that it would be impoffible always to be SERM. employed about Matters of Religion. This XIII. is indeed very true, but 'tis nothing to the Purpose; for every one may follow his fecular Employment without neglecting his Religion: Worldly Affairs are no further to be avoided than as they thrust out Religion, and thofe Things that are of a spiritual Nature. And indeed there must be great Caution used with respect to this; for if the World takes up a Month of our Time with our Confent, 'tis very much if it does not take up another without it; the giving up one Duty will lead us to give up another, and the more Conceffions we make, the fooner fhall we give up the whole. Temporal and fpiritual Affairs will very well agree together, and may, with Prudence, join Hand in Hand for our future as well as present Happiness; for if a Man is diligent and careful in his Business, in fuch a manner as not to forget his Religion, he is ferving God at the fame time, because he is doing his Duty in that State of Life unto which it hath pleased God to call him. Having thus shewn what it is to have a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Men, I come now, N n Secondly, SERM. Secondly, To fhew the Happiness that refults from it, and the Mifery that attends the Want of it. He who has a Conscience void of Offence, or, which is the fame, who does every thing agreeable to the Will of God, and omits nothing that relates to the Duty we owe to our Neighbour, finds a comfort↑able Reflection arifing from it, that affords him the greatest Happiness and Satisfaction under Heaven; for fuch a Conscience is neither terrified with Guilt, nor leaves a Stain or Blemish on the Soul; it must therefore be the greatest and most defireable Treasure we can have in this Life, and will be of the greatest Use to us in that which is to come; it preserves a conftant Ease and Serenity within us, and is more than an Equivalent for all the Calamities and Afflictions that we can poffibly undergo. 'Tis this that makes a Man at Peace with God, at Peace with Men, and at Peace with himfelf; for he that has a good Confcience, has nothing to affright, nothing to disturb him, no Midnight gloomy Thoughts to break his Reft, no dreadful Remains of long-contracted Crimes to four his Enjoyments, nor any Loads of Guilt to fit heavy on his Soul. The Lord is his Light and bis Salvation, whom whom shall be fear? The Lord is the SERM. Strength of his Life, of whom then shall XIII. be be afraid? In all Dangers and Diftrefses he has a fure Friend to depend upon; and tho' Storms and Tempefts beat on every Side, yet within all is calm and ferene. A good Man, faith Solomon, fhall be fatisfied from himself, and tho' the whole World should confpire against him, yet as long as his own Heart is not against him, he has inward Joy enough to make him a continual Feast. The pleasant Reflection that arises from a well-spent Life will fupport the Mind under all Calumny and Reproach, and defend us from the Peftilence that walketh in Darkness, and from the Arrow that flieth in the Noon-day: For as it is most certain that no Affluence of Fortune can keep a Man from being miserable when an enrag'd Confcience flies in his Face, fo it is alfo as certain that no temporal Adverfities can deprive a Man of those inward, secret, and invifible Supplies of Comfort which are the Refult of a Conscience void of Offence. And this noble Frame and Temper of Mind, as it clears and delights us in the various Paths of Life, fo it goes with us alfo to our Jour ney's End, and accompanies us in the very Agonies of Death; it ftands by us at a Time Nn 2 when SERM. when we have moft need of it, when Riches XIII. and Honour, and all worldly Comforts have left us, and nothing but Pain and Sickness come in their Room and take Poffeffion ; then the Confcience ftands forth, and opens a delightful Profpect of Happiness to the departing Soul, juft fluttering upon the Borders of Eternity. 'Twas this that supported the first Chri ftians under all their Tribulations. Our Rejoicing, fays St. Paul, is this, the Teftimony of our Confciences, that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity we have had our Converfation in the World: 'Twas this that comforted them under the most grievous Perfecutions, and gave them Confidence towards God, because their Hearts condemn'd them not: Twas this that made them rejoice when they fuffer'd for the Name of Christ, when they had Trials of cruel Mockings and Scourgings, yea, moreover of Bonds and Imprisonment, when they were ftoned, and fawn afunder, when they were tempted, and flain with the Sword, and were tortur'd, not accepting Deliverance, that they might obtain a better Refurrection. But when This fails us; when our Hearts reproach us, and our Consciences ferve only for wretched Remembrancers of :.་::; paft paft Crimes, as they will always be to one SERM, whose Conscience is not void of Offence, at XIII, leaft in fome good measure, both towards God and towards Men, then we fhall be forced to fink under the heavy Burden of Sorrow that will neceffarily fall upon us; for when that Confcience, that should help us to bear the Calamities and Misfortunes of this Life with stedfast Courage, and a well-grounded Resolution, is itself troubled and disquieted, where is the Man that can fupport himself under it? When our only Friend, or, at least, that which alone is capable of being so, is become our Enemy, and that, which ought to be our greatest Joy, is itself become our greatest Torment, who can endure it? Bodily Sickness, and outward Afflictions a manly Spirit will fupport us under; but when the Mind is caft down, and the Soul itself is oppress'd, it is not in the Power of a Man to raise and lift it up. The Spirit of a Man will fuftain his Infirmity, but a wounded Spirit who can bear? Great must be the Torment of that Man who is for ever flying from himself, and whofe Crimes are always ftaring him in the Face, like the Hand-writing upon the Wall: And yet fuch is, and muft be, the Condition of him whofe Thoughts are fad Anticipations of future Mifery, |