world but may be as effectually promoted, and pursued to as great advantage, nay, usually to far greater, by a man that lives soberly, and righteously, and godly in the world, than by him who leads the contrary

course? Let none say, with those profane persons whom the prophet speaks of, It is in vain to serve the Lord, and what profit is it that we have kept his commandments, Mal. iii. 14. God has not been so hard a master to us that we have reason thus to complain of him. He has given us no laws but what are for our good; nay, so gracious has he been to us, as to link together our duty and our interest, and to make those very things the instances of our obedience, which are the natural means and causes of our happiness. Satan was so far in the right when he charged Job that he did not serve God for nought. It is he himself that is the hard master who rewards his slaves with nothing but shame, sorrow, and misery. But God requires no man's service upon hard and unreasonable terms. The greatest part of our work is a present reward to itself, and for whatever else we do or suffer for him he offers us abundant consideration. And if men did but wisely love themselves, they would upon this very ground, if there were no other, be truly religious. No man can serve his own interest better, than by serving God. Religion conduces both to our present and future happiness, and when the gospel enjoins piety towards God, justice and charity towards men, and temperance and chastity in reference to ourselves; the true interpretation of these laws is this, God requires, in order to our eternal

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