wherein his true Happiness does confift, it must needs be agreeable to the Will of God, that Man fhould endeavour to attain that Happiness, for which he was intended. The Confequence of which is, that it is no Blemish to our Obedience, that we are moved by the Confiderations of that Happiness, which God has made to be the Reward of it.

To judge rightly therefore of the Motives upon which Men act in their religious Concerns, we muft judge of the Nature of the Happiness they propofe to themselves ; and this, I think, we may admit as a Rule in this Cafe; that as long as Men feek after that Happiness which is natural and proper, and intended for them by God, fo long they act upon Motives agreeable to the Will of God.

The Happiness in which Men are capable of having any Share, or for which they' have any Defires, is either that which belongs to this World, or that which belongs to the World to come. That future Rewards are proper Incitements to Virtue and Religion, is plain from hence; that God has propofed them as fuch, and fent his only and well beloved Son into the World, to bring Life and Immortality to Light through

through the Gospel. But these future Rewards do not alter the Nature of Religion, or give God a better Title to our Obedience than he had before; they contain not the Reasons and Evidences of the Obligations we were under to the Supreme Creator, but they are added as proper Movements to the Will and Affections of Men, and to raise their Minds above the Temptations of this World, which fo eafily befet them. The particular Rewards promised in the Gospel being Matter of divine Revelation, to reject them, is Want of Faith; to admit them, is an Act of Religion towards God, with refpect to that Faith, which is the Foundation of our receiving them; but with respect to the Influence of the Rewards themfelves, they do not make any Thing to be a religious Duty, which is not fo in itself; they do not make any Thing cease to be Religion, which was Religion before.

As to the Happiness of this present Life, we can, I think, as little question whether God intended Men to be happy here, as we can, whether he intends them to be happy hereafter the natural Defires of Men after this Happiness, the neceffary Connection. between Virtue and Happiness, and the

Good

Goodness of God towards his Creatures, will not permit us to make any Doubt of it and if God intended Men for Happiness here, to purfue this Happinefs by the most juftifiable Means, i. e. by the Means of Vir tue and Religion, muft needs be agreeable to his holy Will; and confequently the Prospect of the Peace and Tranquillity of this Life, is a proper Motive to Religion.

Under the old Law we find the Promises of this Life were expressly made to religious Obedience by God himself; a Demonstration, I think, that the Motives of this World are not in their own Nature deftructive of religious Obedience. Long Life, temporal Peace and Profperity in the flourishing Condition of their Country, fruitful Seasons, and plentiful Harvests, are Inducements always propofed to the Jews to keep the Commandments: nor may we pretend to fay, that these Promifes were peculiar, and only proper to the Jews, unless we think that it was peculiar to the Jews to defire long Life, Profperity, and Plenty: for Motives founded in natural Defires must be as extenfive as the Defires themselves; and having been propounded by God as Motives of Religion to one Nation, it fhews they are proper

proper for all. The Jews had indeed an express Promise of temporal Felicity, if they continued obedient: other Nations, if they believe God to be the Governor of the World, must have Affurance of the like Reward; for to fuppofe God to govern the World, infers his Care of a religious obedient People: and therefore our Saviour gives it as an Inftance of Want of Faith, where Men diftruft the Goodness of God in providing for them, whilst they endeavour to ferve him. But further; even under the Gospel we are affured, that Godliness has the Promifes of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come.

To encourage ourfelves therefore in our Duty and Obedience, with the Hopes that God will reward us here with Life, Health, and Profperity, is no Blemish to our Religion; but indeed is an Act of Faith in God, as Governor of the World; and a proper Inducement to make us, in all we fay or do, to look up to him who is the Giver of every good and perfect Gift, both in this Life and in the next.

Our Saviour reckons but two general Heads of Religion, the Love of God, and the Love of our Neighbour; but the fecond

of

of these plainly infers another, the Love of ourselves; for fince we are to love our Neighbour as ourselves, it is evident that we may and ought to love ourselves. A corrupt and irreligious Affection can be no Rule of Duty; and if we are bound to love others according to the Measure of the Love we have for ourselves, it is evident at least that we may, confiftently with the Nature of Religion, love ourselves as much as we are bound to love others: and fince it is our Duty to promote the present Ease, and Happiness, and Profperity of our Neighbours, it must be agreeable to the Mind of our bleffed Saviour, that we should take the fame Care of ourselves: and if this be a lawful Care, it must needs be allowed, that it is never better employed than when it makes us obedient towards God, in Hopes of his Favour and Protection.

Having now, if not too largely, yet at leaft as far as the present Occasion will give Leave, endeavoured to clear the first Thing proposed; I fhall proceed to the Second; namely,

How plainly and evidently thefe Principles lead us to Works of Charity and Mercy.