it be attended with perpetual Care and Diftractions; if often impoffible to be obtained by us; and always poffible to be taken from us; if it may be defeated by petty Accidents and Croffes, and that fuch fhould happen, cannot be avoided: If for these Reasons, and many others which we cannot now infift upon, they are unable to render any Man truly happy; what remains, but that we seek for true Happiness fomewhere else? If the former cannot be the fupreme End of Man, and if it be natural to us to direct all our Actions to fome End; it will be neceffary for us to find out fome other End, and when found out, to apply our utmost Diligence to obtain it.

And here perhaps human Reafon having thus far proceeded, might continue to grope in the Dark, and after a tedious Difquifition be unable to discover either the End or the Means of obtaining it. God hath therefore, in Compaffion to our Infirmities, marked out both the Nature and the Means of Supreme Happiness. The Nature of it is Peace of Confcience here, and therein the Hopes of the Fruition of God here after, which Hopes shall then be turned in to Poffeffion: The Means of it Obedience to his Laws, and Faith in Christ. By these we shall obtain an Happiness, which fhall fill the utmoft Capacities of the Soul, which fhall be co-extended with the Duration of it; which shall fatisfy us, but never weary

us;

us; which shall affect all the Faculties both of Soul and Body; which fhall be interrupted by no Croffes and Disasters; which will never expire, but be renewed every Moment; which no Adverfity of Fortune, nor Infirmity of Body, which neither the Malice of Men or Devils fhall be able to take from us.

To a serious Application of your felves to obtain this bleffed State, I hope what has been faid will be no fmall Motive to you. You all defire Happiness; and if the Soul be once fully convinced what is the only true Happiness, it cannot but move towards it, and exert all its Faculties in the Acquifition of it. After a firm Persuasion that this is indeed the End of Man, there needs no Exhortation to purfue it. The Pursuit of it will then be no lefs natural, than the fatisfying of Hunger, or any other reasonable Appetite.

The Misfortune is, that we fuffer our felves to be deluded by the Impreffions of Senfe, and unruly Paffions, reprefenting and amplifying to us the Happiness arifing from the Fruition of carnal Pleasures and fecular Delights; we are not unwilling thefe Paffions should arife; we permit these false Judgments to be formed; we are pleased at first with the Delufion, although conscious of it; and at last become so far stupified, that we do not perceive it; until at laft a terrible Affliction or the approaches of Death

awaken

awaken the Soul, and revive its better Notions. What those dreadful Remembrancers may then do, Reafon may now much more easily and more certainly effect; to reflect upon the Nature of worldly Enjoyments, to confider their Vanity, and difcover their Emptinefs. When this Conviction is throughly formed, we fhall be even neceffitated to look upward, and fix our Hopes in Heaven; and then we are affured, that our Labours directed thither fhall not mifcarry; that they shall be affifted by God, promoted by his Spirit, and crowned with Succefs; Succefs which will give us Satiffaction of Mind here, and Fulnefs of Joy hereafter. To this Joy, may God, &c.

VOL. II.

F

SER

SERMON

IV.

Preach'd on the 23d of June, 1689, at Lambeth Chapel.

JOB XXXVII. 23, 24.

Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: He will not afflict. Men do therefore fear him.

T

HE Ground of all Religion, whether Natural or Revealed, confists in the Knowledge of the Nature of God, and of his Conduct in the Government of the World. The first reprefenteth him to Man, as a fit Object of Adoration; the latter perfuadeth Man to adore him. Without the first there would be no Reason to adore him; without the latter no Obligation. The Perfection therefore of any Religion confists in an accurate Delivery of these Matters; in giving right Notions of the Nature

of

of God, and in teaching with Certainty the Method of his external Actions. The former is always the fame, and admits no Variation; the latter may receive Improvements in Relation to Man, and lay greater Obligations on him under one Difpenfation than under another.

So much of both may be known by the Light of Reason, as may direct Men aright to the Worfhip of God, if they employ their Reafon in a due Manner; and convince them at the fame time of their Obli

gation to worship him but both may be

;

mistaken in the natural Ufe of the Understanding; and when mistaken, will equally defeat the Worship of God; a Mistake of the first Nature leading Men into Idolatry, of the second into Negligence and Impiety. It is not fo eafy indeed to mistake concerning the first, the Nature of God, which may. eafily be difcerned by the weakest Understanding; I mean fo much of it as serves to beget Notions of Religion in Men. All Men, whether true Believers or Idolaters, agree in this common Notion of God, that he is a most perfect Being; and then furely it is no hard Matter to determine whether Omnipotence, Omnifcience, Omniprefence, and fuch like, be neceffary Perfections; without which a most perfect Being cannot fubfift. Yet Mankind hath moft miferably mistaken in this plain and eafy Matter; hath deified Creatures which have none of all these

F 2