SERM. to furnish him with whatever is needful or convenient for 11. him, in due measure and feason, the which he doth beft understand. There is no good thing which a man naturally defireth, or reasonably can wish for, which is not in exprefs terms propofed as a reward, or a result of piety.

Prov. x. 6.
Deut.

Xxx. 9.

Pf. lxxxiv. 11.

In general, it is declared, that Bleffings are upon the xxviii. 8. head of the juft; that, No good thing God will withhold from them that walk uprightly; that, whatever otherwise doth fall out, it affuredly shall be well with them that fear Ecclef. viii. God; that, Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that Ifa. iii. 10. walketh in his ways:—happy fhalt thou be, and it shall be Pf. cxxviii. well with thee; that, There shall no evil happen to the just; (Prov. viii. that, All things work together for good to them that love God.

12.

1, 2.

35.)

Prov. xii.

21.

Rom. viii.

28.

Prov. xiii.

25.

Particularly, there are promised to the pious man,

A fupply of all wants. The Lord will not fuffer the foul Prov. x. 3. of the righteous to famish. The righteous eateth to the fatiffying of his foul. There is no want to them that fear God. Pf. xxxiv. The young lions do lack, and fuffer hunger; but they that xxxiii. 19. Seek the Lord fhall not want any good thing.

9, 10.

xxxvii. 3, 19. xxxiii.

18.

cxii. 7.

A protection in all dangers. The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to xxxiv. 20. deliver their foul from death, and to keep them alive in xxxvii. 28. famine. There shall no evil befal thee, neither shall any xci. 10, 11. plague come nigh thy dwelling: He fhall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Guidance in all his undertakings and proceedings. Pf. xxxvii. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord none of Prov. iii. 6. his steps fhall flide.In all thy ways acknowledge him, (Prov. xi. and he shall direct thy paths.

23, &c.

3.5. xvi. 3.)

Pf. xxxvii.

5.

Pf. i. 3.

Job xxii. 28. Deut.

Succefs and profperity in his defigns. Commit thy way unto the Lord; truft alfo in him, and he shall bring it to pafs.Whatfoever he doeth, it shall profper.Thou Shalt decree a thing, and it fhall be established; and the light fhall fhine upon thy ways. The Lord fhall command a bleffing upon thee in thy ftorehouses, and in all that thou Prov. xxiii. fetteft thine hand unto. Thine expectation shall not be cut off.

xxviii. 8.

12.

18.

II.

Comfortable enjoying the fruits of his industry.-Thou SERM. Shalt eat the labour of thine hands.

2.

Prov. x. 24.

Satisfaction of all reafonable defires. The defire of the Pf. cxxviii. righteous fhall be granted. Delight thyself in the Lord, pr and he shall give thee the defires of thine heart. He will Pl. xxxvii. fulfil the defire of them that fear him: he will hear their cxlv. 19. cry, and will fave them.

4.

Firm peace and quiet. The work of righteousness fhall Ifa. xxxii. be peace; and the effect of righteoufnefs, quietness and 17. affurance for ever. Great peace have they which love thy Pfal. cxix. law. The fruit of righteousness is fowed in peace.

165.

James iii.

Pfal. xcvii.

11.

Joy and alacrity. Light is fown for the righteous, and 18. gladness for the upright in heart. In the tranfgreffion of an evil man there is a fnare: but the righteous doth fing and Prov. xxix. rejoice.

6.

Support and comfort in afflictions. He healeth the Pf. cxlvii. 3. broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. Be of good Pfal. xxxi. courage, and he shall ftrengthen your heart, all ye that hope xvii. 14. in the Lord.

24.

Deliverance from trouble. Many are the afflictions of Pf. xxxiv. the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. 19. He keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken.

xxxvii. 39.

Prefervation and recovery from mishaps, or miscarriages. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly caft down : Pf. xxxvii. for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

34.

Prov. xxii.

By hu- 34.
Bleed 4.

Pf. cxii. 1.

Preferment of all forts, to honour and dignity, to wealth and profperity. Wait upon the Lord, and keep his Pf. xxxvii. way; and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land. mility and fear of the Lord are riches and honour. is the man that feareth the Lord--wealth and riches are in his houfe. The upright shall have good things in poffef- Prov. fion. If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days Job xxxvi. in profperity, and their years in pleasure. The tabernacle 7.) of the righteous shall flourish.

3.

xxviii. 10.

Job xxxvi.

11.

Prov. xiv.

11.

ix. 11. iii. 1. 2.16.

Long life. The fear of the Lord prolongeth days. By me thy days fhall be multiplied, and the years of thy life Prov. x. 27. Shall be increased. Let thine heart keep my commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add unto thee,

SERM.

II.

Prov. x. 7.

25.

A good name enduring after death. The memory of the juft is bleffed.

Bleffings entailed on pofterity. His feed fhall be mighty Pl. xxxvii. upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 26. cxii. 2. The root of the righteous fhall not be moved.

6.)

(Exod. xx. Thus is a liberal difpenfation even of temporal goods Prov. xii. 3. annexed by God's infallible word unto the practice of piety. It is indeed more frequently, abundantly, and exProv.xi. 31. plicitly promised unto God's ancient people, as being a xxviii. 1. conditional ingredient of the covenant made with them, vii. 12. xi. exhibited in that as a recompence of their external per

Deut.

13.

2 Cor. iv.

17.

Rom. viii,

18.

formance of religious works prefcribed in their Law. The Gospel doth not fo clearly propound it, or fo much infift upon it, as not principally belonging to the evangelical covenant, the which, in reward to the performance of its conditions by us, peculiarly doth offer bleffings spiritual, and relating to the future state; as also scarce deserving to be mentioned in comparison to thofe fuperior bleffings. Yet as the celeftial benefits, although not openly tendered in the Jewish Law, were yet myftically couched therein, and closely defigned for the spiritual and hearty practisers of religion; fo is the collation of temporal accommodations to be understood to belong to all pious Chriftians: there is a codicil, as it were, annexed to the New Teftament, in which God fignifieth his intention to furnish his children with all that is needful or convenient for them. His providence hath not ceased to watch over us, his bounty doth not fail toward us even in this refpect; his care will not be wanting to feed us and clothe us comfortably, to protect us from evil, to profper our good undertakings. Hence doth he command us to care for 1 Pet. v. 7. nothing, but to caft our care upon him, to recommend our Phil. iv, 6. bufinefs to him, becaufe he careth for us; he will never forMatth. vi. fake us; he will hear our prayers, and help us. 1 Tim. vi. we are enjoined not to truft in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Hence 2 Pet. i. 3. it is said, that The divine power hath given us all things pertaining unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Hence it is

Heb. xiii. 5.

25.

17.

Hence

33.

11.

promised by our Lord, that, If we feek firft the kingdom of SERM. God, all things fhall be added to us. Hence it is inferred, as confequential to the nature of the evangelical difpenfa- Matth. vi. tion, that we cannot want any good thing; He, faith St. Paul, that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up Rom. viii. for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all 32. things? In fine, hence it is proposed as notorious, that nothing is permitted to fall out otherwife than as conduceth to our good. We know, faith St. Paul, that all Rom. viii. things work together for good unto thofe that love God: 1 Cor. x. 13. nor will God, in any case, fuffer us to be tempted, by any want or preffure, beyond what we are able to bear. Thus is piety evidently profitable, as having the promises of this life, or exhibiting all temporal bleffings defirable to the practisers thereof.

28.

33.

17.

But infinitely more profitable it is, as having the promifes of the future life, or as procuring a title to those incomparably more excellent bleffings of the other world; those indefectible treasures, that incorruptible, undefiled, Luke xii. and never-fading inheritance, referved in heaven for us; 1 Pet. i. 4. that exceeding weight of glory; those ineffable joys of 2 Cor. iv. paradise, that lightsome countenance and beatifying pre- 1 Pet. i. 8. fence of God; that unconceivably and unexpreffibly joy, iv. 13. ful, glorious, perfect, and endless blifs; briefly, all that is comprised and intimated in those words of the Apostle, Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into 1 Cor. ii. 9. the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Infinitely profitable surely must that be, which procureth those things for us: and in these refpects great reafon had St. Paul to say, that Godliness is profitable for all things.

But farther to evidence and recommend this point, I might propound certain peculiar advantages arifing from piety, which have a very general influence upon our lives, and do afford unto them exceeding benefit: but this I muft, in regard to the time and your patience, at present forbear.

SERMON III.

THE PROFITABLENESS OF GODLINESS.

III..

I TIM. iv. 8.

But Godliness is profitable for all things.

SERM. IN difcourfing formerly upon thefe words, I did propound divers general confiderations, ferving to confirm and recommend this affertion of St. Paul. I fhall now infift upon some others more particular, which yet seem much conducible to the fame purpose, declaring the vast utility of religion or piety.

I. We may confider, that religion doth prescribe the trueft and best rules of action; thence enlightening our mind, and rectifying our practice in all matters, and upon all occafions, so that whatever is performed according to it, is done well and wifely, with a comely grace in regard to others, with a cheerful fatisfaction in our own mind, with the best affurance, that things are here capable of, to find happy fuccefs and beneficial fruit.

Of all things in the world there is nothing more generally profitable than light: by it we converfe with the world, and have all things fet before us; by it we truly and easily discern things in their right magnitude, shape, and colour; by it we guide our steps fafely in profecution of what is good, and fhunning what is noxious; by it our spirits are comfortably warmed and cheered, our life confequently, our health, our vigour, and activity are