ment of them. And, on the other Hand, it furnisheth the most effectual Confolations and Supports under the Troubles and Adverfities to which we are now expofed, and thus lays a Foundation for Happiness, as far as it is attainable here on Earth, in every Condition and Circumftance of Life.

The last Thing, which was observed, was, that Religion raifeth us to the most fublime and glorious Hopes: It opens the most ravishing and blissful Prospects, which tend to spread a facred Joy and Satisfaction through all our Powers. And in this the Condition of a truly pious and virtuous Perfon is vastly preferable to that of the most profperous wicked Man upon Earth: His Views are not confined within the narrow Limits of this present State, but extend even to Eternity: He can upon folid Grounds rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God. In Proportion as this Hope prevaileth, he hath Heaven brought down to him in fome happy Beginnings here on Earth: And, when he is called to refign this mortal Life, his Hope is full of Immortality, and he can carry his Views beyond the dark Valley of the Shadow of Death to a World of everlasting Light and foy.

The feveral Things, which have been mentioned, taken together, may be sufficient

to

to fatisfy every impartial thinking Mind, that it is not without great Reason that it is pronounced concerning Divine Wisdom, or true practical Religion, that her Ways are Ways of Pleafantnefs, and all her Paths are

Peace.

But to all this it may be objected, that the Practice of Piety and Virtue, however pleafing and beautiful in Idea, is in Fact unpleafant and difagreeable to the greatest Part of Mankind: That many of the Duties required in the Divine Law, fuch as Self-denial, and the Mortification of our Appetites and Paffions, are inconfiftent with Pleafure and destructive of it. That Repentance, which is the first neceffary Step to a religious Life, often causeth bitter Pangs and Sorrow. And not only is the Chriftian Life difficult in the firft Entrance upon it, but it is all along uneafy and troublefome: It requireth a conftant Watchfulness, and a strict Discipline to be exercised over the Heart and the Affections. It is represented in Scripture under the Notion of a Race, which is a very laborious Exercife; and of a Warfare, in which we are to carry on a continual Conflict against our fpiritual Enemies, and against the Temptations of the Flesh and of the World. Add to all this, that many Perfons, whom it were the Height of Uncha

ritableness

ritableness not to think fincerely religious, have spent their Days in Sorrow and Sadness, filled with difconfolate Jealoufies and Fears>> which have marred all the Pleafures of Life.

Such as these are the Prejudices which frequently create in Men's Minds an Averfion to Religion, and difcourage them from embracing it. But it is no hard Matter to fhew, that, notwithstanding all this, the Obfervation still holdeth good, that the Ways of true Religion are Ways of Pleafantness, and that a virtuous and godly Life, even in this prefent State, and with all the Inconveniencies and Troubles that may attend it, is vaftly fuperior to a Life of Sin and Vice, in the real Satisfaction and Pleafure which it yields.

More particularly to take off the Force of thefe Objections, I would offer the following Things to be confidered.

Firft, The Difficulty and Trouble, which attendeth the Practice of Religion, doth not arife from Religion itself, or any Thing in it's own Nature that is harsh and difagreeable; but it is wholly owing to the Indifpofedness and Corruption of Men's own Hearts. It is no juft Objection against Religion and Virtue, that thofe who are under the Power of vicious Habits and irregular Appetites find VOL. III.

A a

no Pleasure in the Practice of it: For in this Cafe the Fault is not to be charged upon Religion, but upon the Depravedness of their cwn Tafte and Inclinations. The moft beautiful Colours cannot charm the Eye, when it is covered with Film, or obftructed with Rheum, Food may be very pleasant to the Taste, though a vitiated Palate cannot relish it: Nor is Religion the less divine and excellent in itself, because it gives no Pleasure to an impure and unholy Soul, The juft Conclufion to be drawn from this is, not that a Life of true Piety and Virtue is not, in itself, pleasant and delightful, but that, in order to our having a just Relish of it's Divine Pleafures and Satisfactions, we muft labour to get our Hearts purified, and a happy Change wrought in the Temper of our Minds. And we have great Encouragement to attempt it: For Virtue and Holinefs is fuited to the original Difpofition and Conftitution of the human Mind, when it is not perverted and depraved by fenfual and vicious Affections and evil Habits. It was obferved, in entering upon this Subject, that, as we are reasonable Creatures, moral Agents, there are Means to be used for rectifying and improving our moral Senfe and Tafte of Things: In order to which, we should often confider the Beauty and Excellency of

real

real Holiness and Virtue, the Goodness and Reasonableness of the Divine Commands, and the Tendency they have to promote the true Happiness and Perfection of our Nature: And what hath been largely offered in the foregoing Discourses may furnish useful Reflections to this Purpose. Frequently to turn our Thoughts and Views this Way hath a natural Tendency to remove our Prejudices, and bring us to an inward Conviction and Senfation of the Pleafantnefs of the Ways of Religion, as being agreeable to the best and nobleft Principles of the human Frame. And as we

muft exert our utmoft Endeavours in the Exercife of our own rational and moral Powers, and in the Ufe of all proper Means of Self-improvement; fo we muft, from a Senfe of our Weakness and Infufficiency in ourselves, apply to God by humble and fervent Prayer for the Influences of his Holy Spirit; that he would be graciously pleased to create in us clean Hearts, and renew right Spirits within us; that he would inable us to difcern the Things which are excellent, and heal the Difaffection of the carnal Mind in us; and that he would form us to fuch a Divine Temper and Difpofition of Soul, that we may be fitted for Delighting in Holinefs and Virtue, and may feel the Power