19.

Heb. x. 26,

and undertaken by us at our first justification; holding S ER M. faft the profeffion of our hope without wavering; keep- VIII. ing faith, and a good confcience; fo long as we do not Heb. x. 23. forfeit the benefit of that grace by making shipwreck of: Tim. i. faith and a good confcience, relapfing into infidelity, or 2 Pet. ii. profaneness of life. Our cafe is plainly like to that 20, &c. of a fubject, who having rebelled against his prince, 38. vi. 1. and thence incurred his difpleafure, but having afterward upon his fubmiffion, by the clemency of his prince, obtained an act of pardon, restoring him to favour and enjoyment of the protection and privileges fuitable to a loyal fubject, doth continue in this ftate, until by forfaking his allegiance, and running again into rebellion, he fo lofeth the benefit of that pardon, that his offence is aggravated thereby fo if we do persevere firm in faith and obedience, we shall (according to the purport of the evangelical covenant) continue in a ftate of grace and favour with God, and in effect remain juftified; otherwise the virtue of our juftification ceaseth, and we in regard thereto are more deeply involved in guilt.

3. Although juftification chiefly fignifieth the first act of grace toward a Chriftian at his baptifm, yet (according to analogy of reason, and affinity in the nature of things) every difpenfation of pardon granted upon repentance may be ftyled juftification; for as particular acts of repentance, upon the commiffion of any particular fins, do not fo much differ in nature, as in measure or degree, from that general converfion practifed in embracing the Gofpel; fo vouchfafed upon grace these penitential acts, is Pœnitentia only in largeness of extent, and, folemnity of admi-imitatur niftration, diversified from that; especially confider-gratiam. ing that repentance after baptifm is but a reviving Pelag. i. 10. of that firft great refolution and engagement we made in baptifm; that remiffion of fin upon it is only the renovation of the grace then exhibited; that the whole tranfaction in this cafe is but a reinstating the covenant then made (and afterward by

the

tranf

Baptifmatis

Hier. adv.

SER M. tranfgreffion infringed) upon the fame terms, which VIII. were then agreed upon; that confequently, by congruous analogy, this remiffion of fins, and reftoring to favour, granted to a penitent, are only the former juftification reinforced; whence they may bear its name: but whether St. Paul ever meaneth the word to fignify thus, I cannot affirm.

Now according to each of these notions all good Chriftians may be faid to have been juftified; they have been juftified by a general abolition of their fins, and reception into God's favour in baptifm; they fo far have enjoyed the virtue of that gracious difpenfation, and continued in a juftified state, as they have perfifted in faith and obedience; they have, upon falling into fin, and rifing thence by repentance, been juftified by particular remiffions. So that having been juftified by faith, they have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift.

SERMON

SERMON IX.

The Pleasantness of Religion.

PROV. iii. 17.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

IX.

THE meaning of these words feems plain and s E R M. obvious, and to need little explication. Her ways, that is, the ways of Wisdom. What this Wifdom is, I fhall not undertake accurately to defcribe. 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 courses and manner 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 courfe of actions. So that, in fhort, the fense of these words seems fimply to be this; that a course of life directed by wifdom and good judgment is delightful in the practice, and brings content after it.

The

SER M. The truth of which propofition it fhall be my enIX. deavour at this time to confirm by divers reasons, and illuftrate by several instances.

I. Then, Wisdom of itself is delectable and fatiffactory, as it implies a revelation of truth, and a detection of error to us. It is like light, pleasant to behold, cafting a fprightly luftre, and diffusing a benign influence all about; prefenting a goodly profpect of things to the eyes of our mind; difplaying objects in their due fhapes, poftures, magnitudes, and colours; quickening our fpirits with a comfortable warmth, and difpofing our minds to a cheerful activity; difpelling the darkness of ignorance, fcattering the mifts of doubt, driving away the spectres of delufive fancy; mitigating the cold of fullen melancholy; difcovering obftacles, fecuring progrefs, and making the paffages of life clear, open, and pleafant. We are all naturally endowed with a ftrong appetite to know, to fee, to purfue 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 mifcarriage therein, is attended with shame and forrow. Thefe defires Wifdom in the most perfect manner fatisfies, not by entertaining us with dry, empty, fruitlefs 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 Wifdom exceedingly pleasant and peaceable: in general, by difpofing us to acquire and to enjoy all the good, delight, and happiness we are capable of; and by freeing us from all the inconveniences, mischiefs, and infelicities our condition is fubject to. For whatever good from clear understanding, deliberate ad

a Veritatis luce menti hominis nihil dulcius. Cic. Acad. 2.

IX.

vice, fagacious forefight, ftable refolution, dexterous S ER M. addrefs, right intention, and orderly proceeding doth naturally refult, Wisdom confers: whatever evil blind ignorance, falfe prefumption, unwary credulity, precipitate rafhnefs, unfteady purpofe, ill contrivance, backwardness, inability, unwieldiness and confufion of thought, beget, Wifdom 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,

III. Wisdom affures us we take the beft course, and proceed as we ought. For by the fame means we judge aright, and reflecting upon that judgment are affured we do fo: as the fame arguments by which we demonftrate a theorem convince us we have demonstrated it, and the fame light by which we fee an object makes us know we fee it. And this affurance in the progrefs of the action exceedingly pleases, and in the fequel of it infinitely contents us. He that judges amifs, not perceiving clearly the rectitude of his procefs, proceeds ufually with a dubious folicitude; and at length, difcovering his error, condemns his own choice, and receives no other fatiffaction 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 miftake, 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 fhall 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 fure, nor repent of what he knows good.

IV. Wisdom begets in us a hope of fuccefs in our actions,