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

But fome may fay, it may admit of fome 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 perfwaded of them, If the general Corruption of Manners, every where too visible, proceed not, rather from a willful neglect of regarding and duly confidering these 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 Reafon will compel us, nay allow us, but for Arguments fake, to grant. Let us yield that the first 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 Countries, of all Ages, of all Profeffions, the daily 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

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 most entirely and fully affur'd of by Faith, be fuppos'd only Probable, or if the Infidel pleafes barely Poffible, yet even upon this Suppofition 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 sup. pofe all that the most Atheistical Perfon can defire, even that which his Predeceffors of old in the second 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 inftance in moft 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 Apoftle's Affertion, that Godliness has 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 infisted on,in some of the former Difcourfes, I fhall proceed to confider the words of the Text, taken in their more ftrict and par·ticular fignification, as by Uprightness is meant, Justice, Integrity, Plainness, and Sincerity, in Oppofition to Guile and Hypocrify, Craft and Worldly Wifdom. And here I fhall endeavour to fhew,

ift, That Walking Uprightly is the most Easy and Plain Path we can take.

2dly, That 'tis the most Honourable. 3dly, That it is the most Secure way that we can Walk.

ift, Walking Confcientioufly and Honestly is the most Easy and Plain Path we can take.

The Way of Truth and Righteousness is but One, but those of Fallehood and Wickedness are Infinite; there is no end of wandering, when we once get into the Mazes and Intricacies of Indirect Dealing. In falfe Living, as well as in falfe Reasoning; One Abfurdity never goes fingle, but is to be fupported and kept up with another; there is fan Original Lye runs quite thro' * Vide Serm. VI, and VIII. † πρῶτον ψεῦδος.

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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 Gingle 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 A&ts of Diffimulation, must be allways shifting his Countenance, and changing his Vizard, and in perpetual fear left it fhould fall off for if it does, he must 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 difhonourable part.

;

The Man that has once forfeited his Integrity, bas 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 tranf greffions 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,fometimes to indemnify, or perhaps to maintain and justify what has been once ill done. Having

F

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

The Man of Integrity is never enslav'd by this Bondage, or entangled in these Difficulties; neither is He that proposes one steady 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 somewhat 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 fe cure 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 thofe 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 spread itself over the whole World, but Offences must come and that the unexpected Changes and wonderful Alterations

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