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followed wicked courfes, but in a state of madness and diftraction. The idolatry of the heathen world is condemn'd as folly; Rom. I. 22, 23. Profeffing themselves to be wife they became fools; and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beafts, and creeping things. An unregenerate ftate is reprefented as a state of darkness and ignorance; Ephef. IV. 17, 18. This I fay therefore and testify in the Lord, that ye benceforth walk, not as other gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them. And chap. V. verfe 8. the apoftle calls them darkness before their converfion, and light after their embracing chriftianity. Ye were fometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Who is a wife man, and endued with knowledge among you? fays St. James, chap. III. ver. 13. Let him Shew out of a good converfation his works with meekness of wisdom. And ver. 17. he gives a defcription of true religion under the name of the wisdom which is from above. The wisdom which is from above is firft pure, then peaceable, gentle,

gentle, eafy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify. Thus it appears plain enough from fcripture, that the fear of the Lord is wisdom. I will,

II. Prove the fame from reafon.

We have observed already that the fear of the Lord implies the belief of fome principles; viz. that there is a God, and that he will reward piety and virtue. Now it is evident,

1. That the belief of these principles is a proof of wisdom and good fenfe ; because they are agreeable to right reafon. Reafon tells us that fomething has existed from eternity. For if there had ever been a time when nothing was, 'tis impoffible that any thing fhould ever have been for where there is no agent to work, and no matter to work upon, nothing can be produc'd into being. And it is evident, not only that fomething hath been from eternity, but also fomething independent and selfexiftent; for otherwife there must have been an infinite fucceffion of dependent beings without any original caufe at all. But it is very inconceivable that there fhould be a series of beings without any cause of their exiftence. No tolerable

account

account can be given of our own exiftence, or of that of any thing else, but upon the fuppofition of fuch a being as we call God. To afcribe such a regular and beautiful ftructure as that of the universe, to chance, is so very wild and extravagant, that it is a wonder how the thought could ever enter into the mind of man. To say that the world exifts neceffarily, is equally abfurd for nothing is more eafy to conceive, than that the world might never have been at all, or might have been otherwife than now it is. Either of these may be fuppos'd without a contradiction; and confequently the world cannot be the self exiftent being. Therefore if we will not run ourselves upon contradictions and abfurdities, but will use the reafon of our minds, we must acknowledge that there is a wife and intelligent being, who hath created us and all other things. To deny the exiftence of God, argues either want of understanding, or a great abuse of it: and therefore the pfalmift calls fuch a perfon a fool, Pfalm XIV. 1. The fool bath faid in his heart there is no

God.

But

But reason not only teaches us that God is; but likewife that he is a rewarder of those who diligently feek him. He is infinite in knowledge, and therefore must needs know which of his crea tures are good and religious; and being perfectly acquainted with the relations of things one to another, he cannot but know that there is a fuitableness of reward to virtue, and that it is fit and congruous that a religious man should be happy. And fince he knows these things, we cannot doubt but that he will act accordingly. He hath all er and therefore 'tis reasonable to fuppofe that he will make use of it in favour of good men, and actually bestow upon them that happiness which he knows to be fuitable to their piety and virtue. Thus it appears that fpeculative religion is wisdom. But,

pow

2. I will prove the fame more largely of practical religion.

(1.) Practical religion is wisdom, becaufe 'tis acting up to the dignity of our natures, and the defign of our creation. Man is not made only to eat, and drink, and fleep, and perform the functions of an animal life. No; there is a spirit in man, and the infpiration of the Almighty

giveth him understanding. He hath more excellent powers than the brutes, and therefore in all reafon his actions should excel theirs. Now to be religious, is to act like himself. It is to act in character, and agreeably to that nature which God hath given him. Man hath the idea of a deity, which brutes have not. And what doth the idea of a deity infer doth it not infer an obligation to his worship and fervice? doth it not command veneration and esteem, love and gratitude, dependence and obedience? Now for a man to have fuch fentiments as thefe, and yet to be vicious and immoral, is the very height of folly; for 'tis acting in direct contradiction to his own principles and maxims.

We should reckon that man a very bad politician, who contrives excellent fchemes of government, and then overthrows them all in his practice. If a perfon hath good and juft notions of things, common prudence will direct him to act in conformity thereto. What! fhall I believe that there is a fupreme being who knows the fecrets of my heart, and takes notice of the actions of my life, and will one day call me to an account for them, and at the

fame

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