Christians are so 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 reason 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 phrafe 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 wor fhip. 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: Whosoever 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 defcribed 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 believes there is a God: fometimes by departing from fin: And he that departeth from evil, máketh 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 defcribe religion.

1. For the firft, the fear of the Lord; the fitness 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 moft deeply rooted' in our natures, and flows immediately from that principle of felf-prefervation which God hath planted in every man. Every

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Every one defires his own prefervation 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 greateft power; and that is omnipotency. So that the fear of God is an inward acknowledgement of a holy and juft being, which is armed with an almighty and irrefiftible 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 ftrongest 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 thofe in whom there are fome remainders of virtue. Fear is the fronger, 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 hold of us. Our defire, and love, and hope, are not fo apt to be wrought upon by the reprefentation of virtue, and the promifes of reward and happiness, as eur fear is from the apprehenfions of divine difpleasure. For though we have loft, in a great measure, the guft and relifh of true happinefs, yet we ftill retain a quick fenfe of pain and mifery. So that fear relies upon a natural love of ourselves, and is complicated with a neceffary defire of our own prefervation. And therefore religion ufually makes its firft entrance into us by this paffion. Hence perhaps it is that Solomon more than once calls the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom.

2. As for the fecond phrafe, departing from evil, the fitness of it to exprefs the whole duty of man will appear, if we confider the neceffary connection that is between the negative and the pofitive part of our duty. He that is careful to avoid all fin, will fincerely endeavour to per form 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 abstain from evil, he will do good. Now, there being fuch a trait connection between thefe, the whole of our duty may be expreffed by either of them; but most fitly by departing from evil,

because

because that is the first part of our duty. Religion begins in the forfaking of fin.

Virtus eft vitium fugere, et fapientia prima

Stultitia caruiffe

"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 constantly put departing from evil first : Depart from evil, and do good, Pfal. xxxiv. 14. & xxxvii. 27.; Ceafe 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. lv. 7. We are first 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, 1 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 fach 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 best knowledge and wifdom.

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 wickedness.

3. By vindicating religion from thofe common imputations which feem to charge it with ignorance or im prudence.

Firft, 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 first of which, being fpeculative, may more proper ly be called knowledge; and the latter, because it is practical, may be called vifdom, or prudence); therefore I fhall endeavour diftinctly to prove thefe two things.

1. That religion is the belt knowledge.

2. That it is the trueft wisdom,

I. That it is the best knowledge.

The knowledge of religion commends itfelf to us upon thefe two accounts.

I. It is the knowledge of thofe things which are in themfelves most excellent.

2. Of those things which are most useful and neceffa-> ry for us to know.

ff, It is the best knowledge, because it is the knowledge of those things which are in themselves most excellent and defirable to be known; and those are, God and our duty. God is the fum and comprehenfion of all perfection. It is delightful to know the creatures, becaufe there are particular excellencies fcattered and difperfed among them, which are fome fhadows of the divine perfections. But in God all perfections, in their highest degree and exaltation, meet together and are united. How much more delightful then must it needs be to fix our minds upon fuch an object, in which there is nothing but beauty and brightnefs; what is amiable, and what is excellent; what will ravith our affections, and raise our wonder, pleafe us and astonish us at once? And that the finite measure and capacity of our underflandings is not able to take in and comprehend the in finite perfections of God, this indeed fhews the excellency of the object, but doth not altogether take away the delightfulness of the knowledge. For as it is pleafant to the eye to have an endless profpect, fo is it fome pleafure to a finite understanding to view unlimited excellencies which have no fhore or bounds, though it cannot comprehend them. There is a pleasure in admiration and this is that which properly causeth admiration, when we difcover a great deal in an object which we understand to be excellent, and yet we fee we know not how much more beyond that, which our underftandings cannot fully reach and comprehend.

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And as the knowledge of God in his nature and per fections is excellent and defirable, fo likewife to know him in thofe glorious manifeftations of himself in the works of creation, and providence; and above all, in that ftupendous work of the redemption of the world by Jefus Chrift, which was fuch a mystery, and fo excellent a piece of knowledge, that the angels are faid to defire to pry into it, i Pet. i. 12.

And

And as the knowledge of God is excellent, fo likewife of our duty; which is nothing elfe but virtue, and goodness, and holiness, which are the image of God; a conformity to the nature and will of God, and an imitation of the divine excellencies and perfections, fo far as we are capable for to know our duty, is to know what it is to be like God in goodnefs, and pity, and patience, and clemency; in pardoning injuries, and paffing by provocations; in juftice and righteousness, in truth and faithfulness, and in a hatred and detestation of the contrary of these. In a word, it is to know what is the good and acceptable will of God, what it is that he loves and delights in, and is pleased withal, and would have us to do in order to our perfection and our happiness. It is defervedly accounted a piece of excellent knowledge, to know the laws of the land, and the customs of the country we live in, and the will of the prince we live under: how much more to know the ftatutes of heaven, and the laws of eternity, those immutable and eternal rules of juftice and righteoufnefs; to know the will and pleasure of the great monarch and univerfal king of the world, and the cuftoms of that country where we must live for ever? This made David to admire the law of God at that frange rate, and to advance the knowledge of it above all other knowledge: I have feen an end of all perfection, but thy commandment is exceeding broad, Pfal. cxix. 96.

2dly, It is the knowledge of thofe things which are moft ufeful and neceflary for us to know. The goodnefs of every thing is measured by its end and ufe; and that is the best thing which ferves the beft end and purpofe; and the more neceffary any thing is to fuch an end, the better it is; fo that the best knowledge is that which is of greatest use and neceflity to us in order to our great end; which is, eternal happiness, and the falvation of our fouls. Curious fpeculations, and the contemplation of things that are impertinent to us, and do not concern us, nor ferve to promote our happiness, are but a more fpecious and ingenious fort of idleness, a more pardonable and creditable kind of ignorance. That man that doth not know thofe things which are of use and neceflity for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know befides. Now, the know

ledge