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SERM. of the eternal rewards and punishments of another life. CCVII. These are the great principles of natural religion, which mankind are in some measure possest with, and perfuaded of, without any external revelation from GOD; and these are necessary and fundamental to religion, as the apostle to the Hebrews declares, Heb. xi. 6.

Without faith it is impossible to please GoD;" that is, there can be no such thing as the practice of religion, without the belief of the principles of it; and what these are he tells us in the next words: "he that "cometh to GOD must believe that he is, and that he " is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

But then we must not rest here, in the belief of a God and the principles of religion; for this faith is not required of us for itself, but in order to some farther end, which if it be not attained by us, the mere belief of the principles of religion is to no purpose, neither acceptable to God, nor useful and beneficial to ourselves. God would not have imprinted the notion of himself upon our nature, he would not have difcovered himself to us, nor have acquired of us the belief of his being and providence, merely that we might know there is such a being as God in the world, who made us and governs us; but that this belief might have its proper influence upon us, to oblige us to the obedience of his laws, which are the proper causes and means of our happiness. It will not avail us at all, nor is it in the least acceptable to GOD, for men " to profess that they know him," when in " works they deny him, being abominable and dif" obedient, and to every good work reprobate," as the apostle defcribes some, chap. i. 16. And therefore,

2. The great end and design of religion is, that our minds being possest and prepared by the principles of religion, religion, the belief of these should have its proper in- SERM. fluence upon us, which is effectually to oblige us to CCVII. the obedience and practice of God's laws. Now the laws which God hath given us to live by, as they are the rule and measure of our duty, by the performance whereof only we can hope to gain the favour of GOD, so they are the proper directions and means in order to our happiness; they teach us both the conditions of our happiness; and the proper qualification and disposition for it.

Obedience to the laws of GOD is the condition of our happiness, both temporal and eternal, both in this world and the other. The promises which God hath made of temporal felicity and blessings, are upon condition of our obedience to his laws; it is "godliness "only that hath the promise of this life, as well as of "the other," 1 Tim. iv. 8. A truth so certain and evident, that the apostle thought fit to add that folemn seal to it, which he prefaceth to the saying in the text, "this " is a faithful saying." And though God be pleased, out of his excessive goodness to bestow many temporal blessings and favours upon very bad men, that by this "goodness of his he might lead them to repen"tance;" yet God never made any promise of temporal blessings to wicked men; but on the contrary, hath threatned them with great temporal evils and calamities; but all the promises even of temporal good things, are made to the obeying of God's laws; " to them that keep his covenant, and remember his "commandments to do them."

And this is not only the condition upon which the promises of temporal blessings are suspended, but generally, and for the most part, the natural cause and means of those blessings; for there is no moral duty enjoined

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SERM. enjoined by God, no virtue the practice whereof he CCVII. requires from us, which does not naturally tend to our temporal felicity in this world; as temperance and chastity to that invaluable blessing of health, and to the preservation of our estate, which is wasted by lewd and riotous living; humility and meekness to our quiet and safety; justice and integrity to our reputation and honour, one of the chief instruments of temporal prosperity and success. Kindness and charity, and a readiness " to do good to all men as we have opportunity," are in their nature apt to recommend us exceedingly to the love and esteem of all men, and to their favourable regard and assistance, when we stand in need of it. And so I might instance in all other virtues, the fincere practice whereof, though it be not in all cases certain and infallible, yet it is the best and wisest course that any man can take, to attain the greatest happiness which this world can afford, and to avoid the greatest miseries and calamities of it: as on the contrary, there is no vice, no wicked practice, but is naturally productive of fome great temporal mischief and inconvenience.

And then the practice of virtue and goodness, as it is the absolute and indispensable condition of our future happiness in another world, so is it the necessary and only proper qualification for it, and the certain and infallible means of attaining it.

It is an absolute and indispensable condition of attaining it; and without this it is in vain to hope for it, As GOD will certainly punish the tranfgreffors of his laws; so nothing but obedience to them can pretend to his rewards. This Gop hath most exprefly declared, that without purity and holiness no man shall fee "him;" that " CHRIST is the author of eternal * falvation only to them that obey him." And if GOD

God had not declared this in his word, the confide- SERM. ration of God's essential holiness and justice would CCVII. sufficiently assure us of it.

But besides this, in the very nature and reason of the thing, holiness and goodness is the necessary and only proper qualification for happiness. Without the blessed sight and enjoyment of God we cannot be happy, and holiness and goodness can only qualify us for this. For happiness is a state which results from a temper and disposition of mind suited to it; and where this is wanting, the man is no more capable of happiness, than he that is fick is of ease. Virtue and goodness are so essential to happiness, that where these are not, there is no capacity of it. These make us like to God, who is the fountain and pattern of all happiness; and if we be not like to God, we can have no enjoyment of him. And a wicked man, if he could steal into heaven, into the fight and presence of GOD, would from the temper and disposition of his own mind, so unfuitable to that holy place and company, be extremely miferable, even in the mansions of the blessed. Such a temper of mind, fuch a polluted and guilty conscience, as a finner carries with him out of this world, will accompany him, and remain with him in the other; and guilt is always restless and full of torment, and though God should not punish it with any positive infliction of pain, would of its own nature make a man forever miferable. So that it is a vain dream and imagination, that any man without the practice of holiness in and virtue in this life, can be happy in the other. A fincere and thorough repentance of all our fins will indeed clear our confciences of guilt, and by the mercy of God make us capable of happiness: but it does this by changing our minds, and reconciling them to holiness

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SER M. holiness and goodness, in firm purpose and resolution of CCVII. a new life; and by changing our lives and actions too, ~ if there be opportunity for it; but till this change be

wrought, either in firm purpose, or in real effect, it is impossible we should be happy. And though I will not deny but this may be done by a deep repentance, and such as God fees would prove fincere, in the last act of our lives: yet it is extreme madness to run such a hazard, because we may be cut off from the opportunity of it; or if God should afford us time and grace to that purpose, it is the hardest thing in the world to have any comfortable and well-grounded assurance of the sincerity of it. So that very little hopes of heaven and happiness can be given upon any other terms, than the general and conftant course of a holy and virtuous life; and least of all to those who have all their life long resolved to venture their everlasting happiness, upon the infinite uncertainties of a death-bed repentance at the last. But,

II. The truth of this proposition, that "they which "have believed in God, should be careful to maintain

good works," or that faith and the virtues of a good life ought to go together: I fay, the truth of this will yet be more evident, if we consider the great end and defign of the christian religion in particular, which was to reform the world, to purify the hearts and lives of men from corrupt affections and wicked practices, to teach men to excel in all kinds of virtue and goodness.

And this is every where in the new testament most expresly declared. The great promise of blessedness is made to the virtues of meekness, and patience, and peaceableness, and purity, and righteousness, as our SAVIOUR expresly teacheth in that excellent fermon of his upon the mount, which is the summary of the chri