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has Walked fo as to be able to appear at that great Day with Confidence, and lift up his Head with Joy before that dreadful Tribunal, has walked moft Surely.

But fome may fay, it may admit of some doubt whether thefe Principles are True or no. And indeed if we were to judge of the Opinions of Men by their Lives, we should be apt to conclude that very few are enough perfuaded of them. If the general Corruption of manners, every where too vifible, proceed, not rather from a willful neglect of regarding and duly confidering thefe important Truths, than from any Diffidence of them upon due Examination. But however let us grant this, that They are Doubtfull, which is a very large Conceffion and more than Reason will compel us, nay allow us, but for Arguments fake, to grant. Let us yield, that the firft Inbred Notions of our Minds concerning the Reasonableness and Congruity of these things, the Voice of our own Confciences, the Univerfal confent of the best and wifeft, the fimpleft and meanest of all Countreys, of all Ages, of all Profeffions, the dayly Difpenfations of Providence, the conftant Works of Nature, and the frequent Works against Nature, in fine all that Light which was enough in St Paul's Judgment to leave the Heathen World without Excufe; let us I fay allow X 2 that

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that all these together, which is very hard to conceive, have yet left doubtful the being of a Juft God, who fhall judge the World. Let this greatest and most weighty Truth, which the meer Natural Man may be ftrongly convinc'd of by Reason, but which the Chriftian is moft entirely and fully affur'd of by Faith be fuppos'd only Probable, or if the Infidel pleases barely Poffible, yet even upon this fuppofition it will evidently appear, that the Upright walker, the conftant Practicer of Virtue and Piety, has taken by much the furer Path than the Wicked. *Nay farther, let us fuppose all that the moft Atheistical Perfon can defire, even that which his Predeceffors of old in the fecond Chap. of Wisdom laid down for their principle, That we are born at all adventures, and that we shall be hereafter as tho we had never been: Yet even this fuppos'd, I can't fee, but the Righteous Man, if all things be truly weighed, in the common and ufual Course of things has much the better of the Wicked and prophane Liver.

I might instance in most of the Temporal Bleffings and concerns of Human Life; fuch as Eafe, Health, Reputation, and the like; and fhew from every one of 'em, the Truth of the Apostle's Affertion, that Godliness bas the Promife, and I may also add the Enjoy

Vide Serm. IV.

ment,

ment, of the Life that now is, as well as that which is to come.

* But these things having been at large infifted on, in some of the former Difcourfes, I fhall proceed to confider the words of the Text, taken in their more ftrict and particular fignification, as by Uprightness is meant, Fuftice, Integrity, Plainneß, and Sincerity, in Oppofition to Guile, and Hyprocrify, Craft, and Worldly Wisdom. And here I fhall endeavour to fhew,

ft, That Walking Uprightly is the most Eafy and Plain Path we can take.

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adly, That 'tis the most Honourable. 3dly, That it is the moft Secure way that we can Walk.

ft, Walking Confcientiously and Honeftly is the moft Eafy and Plain Path we can take.

The Way of Truth and Righteousness is but One, but thofe of Falfehood and Wickedness are Infinite; there is no end of wandering, when we once get into the Mazes and Intricacys of Indirect Dealing. In falfe Living, as well as in false Reasoning, One Abfurdity never goes fingle, but is to be fupported and kept up with another; there is an Original Lye runs quite thro

* Vide Serm. VI, and VIII. † @päter Veûdos.
X 3

the

the whole courfe of fuch a Life, which must be maintain'd and cover'd with a long train of more. The Man of Integrity and a fingle Heart has but One part to play, but One look to put on, and that his own; whilft the Cunning defigner, the Man that is to bring his bufinefs about by Politick fetches, Crafty collufions, and all the Acts of Diffimulation, muft be allways shifting his Countenance, and changing his Vizard, and in perpetual fear left it should fall off; for if it do's, he muft expect to be hifs'd off the Stage, and be quite spoil'd for a Politician. And let any Man judge whether this be not a moft toilfome and difficult as well as a mean and dishonourable part.

The Man that has once forfeited his Integrity, has in a manner forfeited his Liberty too. For in unjust and wicked things, the more a Man yields and complies, the more he needs to do fo. New fteps and tranfgreffions bring with them New neceffities, and One ill Act is a fnare and argument to another. When once they have begun, and are got in, they dare not look back, they are apt to think they must go on and do any thing further, that comes under the notion and appearance of being Neceffary; fometimes to Hide, as was David's cafe, sometimes to indemnify, or perhaps to maintain and juftify what has been once ill done.

Having

Having loft the true Ballaft of Integrity and Innocence, they float now at random, as the Gale of outward Neceffity and Convenience drives.

The Man of Integrity is never enflav'd by this Bondage or entangled in these difficulties; neither is He that proposes one fteady direct courfe of Honefty troubled or concern'd to observe every turn and motion of other Men, to be ever jealous and fufpicious, that there is fomewhat more than Ordinary on foot, fome deep defign or other contriving against him, which is the conftant plague of Men who are ever defigning and contriving themselves. How smoothly might They carry on their Plots, how fecure might They be of their Own Contrivances, could they be but once affur'd that no Body Contriv'd or Plotted but Themfelves? But 'tis this perpetually startles and alarms them, that they have a fhrewd fufpicion that Others are at work too as well as themselves, and those fuch as are every way their Equals in Conduct and Cunning.

But there is another Advantage of Sincerity too, that it is not only the most Easy way to walk in, but the most plain to find out.

It is impoffible, in the Corruption that has fpread itself over the whole World, but Offences must come, and that the unexpected Changes and wonderful Alterations

of

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