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cheering encouragement. In feveral of the preceding verfes Solomon had drawn a defcription of religion under the appellation of wifdom. Religion is the only true wisdom: and fin is the most flagrant kind of folly. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wif dom: and to depart from evil is understanding. To the cultivation of that true wisdom the wife king invites his fon by the affurance that all things which can be defired are not to be compared unto her; that she is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her; that her ways are ways of pleasantnefs, and that all her paths are peace. The invitation, and the - motives on which it is grounded, belong to us, even to all men. To the paths of religion every man is called. And the folemn declaration, that they are ways of pleasantnefs and peace, is at once an exhortation to the wicked, to fly to those tracks in which blessedness refides; and to the righteous, to persevere in those courses, in which they have already -found reft to their fouls.

I propose in the first place to evince the truth of this declaration; and afterwards to apply it for the inftruction and improvement of those, who have not yet chofen the ways of religion, and of those who are walking in her paths.

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I. The

I. The religious man is delivered, and delivered by religion, from those causes of folicitude, terror, and affliction, which are the principal fources of the miferies of mankind. And he experiences helps and confolations, to which, in proportion as men are not religious, they are ftrangers.

These important truths will appear manifeft, if unfolded by a confideration in detail of fome of the anxieties and fears, which religion, and religion only, removes: and of the correfponding affiftances and comforts, which religion, and religion only, beftows.

1. The moft grievous of all the diftreffes which weigh down the heart of man, is the sense of unpardoned guilt. The most terrible of all the apprehenfions which shake the foul, is the dread of the vengeance of an offended God. From this diftrefs, from this apprehenfion, the religious man is fet free. He looks up to God, through Chrift, as to a reconciled Father. Being juftified by faith, he has peace with God through our Lord Jefus (a). He no longer feels the intolerable recollection of former fins depreffing him into anguish and defpair: but in the very moments when he looks back upon them with the profoundest

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felf-abasement, he beholds them washed away by the blood of the Lamb of God, who was facrificed for the tranfgreffions of the whole world. In that facrifice he has learned that he has himself an intereft: in that facrifice he finds pardon and peace. He is no longer alienated from God, at enmity with the Almighty Sovereign of earth and heaven. He contemplates his Creator with filial affection; delights in his holiness; loves his commandments. He hears as addressed to himself the voice of God speaking in His revealed word: Thy fins and thine iniquities I remember no more. I will be to thee a Father; and thou shalt be to me a Son. Be thou faithful unto death; and I will give

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thee a crown of life (b). moved from his foul; way rejoicing. He feels fpringing up within his breaft the genuine confolations of the gofpel. He feels that the fruit of the Spirit is joy and peace. He is filled with all joy and peace in believing (c). Every token of grateful obedience which he is enabled to render to his Redeemer, overfpreads his heart with gladnefs. Every devout afpiration which he directs to the throne of grace, diffufes holy peace over his foul. He is a fubject of the

(b) Hebr. viii. 12. (c) Gal. v. 22. 6

2 Cor. vi. 18. Rev. ii. 10. Rom. xv. 13.

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Prince of Peace, an heir of God through Christ, reconciled unto the Father by the blood of the Son. As he advances in religion, he advances in happiness. He turns his eye backward on the days, when he was comparatively unacquainted with religion; and exclaims in the language of holy writ I had heard of her by the bearing of the ear: but now mine eye feeth her (d). Her ways are ways of pleafantnefs: and all her paths are peace.

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2. The religious man is delivered from immoderate fear of falling away from God under future temptations. He knows that even unto the bed of death his faith and his obedience will be exercifed by temptation. He knows his own weakness, his own corruption. He knows that, if he holds not fast that which he hath, another fhall take his crown. He knows that, if he abandons his Saviour, his name fhall be blotted out of the book of life (e). He knows, for his God hath pronounced the warning, that he is to pafs the time of his fojourning here in fear; that happy is the man that feareth always (f). He fears for himself. But his fear is not an overwhelming terror. It is a fear which excludes

(e) Rev. iii. 5. II.

(d) Job, xlii. 5.
(f) 1 Pet. i. 17. Prov. xxviii. 14.

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all dependence on his own ftrength. It is a fear which produces humility, caution, vigilance, meditation, and prayer. But it is not a fear which brings anguish: it is not a fear which urges to defpondence. Why? Because he looks up to Him who is mighty to fave; to Him who has promifed to fave all who fly to Him for fuccour. He looks to the Lord his Sanctifier; to the covenanted affiftance of the Spirit of God, That he may obtain support from above; he neglects not the exertions, which the Scripture, his unerring rule, pronounces to be necessary on his part. While he prays that God would not lead him into temptation; he abstains from needlessly plunging himself into scenes of trial. While he folicits from the bounty of God the true riches; he neglects not the talent with which he is entrufted. He is circumfpect, watchful, fober-minded. He confiders his ways, that he may turn aside his foot from evil. He is zealous to employ to the uttermoft the ftrength which he has received in promoting the glory of the Giver. Hence he applies with devout confidence to Him, who has engaged to beftow His Holy Spirit on all that afk Him. He lifts up his heart to God in the infpired language of the Pfalmift: Lord! I am thy fervant : forfake

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