SERMON I The wildom of being religious. JOB Xxviii. 28.. And unto man he faid, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding. N this chapter Job difcourfeth of the fecrets of nature, and the unfearchable perfections of the works of God. And the refult of his difcourfe is this: That a perfect knowledge of nature is no where to be found but in the author of it; no less wisdom and understanding than that which made the world, and contrived this vaft and regular frame of nature, can thoroughly understand the phi lofophy of it, and comprehend fo vaft a defign. But yet there is a knowledge which is very proper to man, and lies level to human understanding; and that is, the knowledge of our creator, and of the duty we owe to him; the wisdom of pleafing God, by doing what he commands, and avoiding what he forbids. This knowledge and wisdom may be attained by man, and is fufficient to make him happy: And unto man he faid, Bebold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding. Thefe words confift of two propofitions, which are not diftinct in fenfe, but one and the fame thing variously expreffed; for wisdom and understanding are fynonymous words here and though fometimes they have different notions, yet in the poetical books of fcripture they are moft frequently ufed as words equivalent; and do both of them indifferently fignify either a fpeculative knowledge of things, or a practical fkill about them, according to the exigency of the matter or thing fpoken of. And fo likewife the fear of the Lord, and departure from evil, are phrafes of a very near fenfe, and like importance: and therefore we find them several times put together in fcripture: Prov. iii. 7. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. VOL. I. A Chap, Chap. xvi. 6. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. So that they differ only as cause and effect; which, by a metonymy ufual in all forts of authors, are frequently put one for another. Now, to fear the Lord, and to depart from evil, are phrafes which the fcripture ufeth in a very great latitude, to exprefs to us the fum of religion, and the whole of our duty. And because the large ufage of these phrafes is to be the foundation of my following difcourfe, I fhall, for the farther clearing of this matter, endeavour to fhew these two things. 1. That it is very ufual in the language of scripture to exprefs the whole of religion by these and fuch like phrafes. 2. The particular fitness of these two phrases to deScribe religion. I. It is very ufual in the language of fcripture to exprefs the whole of religion by fome eminent principle or part of religion. The great principles of religion are, knowledge, faith, remembrance, love, and fear; by all which the scripture ufeth to exprefs the whole duty of man. In the Old Teftament, by the knowledge, remembrance, and fear, of God. Religion is called the knowledge of the Holy, Prov. xxx. 3. And wicked men are defcribed to be fuch as know not God, Jer. x. 25. So likewife, by the fear of the Lord, frequently in this book of Job, and in the Pfalms and Proverbs. And then they that feared the Lord, fpake often one to another, Mal. iii. 16. And the fear of God is expressly faid to be the fum of religion: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole of man, Eccl. xii. 13. And, on the contrary, the wicked are defcribed to be fuch as have not the fear of God before their eyes, Pfal. xxxvi. 1. And fo likewife by the remembrance of God: Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth, Eccl. xii. I.; that is, enter upon a religious courfe betimes. And, on the contrary, the character of the wicked is, that they forget God: The wicked fhall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God, Pfal. ix. 17. In the New Testament, religion is ufually expreffed by faith in God and Chrift, and the love of them. Hence it is, that true Chriftians are fo fo frequently called believers, and wicked and ungodly men unbelievers; and that good men are defcribed to be fuch as love God: All things work together for good to them that love God, Rom. viii. 28.; and fuch as love the Lord Jefus Chrift, Eph. vi. 24. Now, the reafon why thefe are put for the whole of religion, is, because the belief, and knowledge, and remembrance, and love, and fear of God, are fuch powerful principles, and have fo great an influence upon men to make them religious, that where any one of thefe really is, all the reft, together with the true and genuine effects of them, are fuppofed to be. And fo likewife the fum of all religion is often expreffed by fome eminent part of it; which will explain the fecond phrase here in the text, departing from evil. The worship of God is an eminent part of religion; and prayer, which is often in fcripture expreffed by feeking God, and calling upon his name, is a chief part of religious worfhip. Hence religion is defcribed by feeking God: He is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, Heb. xi. 6.; and by calling upon his name: Whofoever calleth upon the name of the Lord, fhall be faved, Acts ii. 21.; and fo by coming to God, and by departing from evil. In this fallen ftate of man, religion begins with repentance and converfion; the two oppofite terms of which are, God, and fin. Hence it is that religion is described fometimes by coming to God: He that cometh to God, must believe that he is, Heb. xi. 6.; that is, no man can be religious, unless he believe there is a God: fometimes by departing from fin: And he that departeth from evil, maketh himself a prey, If. lix. 15.; that is, fuch was the bad ftate of thofe times of which the Prophet there complains, that no man could be religious but he was in danger of being perfecuted. II. For the fitness of these two phrases to describe re-. ligion. 1. For the first, the fear of the Lord; the fitnefs of this phrafe will appear, if we confider how great an influence the fear of God hath upon men to make them religious. Fear is a paffion that is most deeply rooted in our natures, and flows immediately from that principle of felf-preservation which God hath planted in every man. A 2 Every Every one defires his own preservation and happiness, and therefore hath a natural dread and horror of every thing that can deftroy his being, or endanger his happinefs. And the greatest danger is from the greatest power; and that is omnipotency. So that the fear of God is an inward acknowledgment of a holy and juft being, which is armed with an almighty and irresistible power; God having hid in every man's confcience a fecret awe and dread of his infinite power and eternal juftice. Now, fear being fo intimate to our natures, it is the strongest bond of laws, and the great fecurity of our duty. There are two bridles or reftraints which God hath put upon human nature; fhame, and fear. Shame is the weaker, and hath place only in those in whom there are some remainders of virtue. Fear is the ftronger; and works upon all who love themselves, and defire their own prefervation. Therefore, in this degenerate state of mankind, fear is that paffion which hath the greatest power over us, and by which God and his laws take the fureft Ahold of us. Our defire, and love, and hope, are not fo apt to be wrought upon by the representation of virtue, and the promises of reward and happiness, as our fear is from the apprehenfions of divine difpleasure. For though we have loft in a great measure the guft and relish of true happiness, yet we ftill retain a quick sense of pain and mifery. So that fear relies upon a natural love of ourfelves, and is complicated with a neceffary defire of our own prefervation. And therefore religion ufually makes its first entrance into us by this paffion. Hence perhaps it is that Solomon more than once calls the fear of the Lord the beginning of wifdom. 2. As for the fecond phrafe, departing from evil; the fitnefs of it to exprefs the whole duty of man will appear, if we confider the neceffary connexion that is between the negative and the pofitive part of our duty. He that is careful to avoid all fin, will fincerely endeavour to perform his duty. For the foul of man is an active principle, and will be employed one way or other; it will be doing fomething. If a man abftain from evil, he will do good. Now, there being fuch a ftrait connexion between thefe, the whole of our duty may be expreffed by either of them; but moft fitly by departing from evil, becaufe because that is the first part of our duty. Religion begins in the forfaking of fin. Virtus eft vitium fugere, & fapientia prima "Virtue begins in the forfaking of vice; and the first part of wisdom is, not to be a fool." And therefore the fcripture, which mentions thefe parts of our duty, doth conftantly put departing from evil firft: Depart from evil, and do good, Pfal. xxxiv. 14. & xxxvii. 27.; Geafe to do evil, learn to do well, If.i. 16. 17.; Let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, chap. Iv. 7. We are firft to put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lufts; and then to be renewed in the fpirit of our minds, and to put on the new man, &c. Eph. iv. 22. 23. 24. Let him efchew evil, and do good, I Pet. iii. 11. To all which I may add this farther confideration, that the law of God contained in the ten commandments confifting mostly of prohibitions, (Thou shalt not do fuch or fuch a thing), our obfervance of it is moft fitly expreffed by departing from evil; which yet includes obedience likewife to the pofitive precepts implied in those prohibitions. Having thus explained the words, I come now to confider the propofition contained in them; which is this: That religion is the beft knowledge and wisdom. This I fhall endeavour to make good these three ways. 1. By a direct proof of it. 2. By fhewing, on the contrary, the folly and ignorance of irreligion and wickednefs. 3. By vindicating religion from those common imputations which feem to charge it with ignorance or imprudence, First, I begin with the direct proof of this. And, becaufe religion comprehends two things, the knowledge of the principles of it, and a fuitable life and practice; (the firft of which, being fpeculative, may more properly be called knowledge; and the latter, because it is practical, may be called wisdom, or prudence); therefore I fhall endeavour diftinctly to prove thefe two things. 1. That religion is the best knowledge. A 3 1. That |