SERMON XIII.

PROV. X. 9.

He that walketh Uprightly, walketh Surely.

T

HERE is not a more Universal, nor indeed a more Juft Complaint in the World, than of the Uncertainty of all things in it. No Man can rationally account himself fecure of keeping any Good he enjoys, or obtaining any he pursues, unless he could command all the Chances in the World. But how can he command them, when he cannot so much as number them? Poffibilities are as Infinite as God's Power; and whatsoever may come to pass, no Man can certainly conclude fhall not. And there is no Good thing which a Man pleases himself in Poffeffing,

or

will never fail to bring us to the Journeys end that we contend for, Happiness; that will make our Way, (be it never fo befet with Hardships) paffable to us; and when our Travel is over, moft certainly bring us Peace at the laft. And that Man can never be truly miferable, can never but be full of Security and Comfort, tho' all the Calamities and Difgraces and Poverty and Pain that the Devil was fuffer'd to inflict upon Holy Job, fhould by permiffion of the fame Providence be his Lot, who can truly fay with that fame Holy Man (Job 27.5, 6.) Till I dye I will not remove my Integrity from me; My Righteoufnefs I hold fast and will not let it go, My Heart fhall not reproach me fo long as I live. David affures us He that does these things fball never Fall; for, as his Son speaks in my Text, Walking Uprightly he walketh Surely.

The Phrafe which the Wife Man here makes use of,Walking Uprightly,may be taken either in a more wide and general, or else in a more restrain'd and particular Sense.

If we take it in the first Senfe, as Uprightnefs and Righteousness fignify ufually in Scripture all manner of Holiness and Virtue, (ingowy or mild lw zão' a'şern is) by Walking Uprightly will be meant at large the guiding all ones Actions by the Rules of Religion, an Uniform and Exact Obedience to all the Laws of God.

If we take it in the fecond more restrain'd and proper fignification, as Uprightness fignifies Juftice, Integrity and Sincerity; by Walking Uprightly will be meant more particularly a conftant use of Honefty, Plainnefs and Simplicity in all our Dealings, in Oppofition to Guile and Hypocrify, Craft and Worldly Wisdom.

And in both these Senfes it will be easy to fhew that Walking Uprightly is walking Surely. I begin with the First.

Now he may justly and properly be faid to walk Surely, who can fecure a happy Event to his Actions against all Contingencies or Chances whatever. And that the Man who acts conftantly according to the dictates of Religion and Virtue can do fo, will be Evident from the Principles upon which all his Actions are grounded; which are These, That there is an Almighty and Allwife Being that overlooks and takes account of all that is done upon Earth; A God who, tho' his Throne is in Heaven, yet his Eyes behold, his Eyelids try the Children of Men. And that this God has appointed a Day of Recompence and a Future ftate either of Happiness or Mifery, each Eternal, to be the Portion of every Man according to the Quality of the Works that he does here in the Flesh. From which Principles he naturally gathers, that it is his chiefeft Interest,

his only Concern, fo to act in this World, as to obtain the endless Happiness, and c. scape the Everlasting Mifery of the other. And can there be a more Infallible and Sure Conclufion than this? When a Man is perfwaded that he Acts always in the fight of his Judge, from whom he expects a certain Retribution of Bliss, or Woe to all Eternity; is there any thing in the World can give him any Security or ground of Confidence, but the performing the Duties to which Glory and Immortality are annex'd, and efchewing the Evils to which Shame and Destruction and Eternal Death are as infeparably link'd? No certainly. When he is once convinc'd of the Truth of thefe Principles, there is no other way but this of promifing to himself any manner of safety as to his Everlasting State; and as to whatever may be had on This fide of That State, What will it profit him togain the whole World, and to lose his own Soul? To act fo contrary to a Man's own Eternal Intereft, is to act against Natural Reason, as well as Reveal'd Religion; and to contradict Nature, as well as to defy Grace. This is fo plain, that it need not, one would think, be infifted upon, that granting the first Principles of the Upright Man to be True, namely, that there is an Allfeeing God, who will certainly bring all Mankind to Judgment, that then He who

has