the civil power if confcience be difplaced ?SER M• Does the atheistical scheme fubftitute nothing IX. in its room which may be equally dangerous? Yes certainly; for it transfers the supremacy to arbitrary will, luft, and paffion, all fummed up in felf-love, or the defire of private happiness, that is, pleasure, which of right is the abfolute ruler in every human heart, and reafon is intended not to controul, but to minister to it. Is this more friendly to civil fovereignty than confcience, which is founded on the notion of a real and effential difference in the nature of things, between just and unjust, moral good and evil; and therefore must tie up men's hands from public mischiefs, though they might gratify their own humours and inclinations.

I hope now it is fufficiently apparent, that the fear of God or fincere religion is wisdom in every view we can take of it; is founded, not on prejudice, but reafon and truth, the highest reafon and the most evident truth; and the tendency of it is to the greatest happiness both private and public which men can enjoy in this world, as well as to provide in the best manner we can for a future ftate of exiftence.

Upon that part of the fubject which has been chiefly infifted on in this difcourfe, I fhall

SERM. only make two reflections, and conclude. IX. First, we may see the true cause of so much unhappiness as there is in the world. The present state of mankind is generally apprehended to be bad. Misfortunes are loudly complained of; fickness, poverty, disappointments, injuries, public calamities, all concluded to be, (because they are seen and felt,) infelicities to which our condition is liable, and attributed to different causes according to men's different ways of thinking, either to the immediate external occafions of them, without looking any farther, or to the appointment of providence, not without fecret murmuring and discontent. But if we inquire wifely concerning this matter, we shall find that the most universal caufe of natural evil is moral evil; and the true reason why there is so much mifery in the earth, is because there is fo much wickednefs. The ordinary afflictions of human life are often the natural confequences of men's vices. Whence proceed fickness, poverty, and disgrace? For the most part, and vifibly, from debauchery injustice and floth. Whence wars and defolations? As plainly, from pride and ambition; or as St. James fpeaks, from the lufts of men that war in their members. Not that we fhould imagine there is always a strict and

immediate connexion in particular inftances SER M. between irreligion and distress by the inter- IX. pofition of divine providence, as if they were to be reputed void of the fear of God, and finners above all others, on whom the heaviest calamities fall, as in the example our Saviour mentions * of those on whom the tower of Siloam fell, and those whofe blood Pilate mingled with their facrifices. To judge after that manner, is to judge foolishly and uncharitably. For leaft of all are the extraordinary fufferings wherein God feems moft apparently to interpofe to be interpreted as a ftrict retribution, bearing exact proportion to the demerit of men's perfonal crimes; but as the natural tendency of fin is to unhappiness, it has actually introduced a great deal of unhappiness into the world, which the wise God difpenfes among the individuals of mankind as he fees fit, accommodating it to the purposes of his government in our state of probation; and in this his judgments are unfearchable and his ways past finding out.

Secondly, We may observe with pleasure, that the declarations of scripture on this head are perfectly agreeable to the reason and truth of things, and to experience. They inculcate not only in general this doctrine, that the

* Luke xiii.

fear

SER M.fear of the Lord is wisdom, (the beginning and IX. the perfection of it) that to fear God and

keep his commandments is the whole duty, and whole happiness of man; but particularly, that it is the fureft way to prefent tranquillity, to long life, health, honour, and riches; (fo far as they are truly useful,) and that godlinefs is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come. And to the public good of focieties nothing can contribute so much as religion. When it prevails, nation shall not rise up against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; men shall not hurt or destroy one another, when the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the earth, as the waters cover the fea. Upon the whole then, the lovers of mankind, who are most defirous of their happiness, have nothing so much to wish and to endeavour, as that piety may flourish among them. And for every one of ourselves in particular, the best way to be as happy as we can be, even here, (befides our hopes in a Future ftate,) is to amend the faults of our tempers and our lives by the rules of religion; for it will be found, bad as the world is, that the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

SER

SERMON X.

The Love of GOD explained and recommended.

Matthew xxii. 37.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy mind.

I

F we have clear and satisfying evidence SER M. of the being of God, of his perfections X. natural and moral, of his having created

the heavens, the earth, the fea, and all things which are in them, and of his providence preferving them all, difpofing the whole feries of events in them with the most perfect wisdom, and for the greatest good, we can scarcely avoid this important inquiry, What regards are due to him from us his reasonable creatures? By looking into our minds we will perceive that they are differently affected with the objects that are prefented to them; fome excite defire, fome joy,

and