I. That it is the best knowledge.

The knowledge of religion commends itself to us upon these two accounts.

1. It is the knowledge of thofe things which are in themselves most excellent.

2. Of those things which are most useful and necessary for us to know.

Ift, It is the best knowledge, because it is the knowledge of thofe things which are in themfelves moft excellent, and defirable to be known; and those are, God, and our duty. God is the fum and comprehenfion of all per-fection. It is delightful to know the creatures, because there are particular excellencies fcattered and difperfed among them, which are fome fhadows of the divine perfections. But in God all perfections in their highest degree and exaltation meet together and are united. How much more delightful then muft it needs be to fix our minds upon fuch an object, in which there is nothing but beauty and brightnefs; what is amiable, and what is excellent; what will ravifh our affections and raise our wonder, please us and aftonish us at once? And that the finite measure and capacity of our understandings is not able to take in and comprehend the infinite perfections of God, this indeed fhews the excellency of the object, but doth not altogether take away the delightfulness of the knowledge. For as it is pleasant to the eye to have an endless profpect, fo is it fome pleasure to a finite understanding to view unlimited excellencies which have no fhore or bounds, though it cannot comprehend them. There is a pleafure in admiration: and this is that which properly caufeth admiration, when we discover a great deal in an object which we understand to be excellent, and yet we fee we know not how much more beyond that, which our understandings cannot fully reach and comprehend.

And as the knowledge of God in his nature and perfections is excellent and defirable, fo likewife to know him in thofe glorious manifestations of himself in the works of creation and providence; and above all, in that ftupendious work of the redemption of the world by Jefus Chrift, which was fuch a mystery, and fo excellent a piece of knowledge, that the angels are faid to defire to pry into it, I-Pet. i. 12.

And

And as the knowledge of God is excellent, fo likewife of our duty; which is nothing else but virtue, and goodnefs, and holiness, which are the image of God; a conformity to the nature and will of God, and an imitation of the divine excellencies and perfections, fo far as we are capable for to know our duty, is to know what it is to be like God in goodnefs, and pity, and patience, and clemency; in pardoning injuries, and paffing by provocations; in juftice and righteoufnefs, in truth and faithfulness, and in a hatred and deteftation of the contrary of these. In a word, it is to know what is the good and acceptable will of God, what it is that he loves and delights in, and is pleased withal, and would have us to do in order to our perfection and our happiness. It is defervedly accounted a piece of excellent knowledge, to know the laws of the land and the customs of the country we live in, and the will of the prince we live under: how much more, to know the statutes of heaven, and the laws of eternity, thofe immutable and eternal rules of justice and righteousness; to know the will and pleafure of the great monarch and univerfal king of the world, and the cuftoms of that country where we mult live for ever? This made David to admire the law of God at that strange rate, and to advance the knowledge of it above all other knowledge: I have feen an end of all perfection, but thy commandment is exceeding broad, Pfal. cxix. 96.

2dly, It is the knowledge of thofe things which are most useful and neceffary for us to know. The goodnefs of every thing is measured by its end and ufe; and that is the best thing which ferves the best end and purpofe; and the more neceffary any thing is to fuch an end, the better it is: fo that the best knowledge is that which is of greatest use and neceffity to us in order to our great end; which is, eternal happiness, and the falvation of our fouls. Curious fpeculations, and the contemplation of things that are impertinent to us, and do not concern us, nor ferve to promote our happiness, are but a more fpecious and ingenious fort of idleness, a more pardonable and creditable kind of ignorance. That man that doth not know those things which are of use and neceflity for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know befides. Now, the knowledge

of

of God, and of Chrift, and of our duty, is of the greateft usefulness and neceffity to us in order to our happinefs. It is of abfolute neceffity that we should know God and Christ, in order to our being happy: This is life eternal, (that is, the only way to it), to know thee the only true God, and him whom thou haft fent, Jefus Chrift, John xvii. 3. It is neceffary alfo, in order to our happiness, to know our duty; because it is neceffary for us to do it, and it is impoffible to do it except we know it.

So that whatsoever other knowledge a man may be endued withal, he is but an ignorant perfon who doth not know God, the author of his being, the preferver and protector of his life, his fovereign and his judge, the giver of every good and perfect gift, his fureft refuge in trouble, his beft friend or worst enemy, the present fupport of his life, his hopes in death, his future happiness, and his portion for ever; who does not know his relation to God, the duty that he owes him, and the way to please him who can make him happy or miserable for ever; who doth not know the Lord Jefus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

If a man, by a vaft and imperious mind, and a heart large as the fand upon the fea-fhore, (as it is faid of Solomon), could command all the knowledge of nature and art, of words and things; could attain to a mastery in all languages, and found the depths of all arts and fciences; measure the earth and the heavens, and tell the ftars, and declare their order and motions; could difcourfe of the interefts of all states, the intrigues of all courts, the reafon of all civil laws and conftitutions, and give an account of the hiftory of all ages; could fpeak of trees, from the cedar-tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyop that Springs out of the wall; and of beafts alfo, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes; and yet fhould, in the mean time, be deftitute of the knowledge of God and Chrift, and his duty: all this would be but an impertinent vanity, and a more glittering kind of ignorance; and fuch a man (like the philofopher, who, whilst he was gazing upon the ftars, fell into the ditch) would but fapienter defcendere in infernum, be undone with all this knowledge, and with a great deal of wisdom go down to hell.

II. That

II. That to be religious is the truest wisdom; and that likewife upon two accounts.

1. Because it is to be wife for ourselves.

2. It is to be wife as to our main interest and con cernment.

There is an ex

If, It is to be wife for ourselves. preffion, Job xxii. 2. He that is wife, is profitable to bimfelf; and, Prov. ix. 12. If thou be wife, thou shalt be wife. for thyfelf intimating, that wifdom regards a man's own interest and advantage; and that he is not a wife man that doth not take care of himself and his own concernments; according to that of old Ennius, Nequicquam fapere fapientem, qui fibi ipfi prodeffe non quiret: That man hath but an empty title of wisdom, and is not really wife, who is not wife for himself." As felfprefervation is the first principle of nature, fo care of ourfelves and our own interest is the first part of wifdom. He that is wife in the affairs and concernments of other men, but careless and negligent of his own, that man may be faid to be bufy, but he is not wife: he is employed indeed, but not fo as a wife man should be. Now, this is the wisdom of religion, that it directs a man to a care of his own proper interest and concernment.

2dly, It is to be wife as to our main intereft. Our chief end and highest interest is happiness: and this is. happiness, to be freed from all, if it may, however from the greatest evils; and to enjoy, if it may be, all good, however the chiefeft. To be happy, is not only to be freed from the pains and diseases of the body, but from anxiety and vexation of fpirit; not only to enjoy the pleasures of fenfe, but peace of confcience, and tranquillity of mind. To be happy, is not only to be fo for a little while, but as long as may be; and, if it be poffible, for ever. Now, religion defigns our greatest and longest happinefs; it aims at a freedom from the greatest evils, and to bring us to the poffeffion and enjoyment of the greatest good for religion wifely confiders, that men have immortal fpirits; which, as they are fpirits, are capable of a pleasure and happiness distinct from that of our bodies and our fenfes; and, because they are immortal, are capable of an everlasting happiness. Now, our fouls being the best part of ourselves, and eternity being in

finitely

finitely the most confiderable duration, the greatest wifdom is, to fecure the intereft of our fouls and of eternity, though it be with lofs, and to the prejudice of our temporal and inferior interefts. Therefore religion directs us rather to fecure inward peace than outward eafe; to be more careful to avoid everlasting and intolerable torment, than fhort and light afflictions which are but for a moment; to court the favour of God more than the friendship of the world; and not fo much to fear them that can kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do, as him who, after he hath killed, can deftroy both body and foul in hell. In a word, our main interest is, to be as happy as we can, and as long as is possible; and if we be caft into fuch circumftances, that we must be either in part, and for a time, or elfe wholly and al- . ways miferable, the best wisdom is, to chufe the greatest and most lasting happiness, but the leaft and fhortest mifery. Upon this account religion prefers thofe pleafures which flow from the prefence of God for evermore, infinitely before the tranfitory pleasures of this world; and is much more careful to avoid eternal mifery than prefent fufferings. This is the wifdom of religion, that, upon confideration of the whole, and cafting up all things together, it does advise and lead us to our best intereft.

Secondly, The fecond way of confirmation fhall be by endeavouring to fhew the ignorance and folly of irreligion. Now, all that are irreligious are fo upon one of thefe two accounts: either, firft, Because they do not believe the foundations and principles of religion, as the existence of God, the immortality of the foul, and future rewards or elfe, fecondly, Becaufe, though they do in fome fort believe these things, yet they live contrary to this their belief; and of this kind are the far greatest part of wicked men. The first fort are guilty of that which we call fpeculative; the other, of practical Atheism. I fhall endeavour to fhew the ignorance and folly of both these.

First, Speculative Atheifm is unreasonable; and that upon these five accounts. 1. Because it gives no tolerable account of the existence of the world. 2. Nor does it give any reasonable account of the univerfal confent of mankind in this apprehenfion, that there is a God.