296 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXI.
evidence but the Christian. How shall I be persuaded of this ? Why, that religion which God hath revealed, that religion which suits with the ends of a religion, that is, with the inward necessities of mankind, and most commodiously provides for man, that is true religion. Surely the necessities of mankind are to be relieved thereby. The great ends of a religion are God's glory and our happiness. God is glorified by a return of the obedience of the creature, and man is made happy by the enjoyment of God. All these ends are advanced by this way of truth. First, That is the only religion which is revealed by God, for cer- tainly so must a religion be if it be true ; for that whicli pleaseth him must be according to his will ; and who can know his will but by his own revelation, by some sign whereby God hath discovered it to us ? Alas ! if men were to sit brooding a religion themselves, what a strange business would they hatch and bring forth ! If they were to carve out the worship of God, they might please themselves, but could never please God. Vain men indeed are ready to frame God like themselves, and foolishly imagine what pleaseth them pleaseth him also ; they still conceive of God according to their own fancy. And this was the reason why the wisest heathens, having no revelation, no sense of God's will but what offered itself by the light of nature, they would employ their wits to devise a religion. But what a monstrous chimera and strange fancy did they bring forth ! ' Professing themselves wise, they became fools,' Rom. i. 22. Though they knew there was a great and eternal being by the light of nature, 3'et the apostle saith they became vain, iv roU BiaXoyia/jioU, in their imaginations, how this infinite being should be worshipped ; therefore what they carved out was not an honour, but a disgrace ; they devised gods and goddesses that were patrons of murder, theft, and all manner of filthiness, and brought out Bacchus, the god of riot and good-fellowship, or the patron of boon companions, and Venus, the patroness of love and wantonness. But now God hath showed us his will, ' He hath showed us what is good, and what he doth require of us,' Micah vi. 8. Now that the gospel is a revelation from God, appears by the matter, which is so suitable to the nature of God ; it hath such an impress of God's wisdom, goodness, power upon it, that plainly it hath passed God; it is like such an infinite and eternal being as God is, in the worship and duties prescribed ; it is far above the wisdom of mere man, though very agreeable to those relics of wisdom which are left in us. So that this is that true religion which surely will please God, because it came from him at first, and could come from no other. And also besides the evidence it carrieth with it, and the impress and stamp of God upon it, we have the word of those that brought this doctrine to us ; and if we had nothing else, if they say, ' Thus saith the Lord,' &c., we are bound to believe them, they being persons of a valuable credit, that sought not themselves, but the glory of him that sent them. When the first messengers of it were men of such an unquestionable credit, that had no ends of their own, but ran all the extreme hazards and displeasures, surely it cannot incline us to think they did seek God's glory by a lie. Yea, they did evidence their mission from God by miracles that God sent them. Surely this doctrine is from heaven. Ay, and still God in his providence shows it from heaven, both in his
VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 297
internal government of the world ; — he blesseth it to the comfort of the conscience or to the terrifying of the conscience, for it works l)oth ways. Wicked men are afraid of the hght, lest their deeds should be made manifest, John iii. 20 ; — and also to the comforting and settling the conscience, that we may have great joy by believing in Christ. This for his internal government. And then his external govern- ment, by answering of prayers, fulfilling promises, accomplishing prophecies : Ps. xviii. 30, ' As for God, his way is perfect ; the word of the Lord is tried : he is a buckler to all that trust in him.' Put God to the trial by a regular confidence in a humble walking, and he will make good his promises ; ay, and make good his threatenings. When people are ripe for judgment, God will fulfil the threatenings of his word, and will accomplish what is spoken by the prophets and apostles ; and God will reveal his wrath from heaven ' against all un- righteousness of men,' Eom, i. 18. So that here are plain signs that this is a doctrine revealed from God, and God can best tell us how he is to be worshipped and pleased.
Secondly, Besides God's revelation, it notably performs all that which a man would expect in a religion, and so suits the necessities of man as well as the honour of God. Why ?