SERMONS.

SERMON I.

THE WISDOM OF BEING RELIGIOUS.

JOB, XXviii. 28.

And unto Man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.

To fear the Lord, and to depart from evil, are phrases which the Scripture uses to express

THE SUM OF RELIGION, AND THE WHOLE OF QUR DUTY. And because the large usage of these two phrases is to be the foundation of my following discourse, I shall endeavour to show:

First, That the whole of religion is frequently expressed, in Scripture, by these and such like phrases: And,

Secondly, How fit these two phrases are to describe religion.

I. It is very usual in the language of Scripture, to express the whole of religion by some eminent principle, or part, of religion. The great principles of religion are, knowledge, faith, remembrance, loye, and fear; by, all

which the Scripture uses to express the WHOLE

DUTY OF MAN.

In the Old Testament-by the knowledge, remembrance, and fear of God. Thus in Proverbs, religion is called the knowledge of the Holy, Prov. xxx. 3. and wicked men are by Jeremiah described to be such as know not God, Jer. x. 25.-In the book of Job, in the Psalms, and in Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is frequently taken for the whole of our duty: And in Ecclesiastes, is expressly said to be the sum of religion; Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man, Eccl. xii. 13. On the contrary, the wicked are described to be such as have not the fear of God before their eyes, Ps. xxxvi. 1. In the same sense we find the remembrance of God used; Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, Ecol. xii. 1; that is, enter upon a religious course betimes: and the Psalmist makes it the character of the wicked, that they forget God; The wicked are turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God, Ps. ix. 17.

In the New Testament, religion is usually expressed by faith in God and Christ, and the love of them. Hence it is, that true Christians are called believers, and ungodly men unbelievers; and that good men are described to be such as love God; All things shall work together for good to them that love God, and such • as love the Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. viii. 28. Eph.

vi. 241

Now the reason why these are put for the whole of religion is, because the belief, knowledge, love, and fear of God, are such powerful principles, and have so great an influence upon men to make them religious, that where any one of these really is, all the rest, together with the true and genuine effects of them, are supposed to be.

The sum of religion is likewise often expressed by some eminent part of it; which will explain the second phrase in the text, departing from evil. The worship of God is an eminent part of Religion; and Prayer, which is often in Scripture expressed by seeking God, and calling upon his name, is a chief part of religious worship. Hence religion is described by seeking God; He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. xi. 6. And by calling upon his name; Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Acts ii. 26. And so by coming to God, and departing from evil; He that cometh to God must believe that he is, Heb. xi. 6; that is, no man can be religious unless he believes there is a God: and in Isaiah, it is said, He that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey, Isa. lix. 15. Such was the bad state of those times of which the prophet there complains, that nobody could be religious, but he was in danger of being prosecuted.

II. Let me consider the fitness of the two phrases in my text to describe religion;

which the Scripture uses to express the WHOLE

DUTY OF MAN.

In the Old Testament-by the knowledge, remembrance, and fear of God.--Thus in Proverbs, religion is called the knowledge of the Holy, Prov. xxx. 3. and wicked men are by Jeremiah described to be such as know not God, Jer. x. 25.—In the book of Job, in the Psalms, and in Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is frequently taken for the whole of our duty: And in Ecclesiastes, is expressly said to be the sum of religion; Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man, Eccl. xii. 13. On the contrary, the wicked are described to be such as have not the fear of God before their eyes, Ps. xxxvi. 1. In the same sense we find the remembrance of God used; Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, Ecol. xii. 1; that is, enter upon a religious course betimes: and the Psalmist makes it the character of the wicked, that they forget God; The wicked are turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God, Ps. ix. 17.

In the New Testament, religion is usually expressed by faith in God and Christ, and the love of them. Hence it is, that true Christians are called believers, and ungodly men unbelievers; and that good men are described to be such as love God; All things shall work together for good to them that love God, and such as love the Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. viii. 28. Eph. vi. 24:

Now the reason why these are put for the whole of religion is, because the belief, knowledge, love, and fear of God, are such powerful principles, and have so great an influence upon men to make them religious, that where any one of these really is, all the rest, together with the true and genuine effects of them, are supposed to be.

The sum of religion is likewise often expressed by some eminent part of it; which will explain the second phrase in the text, departing from evil. The worship of God is an eminent part of Religion; and Prayer, which is often in Scripture expressed by seeking God, and calling upon his name, is a chief part of religious worship. Hence religion is described by seeking God; He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. xi. 6. And by calling upon his name; Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Acts ii. 26. And so by coming to God, and departing from evil; He that cometh to God must believe that he is, Heb. xi. 6; that is, no man can be religious unless he believes there is a God: and in Isaiah, it is said, He that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey, Isa. lix. 15. Such was the bad state of those times of which the prophet there complains, that nobody could be religious, but he was in danger of being prosecuted.

II. Let me consider the fitness of the two phrases in my text to describe religion;