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Sinners, there is yet a manifeft Diftinction made between the Righteous and the Ungodly, the Wicked and the Juft, as particularly in this very Verfe of the Text, There fball no Evil happen to the Juft, but the Wicked ball be fill'd with Mifchief.

By which Words,There fball no Evil happen to the Fuft, we are not to conceit, that there is any Privilege or Exemption promis'd to the Juft from the Common Infirmities, and Weakneffes, the Ufual Calamities and Difafters to which Our Being is Subject. Man is Born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upward, Job 5.7. nor without reafon are thofe Tears, which he fheds at his firft Entrance into this troublesome World, Cui tantum in Vita reftat fufferre Malorum; This is but a Suitable beginning of that Life, the whole Courfe of which, if not continually Exercis'd with Miseries and Sorrows, yet is always expos'd and lies Open to them. But the Scope and chief Intent of the Words are, that Religion and Virtue are the likelieft Preservative against the Miferies and Evils, that are fo frequent in the World, and which are the undoubted Product and Offspring of Vice and in; That Virtuous and Good Men are likeliest to pass thro' the Waves of this Tempestuous World, with leaft rolling and disturbance, that they meet with no Affi Єtions, but what by right ufing they may

improve

improve into Bleffings, that generally Peace and Prosperity are the Attendants of Religion and Piety; Godliness having the Promise of this Life, as well as of that which is to come.

And this will appear, both from the Natural Tendency of Virtue, and the Exercise of thofe Duties that Religion enjoins ;

And from the promis'd Favour of God, and the Protection of his good Providence, ever Watching over them that Serve and Obey Him.

And first from the Natural tendency of all Virtuous Actions, and the Exercise of thofe Duties that our Holy Religion enjoins.

As it is moft certain, that there had been no Evil in the Earth, if Man had not trans grefs'd the Law of his Maker, no Misery, if there had been no Sin; fo if now all the Laws of God were duly kept and univer fally obey'd, all the Miseries that afflict the Sons of Men would foon vanish, and a kind of Heaven upon Earth would commence. If, as We daily Pray, The Will of God were done in Earth as it is in Heaven, Man might live almost as happily here, as the Angels and Bleffed Spirits there: poffeft even now of that Peace, and tafting those Joys, that differ rather in degree than kind, from those which are to be the Portion of his Everlasting Inheritance. For All the Ca

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lamities and Mischiefs, all the Disorders and Troubles of this World, are visibly produc'd by the Lufts and Paffions and Sins of Men; and the Evil that Man fuffers, does as naturally spring up from the Evil that He does, as any noifom Weed or poisonous Plant, does from its proper Seed, when it is fown into the Ground. The only way therefore to attain Happiness, and get our of the reach of Mifery, is to preserve our Virtue, and obey the Dictates of Religion, which even Naturally promote our Welfare here, in reference even to Temporal Enjoyments.

Of which I fhall inftance in but a few, but those the chiefeft, and that briefly;

And first for Reputation and good Name, the tendereft Concern of a Generous Soul; Is there any Man generally in better Esteem and Credit, than the Man who has given the World Proof, that he fcorns to do an unworthy or base Thing? Does any thing caft a greater Luftre than Virtue, and that even in the Eyes of thofe that have None themselves? Is not this confefs'd even by Hypocrify itself, which is an extorted Acknowledgment, a forced Tribute which Vice itself pays to Virtue?

Then 2dly, If we confider Health, the very Salt of Life, that Seafons and gives a N Relish

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Relish to all the Other Enjoyments of it, What Truer Friend to that, what kinder Help to Nature, what greater Prefervative of the true ufe of all our Faculties of Body, as well as Mind, than Virtue? But As Righte oufnefs tendeth to Life, fo He that pursuesh Evil, purfueth it to his Own Death, in theChapter immediately before This, and the roth Verfe. It is Vice and Luxury, Debauchery and Intemperance, that deftroy and lay waft the most vigorous and flourishing Confti. tutions, that bring Trembling in the Joints, and Rottennefs in the Bones. It is Envy and Malice that Prey upon the Heart, and Gnaw the very Vitals of the Wretch that is poffefs'd by them. It is Anger and Fury and Revenge that fet the Soul upon the Rack, and make the Spirits boyl up, and run over, and bring the Body into thofe Agonies and Convulfions, that will destroy it in a fhort time, which fometimes One Fit alone has done. Whereas the Virtuous Man, whole Spirits move calmly, whofe Paffions Ebb and Flow in Obedience to Reason preferves a conftant and orderly Temper of Body, owing to the Evennefs and Serenity of his Mind. In fhort, as Religion and Virtue tend directly to the Prefervation of the Health of the Body as well as the Soul, fo we fhall find Sin and Vice as constant Enemies to both, and as fuccessful in haft

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ning on Temporal, as they are fure in procuring at laft Eternal Death.

3dly, In Refpect of the Eafe and the Quietness of this Life, without which Life itself is an Infupportable Burthen, the Good and Virtuous Man has Infinitely the Advantage of the Wicked. As Trouble and Care and Anxiety were the Fruits of Sin, and a great and heavy part of the Curfe that was laid upon Mankind for the First Tranfgreffion; fo nothing but Innocence and Righteousness can redeem us from 'em, and restore and fecure Quiet and Peace again to Us. The Virtuous Man, whofe chief Study it is never to offend his good God, cheerfully trufts and depends on him for the Happiness of this Life and that which is to come: And by this means makes the good Things of this World, which he thankfully Poffeffes and Innocently Ufes, yield the more folid Comfort and Pleasure ; and Even the Evil things thereof, when they fall to his Lot, he bears not only with Content and Submiffion, but with Satisfaction and Thankfulness too, having the Joys before Him, in which all his Sorrows shall end. This is a State that gives fuch inward Repofe of Mind, fuch Peace of Hear:, fuch Spiritual Confolation, as, if it were poffible to be falfe, carries more folid Comfort at N 2

prefent,

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