SERMON I. THE PLEASANTNESS OF RELIGION. PROV. iii. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace. THE meaning of these words feems plain and obvious, SERM. and to need little explication. Her ways, that is, the ways of Wisdom. What this Wifdom is, I fhall not undertake accurately to describe. Briefly, I understand by it, an habitual skill or faculty of judging aright about matters of practice, and choofing according to that right judgment, and conforming the actions to fuch good choice. Ways and paths in Scripture-dialect are the courfes and manners of action. For doing there is commonly called walking; and the methods of doing are the ways in which we walk. By pleasantness may be meant the joy and delight accompanying, and by peace the content and fatisfaction enfuing fuch a course of actions. So that, in fhort, the sense of these words feems fimply to be this; that a course of life directed by wisdom and good judgment is delightful in the practice, and brings content after it. The truth of which propofition it shall be my endeavour at this time to confirm by divers reasons, and illuftrate by feveral inftances. I. I. Then, Wisdom of itself is delectable and fatisfactory, as it implies a revelation of truth, and a detection of error Veritatis luce menti to us. It is like light, pleasant to behold, cafting a Cic. Acad. SERM. fprightly luftre, and diffufing a benign influence all about; I. presenting a goodly profpect of things to the eyes of our hominis ni- mind; displaying objects in their due fhapes, poftures, hil dulcius. magnitudes, and colours; quickening our spirits with a comfortable warmth, and difpofing our minds to a cheerful activity; dispelling the darkness of ignorance, scattering the mifts of doubt, driving away the spectres of delufive fancy; mitigating the cold of fullen melancholy; discovering obftacles, fecuring progrefs, and making the paffages of life clear, open, and pleafant. We are all naturally endowed with a strong appetite to know, to see, to pursue truth; and with a bashful abhorrency from being deceived, and entangled in mistake. And as fuccefs in inquiry after truth affords matter of joy and triumph; fo being conscious of error and miscarriage therein, is attended with fhame and forrow. These defires Wisdom in the most perfect manner satisfies, not by entertaining us with dry, empty, fruitless theories, upon mean and vulgar fubjects; but by enriching our minds with excellent and ufeful knowledge, directed to the nobleft objects, and ferviceable to the highest ends. Nor in its own nature only, but, II. Much more in its worthy confequences is Wisdomn exceedingly pleasant and peaceable: in general, by dispofing us to acquire and to enjoy all the good, delight, and happiness we are capable of; and by freeing us from all the inconveniences, mifchiefs, and infelicities our condition is fubject to. For whatever good from clear understanding, deliberate advice, fagacious forefight, stable refolution, dexterous address, right intention, and orderly proceeding doth naturally result, Wifdom confers: whatever evil blind ignorance, falfe prefumption, unwary credulity, precipitate rashness, unfteady purpose, ill contrivance, backwardness, inability, unwieldinefs and confufion of thought, beget, Wisdom prevents. From a thoufand fnares and treacherous allurements, from innumerable rocks and dangerous furprises, from exceedingly many needlefs incumbrances and vexatious toils of fruitless endeavour, the redeems and fecures us. More particularly, I. III. Wisdom affures us we take the best course, and SERM. proceed as we ought. For by the fame means we judge aright, and reflecting upon that judgment are assured we do fo: as the fame arguments by which we demonstrate a theorem convince us we have demonftrated it, and the fame light by which we fee an object makes us know we fee it. And this affurance in the progress of the action exceedingly pleases, and in the sequel of it infinitely contents us. He that judges amifs, not perceiving clearly the rectitude of his procefs, proceeds usually with a dubious folicitude; and at length, discovering his error, condemns his own choice, and receives no other fatisfaction but of repentance. Like a traveller, who, being uncertain whether he goes in the right way, wanders in continual perplexity, till he be informed, and then too late, understanding his mistake, with regret feeks to recover himself into it. But he that knows his way, and is fatisfied that it is the true one, makes on merrily and carelessly, not doubting he shall in good time arrive to his defigned journey's end. Two troublesome mifchiefs therefore Wisdom frees us from, the company of anxious doubt in our actions, and the confequence of bitter repentance: for no man can doubt of what he is sure, nor repent of what he knows good. IV. Wisdom begets in us a hope of fuccess in our actions, and is usually attended therewith. Now what is more delicious than hope? what more fatisfactory than fuccefs? That is like the pursuit of a flying enemy, this like gathering the spoil; that like viewing the ripe corn, this like the joy of harvest itself. And he that aims at a good end, and knows he ufes proper means to attain it, why should he despair of success, fince effects naturally follow their caufes, and the Divine Providence is wont to afford its concourfe to fuch proceedings? Befide that fuch well-grounded hope confirms refolution, and quickens activity, which mainly conduce to the profperous iffue of defigns. Farther, V. Wisdom prevents difcouragement from the poffibility of ill fuccefs, yea and makes difappointment itself |