1. That is the true religion which doth most draw off the minds of men from things temporal and earthly to things celestial and eternal, that we may think of them and prosecute them. The sense of another world, an estate to come, is the great foundation upon which all reli- gion is grounded. All its precepts and promises, which are like to gain upon the heart of man, they receive their force from the promise of an unseen glory, and eternal punishments wdiich are provided for the wicked and contemners of the gospel. The whole design of this religion is to take us off from the pleasures of the flesh and the baits of this world, that we may see things to come. It is the excellency of the Christian faith that it reveals the doctrines of eternal life clearly, which all other religions in the world only could guess at. There were some guesses, but still great uncertainty, but obscure thoughts and apprehensions of such an estate. But here ' life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel,' 2 Tim. i. 10. Alas ! there is a mist upon it in all other representations ; they seem to see it, yet see it not. But this is brought to light in the gospel ; it makes a free ofter of it, upon condition of faith in Christ, John iii. 16. It quickens us to look after it; all its design is to breed in man this noble spirit, by ' looking upon things that are above, and not upon things on earth,' Col. iii. 1,2; and it endeavours, with great power and persuasiveness, that we may make it our scope, that we may neglect all present ad- vantages rather than miss this ; and make it our great design that we may ' look not to the things which are seen, but to the things unseen,* 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. This is the way of truth, because we believe it will make the worshippers of it everlastingly happy, which all men by nature have inquired about. Now it is but reason that a man's work be ended before he receive his wages, and if God will reward the vir- tuous, that it should be in the other world ; for our work is not ended until we die ; and we have a presagency of another world : there is another world which the soul of man thinks of. Now this is that
298 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SEPt. XXXI.
which Christianity drives at, that we may look after our reward with God, and escape that tribulation, wrath, and anguish, which shall come upon every soul that doeth evil.
2. That doctrine which establisheth purity of heart and life, as the only means to attain this blessedness, certainly that is the way of truth: Ps. xxiv. 3, 4, ' Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? and who shall stand in his holy place ? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity.' There is no true holi- ness, no subjection of heart to God, but by the Christian doctrine: John xvii. 17, ' Sanctify them by thy truth ; thy word is truth.' Hereby we know the word of God is truth, because it is so j^owerful to sanctification : Ps. cxix. 140, ' Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant lovetli it.' All religions endeavour some kind of excellency ; but now the holiness that is recommended in other religions is a mere outside holiness in comparison of what Christianity calls for. We have a strict rule, high patterns, blessed encouragement ; it promiseth a powerful Spirit, even the Spirit of the holy God, to work our heart to this holiness that is required. The aim of that religion is to remedy the disease intro- duced by the fall. All other religions do but make up a part of the disease, and the gospel is the only remedy and cure; therefore this is the way of trufn you should choose.
3. That doctrine which provideth for peace of conscience, and freedom from perplexing fears, which are wont to haunt us by reason of God's justice and wrath for our former misdeeds, that doctrine hath the true effect of a religion. Man easily apprehends himself as God's creature ; and being God's creature, he is his subject, bound to obey him; and having exceedingly failed in his obedience (as experience shows), he is much haunted with fears and doubts. Now that is the religion that, in a kindly manner, doth dispossess us of these dreads and fears, and comes in upon the soul to deliver us from our bondage, and those guilty fears which are so natural to us by reason of sin. And therefore in a con- sultation about religion, if I were to choose, and had not by the grace of God been baptized into the Christian faith, and had the advantage to look abroad and consider, then I would bethink myself, Where shall I find rest for my soul, and from those fears which lie at the bottom of conscience, and are easily stirred in us, and sometimes are very raging ? There is a fire smothering within, and many times it is blown up into a flame ; where shall I get remedy for these fears ? I rather pitch upon this, because the Holy Ghost doth, Jer. vi. 16, &c., as if he had said. If you will know what is the good w^ay, take that w^iy wdiere you may find rest for your souls ; not a false rest that is easily disturbed, not a carnal security, but where you may find true solid peace ; that when you are most serious, and mind your great errand and business, you may comfort yourselves, and rejoice in the God that made you. In a false way of religion there is no establishment of heart and sound peace : Heb. ix. 9, ' They could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience.' That certainly is the true religion -which makes the worshipper perfect as to the conscience, which gives him a well-tempered peace in his soul ; not a sinful security, but a holy solid peace, that when he hath a great sense of his duty upon him, yet he can comfortably wait upon God. And you