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that entertainment, is rendered very uncom-SERM. fortable; fo is the knowledge of religious XII wisdom to the fincerely virtuous mind, and the righteous goes on his way rejoicing, for * great peace have they who love God's law, nothing shall offend them. The + ways of wifdom are found to be ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace. They are a delightful object of the mind's contemplation; but when they are reduced to practice, and the life is regulated by them, it is accompanied with an uninterrupted feries of flowing pleasures, a pure, a rational, and folid joy, which nothing elfe in the whole compass of human life and affairs can yield. Not only fo, the principles of religion planted in the heart, and diffufing their influence thro' the whole fcheme of life, fet every thing about us in a fair and amiable light. To an uninlightened mind the world ap pears full of disorder; puzling difficulties arise upon every subject it can turn its thoughts to, how to reconcile the appearances of nature to ruling intelligence, and the events of time, particularly in the condition of mankind, to a wife, a righteous, and good ad ministration: These are points too high for the

* Pfal. cxix. 165.

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+ Prov. ii. 17.

SER M. the natural man, as St. Paul calls him, that XII is, the carnal, the vicious man, to under

ftands and his ignorance renders the works of God joyless to him, nay, fills his mind with diftracting perplexity. But knowledge is easy to him that understandeth, as Solomon fpeaks, Proverbs xiv. 6. pious fentiments deeply imprefs'd on the foul, and virtue be come its very temper, give fuch a fenfe of worth, and of excellence and wisdom, in the frame of nature still conducting its ad ministration, that all these doubts vanish; the world puts on a fmiling countenance; every thing in it appears lovely as the creatures of God, every event as his wife appoint ment; afflictions are gentle and eafy chaftisements intended for good, death itself is stripped of its terrors, and therefore amidst all the mazes of life, and the intricacies of providence in the whole of its government, which is to us inexplicable, the mind confcious of integrity, and fatisfied from itfelf, enjoys its own existence, nay, in fome fenfe, enjoys all things with comfort is well pleas'd with the world, as under the oeconomy of its heavenly father, who is in the wifeft manner carrying on his own good defigns;

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defigns

and is eafy in the fituation he SERM. XII.

hath appointed for it. 901

Thirdly, The path of the juft does not only shine clearly inwards, not only it is a luminous path in itself, it also fends light abroad, that is, communicates profitable inftruction to, and hath an useful influence on those who have the opportunity of observ→ ing it. Our Saviour recommends it to his apoftles, and the fame in their measure and proportion, is alfo the duty of all his other followers, to let their light shine before men, that they may fee their good works, and glorify their father who is in heaven. That is, to make the fincerity and the power of vir tuous principles, confpicuous in their exem plary converfations, that the attention of those who should fee them, might be engaged to true religion, and they might by that means be induced to believe, to profefs, and practife it, to the glory of God, in the advancement of his kingdom of righteousness, and peace over his intelligent creatures. Next to extraordinary divine interpofition by meffengers commiffion'd from heaven to teach it, perhaps there is not any thing which has contributed fo much to the preferving and

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*Matt. v. 16.

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SFRM. propagating religion in the world, as the XII. examples of good men; and indeed they have a plain natural tendency to this purpose, not only by giving a juft notion of that excellent practical science or difcipline, which is better understood, and makes a stronger impreffion when it is reprefented in life and action, than by any defcription or abstract reasoning; but farther, they fhew that re ligious virtue, as fublime as it is yet is not fo far raised above the condition of frail humanity, as to be quite impracticable in our present state. When we hear of hardy temperance, of humble and fervent devo tion, of inflexible justice, and laborious cha rity, we are apt to think thefe are beautiful ideas indeed, but they go little farther than the imagination, they do not enter into the heart, nor animate our refolutions; but when we fee the fame virtues actually practis'd by men of like paffions with ourselves, and who are liable to the fame temptations, the light ftrikes us with greater force, and infpires with a defire of imitation. Some rare inftances there were of eminent virtue in the heathen world, who caft a small glimmering light into that region of darkness, at least, if they made very few converts, they obtained

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SPRM.

tained great reputation, and their names
have been handed down with honour to XII.
fucceeding generations: But the most fruit
fub feminary for propagating religious know→
ledge, has been the fchool of Chrift; it is
according to his own comparifon, Matt. v.
has a city feated on a hill, confpicuous from
afar, and a candle not put under a buskel,
but in a candlestick, the moft convenient
fituation for spreading its light abroad. It
Iscertain, chriftianity has produced the
brightest patterns of extraordinary virtue,
and the greatest number of them.

After

our great mafter himself, the true light of
the world, whofe character is abfolutely
without a parallel, and ever will be among
mankind, many of his difciples form'd up-
on his model, were very illuftrious examples
of all goodness, by the innocence of their
-lives, their inviolable integrity, the purity
and fimplicity of their manners, their heroic
charity, and invincible patience under
fufferings, leaving ftrong convictions of a
reality and excellence in religion, upon the
minds of very corrupt men, even of their
perfecuters; becoming likewife the fuccefs-
ful inftruments of converting multitudes
from the errors of their way. Thus I have
botas
fhown

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