nefs, and immutable truth, they caufe de- SERM. light. These are the perfections which his III. people celebrate with triumphant joy. It followeth then, that moral excellence, abftractly confidered, is a delightful object of contemplation; and if it be fo, the more we partake of it ourselves, that is, the more virtuous we are, and walk in wifdom's ways, the greater is our pleasure; for then we have the more thorough acquaintance with it, as our author faith, chap. vii. 4. Wisdom is a fifter, and understanding a kinfwoman, with whom we have agreeable converfation as an intimate friend. This, I think, fheweth the truth of the affertion in the text, that the ways of wisdom, are ways of pleasantness, as a confequence from the doctrine before explained, that they are excellent and right.

But I fhall now confider this as a distinct argument recommending religious virtue; and for illuftrating it, we must have our recourse to fact and experience, for that is the only way pleasure can be known. We find it neceffarily attendeth fome impreffions made on the mind by external objects, or fome of its its own inward exercises; and, on the contrary, pain and uneafinefs as neceffarily arife on other occafions. The ori

SERM. ginal idea could never be communicated to III. a creature who never felt pleasure, more

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than a man born blind could have any notion of colours. This would seem to bring the matter to a very short iffue, and cut off all occafion of reasoning upon it; for what, may it be thought, have men more to do than appeal to their own fenfe and by it's report decide the question? Yet this, I am afraid, would be to the disadvantage of religion; for how many are there of mankind who have not fuch experience of its pleafantnefs as determineth them to prefer and to choose it? Pleafures of another kind more grofs and fenfible, while they do not maturely weigh the nature and confequences of them, preponderate in their affection.

But we must be all convinced that pleasure fpringeth from different occafions; there is a variety of objects which gratify the mind, and in various acts and exertions of its own power it findeth fatisfaction; and no man's condition in the world, or the capacity of his nature, can afford him an experimental knowledge of delight in the whole compafs of it. Here therefore, we ought to use our reafon in order to choose those pleasures which, all things confidered, are the best and fitteft

fitteft for us. Though the original idea can- SERM. not be learned by information or reasoning, III. yet having it once fixed, we may be rationally induced by a calm attention to proper arguments to believe there is pleasure in fome things which we ourselves have but litttle acquaintance with, and fo be perfuaded to make the experiment. One confideration of great weight in the prefent cafe is, the testimony of those who have made a trial of wisdom's ways, and they all agree in affuring us that they are ways of pleasantness and peace. If any thing be in a man's offer which promiseth a very agreeable entertainment, but he himself hath never experienced it, how fhall he be determined in that cafe? One reasonable way, if it be not over-ballanced by more powerful arguments on the other fide, which cannot be faid in the affair we are now confidering, is, to take the report of those who are the best acquainted, at leaft, we may well regard it fo far as to make the trial ourselves, and then judge upon more certain knowledge. Good men express themselves very clearly on this head, and in very strong terms; they declare with one voice that they have found exceeding great confolation in the way of God's commandments,

SERM. mandments, not only more pure, but inIII. deed stronger and more intense than all the enjoyments of this world could yield them. The Pfalmift faith, in the 119th pfalm, ver. 14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies more than in all riches, and, Pfal. xix. 10. More to be defired than gold, yea than much fine gold, fweeter alfo than honey and the honey-comb; and Job esteemed them more ́than his neceffary food. How many declarations have we of the Apoftles to this purpofe, which are the more to be regarded because of their circumftances, fhewing that not only the pleasantness of wisdom's ways or of pure religion is fuperior to the pleasures of this world, but fufficient to fupport the the mind against its pains? They were set forth as examples of affliction and perfecution, Spectacles to men and angels, counted as the off-fcourings of all things, as St. Paul expreffeth it, and the filth of the world, the very refuse of mankind; yet under that load of contempt which was poured upon them, and in all their Diftreffes, they rejoiced not only in the profpect of a glorious reward at the refurrection of the just, but in the faithful discharge of their Duty even in the prefent time, in the testimony of their

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confciences, that in fimplicity and godly fin- SER M. cerity they had their converfation in the world. III. And, to conclude, in whatever degree any have experience in this matter, having chofen the ways of wisdom or of God's commandments, they find themselves obliged to acknowledge they are not grievous, but ways of pleasantness and peace.

But, fecondly, one might appeal to the experience of those who have but the lowest. measure of this wisdom; and indeed I cannot think there is any one of mankind fo perfectly wicked and abandoned as not to have a sense of fome kind of goodness, if not of piety and the virtues which confift in the government of the selfish affections, yet of justice and good will to their fellows, which is an important part of wisdom; I fay, not to have a fenfe of fome kind of moral goodness, nay, an esteem of it's excellence and dignity, and that it affordeth a true and even a very great pleasure to the mind. But if bad men have little experimental knowledge of the pleasantnefs of wifdom's ways, there is another thing they have experience of which proveth it, that is, the painfulness of the ways of fin and VOL. III

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folly;