their power and influence does many times reach a great way farther than their direct authority. But God is a great king, and in his hands are all the corners of the earth; we can go no whither from his fpirit, nor can we flee from his prefence: where-ever we are, his eye fees us, and his right hand can reach us. If men did truly confult the intereft, either of their fafety or reputation, they would never exercise their wit in dangerous matters. Wit is a very commendable quality; but then a wife man fhould always have the keeping of it. It is a fharp weapon, as apt for mischief as for good purpofes, if it be not well managed. The proper ufe of it is, to feafon converfation, to reprefent what is praise-worthyto the greatest advantage, and to expofe the vices and follies of men, fuch things as are in themselves truly ridiculous but if it be applied to the abufe of the gravest and most serious matters, it then lofes its commendation. If any man thinks he abounds in this quality, and hath wit to fpare, there is fcope enough for it within the bounds of religion and decency; and when it tranfgreffeth thefe, it degenerates into infolence and impiety. All wit which borders upon profanenefs, and makes bold with those things to which the greatest reverence is due, deferves to be branded for folly.

And if we would preferve ourselves from the infection of this vice, we must take head how we fcoff at religion, under any form, left infenfibly we derive fome contempt upon religion itself. And we must likewife take heed how we accuftom ourfelves to a flight and irreverent ufe of the name of God, and of the phrases and expreffions of the holy Bible, which ought not to be applied upon every light occafion. Men will eafily flide into the highest degree of profanenefs who are not careful to preferve a due reverence for the great and glorious name of God, and an awful regard to the holy fcriptures. None fo nearly difpofed to fcoffing at religion, as those who have accustomed themselves to fwear upon trifling occafions. For it is just with God to permit thofe who allow themfelves in one degree of profanenefs, to proceed to another, till at laft they come to that height of impiety, as to contemn all religion.

2dly, Let no man think the worfe of religion, because fome are fo bold as to defpife and deride it: for it is

no

no difparagement to any perfon or thing to be laughed at, but to deserve to be fo. The most grave and ferious matters in the whole world are liable to be abused. It is a known faying of Epictetus, "That every thing "hath two handles;" by which he means, that there is nothing fo bad but a man may lay hold of something or other about it that will afford matter of excufe and extenuation; nor nothing fo excellent but a man may fasten upon something or other belonging to it whereby to traduce it. A fharp wit may find fomething in the wifest man whereby to expose him to the contempt of injudicious people. The graveft book that ever was written may be made ridiculous, by applying the fayings of it to a foolish purpose; for a jest may be obtruded upon any thing. And therefore no man ought to have the lefs reverence for the principles of religion, or for the holy fcriptures, because idle and profane wits can break jefts upon them. Nothing is fo eafy as to take particular phrafes and expreffions out of the best book in the world, and to abuse them, by forcing an odd and ridiculous fenfe upon them. But no wife man will think a good book foolish for this reafon, but the man that abufes it; nor will he efteem that to which every thing is liable, to be a juft exception against any thing. At this rate, we must despise all things: but furely the better and the shorter way is, to contemn those who would bring any thing that is worthy into contempt.

3dly, and laftly, To perfuade men to employ that rea. fon and wit which God hath given them to better and nobler purposes, in the fervice and to the glory of that God who hath bestowed these gifts on men; as Aholiab and Bezaleel did their mechanical skill in the adorning and beautifying of God's tabernacle. For this is the perfection of every thing, to attain its true and proper end; and the end of all thofe gifts and endowments which God hath given us, is, to glorify the giver.

Here is fubject enough to exercise the wit of men and angels to praise that infinite goodnefs, and almighty power, and exquifite wifdom, which made us and all things; and to admire what we can never fufficiently praife: to vindicate the wife and juft providence of God, in the government of the world; and to endeavour, as

well

well as we can upon an imperfect view of things, to make out the beauty and harmony of all the feeming difcords and irregularities of the divine administrations: to explain the oracles of the holy fcriptures; and to a-dore that great mystery of divine love, which the angels, better and nobler creatures than we are, defire to pry into, God's fending his only Son into the world, to fave finners, and to give his life a ranfom for them. These would be noble exercifes indeed for the tongues and pens of the greatest wits, And fubjects of this nature are the best trials of our ability in this kind. Satire and invective are the easiest kind of wit; almost any degree of it will ferve to abuse and find fault: for wit is a keen inftrument, and every one can cut and gafh with it; but to carve a beautiful image, and to polish it, requires great art and dexterity. To praife any thing well, is an argument of much more wit than to abufe. A little wit, and a great deal of ill-nature, will furnish a man for fatire; but the greatest instance of wit is, to commend well. And perhaps the best things are the hardest to be duly commended: for though there be a great deal of matter to work upon, yet there is great judgement required to make choice; and where the fubject is great and excellent, it is hard not to fink below. the dignity of it.

This I fay on purpose to recommend to men a nobler exercife for their wits, and, if it be poffible, to put them out of conceit with that fcoffing humour which is fọ eafy and fo ill-natured, and is not only an enemy to religion, but to every thing else that is wife and worthy.. And I am very much mistaken, if the state as well as the church, the civil government as well as religion, do not in a fhort space find the intolerable inconvenience of this humour.

But I confine myself to the confideration of religion. And it is fad indeed, that in a nation profeffing Christianity fo horrid an impiety fhould dare to appear. But the fcripture hath foretold us, that this fort of men fhould arife in the gospel-age; and they did appear even in the Apoftles days. That which is more fad and ftrange is, that we should perfift in this profaneness, notwithstanding the terrible judgements of God which have been abroad in this nation. God hath of late

years

:

years manifested himself in a very dreadful manner, as if it were on purpose to give a check to this infolent impiety and now that thofe judgements have done no good upon us, we may jufly fear that he will appear once for all. And it is time for him to fhew himself, when his very being is called in question, and to come and judge the world, when men begin to doubt whether he made it.

-The fcripture mentions two things as the forerunners and reasons of his coming to judgement; infidelity, and profane fcoffing at religion: When the Son of man comes, fhall be find faith on the earth? Luke xviii. 8. And St Jude, out of an ancient prophecy of Enoch, exprefsly mentions this as one reason of the coming of the Lord, To convince ungodly finners of their hard fpeeches which they have spoken against him, Jude, ver. 15.

And if these things be a sign and reafon of his coming, I wish that we in this age had not too much caufe to apprehend the judge to be at the door. This impiety did forerun the deftruction of Jerufalem, and the utter ruin of the Jewish nation; and if it hold on amongst us, may not we have reafon to fear, that either the end of all things is at hand, or that fome very dismal calamity, greater than any our eyes have yet feen, does hang o ver us? But I would fain hope, that God hath mercy still for us, and that men will pity themselves, and repent, and give glory to God; and know in this their day the things that belong to their peace. Which God of his infinite mercy grant, for the fake of Christ. To whom, with the Father, &c.

SER

70

SERMON

HI.

The advantages of religion to focieties.

PRO V. xiv. 34.

Righteoufnefs exalteth a nation; but fin is the reproach of any people.

NE of the firft principles that is planted in the nature of man, and which lies at the very root and foundation of his being, is, the defire of his own prefervation and happiness. Hence it is, that every man is led by intereft, and does love or hate, chuse or refufe things, according as he apprehends them to conduce to this end, or to contradict it. And because the happiness of this life is moft prefent and fenfible, therefore human nature, which in this degenerate state is extremely funk down into fenfe, is moft powerfully affected with fenfible and temporal things: and, confequently, there cannot be a greater prejudice raised against any thing, than to have it reprefented as inconvenient and hurtful to our temporal interests.

Upon this account it is, that religion hath extremely fuffered in the opinion of many, as if it were oppofite to our prefent welfare, and did rob men of the greatest advantages and conveniencies of life. So that he that would do right to religion, and make a ready way for the entertainment of it among men, cannot take a more effectual courfe, than by reconciling it with the happinefs of mankind; and by giving fatisfaction to our reafon, that it is fo far from being an enemy, that it is the greatest friend to our temporal interefts; and that it doth not only tend to make every man happy confidered fingly, and in a private capacity, but is excellently fitted for the benefit of human fociety.

How much religion tends even to the temporal advantage of private perfons, I fhall not now confider, because my text leads me to difcourfe of the other, namely, to fhew how advantageous religion and virtue are to

the