SERMON XII.

1 TIMOTHY 4. viii.

GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE UNTO ALL THINGS, HAV

ING THE PROMISE OF THE LIFE THAT NOW IS, AND OF THAT WHICH IS TO COME.

HO godlinefs depends chiefly on the promise

THO

of the life, that is to come, yet as we are told it hath the promise also of the life, that now is, it feems right for the minifters of the gospel to explain this, and every advantage, that attends it. Indeed it is, in fact, ftrengthening the force of religion to give it the promise of the life, that now is for as there must be a uniformity in all God's works, it is a ftrong prefumption, that if a religious conduct tends to make us happy here, it

will

will tend ftill more to make us happy hereafter.

In confidering this fubject, I fhall fhew you first, that religion tends more than wickednefs to procure us the enjoyment of life.

Secondly,

that it gives us a better relish for them. Thirdly, that it is a greater fecurity against misfortunes: and laftly, that when we do fall into misfortunes, it is our beft fupport under them.

By

In the first place, religion tends more than vice to procure us the enjoyments of life. But here I would not be understood to mean that a religious life has a greater tendency than a wicked one, to procure us fudden, or exorbitant wealth. acts of oppreffion, or fraud, a man may create a fortune at once; as a thief may fuddenly enrich himself by breaking open a house.-But he, who is inclined to enrich himself by rapine, and robbery, will never liften to any difcourfe of this kind. He is beyond the pale of inftruction. When I fpeak therefore of the worldly advantages of religion, I confine them merely to those who are content to go on innocently in the common courfe of bufinefs, in which certainly a virtuous conduct has a greater tendency to fuccefs, than a vicious one.

VOL. I.

L

And

And first prudence, which we furely esteem a virtue, is most effential in conducting our affairs This is fo certain, that wherever you see an imprudent man, there alfo you fee a man in difficulties. The wicked man fometimes acts prudently, and fo far he acts properly: but when he acts in character, his measures are concerted by art, and cunning. These ferve but a prefent occafion: prudence is ever of use.

Then again induftry, temperance, and frugality, which are all virtues, have the fame good tendency. Did any of you ever fee an idle, drunken, extravagant fellow profper in his bufinefs, or live comfortably? I believe not.-His business fails-or his friends forfake him-or his quarrelfome temper leads him into mifchief-or fomething happens, which he might have avoided, if he had been quiet, fober, and industrious.

Honefty too has the fame good tendency. The knave must pretend to be honeft, or he can never fucceed. If he be fuppofed to be a knave, nobody will truft him. And it will be a very difficult matter for him to manage fo, as not to be found out. There is the fame difference between a really honeft man, and a disguised knave, as between a piece of fair gold coin, and a gilt counterfeit. The honeft Guinea fhews its face any where. Weigh

Weigh it it does not want a grain. the touchftone: it ftands the proof.

Bring it to

Carry it to

market: every body likes to deal with it. But it is not fo with the counterfeit. Bring it to the fcale or the touchstone: it is difcovered at once. And if it should escape fo nice an enquiry, yet in its common intercourfe of bufinefs, the gilding wears off in spots-the base metal here and there appears-and in the end, it will not pafs for a fingle farthing. Look therefore into your own hearts, and take care that no difhonesty may appear in them-that the gilding may not begin to wear off in spots. We are generally the laft people ourselves to know we are fufpected. If the knave fhould hear all the fecret whispers of his neighbours against him, he would perhaps wonder how they came to know his heart fo well.

Another thing, which contributes to make the religious man more fuccefsful in bufinefs, is the affiftance of others. His goodness naturally procures it. The more friends a man has, the fairer is his chance for fuccefs. In whatever way of life he is engaged, so many difficulties arife, (especially fo in the early part of life, before he is established in the world) that without the friendly affiftance of others, he could not proceed with any fuccefs. Now

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ance.

Now thofe pleafing qualities, which religion infpires, tend naturally to procure a man that affiftHis obliging behaviour-the general kindnefs of his temper-and the goodness of his heart, gain him new friends, while his gratitude preferves his old ones.Thus it appears that religion hath a greater natural tendency than vice, to procure us the enjoyments of life.As we cannot however fuppofe, that all the conciliating qualities here mentioned, can meet in every person, who on the whole may be denominated religious, I fhall only add, that he will have the beft chance for fuccefs, in whom the most of them are found.

I fhall now fhew you, fecondly, that when the enjoyments of life are procured, religion gives us the beft relifh for them. Here there can be no competition. The bad man, we just observed, may make a larger fortune; but he cannot possibly enjoy it with equal comfort. The enjoyments of the world in their greateft perfection, cannot give us compleat happiness. A certain degree of it is the utmoft they can give. Now the religious man knows this, and expects nothing more from the world. But this is not the cafe of the worldly He expects his full happinefs from it; and

man.

when