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cheering encouragement. In feveral of the preceding verfes Solomon had drawn a defcription of religion under the appellation of wifdom. Religion is the only true wisdom: and fin is the most flagrant kind of folly. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wif dom and to depart from evil is understanding. To the cultivation of that true wifdom the wife king invites his fon by the assurance that all things which can be desired are not to be compared unto her; that he is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her; that her ways are ways of pleasantness, and that all her paths are peace. The invitation, and the motives on which it is grounded, belong to us, even to all men. To the paths of religion every man is called. And the folemn declaration, that they are ways of pleasantness and peace, is at once an exhortation to the wicked, to fly to those tracks in which blessedness refides; and to the righteous, to perfevere in thofe courses, in which they have already found reft to their fouls.

I propofe in the first place to evince the truth of this declaration; and afterwards to apply it for the instruction and improvement of those, who have not yet chofen the ways of religion, and of thofe who are walking in her paths.

1. The religious man is delivered, and delivered by religion, from those causes of folicitude, terror, and affliction, which are the principal fources of the miferies of mankind. And he experiences helps and confolations, to which, in proportion as men are not reli gious, they are strangers.

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These important truths will appear maniif unfolded by a consideration in detail of fome of the anxieties and fears, which re ligion, and religion only, removes and of the corresponding affiftances and comforts, which religion, and religion only, beftows.

1. The moft grievous of all the diftreffes which weigh down the heart of man, is the fense of unpardoned guilt. The most terrible of all the apprehenfions which shake the soul, is the dread of the vengeance of an offended God. From this diftrefs, from this apprehenfion, the religious man is fet free. He looks up to God, through Chrift, as to a reconciled Father. Being juftified by faith, he kas peace with God through our Lord Jefus (a). He no longer feels the intolerable recollection of former fins depreffing him into anguish and despair but in the very moments when he looks back upon them with the profoundest (a) Rom. v. I.

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felf-abasement, he beholds them washed away by the blood of the Lamb of God, who was facrificed for the tranfgreffions of the whole world. In that facrifice he has learned that he has himself an interest: in that facrifice he finds

pardon and peace. He is no longer alienated from God, at enmity with the almighty Sovereign of earth and heaven. He contemplates his Creator with filial affection; delights in his holiness; loves his commandments. He hears as addreffed to himself the voice of God speaking in His revealed word: Thy fins and thine iniquities I remember no more. I will be to thee a Father; and thou shalt be to me a Son. Be thou faithful unto death; and I will give thee a crown of life (b). The burthen is removed from his foul; and he goeth on his way rejoicing. He feels fpringing up within his breaft the genuine confolations of the gofpel. He feels that the fruit of the Spirit is joy and peace. He is filled with all joy and peace in believing (c). Every token of grateful

obedience which he is enabled to render to his Redeemer, overfpreads his heart with gladnefs. Every devout afpiration which he directs to the throne of grace, diffuses holy peace over his foul. He is a subject of the

(b) Hebr. viii. 12. 2 Cor. vi. 18. Rev. ii. 10. (c) Gal, v. 22. Rom. xv. 13

Prince of peace, an heir of God through Chrift, reconciled unto the Father by the blood of the Son. As he advances in religion, he advances in happiness. He turns his eye backward on the days, when he was comparatively unacquainted with religion; and exclaims in the language of holy writ; I had heard of her by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye feeth her (d). Her ways are ways of pleasantness: and all her paths are peace.

2. The religious man is delivered from immoderate fear of falling away from God under future temptations. He knows that even unto the bed of death his faith and his obedience will be exercifed by temptation, He knows his own weaknefs, his own corruption. He knows that, if he holds not faft that which he hath, another fhall take his crown. He knows that, if he abandons his Saviour, his name fhall be blotted out of the book of life (e). He knows, for his God hath pronounced the warning, that he is to pafs the time of his fojourning here in fear; that happy is the man that feareth always (f). He fears for him felf. But his fear is not an overwhelming terror. It is a fear which excludes

(d) Job, xlii. 5.
(f) 1 Pet i. 17.

(e) Rev. iii. 5. 11.

Prov. xxviii. 14.
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all dependence on his own ftrength. It is a fear which produces humility, caution, vigilance, meditation, and prayer. But it is not a fear which brings anguish: it is not a fear which urges to defpondence. Why? Because he looks up to Him who is mighty to fave; to Him who has promifed to fave all who fly to Him for fuccour. He looks to the Lord his Sanctifier; to the covenanted affiftance of the Spirit of God. That he

may obtain fupport from above; he neglects not the exertions, which the Scripture, his unerring rule, pronounces to be neceffary on his part. While he prays that God would not lead him into temptation; he abstains from needlessly plunging himself into scenes of trial. While he folicits from the bounty of God the true riches; he neglects not the talent with which he is entrusted. He is circumfpect, watchful, fober-minded. He confiders his ways, that he may turn afide his foot from evil. He is zealous to employ to the uttermoft the ftrength which he has received in promoting the glory of the Giver. Hence he applies with devout confidence to Him, who has engaged to beftow His Holy Spirit on all that afk Him. He lifts up his heartto God in the infpired language of the Pfalmift: Lord! I am thy fervant : forfake

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