wife and good, perfect and happy: such as we have a mighty intereft in, fuch as have a ftrong influence upon us, fuch as give a new day to the understanding, and new ftrength and liberty to the will; such as raise and exalt our affections, and render the whole man more rational, more fteddy, more constant, more uniform. These are the truths which make men great and modeft in prosperity, erect and couragious in adverfity; always content with this world, yet always full of the hopes of a better: ferene, calm, and well affured in the present state of their fouls, and yet thirfting after Perfection, maturity, and the abfolute confummation of righteoufnefs in the world to come. Now the truths that effect all this, are all reducible to thofe which I have mentioned under the former head: for in those we find all that is necessary to life an godliness, to virtue and glory; in those we find all that is neceffary to raise and fupport true magnanimity, to enlarge and free the mind, and to add strength and courage to it. For what can more certainly promote all this, than immortality and glory? what can be a furer foundation for the hope of both to reft on, than the favour of God himself? and what can more effectually reconcile and ingratiate us with God, than fincere univerfal righteousness, and the mediation of his dearly beloved Son? 3. The

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3. The third character of illuminating truths, is, that they are pleasant and agreeable to the foul. Hence it is, that the royal Pfalmift pronounces the word of God fweeter than the honey and the honey-comb: that he afcribes to it delight and joy; for he tells us, that it rejoices the heart, that it enlightens the eyes. And accordingly we find the true fervants of God, not only continually bleffing and praying God in the temple; but magnifying him by Pfalms and Hymns in their prifons, and rejoicing in the midst of tirbulation. But when I reckon pleasure and delight amongst the fruits of Illumination, I must add, that there is a vast difference between the fits and flashes of mirth, and the ferenity of a fixed and babitual delight; between the titillations of fenfe, and the folid joys of the mind; and laftly, between the pleasures of fancy, and of reafon. And when I fay, Illumination confifts in the knowledge of pleasant and agreeable truths, I mean it of rational pleafure, an habitual tranquillity of the mind; and then the matter is beyond queftion. Whatever truths do contribute to promote this, the ftudy and contemplation of them must be our true wisdom. Joy, when 'tis folid and rational, does enlarge and exalt the mind of man: 'tis as it were, health to the navel, and marrow to the bones; it renders us more thankful

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to God, more kind and courteous to man. 'Tis an excellent preparation to invite more plentiful influxes of the Spirit of God. Hence did Elijah call for a mufical inftrument when he defired to prophefy and we find the company of prophets rejoycing with hymns, mufick, and dances; all outward teftimonies of the inward transports and ravishments of their minds. And as I am perfwaded that that which diftinguishes a godly forrow, from a worldly or impious one, repentance and contrition, from the agonies and perplexities of defpair, is the peace and tranquillity which attends it; fo am I perfwaded, that God does prefs and invite us to mourning and forrow for fin, for this reafon, not excluding others, because it naturally leads on to peace and joy: a foft and tender forrow diffipating the fears and diftreffes of guilt, like mild and fruitful fhowers that do lay ftorms. In a word, there is no fuch powerful antidote against fin, nor fpur to holy industry, as holy pleafure, pious joy, or fpiritual peace and tranquillity. This is a partaking or anticipating the powers of the world to come; and the mightiest corroboration of every thing that is good in us. The ftudy then of fuch truths, is true wisdom. And Illumination thus far will confift in quitting thofe errors which beget melancholy, fuperstition, desperation; and in fuch truths,

as enlarge our view of the divine Perfec tions, and exhibit to us a nearer presence of his goodness and glory: fuch, again, as unfold the dignity of human nature, and the wife and gracious ends of our creation: fuch, laftly, as extend our profpect, and enlarge our hopes; fupport our frailties, and excite our vigour.

4. The last property of those truths in the knowledge of which Illumination confifts, is, that they are fuch as procure us a reward. If we reflect upon those three heads, under which I ranged thofe truths, which illuminated the Gentiles and Jewish world, we fhall eafily difcern how well they fit this character: they fill the mind with joy and peace, and make it abound in hope; they purge the man from his natural corruption, and fortify the mind against fuch impreffions, from outward good or evil in this world, as difquiet and torment the finner; they procure him the protection of God's providence, and the affiftance of his fpirit in this life, and they invite him to hope for glories and pleafures in another, far above any thing that the heart of man can conceive. God is the God of hope; he has all fulness and fufficiency in himself and therefore bleed muft all they be, who have the Lord for their God. Jefus is the fountain of all conJolation: He is made unto us of God, wisdom,

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and righteoufness, and fanctification, and redemption: happy is he that does rejoice always, and glory in him. Righteousness is a ftate of health and strength, of Perfection and beauty, of peace and tranquillity, of rest and hope: blessed are they who are poffeffed of it, who are made free from fin, and become fervants of God; who have their fruits unto holiness, and the end everlafting life. Such are already pass'd from death to life; for the spirit of life and holinefs, of God and glory, refts upon them. This is the character that diftinguiflhes gospel knowledge from all other forts of knowledge. No knowledge of arts or fciences, and much less the most exquisite knowledge of all the mysteries of the kingdom of darknefs, can pretend to an eternal reward. A fhort and impure pleasure, and a tranfient intereft, is all that this fort of knowledge can beftow, and very often, instead of pleasure and profit, it requites its difciples with pain and trouble. The gospel only contains thofe truths, which conter life and immortality on those that believe and obey them. 'Tis the gospel alone that teaches us how we are to gain the love and favour of God; and 'tis God alone who rules and governs the visible and invisible world. He therefore alone is to be feared; and he alone is to be loved. Fear not them, faith our Saviour, Matth.