grievous pains and mortal diseases upon themselves! See how the wise man describes the sad consequences of this sin; He goes as an ox to the slaughter, till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life, Prov. vii. 22, 23. And again, Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths; for she has cast down many wounded, yea many strong men have been slain by her; her house is the way to hell, (that is, to the grave), going down to the chambers of death, ver. 25. How many have been ruined. by intemperance and excess, and most unnaturally have perverted those blessings which God hath given for the support of nature, to the destruction of it? How often has men's malice, envy, and discontent against others, terminated in the greatest hurt to themselves? How many, by stirring up their rage against others, have armed it to their own destruction?

2. Religion is likewise a mighty advantage to men with respect to their estates: not only in regard of God's more especial providence, and peculiar blessing, which usually attends good men in their undertakings, and crowns them with success; but also from the nature of the thing. And this, I doubt not, is the meaning of the wise man concerning the temporal benefits of wisdom or religion: In her left hand are riches and honour, Prov. iii. 16.-They that love me shall inherit substance, and I will fill

their treasures, Prov. viii. 21. And religion is of such advantage, principally, by charging men with truth, fidelity, and justice in their dealings; which is a sure way of thriving, and will hold out when all fraudulent arts and de vices will fail. Thus Solomon observes to us; he that walketh uprightly, walketh surely; but he that perderteth his way shall be known, Prov. x. 9: his indirect dealing will one time or other be discovered, and then he loses his reputation, and his interest sinks. Falsehood and deceit only serve a present turn, and the consequence of them is pernicious; but truth and fidelity are a lasting advantage: The righteous hath an everlasting foundation, Prov. x. 25.—The lip of truth is established for ever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment, Prov. xii. 19. Religion likewise engages men to diligence in their callings, and how much this conduces to advance their fortunes, as daily experience teaches, so the wise man hath told us; The diligent hand maketh rich, Prov. x. 4; and again, Seest thou a man diligent in business, he shall stand before princes, he shall not stand before mean persons, Prov. xxii. 29.

And where men, by reason of the difficult circumstances of their condition, cannot arrive to any eminency of estate, yet religion makes a compensation for this, by teaching them to be content with that moderate and competent fortune which God hath given them. For the

shortest way to be rich is not by enlarging our estates, but by contracting our desires. What a wise heathen * says of philosophy is much more true of religion, 'It makes all those rich to whom it makes riches superfluous;' and they are so to those who are taught by religion to be content with such a portion of them as God's providence hath thought fit to allot them.

3. Nothing gives a man more firm and established reputation, than a prudent and substantial piety. When this discovers itself in a constant and serious devotion, accompanied with the fruits of goodness, kindness, and righteousness, (without ostentation, austerity, or indiscreet zeal), it not only makes us valued by the sober and virtuous, but even by the vicious and degenerate. Upon this account it is that the apostle advises Christians, if they would recommend themselves to the esteem of God and men, earnestly to mind the weighty and substantial parts of religion: Let not your good be evil spoken of; for the kingdom of God is not meats and drinks, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; for he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

4. Religion also conduces to the happiness of our relations, as it derives a blessing upon all that belong to us; the goodness of God * Seneca.

being so diffusive as to scatter his blessings round about the habitations of the just.

But setting aside the consideration of God's providence, religion in its own nature tends to the welfare of those that are related to us, because it lays the strictest obligations upon men to take care of their families and relations, and to make the best provision both for their comfortable subsistence in this world, and their salvation in the next. And those who neglect these duties, the Scripture is so far from esteeming Christians, that it accounts them worse than heathens: He that provideth not for his own, especially those of his own house, is worse than an infidel, and hath denied the FAITH, 1 Tim. v. 8.

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Besides, it is many times seen that the terity of holy and good men, especially of such as have evidenced their piety by their charity, have met with unusual kindness from others; and have by a sacred disposition of divine providence been unexpectedly provided for; and that, as they have all the reason in the world to believe, on account of the piety and charity of their parents. This David tells us from his own particular observation: I have been young, and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsuken, nor his seed begging bread, Ps. xxxvii. 25. And that by the righteous is here meant the good and merciful man, appears from the description of him in the next

words, He is ever merciful and lendeth, and his seed is blessed.

On the contrary, the posterity of the wicked many times inherit the fruits of their fathers' vices; and that not only by a just judgment of God, but from the natural consequence of things. In this sense that expression in Job is often verified, that God lays up the iniquity of wicked men for their children, Job xxí. 19. Experience testifies that the intemperate and unjust many times transmit their bodily infirmities and diseases to their children, and entail a secret curse upon their substance, which either insensibly wastes and consumes it, or eats out the heart and comfort of it. Thus you see how religion in all respects conduces to the happiness of this life.

Secondly, Religion and virtue do likewise most certainly and directly tend to the eternal happiness and salvation of men's souls. And this is incomparably the greatest benefit that redounds to us by being religious, in comparison of which all temporal considerations are less than nothing and vanity. The worldly advantages that religion brings to men, are a sensible recommendation of it even to the lowest and meanest spirits; but to those who are raised above sense, and aspire after immortality, who believe the perpetual duration of their souls, and the resurrection of their bodies; to those who are thoroughly convinced of the