and he fhall bring it to pafs, The Lord is nigh unto all SERM. that call upon him in truth: he will fulfil the defire of V. them that fear him; he will hear their cry, and will save Pfal. xxxiv.

them.

22. xxvi. 1. xxxiii. 21.

19. xxxiv.

He may dare to refer his cafe to the fevereft examina- Prov. x. 24. tion, saying with Job, a Let me be weighed in an even ba- Pf. cxlv.18, lance, that God may know mine integrity; and with the 15. xxvi. Pfalmift, b Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, Job xxii. and according to mine integrity that is in me.

11.

27. a

6.

b

He with an humble confidence can appeal to God, bor- Job xxxi. rowing the words of Hezekiah, I beseech thee, O Lord, Pfal. vii. remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with 8.xxvi. 1. a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy xx. 3. fight.

c 2 Kings

Hence, The hope of the righteous, as the Wife Man tell- Prov. x. 28, eth us, is gladness. He, confidering the goodness, the juftice, the fidelity of God, whereof his integrity doth render him capable and a proper object, cannot but conceive a comfortable hope of a good iffue.

And obtaining fuccefs, he doth not only enjoy the material pleasure thereof, but the formal fatisfaction that it is indeed good success, or a bleffing indulged to him by special favour of God; enabling him to fay with the Pfalmift, The Lord rewarded me according to my righte- Pfal. xviii. oufnefs; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he 20, 21. recompenfed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

However, an upright dealer hath this comfortable reserve, that whatever doth befall him, however the business goeth, he shall not condemn and punish himself with remorfe; he shall not want a confolation able to support and to erect his mind. He fhall triumph, if not in the felicity of his success, yet in the integrity of his heart, and the innocence of his deportment; even as bleffed Job did under all the preffures of his adverfity: for, Till I die, faid he, I will not remove my integrity from me. My righteoufnefs I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart Shall not reproach me fo long as I live.

So true it is upon all accounts, that, according to that

SERM. affertion in the Pfalm, Light is fown for the righteous, and joyful gladness for the upright in heart.

V.

Pfal. xcvii.

11.

6. 19.

VII. He that walketh uprightly is secure as to his honour and credit. He is fure not to come off disgracefully, either at home in his own apprehenfions, or abroad in the estimations of men. He doth not blush at what he is doing, nor doth reproach himself for what he hath done. No blemish or blame can stick upon his proceeding.

By pure integrity a man firft maintaineth a due refpect and esteem for himself, then preferveth an entire reputation with others: he reflecteth on his own heart with complacence, and looketh upon the world with confidence. He hath no fear of being detected, or care to finother his intents. He is content that his thoughts fhould be founded, and his actions fifted to the bottom. He could even with that his breast had windows, that his heart were tranfparent, that all the world might fee through him, and defcry the clearness of his intentions. The more curiously his ways are marked, the more exactly his dealings are fcanned, the more throughly his defigns are penetrated and known; the greater approbation he is fure to receive.

The iffue of things affuredly will be creditable to him; and when the day-light hath fcattered all mifts, hath cleared all misprifions and mistakes, his reputation will fhine most brightly: the event declaring, that he had no corrupt ends; the course of his proceedings being juftified by the very light of things.

God himself will be concerned to vindicate his reputation, not suffering him to be confiderably defamed; acPf. xxxvii. cording to that promife, He shall bring forth thy righteoufnefs as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day. 1 Pet. ii. 6. That in Job will be made good to him, Then shalt thou Job. xi. 15. lift up thy face without fpot: and he may confidently aver Pf. cxix. 6. with the Pfalmift, Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy commandments.

xxxiv. 5.

89.46.

If he findeth good fuccefs, it will not be invidious, appearing well deferved, and fairly procured: it will be

truly honourable, as a fruit and recompence of virtue, as SERM. a mark and pledge of the divine favour toward him.

19.

V.

If he feemeth disappointed, yet he will not be dispa- Pf. xci. 15. raged: wife and candid men will excufe him; good men will patronize his cause; no man of sense and ingenuity will infult on his misfortune, He fhall not, as the Pf. xxxvii. Pfalmift affureth, be ashamed in an evil time. Yea, often his repute from under a cloud will fhine, if not with fo glaring splendor, yet with a pleasant luftre; uprightness difpofing him to bear adverse events with a graceful decency.

VIII. The particular methods of acting which uprightness difpofeth to obferve, do yield great fecurity from troubles and croffes in their transactions.

5.
Pfal. xxxvi.

13. XV. 2.

What is the conduct of the upright man? He is clear, Prov. xiii. frank, candid, harmless, confiftent in all his behaviour, his p difcourfe, his dealing. His heart commonly may be seen 3, 4. xxxiv. in his face, his mind doth ever fuit with his fpeech, his deeds have a just correspondence with his profeffions; he never faileth to perform what he doth promise, and to fatisfy the expectations which he hath raised.

He doth not wrap himself in clouds, that none may fee where he is, or know how to find him ; may discern what he is about, or whither he tendeth.

He disguiseth not his intents with fallacious pretences Prov. x. 18. of conscience, of public good, of special friendship and respect.

He doth use no difingenuous, spiteful, unjust tricks or fleights, to serve the present turn.

(Pf. Ixiv. 5.

lvi. 6. ix.

x. 2. lvii. 6.

He layeth no baits or fnares to catch men, alluring them Jer. v. 26. into mischief or inconvenience. As he doth not affect any poor base ends, fo he will 15. vii. 15. not defile his fair intentions by fordid means of com- XXXV. 7. paffing them; fuch as are illufive fimulations and fub- cxl. 5. dolous artifices, treacherous collufions, fly infinuations 27. and fycophantic detractions, versatile whifflings and dodgings, flattering colloguings and glozings, fervile crouch- Pfal. x. 7. ings and fawnings, and the like.

Prov. xxvi.

Ecclef. x.

8.)

lv. 21. lxiv.

6. x. 9, 10.

He hath little of the ferpent, (none of its lurking in-lvi. 5.

SERM. fidiousness, of its surprising violence, of its rancorous V. venom, of its keen mordacity,) but much of the dove, (all Rom. xvi. its fimplicity, its gentleness, its fidelity, its innocence,) in his conversation and commerce.

18.

Ecclus.xix 26.

5.

His wisdom is ever tempered with fincerity, and fea2 Sam. xv. soned with humanity, with meekness, with charity; being Prov. xi. 9. the wisdom which is from above, first pure, then peaceable, Jam. iii. 17. gentle, easy to be entreated, full of good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify.

xxvi. 25.

33. xxix.

Prov. xiv. He fometime may prudently reserve his mind, not 11. xiii. 3. venting it by foolith loquacity: but his words do never 16. xxi. 23. clash with his meaning, fo as to deceive or disappoint any

xii. 23.

Ecclus. xx. man.

7.

Prov. xxii.

He may warily prevent harm and decline perils: but it 3. xxvii. 12. is without hurtful countermining, or deriving mischief on xiv. 8. 15, his neighbour.

16.

Ecclef. viii.

5.

Prov. xii.

He may discreetly pick out feafons, and embrace opportunities of righting or benefitting himself: but he never will seek or lay hold of advantages to prejudice others.

He fometimes may repress infurrections of anger or dif16. xix. 11. gust: but he never doth allow them to bake into rancour or malice.

He may be apt to use courteous, affable, obliging demeanour, ferving to breed friendships, and to stifle enmities but he never thereby meaneth to gull, inveigle, and entrap men; or to procure inftruments and aids of any perverfe defign.

:

He is no enemy to himfelf, but (according to the obligations of reafon and confcience) he hath always a regard to the good of others; nor is ever so selfish, as to be unjuft or uncharitable to any man.

The principal engines he doth employ for achieving his enterprises are, a careful and cautious providence in contriving, a fedulous and steady diligence in acting, a circumfpect heedfulness not to provoke any man by offenfive carriage, by injury, by discourtesy, to obstruct him, but rather by kind demonstrations and real beneficence to engage men to further him in his proceedings:

V.

but especially his main inftrument, wherein he most con- SERM. fideth, is devout fupplication to God for his fuccour and bleffing.

Now is not this conduct the moft fecure that can be? doth it not afford many great commodities and advantages? doth it not exempt from manifold fears, and cares, and croffes, and slaveries?

It cannot but derive bleffings from the God of truth, Prov. xii. the great friend of fimplicity and fincerity, the hater of 19. 22. falfehood and guile.

And humanly regarding things, he that useth these methods, doth from them obtain many conveniences. He doth not lie under perpetual conftraint, engaged to keep a conftant guard upon himself, to watch his memory, to curb his tongue, to manage his very looks and gestures, left they betray his intentions, and disclose his plots. He is not at the trouble of stopping holes, of mending flaws, of patching up repugnances in his actions, that his mind do not break through them. He is not afraid of the disappointment and fhame which attend the detection of unworthy defigns. He is not at pains to obviate the jealoufies, the furmifes, the diffidences, the counterplots, the preventive oppofitions and affaults, which Prov. xxvi. gloomy closeness and crafty diffimulation ever do raise 25. x. 18. against the practisers of them. In fine, men do not shun Pfal. xxvi. the conversation and the commerce of an upright perfon, but gladly do confort and deal with him; do feek his acquaintance and alliance: they are not apt to distrust him, to fufpect him, to be shy and reserved in their intercourse with him; but readily do place an entire confidence in him, and use a clear franknefs toward him. No man doth fear him as dangerous, or will cross him as an adverfary. Whence as he feldom hath cause to fear, or occafion to contest with others; fo he doth undisturbedly enjoy the benefits of fociety with great safety, ease, and comfort.

IX. Lastly, an upright walker hath perfect fecurity, as to the final refult of affairs, that he shall not be quite baffled in his expectations and defires. And if profperity doth con

xxi. 6.

4.