of good courage, and he fhall ftrengthen your heart, all yes E R M. that hope in the Lord.

14.

X.

Deliverance from trouble. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them P. xxvii. all. He keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken. Pi. xxxiv. Preservation and recovery from mifhaps, or mif- 19, 20. carriages. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly caft Pi. xxxvii. down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. 2.4.

xxxvii. 39.

34.

Preferment of all forts, to honour and dignity, to wealth and profperity. Wait upon the Lord, and keep P. xxxvii. his way; and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land. Prov. xxii. By bumility and fear of the Lord are riches and honour.4. Bleed is the man that feareth the Lord-wealth and Pl. cxii. 1. riches are in his houfe. The upright shall have good Prov. things in poffeffion. If they obey and ferve him, they (Job xxxvi. fball fpend their days in profperity, and their years in 7) pleafure. The tabernacle of the righteous fhall flourish.

3.

xxviii. 10.

Job xxxvi.

11.

II. X. 27.

Long life. The fear of the Lord prolongeth days. Prov. xiv. By me thy days fhall be multiplied, and the years of thy Prov. ix. It. life fhall be increafed. Let thine heart keep my com- Prov. iii. mandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace' fhall they add unto thee.

1, 2. 16.

A good name enduring after death. The memory Prov. x. 7. of the just is bleffed.

25.

26.

(Exod. xx.

Prov. xii. 3.

Deut.

Bleffings entailed on pofterity. His feed fhall be Pl. xxxvii. mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright fhall, ca. 2. be bleffed. The root of the righteous fhall not be moved. 6.) Thus is a liberal difpenfation even of temporal goods annexed by God's infallible word unto the practice of piety. It is indeed more frequently, abundantly, and explicitly promised unto God's an- Prov. xi, 31. cient people, as being a conditional ingredient of the xxviii. 1. covenant made with them, exhibited in that as a re- vii. 1a. xi. compense of their external performance of religious 13. works prescribed in their Law. The Gospel doth not fo clearly propound it, or so 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 fpi

ritual,

13.

X.

2 Cor. 4. Rom. viii.

17.

18.

Phil. iv. 6.

Heb. xiii. 5.

25.

SER M. ritual, and relating to the future ftate; as also scarce deferving to be mentioned in comparison to those 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 fpiritual and hearty practifers 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 furnih his children with all that is needful or convenient for them. His providence hath not ceafed 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 1 Pet. v. 7. doth he command us to care for nothing, but to caft our care upon him, to recommend our business to him, beMatt. vi. caufe he careth for us; he will never forfake us; he will hear our prayers, and help us. Hence we are 1 Tim. vi. enjoined not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Hence it is 2 Pet. i. 3. faid, that, The divine power bath 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 Matt. vi. promifed by our Lord, that, If we feek firft the kingdom of God, all things fhall be added to us. Hence it is. inferred, as confequential to the nature of the evangelical difpenfation, that we cannot want any good Rom. viii. thing; He, faith St. Paul, that fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall be not with him alfo freely give us all things? In fine, hence it is propofed as notorious, that nothing is permitted to fall out otherwife than as conduceth to our good. Rom. viii. We know, faith St. Paul, that all things work together for good unto thofe that love God: nor will God, in any 1 Cor. x. 13. cafe, 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

17.

33.

32.

28.

exhibiting all temporal bleffings defirable to the prac- S ER M. tifers thereof.

17.

I

X.

But infinitely more profitable it is, as having the promifes of the future life, or as procuring a title to thofe incomparably more excellent bleffings of the other world; thofe indefectible treafures, that incorruptible, Luke xii. undefiled, and never-fading inheritance, referved in bea-Pet. i. 4 ven for us; that exceeding weight of glory; thofe in- 2 Cor. iv. effable joys of paradife, that lightfome countenance Pet. i. 8. and beatifying presence of God; that unconceivably iv. 13. and unexpreffibly joyful, glorious, perfect, and endless blis; briefly, all that is comprifed and intimated in thofe words of the Apoftle; Eye hath not feen, nor 1 Cor. ii. 9. ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Infinitely profitable furely muft that be, which procureth thofe things for us: and in these refpects great reafon had St. Paul to fay, 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 prefent forbear.

SERMON

SERMON XI.

The Profitablenefs of Godliness.

I TIM. iv. 8.

-But Godliness is profitable for all things.

IN difcourfing formerly upon these words, I did s E R M, propound divers general confiderations, ferving x1. to confirm and recommend this affertion of St. Paul.· I shall now infift upon fome others more particular, which yet feem much conducible to the fame purpofe, declaring the vaft utility of religion or piety.

I. We may confider, that religion doth prescribe the truest and best rules of action; thence enlightening our mind, and rectifying our practice in all matters, and upon all occafions, fo 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 beft 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 converse with the world, and have all things fet before us; by it we truly and eafily difcern things in their right magnitude, fhape, and colour, by it we guide our fteps fafely in profecution of what is good, and

fhunning