'The Jure 'Ii-iaf of VprigbtJJef_s._____ _:_g_S7_ )· The bletTed Reward of UprightneCs is a powerful Motive to excite us to keep our fdvcs (rom our 51115'. The Fumamcnc IS nor fowed dHckcr WJt~l Stars, than the Scn pru :c wich precious Promifes to the Upright. They have a pccuhar L1terdl: in the Love of God that is the Fountain of Felicity: 1he Prayer _of the UfrigiJt is IJis deligbt . . He is Prov. 15' · ro. moll: gracioufiy ready to fupply all their Wants, fatisfy thCJr Defires, allay thm Sorrows, overcome their Fears. The Lord is a Stm ant! a Shield:. He will give Grace and Pfal si . Glory,_ ancl no goocl thing will he withbolcl from thofe that wall· uprtghtly. A comprehenfive ' Promlfe of the llle!Tings of Ttme and Ecermty. The highefi Honour is rhc Rc\Vard of fi1bduingour re~ellious Lufl:s. I-fethat is }low Pcov. !6.Jl . to_ Anger, is better than tbe hlig,hlj' : and be th~t ruletb IJIS ~pirit_, than he tbat ta!.:etb a Ctty. The Q!_taliry of rh.c Enemy makes the V1~o~y m?rc Illuilnous. Now the rebdlious Paaions that war agamtl: the Soul, are Ene1mes mfimtcly more dangerous than thofe who defiroy the Bodies and Efrates pf Men. The Conquefr of Armies and Cities is atchieved by lloldnefs and Strength, that arc not the peculiar Excellencies of Man, for the Horfe· and the Lion arc fuperior to him in thofe refpec:ts: bur the reducing his unruly Affections into Holy Order, is the Effect .of Di\·inc Grace, wherein we rdemble God. How many of the famous Heroes, in the World's account, were wotfe than wild Beail:s, Enemies to Humanity, that unnaturally and barbatouOy fpilt the Blood of thoufands to purple their ufurp'd Royalty : But in fub~uing the ty rannous Paffions of Luil: and Ang~r under the Sovereignty of the renewed Mmd, there is the happy union of Innocence and Victory. There are degrees in the exaltation of the Saints, as the Paffions their inward Enemies which they fi1bdued, were more fl:ubborn, _and .hardly ro be overcome. _In fomc t~1cre is ii.1ch a concord of Humours, fuch a plaetd mild Temper, that they CllJOY .a pac1fick ' . poffc~o~ of thcmfelvcs: I3 ut t~1is is the Benefit of Nature, not of victo~ious Grace. H1 he r_~ ~~;~u=~n there IS Jmlc Refit1ancc, there IS no Honour ro overcome; where there IS no matter of Tn- cum v i ~wr i ~~mph,. there is no Glory in triumphi~1g. But when in the natural Temper th_erc arc Seeds ?f ~~~~-eT.C; :~~:~ IncitatiOn to fierce Anger a1ld inordmate LuO:, a~1d when rhofc Propcnfittcs are inflam d by Temptations, if we fub<lpe thofe diforderly and violent Pa!Tions, 'tis the moll: nobl e effeCt of Dt vine Grace. On the contrary, the S1nner that yields himfclf ro the f\vay of ' Per.4 the Carnal Appetites; is the Seruant of Corruption: is defil'd and dcbas'd in fttch a manner, that he is funk below th~ Beafrs that perifl1: For what is bafCr than Corruption, except the Sinner that obeys It ? The Peace and Joy that is the Re\~ard of Victory over out Sins, CannOt be underftood bur by Experience . What a favour of Life is the Death of a reigning Sin? ~Vh2t an Angelica! Comfort was it to Jofepb and the bletTed Mother of Chrifr, when the Advice was ~rought from Heaven to d~cm in Ezypt; Arlje, for t bey are dead tb~t fo~gbt the young Cbi!cl s Life? What Confolatton does lt afford, when the Holy Spint W! tnctTos with our Spirits, that the Enemy in our Bofoms, that fought the Life of our So~ds, u mornfi ed_by Repentance? the Pfalmifl: tells us, Li~)Jt isfownfor the Righteous, and J~y forth~ Pfat· 97 . rr. 7C;;Fsh~~;o~e;h~t b~~~tP~fr~1:1~/~n~~ cl~e~~~~aK~~~l~~t i:1~drer~~~t~r~1 ~r8J~~ve~1~ Glory, In our Extremity, when a good and quiet Confcicnce will be more valuable thali C:owns _and Scepter_s, and folid Comfor: more worth than the _World, how reficfhing will rhe unvard Tdhmony be of our Upnghrnefs? " ' hen H ez:ektah was under the Sentence of Death, and his Kingdom could afford him no Comfort, this allayed his Sorrows, Remember, 0 Lord, that I ha'Ve walk'd before thee wit/; an tfjright lfe"at·f. This· Ira. 38. 3· Tcilimony of Confcience will calm our Agonies, and expel the Terrors Of that lail: Enemy: this when we are ready ro die, will affitre us tha t our Redeemer live.:;. The 'two fubfranrial Joys, ( how Divine!) the one from the reAection upon the pall: Life, the other from the profpcct ofEternal Lift;, are the bletTed Reward of Uprightnefs. In flw rt, t~e fiun of Felietty ts expreOy alfurd to them: The Upright foal/ clwe/1 in thy pr~fente, tvlme zs f ulnefs of Joy, and Rivers of Pleafore flotv for ever. . 6. Confider the wof;:l Effects of indulging the Lufrs, thar by Pleafure oi Profit bribo Men ro give confent to their Commiffion. The naked Light ofRcafOn dHCovcrs Sin, and m~kcs it unea!V to Confcicnce: but a fl:rong Light arm'd with Terrors, the Law of God; with the Doorrl anncx'd to the Precept againft rebellious Sinners, makes it fearful. The Command is peremptory and univerfal, with refpcct to all Temptations and All urcmenrs to Si n, be they as dear and Difficult to be parted w~th, as the right. Ey e, or righ! Fiand, the mofl: ufeful and precious Inflruments· of Life, yet. they muil: wtth abhorrence be cail: from us , or the whole Man will be cafl into !-!ell Fire, where tbe Worm dies not, and Mar. r. , t~e Fire is not quenched. This terribie Threatning is fadly repeated by our Saviour rluec MarX 9· ttmes; ro make the more powerful impreffion upon Sinnets. Tlro
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